Painting From "The Zone" Workshop-Marina Petro

Saturday's Painting From "The Zone" Workshop

I wanted to share some photos from my workshop rather than post a painting today. I was thrilled to the core having my daughter and granddaughter (first photo at top) attend. We completed two paintings. It was amazing to witness everyone's progress as far as being able to 'let go' with the second painting and allow their intuition and greater spontaneity to emerge. Ideally, this workshop should take place over 3-5 days but I doubted whether I'd get enough of a response to fill a class. I did my best to be very clear and condense the principles underlying this very freeing/enlightening way to paint. Sometimes, less is better as far as words/concepts are concerned. I hope my students will continue on their own. It's the easiest thing to do...all you need is to tape a sheet of paper on a wall, fill an ice cube tray with good tempera paint and begin! I couldn't have asked for a better group!

Today's Quote: "A sincere artist is not one who makes a faithful attempt to put on to canvas what is in front of him, but one who tries to create something which is, in itself, a living thing."
-William Dobell

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From "The Zone" -in progress by Marina Petro

From "The Zone" in progress

I started this painting to test the new tempera paints I purchased for my Painting From "The Zone" workshop tomorrow. I began this spontaneous intuitive type painting a couple of years ago using tempera paint on paper. When I decided I wanted a more permanent ground and began painting on canvas I experimented (and still am) with gouache, egg tempera and a couple of varieties of acrylic paint. I'm still looking for the perfect medium for these works. I like the matte finish and brilliance of designer gouache but it doesn't flow as readily as tempera and comes in tiny tubes that are used up so quickly. Tempera would be the perfect paint but it is not permanent on canvas and doesn't come in as many colors as the others.

The question "Why don't you paint them on paper?" might come to mind. The reason I don't is because I don't like needing to mat and frame my work behind glass or plexiglass....just too cumbersome.

I'm going to try to work a bit more on this painting tonight after I get everything I need for my workshop together. I'm so enthused about turning my students "on" to this exceptionally freeing way of painting. The beauty of it is, you can just tack up a piece of paper on a wall, keep your paints in an ice cube tray right there and just go and paint with no forethought, planning, needing to have a goal or a saleable/acceptable product as the end result. Pure pleasure with no pressure.

Today's quote: "There's no retirement for an artist, it's your way of living so there's no end to it."
-Henry Moore

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