Description
“BACKGROUND FIRST”
with Christina Erickson
10am – 2pm
Join us for a perfect combination of loose play and serious focus in this class that challenges the traditional “object-first” approach to painting. Instead of focusing on the subject itself, we will find beauty in the shapes around it. We’ll begin with the freedom of building up layered, abstract backgrounds in acrylics and/or craft paints. Next, we’ll do some exercises to learn to simplify designs from nature, as well as doing some compositional thumbnails. Lastly, after sketching the design onto the background, we shift to negative shape painting – and this is where the magic happens! You will leave with unique artworks and a new set of skills.
The guild will supply you with some large paper. All levels welcome!
SUPPLY LIST Please bring the following:
- Acrylic Paints Bring your favorite colors, you don’t need a ton of colors. Fluorescent colors work great. The guild has a bunch of craft paints you’re welcome to use, they work well for this.
- Brushes Bring some wider brushes made for acrylics, like 1” if you have it and an assortment of brush sizes for the final stage of painting.
- Painting Surface We’ll provide you with 18” x 24” paper, but feel free to bring canvas if you like. It’s fun to work large!
- The usual: Water container, paint palette
- White Chalk works great for sketching onto dried acrylic paint. I have a few extras if you can’t find it. Dollar store used to have it, also Fred Meyers.
- Artist Bio Christina taught high school art in Boston, Athens (Greece), and Portland for nearly three decades; designing and teaching courses Art Foundations, Advanced Art, Painting, Illustration, Visual Communications, and Fashion Illustration. She has a degree in Art Ed from U. of Oregon and did post-bac work in Painting. Christina has participated in group shows at Blackfish Gallery and the Art Institute of Portland and was juried into the LO Festival of the Arts. Her work has won awards. Christina’s motto is: Creating art should be fun and it should be brain food.
