Doing an In-store Painting Demo at Dick Blick Art Materials store in Portland...

Hey blog-readers, this February I will be offering a free painting demo at the new Dick Blick Art Materials® store in Portland, Oregon...

     Date and Time:
      February 9th, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm


     Location: 
      Dick Blick Materials Art Store, at
      1115 NW Glisan, Portland, Oregon 
      Google map

Hey, did I mention it's free...?

I'll also let you in on a little secret: I am doing this demo with a new paint that hasn't been released to the market yet. Well okay, a limited set of this paint was released back in Spring of 2010 but the colors I'll be using for this demo are new.

Gamblin has been busy developing an extended range of FastMatte™ colors and I've been working with them behind closed doors for over a month. (Check the image at right) You know, paling with them to see what they can do. In the studio and out in the field... If you come to my demo you can be among the first to see this expanded line of alkyds in action. I am impressed with what they can do. They were originally designed to be a fast-drying underpainting for classical painters, but having the entire spectrum covered – including those all important earth colors – makes working with alkyds a realistic option for the alla prima and plein air painter. (You can read a review of the earlier FastMatte line here.)

So come by Blick Art Materials on February 9th to say hello. I'd be happy to meet you...

Also:

This is my (almost) last-call to sign up for my January's "Essential Alla Prima Techniques" Workshop. This is a three-day intensive class that will focus on what you need to know about the most direct form of oil painting. If you plan to jump into plein air painting this spring, or simply want to learn how to paint wet-into-wet then this is the class for you! My approach to teaching is encouraging and respectful but gets you to work. It won't be a 'boot-camp for painters' but you will graduate more fit than you were when you came in!

Details may be found here or up in the right column of this page.

Workshop closes next week.

Keep painting!

Thomas