Workshops
I'm not going to schedule much this year because I'm taking a sabbatical from teaching. However, if you are interested, email me and I will send you the next workshop information. There may be one planned for this autumn.
Learning to paint takes a long time. Instant gratification can come from many things in life but not painting. It is hard work and it takes years of patience and persistence. If you are looking for a good relaxation exercise try deep breathing. I've seen so many students get frustrated because they can't quite make it happen as fast as they want. That is why I suggest doing a little bit all the time. The more you do, the better you get. It is a simple equation. I spend 10 hours a day either painting or on a painting related activity. Expectations need to be realistic. Unless you work at it constantly you will not improve.
Some advice: Find a painter whose work you admire and get to know them. Get to know what drives them to produce constantly. It is good to find a mentor, and if they give workshops, take them. In fact, take workshops from lots of artists. You will learn something new from each one. Don't copy their work. Find your own voice by looking deep inside yourself. Paint what you know and look at the world with a curious eye. Paint from life as often as possible. Judge your progress over time – every couple years. Be kind to yourself. Painting is a worthwhile activity and the time spent looking carefully at nature is time well spent, even if the painting is unsuccessful. I personally like to read artist biographies. They give valuable insight into methods and motivation. It helps to know other artists faced similar problems.
Recommended Reading
Here are a few of my favorite books:
The Art Spirit, by Robert Henri
Hawthorne on Painting, Collected by Mrs. Charles W. Hawthorne
Carlsons Guide to Landscape Painting, by John F. Carlson
Composition of Outdoor Landscape Painting, by Edgar Payne
Gruppe on Painting, by Emile A. Gruppe
Alla Prima, by Richard Schmid
The above image shows the painting, Ghosted Sign, in nine stages. It is difficult to stop painting to record the progress because you can lose your concentration. But I think it is useful to see this process. Notice that I worked on a toned canvas. The light values really become obvious. Also, the sky was painted in after the main masses were in place. I find it easier to mix and apply the sky color last. That way the edges can be treated in a thoughtful way. So much of a landscape painting happens where the masses meet. In other words, the top of a tree has soft edges as it reaches into the sky. By contrast, the top of a chimney has a more distinct edge. Look sometime for yourself.