FORM AND COLOR: PAINTING THE FIGURE with Steve Assael

OVERVIEW

• Arrival: Saturday, October 5th, 2024 with Orientation and Welcome Dinner in the evening.
• Studio days: Sunday, October 6th - Friday, October 11th, with Farewell Dinner on Friday evening.
• Checkout/Departure: morning of Saturday, October 12th.
• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
• How to Reach Us: Pickup from Palermo (PMO) airport See our pickup policy. 
• Materials: Oil paint, brushes, primed surfaces.  Materials included in Student Package are included in the price of admission.  All other materials are available for purhase or rent in our studio, though you are welcome to bring your own.  Steven's palette is included in our Paint Pass - unlimited use of paint for a flat fee.
• Equipment: Additional materials like Plein Air Kit are available to rent.
• Shipping:  We are happy to pack and send work. Shipping and handling fees vary depending on size, weight, and destination.
• Rental Car: Car rental is not necessary but recommended if you'd like to explore the area after class.

ABOUT STEVE ASSAEL

Steven Assael paints modern-day figures in haunting, quietly psychological portraits. A leader in contemporary figurative painting, Assael works

exclusively from live models, fusing his modern subjects—goths and teens, men and women in costume—with an Old Master style and traditional

tableaux. “Even though art is dead as we have known it, painting is not,” he has said. Assael’s work has been compared to that of Thomas Eakins, and

reveals a similar interest the human figure both as aesthetic form and as vehicle for emotions and psychological states.

WORKSHOP DETAILS

Steven will discuss an analytical and dynamic approach to painting the human figure, emphasizing color and value relationships in a related atmosphere.

The development of form through observation and interpretation of plane shifts projecting and receding from the eye will be stressed.

Aspects of anatomy, proportion, and movement will be discussed along with the development of an Alla Prima technique that involves scumbling and glazing.

Learning to see is a selective endeavor where understanding is an extension of our mind's eye. We will look at color as value and temperature as form.

This class will paint from a live model. Students can choose a model and paint the portrait or the figure.

We will discuss techniques for dealing with the changes that occur as a model poses, learning to hold and interpret what you see with a selective eye.

● The development of form through observation and interpretation of plane shifts projecting and receding from view.

● An emphasis on color and value relationships and how they relate.

● Aspects of anatomy, proportion, and movement will be discussed along with the development of an Alla Prima technique, which involves scumbling and glazing.

● A simplified method of measuring proportions

● A simple way to see the basic anatomical features of the figure

● Painting the figure with a focus on rhythm and movement

● The development of light and shadow and the reflective properties of flesh

The course will involve lectures, demos, and critiques daily. Steven will discuss materials and craft, as well as issues of light and shadow, form, reflective properties of flesh, and other aspects of painting. There will also be a discussion of selectively finding an expression in the moment.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

For your convenience, all essential materials for the workshop are available in studio. In addition, you'll enjoy several excursions to gorgeous local sites during the week, where the group will apply lessons from the studio "en plein-air". Immerse yourself in painting, soaking in the region's radiant hues and vibrant atmosphere.

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Refreshments are available throughout the workshop during the breaks, and delicious home-cooked Italian lunches and dinners provide the perfect setting for getting to know Steven and your fellow participants. Whether you're just starting out or have years of artistic experience, this workshop is for you.

ACCOMMODATION

You will be staying at Baglio Custera, a boutique hotel in the heart of Marsala’s countryside. Known for its gardens and luxurious swimming pool, this modern resort stands on the Rakalia hill, the site of an ancient shrine to Hercules, surrounded by olive and orange groves. Baglio Custera is a brand new hotel built on ancient lines, those of the "baglio," or farmhouse.

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From start to finish you will enjoy the extraordinary cuisine of he region influenced by the unique flavors of the Mediterranean including garden-fresh vegetables, ancient grains, and seafood. All meals, accommodation, and daily ground transport are Included in your package, including a celebratory welcome dinner with Steven.