Overview
Our workshop will focus on composition. This includes color, value, and, oddly, subject matter. We’ll explore the emotional impact of composition, one of Paul’s main concerns in painting, and also talk about unusual compositions and risk-taking in painting. We will also spend some time learning about what could only be called, cheap tricks.
While Paul is primarily a “representational” painter, we’ll spend a lot of time talking and producing art that pushes the boundaries of this style of painting. While the ability to draw is fundamental to representational painting, our main objective will be how to create innovative compositions and encourage risk-taking and taking chances. Finally, the workshop will start with several experimental exercises which will be the foundation for the rest of the classes.
Materials List
- Four to nine panels to paint with. They should be in the 12 x 12” to 11 x 14” range. I encourage square panels since they are compositionally “odd” but a really interesting size for exploring composition. Bring several (4 to 8) thick cards like mat board that are 6” square. A 9 x 12 or similar size pad of tracing paper.
- Brushes: Your favorites. I want you to be comfortable in this area. I will be working with Palette knives so bring a selection if you have them. I prefer knives that have a small point, not square or rounded.
- Paint, Oil or Acrylic. If you are using oils, please use odorless thinners. M Graham makes a Walnut Alkyd Dryer, which is relatively odor-free. Something like Gamson Galkyd will also work, just keep the cap on and only put out a little at a time. For Acrylics also bring some gloss medium so we can do some glazing.
- Basic set: Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Red, Cadmium Orange and Yellow. Cobalt Blue, Titanium White, and Ultramarine Blue. Feel free to substitute the cadmium colors since they’re so expensive. I’m not obsessed with color names, but this is the minimum number of colors to paint with. We will spend some time about the emotional power of color mixing.
- Additional colors (optional): Dioxazine Purple, Burnt Umber, Yellow Ochre and Thalo Green.
About Paul Murray
Paul has been making art since age 19, first as an illustrator and graphic designer and, in the last 28 years, as a fine artist. Most of his income comes from art sales, but he does manage to teach one or two workshops every year.
He has won several international and national awards; the most notable are the Prix d’Pastel at the International Association of Pastel Societies international show in 2001 and the Prix d’Pastel at the Pastel Journal Top 100 in 2005, also an international award. In 2022, he won best of show at Masterworks of New Mexico with an acrylic painting titled
Trains and Plains.
Paul paints in oils, acrylics, pastel, and pen and Ink, his favorite illustration medium before the digital age.
www.gpmurray.com