About the Class
This is a 1 Day Workshop meeting on March 22nd from 10:00am-2:00pm, with a short break for lunch.
Unleash your creativity in this four-hour workshop where you'll explore the beauty of hydrangeas through abstraction. Using vibrant colors and expressive techniques, students will learn how to simplify forms, emphasize texture, and create dynamic compositions that capture the essence of these beloved flowers. Some experience with acrylics is recommended. This workshop will guide you step-by-step to craft a unique floral masterpiece.
Supply List:
Acrylic Paints
Please bring the paints you are used to working with. You'll want to be sure to have at least a white and a warm and cool version of each of the primaries (Red, Yellow and Blue) as well a tube (or bottle) of each of the secondaries (Orange, Green and Violet).
Some of my favorite colors are: Permanent Rose, Cadmium Red Light, Cadmium Yellow Light, Yellow Ochre, Cerulean, Ultramarine Blue, Sap Green, Cadmium Orange, Dioxazine Purple.
A 12X12 inch canvas
Texture, Modeling, or Fiber Paste (Optional)
I often like to add a little texture to my canvas before I begin painting. I will be demonstrating how I do this. If you feel that this is something you would like to do as well you will need to bring some Super Heavy Gesso, Modeling Paste, Fiber Paste OR Texture Paste with you.
We will be applying the texture to our canvases first and then we will need to wait for the texture to dry. I will bring a blow dryer along to help speed up this process and we will also spend some time talking about acrylic supplies and visiting the shop together while the canvases are drying.
Sketches will be completed together during class.
Brushes
We will be creating this painting with a 3/4" flat brush and a script liner (or rigger)
Also bring whatever brushes you typically use.
Miscellaneous Materials to Bring
Paper Towels/Rags
A stick of Willow Charcoal for sketching on the canvas
Paper (or other) Palette
Satin Varnish
Spray Bottle
About the Teacher
Sue Dion is a fine artist in New England whose work can be found in collections worldwide. A member of the teaching faculty at the Worcester Art Museum, Sue has been helping people paint better and with greater confidence for over twenty years.
"I’m an artist who’s absolutely captivated by the beauty of nature— it’s an endless source of inspiration for me. Through my work I love to share my impressions of this natural bounty using color and shape. Flowers often find their way into my paintings, even in my abstract pieces, which probably stems from my childhood spent among the blooms in my family's greenhouses. Growing up as the daughter of a second-generation wholesale florist, I spent countless hours playing, and later working amidst, the flowers. I particularly enjoy experimenting with lost edges in my paintings. These are those intriguing spots where the edge of one shape seamlessly blends into another, creating a sense of mystery and discovery. It’s my way of sharing my vision while giving viewers the chance to interpret the pieces in their own unique way. I’m also fascinated by the underlying structures that connect all forms of art — the melodic lines in music, the compositional balance in writing, and the graceful flow in dance. Each of these elements influences the others, and I relish the challenge of weaving these themes into my paintings. It’s all about capturing that universal rhythm and flow that resonates across different artistic disciplines."
About the Class
This is a 1 Day Workshop meeting on March 22nd from 10:00am-2:00pm, with a short break for lunch.
Unleash your creativity in this four-hour workshop where you'll explore the beauty of hydrangeas through abstraction. Using vibrant colors and expressive techniques, students will learn how to simplify forms, emphasize texture, and create dynamic compositions that capture the essence of these beloved flowers. Some experience with acrylics is recommended. This workshop will guide you step-by-step to craft a unique floral masterpiece.
Supply List:
Acrylic Paints
Please bring the paints you are used to working with. You'll want to be sure to have at least a white and a warm and cool version of each of the primaries (Red, Yellow and Blue) as well a tube (or bottle) of each of the secondaries (Orange, Green and Violet).
Some of my favorite colors are: Permanent Rose, Cadmium Red Light, Cadmium Yellow Light, Yellow Ochre, Cerulean, Ultramarine Blue, Sap Green, Cadmium Orange, Dioxazine Purple.
A 12X12 inch canvas
Texture, Modeling, or Fiber Paste (Optional)
I often like to add a little texture to my canvas before I begin painting. I will be demonstrating how I do this. If you feel that this is something you would like to do as well you will need to bring some Super Heavy Gesso, Modeling Paste, Fiber Paste OR Texture Paste with you.
We will be applying the texture to our canvases first and then we will need to wait for the texture to dry. I will bring a blow dryer along to help speed up this process and we will also spend some time talking about acrylic supplies and visiting the shop together while the canvases are drying.
Sketches will be completed together during class.
Brushes
We will be creating this painting with a 3/4" flat brush and a script liner (or rigger)
Also bring whatever brushes you typically use.
Miscellaneous Materials to Bring
Paper Towels/Rags
A stick of Willow Charcoal for sketching on the canvas
Paper (or other) Palette
Satin Varnish
Spray Bottle
About the Teacher
Sue Dion is a fine artist in New England whose work can be found in collections worldwide. A member of the teaching faculty at the Worcester Art Museum, Sue has been helping people paint better and with greater confidence for over twenty years.
"I’m an artist who’s absolutely captivated by the beauty of nature— it’s an endless source of inspiration for me. Through my work I love to share my impressions of this natural bounty using color and shape. Flowers often find their way into my paintings, even in my abstract pieces, which probably stems from my childhood spent among the blooms in my family's greenhouses. Growing up as the daughter of a second-generation wholesale florist, I spent countless hours playing, and later working amidst, the flowers. I particularly enjoy experimenting with lost edges in my paintings. These are those intriguing spots where the edge of one shape seamlessly blends into another, creating a sense of mystery and discovery. It’s my way of sharing my vision while giving viewers the chance to interpret the pieces in their own unique way. I’m also fascinated by the underlying structures that connect all forms of art — the melodic lines in music, the compositional balance in writing, and the graceful flow in dance. Each of these elements influences the others, and I relish the challenge of weaving these themes into my paintings. It’s all about capturing that universal rhythm and flow that resonates across different artistic disciplines."