The principles of abstraction with Larry Moore

Workshop Description (from the instructor)

NOTE: This will be a THREE DAY workshop.

This 3-day class, taught by artist/author Larry Moore, will push you into new territory where growth lives. With a focus on the principles of design and abstraction, you will be shown a system for developing your voice as an artist. The emphasis is on creative process, exploring new ways to develop a painting, inventive compositions, how to think and build intent in your work. Larry’s intent is to help each artist find a way that works for them, whether they wish to interpret more, push their process or go fully abstract. He’s worked extensively in almost every medium, so all are welcome. The class is as much a challenge for the advanced artist as it is for the beginner, no specific skill set is required since exploration is the goal. However, some understanding of color and paint handling will be helpful. We start small and end big.

This is an open medium class: oil, acrylic, and gouache are good mediums for this class. Larry will demo in gouache which is his preferred medium for study and idea generation. Many of the exercises in this class are found in Larry’s book on creativity, “Fishing for elephants. Insights and exercises to inspire authentic creativity”.  Available through here  https://www.amazon.com/dp/0692100385/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_8N3Y83XWQGWBEA1JGKMC

About the Instructor  (from the instructor)

Artist, author, and instructor/creative coach. I have a diverse background as a visual communicator: Advertising and design, fine art, plein air (location painting), illustration (35 years) where I worked in almost every medium and style you can think of… except maybe egg tempera and marble. And I’ve made kind of an interesting discovery, the creative process behind all of these approaches is pretty much the same.

As an instructor, I am taking my years of acquired knowledge from illustration, graphic design, location painting, teaching Critical thinking and the aforementioned topics and morphing them together in my work and in what I teach. I give people a way to access the creative spirit and broaden not just the way they paint but the way they think and play.

Supply List

The first 2 or 3 days will be spent doing small studies, you can go up in size and switch to your favorite surface/medium on the last day.

For this class you can work in acrylics, oil or gouache.

You can work in either medium from the start but I recommend working on watercolor paper, I’ll explain later.

Gouache OR acrylic: 9x12 or 11x14 watercolor pad, like Arches cold press watercolor paper pads.

Sketch pad for thumbnails, notes and doodling while I yammer on.

For oil Arches oil paper is awesome, Cold or hot press

Water proof felt pen (fine), 2b pencil

Set of Gouache watercolor paints, they are awesome and not terribly expensive. Basic set of primaries, white, black, gray. It is a very versatile medium that is great for finding new ideas:

Suggested brands Grumbacher, Winsor-Newton, M. Graham, Royal Talens or similar.

Titanium White (get the larger tube if you have the option)

Cad yellow light or lemon

Cad yellow medium or yellow ochre

Cad red light

Alizarin or similar

Ultramarine blue

Prussian blue

Burnt sienna

Black

Gray(s)

If you can’t find these exact colors, no worries, just get a range of warm/cool.

Don’t get the acrylic gouaches (Acryla), use the above brands. I’ll explain later.

Watercolor mixing tray for gouache. Look for a larger tray that has some mixing area. I highly recommend this one on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004KJEWMY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_.kSOCb6VBY1PN

Set of watercolor brushes, mix of flats and rounds.

If you don’t have any get the affordable variety bag o’ synthetic brushes.

Roll of 1/4” white artist tape

Phot ref We won’t really need any but if you wish to try your hand at abstracting from a source, bring images on phone, ipad or laptop

Either Oil or Acrylic (up to you)

Same as above. A limited palette of warm and cool of each primary color, earth tones, gray, black and white:

If you have favorite pigments, bring them. There is no one perfect palette. A good starter palette is a warm and a cool of yellow red and blue (above), but if you want to augment this be my guest.

However, a limited palette is usually better. Just primaries, earth tones, white and black.

Oils: Utrecht and Gamblin are good paints for the money. Gamblin 1980, Winton by Windsor Newton is fine. Rembrandt, Grumbacher are also fine.

Cold wax. Optional but extremely awesome with oils.

A palette to mix on.

Acrylics. Golden is golden.

Thinner for oil: Gamsol, Turpenoid (blue can) or Mona Lisa, or you can go thinner free and just use Artists medium or linseed oil. No smelly stuff!

Can or container to hold turpenoid or medium

Palette Knife (angled, tapered tip)

Brushes:

For small studies, get a mix of smaller synthetic flats and rounds. For larger stuff, bristles are great – sizes 2-12 flats and filberts. You can also augment with sables or cheaper synthetic flats and filberts for blending (I use the synthetic flats and filberts a lot for blocking in).

There are no magic brushes. If you are interested in trying different approaches, bring a brayer, a squeegee, any tool that might give you something a brush cannot.

Easel – The first few days we will work flat on the table.

A good portable and multifunctional easel that you can get from OpenBoxM or EasyL, Strada, U.Go New Wave or similar.

The easel you use can be determined by the surface size you wish to work on. If you are doing a 24x24 you need an easel to support that.

Canvases: optional for last day

2-3  12x16 or similar canvas panels

Finer weaves are better. Poorly made canvas panels are not helpful.

If using Frederix or similar single gesso-primed surface, I recommend a brush coat of gesso or two. Raymar, Windsor-newton and Pintura are good and fairly inexpensive.

Gesso’d 140# watercolor paper works great too.

Artists painting medium for oil by Winsor Newton or Gamblin Galkyd or Gamblin solvent free gel (optional but very handy)

Paper towels (viva) or lots of good painting rags

Latex gloves if you so desire

Sense of humor and an open mind

got a question? larry@larrymoorestudios.com

Registration

Registration is open to CCAL members only for $350 ($50 minimum deposit required).

At this time, registration is restricted to CCAL members only.

Note: This event will be held indoors. By registering for this event you agree that you understand the risks of COVID and agree to the CCAL COVID Waiver Policy.