A View Through the Window - Oil Pastel on Paper

If eyes are the window to the soul, windows can be called the eyes to the world! Windows and doors are a motif well-loved by artists from ancient times to today. Windows and doors have been used by painters as symbols and metaphors, as inspiring subject that fills the soul with joy and hope, and as the cusp between the indoors and outdoors, they offer us rich material for self-expression and creativity. Learn about different artists and styles, from the Pompeii to the Early Renaissance, to the 19th-century Realism, to Symbolism, Surrealism, and Modern art, and find your unique voice by drawing a life-sized window that overlooks a sea, or a door that opens onto a balcony over a lush garden, and let it inspire a story that unfolds inside or outside. 

This course will guide you through every step of the way: from conception to completion. The first class will involve staging your own inspiration - you will create your personalized setup and photograph it, to create your own photo reference. We will discuss how to compose our set, similar to designing a movie set because that window will have to evoke a thought or suggest a story.

In this course, you will

• Learn how to stage your photo reference in a way that inspires creativity
• Practice drawing and color mixing with oil pastels
• Understand how to create a different mood in the indoor/outdoor atmosphere
• Draw a real-looking scene on a large-format paper
• Follow the same steps as everyone else in class and yet create a painting that is unlike anyone else’s
• Receive personalized guidance and feedback from the instructor