Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Ojai Workshop Expedition

One of my demos from the April 2009 Ojai Workshop:

'Krotona Library'.......oil on canvas panel..........7x9 inches (SOLD)

Greetings gentle blogaddict,
It was but a little over a month ago that I held my Ojai workshop, the gentle spring breeze coming off the Pacific ocean and cooling my diligent students from the cruel, unrelenting sun. Painter of light you say? Painter of deadly solar death rays I say! DEADLY SOLAR DEATH RAYS!! But we did manage to find some shade eventually at our many fine locations, the St Thomas Aquinas church, the Krotona Institute, Meditation Mount, Happy Valley's Beatrice Woods Center, and finally Mount Meher , real nice people at every turn. Visit them all with paint in hand, easel prone upon your sturdy back, a palette knife by your side to protect you from bears, visit them all! Tell them I sent you, they're all so friendly, and nice.

And the evenings, after our hearty toil, were spent languishing in the soft glow of the Ojai Pizzeria one night, the jazzy haze of the Movina Wine Bar the next. The topping of it all of course was the Deer Lodge, it's fantastical taxidermied Elk, Rams, Owls, and Jackalopes staring glassy eyed, down at our sumptuous repast of wild boar sausage and German beer. Oh, to capture nature in a landscape painting by day and see nature stuffed and mounted at night, there's nothing like it.


Here is a brief yet exciting video that Ben kindly and patiently created for me of my demo at Meditation Mount:



The completed demo....

'Meditation Mount'.......oil on canvas.......7x9 inches


A few pics of the workshop adventures......

Painting at Meditation Mount








Afternoon demo at St. Thomas Aquinas Church








A leisurely day in Happy Valley








Putting the final touches on Krotona Library demo









Sheldon diligently painting at Mount Meher











Luisa contemplating what to have for lunch







Overlooking Meditation Mount








The Ojai Painting Posse









Joel Anderson wrote a small article on me for the 'Ojai Valley and Ventura View' newspaper that was super cool and doubtlessly aided in rousing the locals to my intentions:



That concludes yet another fun-filled blogfix. I hope you've enjoyed the recounting of my tales of lust, greed and paint in Ojai as much as I have.

The whole experience was so amazing and vastly successful that I will be conducting another workshop there in September, 2009. Read on to see the workshop flyer for the second of my five-day upcoming workshop in Ojai!
For more info on this (and other) upcoming workshops, go to ‘Jennifer’s Upcoming Workshops’ on right sidebar. Ciao!




~ TIP-TOP TIDINGS! ~

And last but not least, I'm pleased to announce my painting 'Brand Boulevard' was graciously awarded Second Place in the LAPAPA's (Laguna Plein Air Painters Association) "Less is More" miniatures group show hosted by the Randy Higbee Gallery in Costa Mesa! Thanks so much LPAPA, and everyone check out Randy's website kingofframes.com for awesome deals on ready made frames, and tell him hi from me!

'Brand Boulevard'.....oil on canvas panel.....4.5 x 6 inches (SOLD)

33 comments:

rob ijbema said...

oh yes that is the way i like it,
doing it outside for real,
rough and ready,
wonderfull piecejennifer,
vibrating with life.
thanks for the demo ,great painting music!
hope you did some meditating too

Connie said...

Beautiful work. I wish I could have been there. Man, it couldn't be any hotter than North Carolina. All us women are really glowing (southern belle speech for sweating!) I have long been an admirer of your work, and wish you would come east for a workshop.

Jennifer McChristian said...

Hi Rob,

Oooh I like it when you talk dirty ;-)
Thanks for the awesome comments! Glad you like the demo (and music).
Didn't get a chance to do some meditating, however, I did take a moment to smell the blossoming flowers.

Peace

Jennifer McChristian said...

Hi Connie,

Thanks for visiting. I must agree, California heat is minimal compared to North Carolina in the summer!
I'm hoping to teach in the east coast some time next year. Keep checking my 'upcoming workshops' (right sidebar) for regular updates.

Cheers!

Leslie Saeta said...

What a great video! I love your work so it was great to watch you create another wonderful paimting.
Thank you SO much for the link to kingofframeart.com. I have been searching everywhere for well priced 6"x6" frames and I am thrilled that they have exactly what I am looking for. O ordered tena dn told then that you were teh one who sent recommended them. Thanks and congrats on your work!

Vicente Herrero said...

Desire to congratulate yourself because you turn the simplicity of the topics chosen in a few very beautiful works and with this touch of false facility.
It is a pleasure to see your works.

Rusty Jones said...

Great demo pieces. Watched the video a dozen times or so already. May want to consider throwing it onto BlipTV.com where Jeremy Lipking puts his videos (better quality than Youtube). Love the freshness of your paint stokes and bold designs. Just outstanding work.

Jennifer McChristian said...

You're welcome Leslie! I too am thrilled with kingofframe.com. Great frame selections at awesome prices!
Thanks for your generous comment and glad to hear you enjoyed the video.

Jennifer McChristian said...

Thank you Vicente!

Jennifer McChristian said...

Hi Rusty,

I'll make sure to check out BlipTV.com.
Thanks for the recommendation (and kudos)!

Robin Weiss said...

Hey Jen! Congrats on the award! "Brand Boulevard" sparkles..

Workshop looks like fun....hope I get a chance to come down..

All the paintings are wonderfully full of your signature brushstroke and light. Love the energy!

Jennifer McChristian said...

Hi Robin,

Thanks for the kudos!
Hope you can come down for one of my workshops too :)

Jill Berry said...

Congrats!
Thanks for sharing your workshop.
SO enjoyed the video!!! In high-speed it appears that you attacked the canvas and every stroke knew just where to go, and each did it's job perfectly.
Great work!
I'll keep an eye out for you in the east also. Sunny Pensacola is an excellent place for a workshop & killer solar rays~~~

kraustex said...

Felicidades por su obra, es usted una gran artista.
(Congratulations on your work, you are a great artist.)

Darrell Hill said...

Enjoy your paintings. Great brush work and use of color/light.

Mary Sheehan Winn said...

well, I have been absent too long and was pointed over here by The Informed Collector!
I just love love love love your paintings. They just get better and better. There are no words!
The powerful compositions! No words.

I enjoyed the video, too.

FATÄ°H KARAKAÅž said...

WONDERFULL!!!!...:))---harikasın Jennifer!

Jennifer McChristian said...

Hi Jill,

Glad you enjoyed the video....even at supersonic speed :)
Pensacola would be an awesome location for a potential workshop.
I'll look into it. Thanks for the suggestion.
Bring on the killer solar rays!!

Jennifer McChristian said...

Thank you kraustex!

Jennifer McChristian said...

Thanks for visiting Darrell! I appreciate the warm comment.

Jennifer McChristian said...

Hi Mary,

Better late than never :)
....always a treat to hear from you and thanks for the generous comment.

Jennifer McChristian said...

Thanks Fatih!
Hope you're having an awesome summer.

Gary Keimig said...

Wonderful blog. Great paintings. Love your vision on your work

Jane Hunt said...

The workshop sounds wonderful - I so want to take one of yours someday! Beautiful work, as always, too!

Paintopolis said...

A real beauty Jennifer! -James

Don Coker said...

Jennifer, I love your work. Your light effects are wonderful!

www.doncokerart.com/blog

Jennifer McChristian said...

Thanks Gary!

Jennifer McChristian said...

Hi Jane,

Would love to have you attend one of my workshops when you can!
Let me know.

J

Jennifer McChristian said...

Thank you James!

Jennifer McChristian said...

Don,

Thanks for visiting and I appreciate the comment!

Jack said...

I love that last one..Thats very nice work...Cant see better than this..I guess..
--
Jack
Are you scared to be alone at home need security

Karl Marxhausen said...

Nice demo, Jennifer. Love the blue gloves and holding the brush, pinkie
pressed against the painting. Do the gloves protect you from the turpentine or just getting your hands messy from paint? Keep up the good work. Love following your site.

Jennifer McChristian said...

Thanks for your comment Karl!
The gloves protect my little delicate hands (and pinkie) from the toxic chemicals in the solvent.
(and they look kinda fancy :)