Workshop notes: Painting Landscapes

I recently taught a workshop on landscapes and wanted to share a few slides with you... 

 I LOVE teaching! I taught here in Pontotoc in January.The group was great and we had fun. Thank you to all the attendees.  Jackie helped me welcome 14 artists form TN, AL and MS.

My next workshop is in Greenville in May with the Delta Art Association. Hope you get to come! Here is a link to details.

Here are a few tips straight out of my workshop handbook that I use when I teach. I love to share, but all images are my paintings, and therefore are copyrighted ©2013  Dot Courson Workshops. So feel free to use and share these- I encourage it as a matter of fact! -  but I require you attribute the painting and slide images and painting to me please. : )

Value planes. ©2013 Dot Courson

Arial perspective. ©2013 Dot Courson

Movement in painting. ©2013Dot Courson

Please leave comments below. I love hearing from you! 

Happy Painting! ~ Dot

Another Backyard Plein Air

Getting ready to go teach a workshop in Greenville with the Delta Arts Association this week. I love teaching!

When I paint outside en plein air, I start massing in the values any way I can... with any color. I work fast. I've found that the sun does not stay still and wait for me to get it down, so I admit that I start messy and tighten up as I go. 

Another thing that I do: I generally put some warmth into green foliage as it helps show the green up - and to me it just looks better. 

Here is the start of a recent plein air painting in my backyard:

Progress:

Final painting: Another Backyard Plein Air 12x16 Oil:

Another Backyard -Plein Air . Oil ©2013 Dot Courson

Update:  

This painting was judged into the Cumberland Society National Juried Exhibition. The judge was artist Peggy Kroll Roberts. Thrilled and blessed that it won an Honorable Mention- the Omega Frames award of $500 ! 

Here it is hanging at the show at Richland Fine Art in Nashville, TN: 

Backlit Trees, 12x16 Oil, ©2013 Dot Courson

Painting Class

Last week in my "Monday Afternoon 3 times a Month Art Class" class was en plein air in a pasture across the road from where I live. My neighbor rehabs old vehicles to make street rods or antique cars. He's getting ready to build his building there and has a couple of interesting ones that I think are ripe for painting.

It was fun but was windy and in the 80's and not everyone came - and one person got too hot... and the wind almost took us down! But hey- that'a plein air painting! 

Here are all the paintings done on site and one also that a Facebook friend did from photograph:

I even had a Facebook friend who painted the picture (below) that I had posted on FAcebook.... Here is her version that was painted from a photo:

She calls her paintings "Mater and Sally" form the Cars Movie... 

...and I named mine (above) "Mater's Momma"! 

Thanks to everyone who participated! 

Winter

We finally had some winter. The bipolar express came through Mississippi with temps going from near 70 last week to the 20's this week.

I was finally in the mood to do a painting this weekend from a snow dusting we got last year. This scene from Scenic MS Hwy 5 - near Hickory Flat, MS where my in laws live.

Sorry I'm behind blogging....I'm getting ready for a solo show and speed painting...Photos below don't need explanations, I don't think. This is pretty much how I paint most of the time.

 Step by step demo of Winter, 24x30 -Oil:

Winter ©2012DotCourson 24x30 Oil

Steps:

Final Painting is toned down somewhat to better capture the feel of winter. 

Final Painting of Winter ©2012DotCourson