Classes & Workshops Painting & Drawing

Adventures in Still Life

  • Class starts on: Wednesday, February 7, 2024
  • Duration: 6 Weeks
  • Wednesdays | 06:00 pm - 09:00 pm
  • Location: Main Campus
  • Fee: $300

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Discover how to create interesting and compelling still-life paintings by focusing on composition, color, value and edges. Make use of ordinary household objects, ranging from fruit and flowers to car keys and scissors, to assemble their own still-life setups to paint. Open to students using oils, acrylics or pastels.

Required Supplies

Materials recommended for Robert Ross’s “Adventures in Still Life Painting” class at Crealde School of Art (Note: The materials listed below apply to oil painters and, to some extent, acrylic painters. However, because the class is also open to those working in pastels, if you work in pastel, please ignore this list and bring the materials you normally use. If you have any questions, please call or email me.) BRUSHES: Bring half-inch-wide to one-inch-wide round, filbert and/or flat brushes. The bristles should be soft, flexible, and longish. No short, stiff brushes, please! PAINTS: We will paint with a limited palette. Our main colors will be titanium white, a cool red (such as alizarin), ultramarine blue and cadmium yellow light (not medium); our secondary colors will be cadmium red, cerulean blue and yellow ochre. Please avoid using paints with the word “hue” on the tube – they are diluted and lifeless! SURFACES: Bring your preferred surfaces – stretched canvases, canvas-covered panels, or paper (printmaking paper primed with gesso or acrylic makes a good inexpensive surface). Bring several surfaces no smaller than 10 inches on any side. In each class session, you will start a new painting and bring it to a resolution of some kind, so plan to have at least one surface for each class session – a total of six. THINNERS: If you use thinners, please bring only ODORLESS artist’s grade turpentine or thinner. You can find it at Sam Flax and Art Systems art supply stores. You will also need to bring a container for your thinner. PALETTE KNIFE: You will be mixing colors on your palette with a knife most of the time, so it is important to have a palette knife (sometimes called a painting knife) that’s about as long as your middle finger, pointed, flexible, and has a handle similar to a trowel. PALETTE: Bring whatever palette you usually for mixing colors. Or paper dinner plates can be a handy alternative. OTHER: Bring a small sketchbook, several drawing pencils or charcoals, and a block eraser or soft eraser. The studio has a variety of table easels and stand-up easels, giving you the option of sitting or standing while you paint. The studio will provide paper towels. There is also a utility sink for you to clean up. A NOTE ABOUT SUBJECT MATTER: Part of the adventure of this class is that students will create their own still-life setups using objects they bring to class and objects scavenged from the studio. For each class, please bring in several ordinary personal or household objects no bigger than your outstretched hand. Examples could be: car keys, salt shaker, silverware, cell phone, scotch tape dispenser, disinfectant bottle, wallet, teacup, face mask. Be creative.

Special Notes

Prerequisites: PD149, PD152, PD157 or similar experience

Instructor

Robert Ross

Robert Ross’s paintings have been exhibited in a growing number of venues throughout Central Florida, including Anita Wooten Gallery at Valencia State College, Winter Park City Hall, Orlando City Hall, Maitland City Hall, Orange County Chambers, Gallery at Avalon Island, and Casselberry Art House. He has been in the Winter Park Paint Out sponsored by the Albin Polasek Museum, and he has won several awards for his paintings in the Winter Park Autumn Art Festival. He received his art education at Oakland University, Crealdé School of Art in Winter Park, and in master workshops taught by Stuart Shils. He is represented by Arts on Douglas Gallery in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Website: www.robertrossart.com