En Plein Air Painting

EN PLEIN AIR PAINTING in acrylic or water colors

Taught by Jeffrey Gatrall

Five Saturdays, June 1-29, 10:00am-1:00pm

Cost: $200-$275 sliding scale*, plus materials

Over the course of five weeks, we will discuss various techniques for painting outdoors. Classes will include demonstrations on how to achieve different painterly effects, as well as practical suggestions on painting material and gear. You will become adept at choosing your composition, identifying major shapes, and blocking in colors, so that you can capture the essence of a landscape while dealing with the constantly shifting light and shadows. 

Classes will be held in two different outdoor locations, which will be shared with registrants prior to the start of the course. Locations include some grassy, uneven terrain and bathrooms are located a short walk away, which may include stairs. If a class is unable to be held due to weather, it will be made up the following Sunday at the same time.

“For me, a landscape does not exist in its own right, since its appearance changes at every moment.” —Claude Monet 

For questions or to register, please email programs@nohoarts.org. If registering, please include your full name, mailing address, and phone number. Payment may be made in advance via PayPal here or by check to “NCFA” mailed to the Northampton Center for the Arts, PO Box 366, Northampton MA 01061.

*Payments on the upper end of the sliding scale help support our ongoing commitment to accessibility and sliding scale models. If financial assistance is needed, participants may apply for Community Fund support.

Jeffrey Gatrall received his BFA in painting from Rhode Island School of Design, and spent his senior year abroad in Rome as part of the school’s European Honors Program. The following year he completed the Scottish Post Diploma at the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee, where he studied painting under Alberto Morrocco, and print making under Sheila Macfarlane. After deciding to enter the realm of commercial art, he had a thirty-five year career, primarily in animation, where he worked for Warner Bros., Disney, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Universal, and Atari, among others. For the last fifteen years Jeffrey has been devoting his time to painting. He participated in NCFA’s En Plein Air Festival during the time the Center had no physical location, and he’s shown work at Historic Northampton. Jeffrey maintains a studio in Easthampton.

SUPPLY LIST:

The following is a list of supplies and equipment, intended to help you set up quickly and get started. My idea is to suggest economical and portable materials - small enough to fit in a backpack - and easy to use, so that all your time can be spent painting… before the light changes. —JG

NOTE: This list contains supplies for both watercolors and acrylics. Most students will choose one medium to work in, and you only need the supplies listed for that medium.

PAINTS:

This list of paints will do for either water colors or acrylics. By all means, get a small, inexpensive starter set of colors, just to get going. You can always buy the colors individually in tubes later, once you know what you are comfortable using. The starter sets will have most, if not all, of the colors on the list.

•Alizarin Crimson

• Cadmium Red Medium

• Cadmium Yellow Medium 

• Hansa Yellow

• Cerulean Blue

•Ultramarine Blue 

• Burnt Sienna

•Titanium White 

•Ivory Black

Additional, but not necessary, colors.

•Yellow Ochre 

•Raw Umber

•Phthalo Green

•Dioxazine Purple

PAPER:

WATER COLOR PAPER comes in either Hot Press (smooth) or Cold Press (textured) varieties. Traditional watercolors are usually done on Cold Press paper, but for purposes of learning either will do. Just be aware that the Cold Press paper will hold the water more easily because of it’s texture, but the Hot Press paper will allow the water to run off.

We will be using 9 X 12 paper or slightly larger, because the size will allow you to complete your work more quickly, and will make it easier to handle and carry.

•Water color paper comes in all sizes, in either BLOCKS or PADS.

CANVASES:

STRETCHED CANVASES and CANVAS COVERED PANELS for acrylic painting also come in various sizes and are sold in packs. 9 X 12 or slightly larger would be the most convenient size. Depending on your preference, they can be used as is, or you can apply one or two coats of Gesso, sanding lightly between coats, to get a smoother finish. 

BRUSHES:

For WATER COLORS you should get three round brushes, small, medium, and large. To this you can add a one inch wide flat brush for doing washes.

For ACRYLICS, you should get three flat brushes, also small, medium, and large, to which you can add a couple of round brushes of different sizes for putting in details.

Both water color and acrylic brushes should be SYNTHETIC - there is no need to buy expensive brushes that might get lost outdoors. Inexpensive brushes are sold in packets. NOTE - very often water color brushes and acrylic brushes are interchangeable - they can be used in either medium. Be sure to read the label.

OTHER MATERIALS and EQUIPMENT:

PAPER TOWELS for blotting up water or paint from your painting, and for general clean up. You will need a plastic bag to dispose of your towels, if there isn’t a trash bin nearby.

A MIXING TRAY for water colors.

A PALETTE or STA-WET PALETTE for acrylics. Some people use an old ceramic plate or an aluminum pie pan for either water colors or acrylics.

PALETTE KNIFE, mostly used in acrylic painting for scraping off an unwanted section of your work - although, if you are doing water colors on a block of paper, you can use a palette knife to slit the sheet off the block to expose a fresh sheet of paper.

A PLASTIC JAR with a LID that you will fill with water, for washing out brushes. The jar should be fairly big, like a large size peanut butter jar.

PENCILS - should be erasable. They are useful for quick sketches and for writing down notes or ideas.

A PORTABLE PENCIL SHARPENER

A KNEADED ERASER - to avoid getting red eraser marks on your paper or canvas.

A SMALL SKETCH BOOK or NOTEBOOK for trying out ideas, making quick sketches, or writing notes.

A LIGHT, PORTABLE BACKING BOARD

OR DRAWING BOARD - if you want to have a more firm surface to work on. It should fit comfortably in your lap.

MASKING TAPE - for holding down the edges of water color paper, if you are painting on individual sheets on a backing board.

A FOLDING CHAIR or STOOL - you will need something to sit on that is comfortable and portable.

EASELS  for Plein Air come in different sizes and price ranges. The two chief varieties are the French kind, that fold up into a box, and the aluminum collapsible kind. If you GOOGLE “plein air easels for sale” you will see all the different choices. Buy one of these ONLY if you feel you have to stand up.

We will work small - 9 X 12 or so - to avoid having to work on an easel. We can work sitting down, and will have less equipment to carry in and out of sites.

Some other suggestions, for your comfort and wellbeing:

• A WATER BOTTLE - for drinking water

• A HAT - that keeps the sun off your neck and ears.

• SUN BLOCK

• BUG SPRAY

• UMBRELLA - for sun or unexpected rain

For art supplies, please visit Valley Art Supplies (we love local!), Michael’s, or Staples (limited options), or Blick’s online.

Stained Glass Suncatcher Class

Stained Glass Suncatcher Class with Neil Neil Orange Peel

Sunday, November 17 from 10 AM to 4 PM

Cost: $150 per person

To reserve a class click here

Create your stained glass suncatcher in this exciting one-day class with Cape Cod artist Neil Neil Orange Peel! Choose from several patterns and glass colors, then learn to cut, grind, and solder all in this fun one-day class. No experience is required and all skill levels are welcome.

Center for the Arts Drawing Group

Wednesday mornings, 9:45am to 12:45pm, $15/session ($10/session if the month is paid in advance)

The Northampton Center for the Arts Wednesday Morning Figure Drawing Group is looking for artists to join us. Please email Steve at artfromsteve<at>gmail<dot>com if you're interested in joining us.

Each Wednesday morning session begins with a nude model assuming a series of short poses that increase in length from 2 minutes to 30 minutes.  There are no requirements other than a desire to draw, so bring your paper and pencil, water colors, crayons…whatever medium you choose.  Beginners and experts and all in between are welcome.  No critique or instructions, just drawing. Tables, chairs, and easels are provided.  

Please, no fixatives sprays or other materials with noxious odors.

The Drawing Group will begin meeting in Eli’s Room at 33 Hawley again on January 10, 2024.