Going to any kind of workshop is like plunging into a pool; you take a deep breath and jump. Last Thursday (April 3) I travelled down to Grants Pass to take part in the Watercolor Society of Oregon Spring Exhibition and Convention, followed by a 5-day Jean Pederson workshop. A few of you may remember a previous Jean Pederson workshop. Based on that, I had high hopes for this experience.
Thursday
According to Google, the trip from my house to the Grants Pass Art Museum is four hours and six minutes (248 miles). I am not sure who drives at that speed, but let me assure you, the drive takes longer. I was therefore very pleased to show up within two minutes of my scheduled painting drop off time. In addition to my painting, I had three other paintings to deliver, so there was some pressure to make the drop-off deadline. I did make it, the paintings were delivered, and I wandered off to find the AirBNB and other important locations.
Friday
Friday was a day essentially devoted to being a tourist. The only WSO event was the evening reception and art walk. I took Key to the Cathedral Hills trails. I have been there before, briefly, but this particular Friday, they were in full bloom, which I had not seen before.
We had a long hike, spoiled only by tripping and brushing the inside of my right elbow into some poison oak. As I am extremely allergic, I developed a nasty rash about a foot long.
I went to the opening reception that evening, but it was hot and very crowded, which was too much for my anxiety. It is a lovely show in a beautiful space.
Saturday
Saturday was a full day of break-out sessions. I selected:
- Abstract Starts with Jeannine Miller
- Watercolor Collage with Alisha Whitman
- Layers in Abstraction with Lynda Hoffman-Snodgrass
All these breakouts were wonderful, and I learned a lot. However, I had chosen not to bring the watercolor equipment necessary to fully embrace the experiences. It was all I could do to get me, my suitcase, and the dog in with the acrylic painting supplies for the workshop! I took notes and will head back to these topics in the weeks ahead.
Due to the difficulty of finding a pet-sitter for Key, I chose to bring him with me. This meant we spent a lot of time walking around the fairgrounds. There was a barrel racing tournament on, so I was able to watch horses a great deal. For his part, Key seemed content to kennel up in the car, shade canopy deployed, water available, and portable fan on. I had even invested in a little device that connected to my phone and displayed the temperature in the car.
Sunday
Sunday was dominated by the WSO business meeting followed by the juror’s demo. Once finished, Key and I found a park and spent some time hanging out along the Rogue River before returning to the rental with a movie.
Monday-Friday – Jean Pederson Workshop
I had previously taken a three-day workshop with Jean. While the timing of that workshop (during the great breakdown of 2022) could have been better, I consider it one of the best workshops I have attended and count it as a foundation in my current painting goals. Therefore, I was very excited about returning to Jean’s class.
With five days instead of three, this workshop felt roomier and more relaxed… something I found slightly challenging! I liked the pace of the three-day workshop, though I think having five days helped me delve further into what I wanted instead of simply responding to prompts. Because I have previously described the majority of the prompts and exercises, I will present the pieces I worked on and how they were developed. [Note: In general, an initial painting period led to the development of an abstract start (ground) which was then developed into a more meaningful painting.]
Elk
I began painting while Jean was giving her opening demonstration. This is on a small piece of paper, and I had a lot of trouble pushing it forward. We’ll call it a warm-up.
Left Lead
In most of my workshops I have developed a few pieces of horse legs. The subject is important to me, beautiful, and interesting. It helps get me into the grove.
Balance
Strive
Pronghorn Play
I really liked this start. Starting the pronghorn on it felt like a leap. At the end of day 3 I asked Jean to advise me why it felt unfinished. The dark area and additional antelopes were the result.
White Horses
I liked this start and I like where the painting is headed. But the next few steps, whatever they are, may be a while in coming.
Not a Keeper
I think I started developing this at the end of day 3. I was really too tired to give my best, and it will go back on the pile.
Fluke
I would like to develop a series of whale paintings, but I am limited by my personal reference photos which are mostly of tails. I’m exploring how I might move beyond that.
Magazine
We were asked to paint on a magazine page, letting some of the page show through. The idea was to get beyond feeling the paper was precious.
Seymore
I can’t remember where this ground came from. It seems possible that this was just a blank piece of paper I started doodling on during a talk.
Avocet
I really liked this ground and wanted to “break out” with it. The result still needs some work to become coherent.
More Grounds
These are grounds that I started (mostly with unsupervised paint) that I did not develop.
Specific Exercise – the found abstract
As in the first workshop, we were encouraged to walk around and find small abstracts with our phone, then paint them onto a ground. It’s harder than it looks!
Dog – Day 4
On Thursday we put two (or more) pieces of blank paper together and developed them together, trying to create a symbolic story. I was thinking about what dogs have brought to my life with this.
Abstract Expressionism – Day 5
For the final day, Jean gave each of us a small piece of collage paper and told us where to attach it to the page. The teal triangle at the bottom was mine. We were then asked to work to resolve the placement, after a short slide show on abstract expressionism. I like the result, but it doesn’t feel like me. Jean also liked it and encouraged me to work more in this style. I suggested instead of having the animals big on my page, I could work on making them smaller. “Crane Dance” is the title of this piece. [Note: I didn’t see it then, but now that I do… I may change the title to “Self Portrait”.]
The Class
This is a photo of the class on the final day.
After a few days, where Key stayed in the car and was completely comfortable, the staff at the Bear Hotel told me Key could come inside. He spent two days with the group inside. They loved him and he got a lot of attention. In general, he was very good, only barking a few times when startled.
Summary
Jean’s emphasis in teaching is to help her students find and explore personal meaning in their pieces. The elements of design form the bedrock of a good painting, but ultimately, it is the meaning that is conveyed to the viewer that will ultimately triumph. All the exercises and talks focus on this point. Strong techniques are helpful, but ultimately unnecessary for significance.