Figure and Fabrics

Course date is Wed October 12^th - Friday October 14^th 2022

A 3 day course in the Seawhite Studio space painting from the clothed figure, inspired by colour and pattern as much as form and flesh. Celebrate the way fabric adorns the figure, how pattern changes as it wraps around form, glimpses of flesh, the features of the face emerging from folds and frills

On day one you will make a series of quick studies from the figure in movement, reacquainting yourself with the body as a subject using the fluidity of paint to express the lyrical qualities, dance like (think Rodin’s watercolours of dancers). In other guided warm up exercises you will use the language of paint to describe the texture, direction and weight of cloth, how it shrouds, conceals, and reveals the form underneath. Starting to find compositions within these quick studies, you will be encouraged to play and experiment, not relying simply on observation, so that the paintings you begin to make will be fresh and exciting, open to change as you continue to work on them on day 2.

We will look at artists including Matisse, Bonnard, Vuillard, Chantal Joffe, Alice Neal, and Jennifer Packer for inspiration.