Workshop Wayfarers

This is one of the demos from my five day plein air painting workshops in Ojai, CA

'Entrance to Library'......oil on canvas panel......7x9 inches

Hello all you Bloggitts down in Bloggittville, it is time for my blog-monthly bloggella, filled with horror, tears, and laughter. Halloween and the Day of the Dead may be behind us now, but my tale reaches further back in time, past such jovial occasions, far back to the third week of September, of the year 2009.

It was during this halcyon time of gaiety and youth that I boldly lead an adventurous team of students into the yellow fields of far off Ojai, beneath an unusually cruel and hot sun. Oh, how we laughed and jested, skipping merrily amongst the charming yurts of sequestered environmentalists and left-leaning elves. I shudder to think of what might had happened, had we by chance met a lurking troll, or some evil gnome with a head full of specially clever magic riddles, or even a banjo-plucking inbred hillbilly. But we didn't. Everyone was fine, and they all learned how to paint outdoors. No one even lost their keys, or general sense of purpose!
Here are some pics from my 5 day Plein Air Painting workshop in Ojai. Enjoy!
For more info regarding my upcoming workshops please visit my web site's 'workshops' page (or see right side bar of this blog for complete schedule).

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Here is a brief time-lapse video of my demo at the Krotona Institute Library:













...adding finishing touches to demo










Monday morning's orientation (all caffeined-up and ready to go)









giving student Ann Carlock a few pointers during an afternoon painting session










....still teaching











demo'ing by the Krotona Library fountain










critiquing student Claire Hill during morning session











finishing up another demo








trying to maintain my composure while conducting a demo in the brutal and unforgiving heat (98 Fahrenheit with humidity!!)




My awesome and wonderful students!
front row (left to right):
Luisa, Diane, Laurie
back row (left to right):
Ann, Andrew, Gwen, Brian, Cary, Marilyn, Jung, Jennifer, Ben, Claire (not pictured)

'Krotona Gardens'.......oil on canvas panel.......9x7 inches

....and finally, here's the demo painting that I raffled off the last day of the workshop! The lucky winning student was the talented Gwen Ballantyne, whose name was plucked from my husband's straw hat!

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A BIG thanks to Ben (our own personal GPS) who kept us hydrated, entertained and on schedule throughout the workshop.