The Arranging of Things: Still Life Painting and the Language of Color

In this three-day workshop, students will explore the tension between construction and

deconstruction through the arrangement—and rearrangement—of everyday objects. This

workshop will guide students in moving beyond simply recording what they see through editing,

cropping, rearranging, layering, and reinterpreting their source material. Drawing inspiration

from both historical and contemporary painters, students will investigate how observation can

become a point of departure for invention.

• Day 1, will begin with “gathering our data” by doing multiple quick oil sketches using a communal still life setup to observe from. We will use the language of color temperature, intensity, and hue to build form, describe qualities of light, and create dynamic compositional relationships.
• Day 2, we use our oil sketches from the previous day and begin finding connections by cutting, gluing, and using tracing paper to find how various forms may connect in order to create a new dynamic composition.
• Day 3, students finally will use their newly stitched-together composition and apply it to a larger ongoing oil painting surface.

Whether working representationally or pushing toward abstraction, participants will develop a deeper understanding of color relationships, compositional design, and the expressive possibilities of still life painting.

All levels welcome, though some prior drawing or painting experience is helpful.

Students may also choose to use water-based media such as acrylic if they are more

comfortable in that medium, yet all live demos will be done in oils.