I have been a fine artist for many years now, and I have done my quota of paintings and sculptures, and my works are on display in some really cool places such as the Casa Monica Hotel in St. Augustine, FL., and the Grand Bohemian Hotel in downtown Orlando. I also have some large stone sculptures in the St. Augustine Sculpture Park.

 

More recently, I decided to go back to basics and started working on plein air painting, or outdoors direct painting. I have in my studio about 20 to 30 attempts laying around in different stages on incompletion. I got maybe 2 or three of the lot that had some merit. Everything else is rather dull.

 

I decided to take a 2 day workshop at the St. Augustine Art Association by a painter known as Ray Brilli. I have seen his work in local galleries and shows at the Art Association, as well as in private residences on the waterfront. His use of color, loose brushstroke and light, caught my attention. 

 

He was very clear to understand and his explanations were specific and hands on work. He took the time to work with each individual person in the class.

 

What I got from this workshop, was a good structure: how to prepare your canvas or primed wood board how to transfer your composition to the canvas, how to layout your oil colors on your palette, how to slow down and layer your paint so it does not get too thick too soon, brighten your colors gradually and add the cheese, the payoff, the accents when you have resolved your shadows and mid tones first. Some people walked away with three good paintings. With the instructor's help, I did one: the one that says what I needed to know and that glows beautifully.

 

At the end of the 2 day workshop, while packing my art stuff in my cargo van with my art business logo and signs on the sides, a fellow student was a little puzzled that me, being a professional had taken this course. I told her something that has been my mantra for ever; I don't know everything and there is always something to be learned. Not to copy verbatum - though it is a very good way to learn - and then apply your new learned knowledge and make your own thing. 

 

If you are in the Palm Coast - St. Augustine - Jacksonville neighborhood, I will recommend taking Ray Brilli's workshops to anyone that is interested in advancing their plein air and studio painting techniques, you'l learn a lot.

 

There are good painters and instructors in this area. Go take a course that interest you: Take a break from your own self art torture and share your happyness and misery with other fellow artists.

 

 

Marianne Lerbs