I was going to post more large pieces for sale in my blog post today, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. Today, I have something to share that I am super excited about! Earlier this year, I created and filmed another online art course for Jeanne Oliver’s website and this project was definitely on my list of favorites. I loved thinking through the content and creating it. I’m proud to announce Alla Prima, an online art course focusing on still life painting in oils, is now open for early registration.
Here is a video preview of Alla Prima to show the projects and skills we work on in the class…
When I was creating this class, I knew I wanted to focus on painting still life. It is a painting practice that can sound a little boring and academic, but it’s an important part of growing as an artist for a reason. You’re not only drawing and painting the subject, but you’re choosing the subject, the background, the lighting, and your perspective. There are so many choices made along the way that will help you learn what you’re drawn to as an artist. Making not of your choices will help you discover and further explore and develop your artistic voice. There is also so much value in painting from life.
In my previous Jeanne Oliver course, The Atelier, I worked with several different mediums in a limited palette. In Alla Prima, I wanted to specifically focus on my favorite medium – oils. They just move and behave like no other paint and I want to share my love of them with the participants.
These are all of the techniques and skills taught in Alla Prima –
- Selecting still life props
- How to compose a still life
- Lighting a still life to make an interesting painting
- Discovering your artistic voice
- Creating thumbnail sketches to test out ideas
- Prepare a wood panel to accept oil paints
- Mixing colors with oil paints
- Using mediums with oil paints
- Rendering an underpainting to establish values
- How to use still life to get you artistically “unstuck”
- Tricks for checking for accurate values and pleasing composition
I also share some basics of working with oil paints from setting up a palette to cleaning up, and I show how to varnish a finished work. It really is a fun course and participants will finish three paintings – a tonal still life…
…a “dark and moody” still life of pears…
…and a light and airy still life of blackberries…
I also share a variety of reference images, so you can pick the one that speaks to you or you can set up your own still life. While an advantage to painting still lifes is learning to observe and draw/paint from life, I wanted to include pictures so we could work from the same reference.
Alla Prima is an online course that you can take at your own pace, but I will be available to answer questions, offer critiques, and just hang out with you on the course’s Facebook page for the first few weeks after the course goes live. Interacting with the course participants is one of my favorite parts! We can celebrate your work and growth together. There is also a complete list of supplies used in the course on the course page, so you know what you might need to purchase ahead of time.
So, I hope you’ll join Alla Prima with me! You can register at the early bird price HERE.
17 Responses
I’m registered this morning, I can wait.
Marian, you never cease to amaze me With all you have to do to prepare for your move and you have time to do an art course ! Good for you
I filmed it all before the house even went on the market because I knew it would get crazy!
What level course would you consider this to be? Would it be appropriate for someone with no previous painting experience?
I created the course to be for people who have painted before but offered a lot of tips for beginners working with oils including some drawing tips, how to set up an oil palette, and how to clean a palette. I also offered simplified reference photos for those who don’t want to paint the checks. For this reason, I think it can work for a variety of experience levels.
So excited! Will we be able to sell the painting that we do in the course? I have taken a course in the past that forbid me from selling what I did in the class…
Yes, the reference photos are a part of the course. They were all taken by me and are provided royalty-free for participants.
Hi Marion
The course sounds great, but I’m a slow painter, can you go at your own pace, and can you access the course at any time? Ok well I purchased a course from a lovely artist, and when I had time couldn’t access it. I’m technically challenged and sometime can’t get back to certain sites?! ??
Yes, you have lifetime access to the course and can take it at your own pace. Jeanne Oliver’s site offers great support, so they can help you if you ever have trouble accessing or finding the course again! 🙂
Signed up, can’t wait! I loved painting with you last year and am excited to take this course!
Yay! I can’t wait to see your work.
In reading the list of supplies I noticed two wooden “canvases”…never having painted on wood I am wondering what the benefit is?
The course looks great and a terrific refresher to my old college oil painting classes. Who knows what talent is waiting to be awoken.
After painting on a variety of substrates, wood panels are my favorites. They don’t have any give and won’t stretch or bounce like a stretched canvas. They are also easier to store and ship and I like the finished texture better. It’s completely a preference, though, and you can use canvas/linen panels or stretched canvas/linen.
Thanks, I am looking forward to trying them…and looking forward to your class.
I’m really looking forward to this. I haven’t painted for quite a while, however, I am drawn to this style. Here’s hoping I can pull it off. So happy you created this class.
I am so excited you are offering this course. I started painting along with your lessons on Youtube rediscovering something I loved doing long ago, It had been over 20 years since I had painted until then. I purchased this course as a 50th birthday gift to myself and am looking forward to it. You are a great teacher. Thank you!
I enrolled, even if I still need to finish Atelier. I do love working with oil paints. Looking forward to this class.