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)

Materialkunde

Pastels are an endless source of wonder as a medium. The dust on butterflies' wings, it has been called.

Astrid Volquardsen is blogging about the pastel medium in detail. She is comparing paper, stick softness, pencils and has a particularly fun post on manufacturing pastels.

My interview of Astrid Volquardsen is here.

Art of the Wood Shed

Through the Cedar Shed Door
5" x 7'
Pastel
Casey Klahn

The wood shed with the door open, revealing 5 gallon buckets. Painting finished on site.

Plein Air Cedar Shed

Cedar Shed with Stool
5" x 7"
Pastel
Casey Klahn

On site painting this month has been ticking along. A number of scenes around the garden ("cedar") shed have been done, featuring cast light and various surfaces. The surface is the light grey La Carte, but the results still are very warm.

I am bringing this post "over" from The Colorist because I want to follow my plein air project here, and keep the River Series going at that blog. Think: pastel paintings here, concepts and ideas there.

Red River Sketch

Red River Sketch
@ 7" x 4"
Pastel
Casey Klahn

In organizing photos the past few days, I came across this sketch, and realized it hadn't been posted before. This one started a whole series, in some ways. The elements that went into it were a trip to see the Hoquiam River, early pinks in the trees (spring or late winter deciduous trees lining the river bank), an Indian Red pastel stick, and an idealized conception of American rivers.

The river series is a fun group of strongly colored riverscapes seen here.

Apple on Olive Book

Apple on an Olive Book
Tiny; @ 1.8" x 1"
Hard & Soft Pastel
Casey Klahn

I am doing this little series of apples.