Thursday, July 30, 2009

Wonderful Washington Workshop

Loriann Signori's Painting-a-Day


I can tell that the Richard McKinley workshop just concluded in Mt. Vernon, WA was a success by the results that show in Loriann Signori's work. Her recent works are still very much Loriann's signature style, but they are her work at its best - great clarity, superb color and authentic. Her heart is in it, and she's creating lovely pastels that you should take a look at. These are my favorites: The Field 1 & 2.

If you've ever taken an art workshop of any type, let alone one of the length and intensity of McKinley's La Conner one, you know how it can turn you inside-out with the issues of self-direction versus a strong and influential teacher's style. You are there to adopt and apply the teacher's ideas, and yet you have your own statement to continue. I have lost sleep over these things!

My interview of Signori is here: Plein Air On Purpose.

She suggests that Washington State is an inspirational locale. I agree, of course! Skagit County, where McKinley's workshop takes place, is the art rich home of the Northwest School (Tobey, Callahan, et al.) and is noted for the strange diffuse light that permeates the marine air. Some day you really ought to make the trip to see for yourself.

Richard McKinley
La Conner Art Workshops
Loriann Signori's Painting-a-Day
Museum of Northwest Art (MoNA)

2 comments:

loriann signori said...

Thank you Casey I am humbled to be written about by you, the supreme colorist!
Washington State is an inspirational place. And of course, Richard is probably the best teacher in this country.
It was great to see your work in the gallery in Langley on Whidbey Island. In person, it's luminous, something that is hard to see on the computer. It's funny, before reading this post of yours I had written a post mentioning your hand in pastel for my tomorrow's blog (Saturday 8/1)
Enjoy your weekend!

Casey Klahn said...

I appreciate the mention - great company, to be sure! Thanks for making the trip to Langley - I know that distances are far, and I appreciate your effort, there.