Let Go + Let It Flow: Intuitive Abstract Painting Watch Preview

LET GO + LET IT FLOW With BONUS Sketchbook Freedom Warm Up Session

Total:100 minutes

* broken into manageable lessons within the course area, purposely to give our work some drying time in between layers and to encourage us to breathe and allow the painting to tell us where it needs to go.

This course is IS FOR YOU IF:

* you are ready to explore your own creative voice and expression and want to be encouraged in that exploration

* want to be gently guided to tune into your intuition

* want to find more trust in your process

* want to work on letting go so your painting flows more naturally

* you feel tight in your process and want to loosen up your overall painting, brushstrokes and mark making

* want to explore expressing yourself abstractly

* are interested in exploring creating a large abstract painting on canvas

* you have interest in working in layers and making marks


This class is for any level and is led by artist Pamela Bates. My approach to teaching is casual and approachable. I want to encourage you, no matter where you are in your art journey, to step out of the box and trust your intuition so you can get in tune with your own artistic voice.

I share my process, showing you how I approach a larger gestural painting, start to finish. While I show you everything I do to create a piece, my classes are never a 'step-by-step, painting this exactly as I do' journey. It is a class of me painting in my studio and sharing my intuitive process with you to support you in exploring your own voice as an artist.

You have something to say! I believe in you and your magic. I want you to believe in it too.

BONUS LESSON: Sketchbook Freedom

This quick lesson at the beginning of this class can stand on its own in your practice or serve as a warm up exercise and a means of exploring the energy of gestural painting.

Materials: in this course we work in acrylics on canvas, beginning with pencil and make use of other other supplies and mediums along the way (i.e. a sketchbook, spray bottle, etc) to build interest in our work and explore ways to express ourselves as artists. See below for complete list.*

Your classes and paint parties kept me going.- Nancy Curry

LET GO + LET IT FLOW
*SUGGESTED MATERIALS LIST FOR LET GO + LET IT FLOW

Suggested means just that. I want you to really tune into what is calling you in terms of supplies, colors and tools.

Sketchbook or basic paper

(watercolor, mixed media, bristol, even copy paper will do) for the bonus Sketchbook Freedom module. I will be using a very inexpesive sketchbook about 8 x 10in in size, from Michaels.  I find the more basic it is, the more freedom I express myself with. No fear of wasting materials we deem 'too precious'. Don't fall into that trap.

Canvas
I am working on a stretched gallery wrapped canvas 30 x 42. I suggest that you use at least a 24 x 24 because painting larger changes your approach to the work, and the energy of the piece that comes from larger physical movements in relation to the size to the size of the canvas, as well as your brushstrokes and application. Note, as your substrate gets bigger, gestures tend to get bigger and looser, so keep that in mind.
I do not generally gesso or prime the canvas. This is a personal decision. I like the texture of the canvas and the way not
having gesso on the substrate works with the paints and mediums. If you like to gesso, have at it. Do what feels right to you.


Paint
I am working with acrylics. I use a variety of brands. Golden (heavy body), Liquitex (heavy body), NovaColor (a more medium body paint) and whatever else is in my paint bin.
As this is an intuitive painting class, choose the palette that calls to you. However, I would suggest having some basic colors on hand that will help you establish contrast and varying hues when used with other colors, i.e. titanium white, unbleached titanium, paynes gray, mars black, etc.
In the studio on any given day, I use a wide variety of paints, including house paints. I think it is important for each artist to try different brands and consistencies (heavy body vs medium body vs fluid) and see what works for them. (yes, house paints….if they are good enough for Picasso and Pollock……..remember, no rules).

Other supplies
-I always start with No. 2 pencil
-Oil pastel (final layer when working with acrylics), soft pastels, oil sticks (final layer when working with acrylics), markers, colored pencils, gelatos- whatever YOU like to use to making marks.
-Brushes in varying shapes and sizes.

-Towel or rag for wiping color off brush before rinsing in water.
-Water for rinsing brushes between colors, and I always have more than one.
-Fixative if you want to set your top layer of oil pastels and/or soft pastels (apply in well ventilated area- I  apply outside)
-Paper towels
-Baby wipes (awesome blending tool)
-Hair dryer or heat gun to dry layers

Details:
I am painting upright on an easel. If you don’t have an easel, you can prop your canvas up against a wall or hang, set on a straight back dining chair (covered if you don’t want it ruined, or on a wall and secure it. Put some plastic on wall first if it is a wall you use for more than making art.

You ‘can’ paint flat, but again, this will impact the way the paint moves on the canvas. Sometimes I work with canvas on the floor or a low table, which is very different from upright. Less drips, and just a different approach.

I work with several layers of protection under my easel ( cardboard, then plastic – a garbage bag cut open works, topped with a painters tarp) to prevent water and paint from going all over the floor. You can also use an old blanket, beach towel, shower curtain or sheet folded for extra protection or an old area rug you don’t use anymore.

Making art makes a beautiful mess.

Please see my other available courses to continue exploring and adventuring through Soul-Fueled Art.





Ready? Let’s paint.



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Let Go + Let It Flow is a lesson that can be applied to your practice as a whole and help you grow as an artist.

Loved it;. Stayed up painting until 1am the day I signed up."

(re: The Gestures of Flowers) – Lynn

Don't miss out.

Trust yourself and the process. You have amazing things to share through your painting. I believe in you. The world needs YOUR magic.