Painting the landscape from memory allows the artist to capture the feeling of a place, which in turn invites viewers to bring their own experience to the work. In this week-long workshop, artist Ruth Odile Davis will guide students to use sketches, notations, and memory as references for landscape paintings. Working in oil, they will explore light, color, technique, materials, and presentation possibilities. Mid-week, each student will receive a “landscape poem” by one of the writers in a concurrent workshop (Writing the Onion: Creating Layers in Poetry & Prose) and will respond to the poem through a painting. Likewise, each painting student will provide a writer with an image to use as inspiration for a poem. At week’s end we will have brunch prepared by our in-house chef Joe Cizynski, exhibit the paintings and read the poems that result from this ekphrastic exchange.

This workshop is open to beginners as well as advanced painters and is a perfect, fun opportunity to work in oils, even if you never have before. No pressure. Lots of laughter! Afternoons on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday are open to independent work and reflection (and exploring the Cape). A short materials list will be provided, but all paints, canvasses, and easels will be supplied. This workshop will meet in the Owl Hall on the main level of the Education Wing.

Monday, April 15 from 9am-1pm
Tuesday, April 16 from 9am-1pm
Wednesday, April 17 from 9am-4pm with a light lunch at noon
Thursday, April 18 from 9am-1pm
Friday, April 19 brunch begins at 10am

*If you are traveling and need accommodations, we recommend the Captain Farris House Bed & Breakfast located across the street from the Cultural Center at 308 Old Main Street, South Yarmouth. Please let them know that you will be registering for our Painting the Landscape from Memory…with a Twist! Workshop. You may visit their website by clicking here.