An exciting workshop took place this past April and May in the South of France with five teachers and 24 students and patrons coming together to paint in the land of the Van Gogh landscapes. This fine art project, dubbed Americans in Paris, was created in 2016 by artist, curator and gallery owner Vanessa Rothe of Vanessa Rothe Fine Art Gallery. The project comprises a group of contemporary realist artists following in the footsteps of the historic masters who had traveled to Paris to be inspired by its culture, art and beauty.

The hilltop village of Gordes in Provence, France.

 

Vanessa Rothe (right) with Julie Snyder.

 

Americans in Paris aims to introduce some of today’s leading fine artists in realism to exciting new subjects, often only discovered by traveling abroad, as well as study group composition from the masters in some of the top museums in the world. It also encourages a rare comradery among living artists today who are often alone in their studios to come together to learn, grow and share. The group is celebrating its sixth year of various exhibitions and events, including shows at New York City’s prestigious Salmagundi Club, Arcadia Contemporary, pop-up shows in Paris and demonstrations at Laguna College of Art and Design. The fine art project is officially sponsored by Raymar, Sennelier, Savoir Faire and Cerno Revelite, with a special thank you from Rothe to the Salmagundi Club.

2022 marked the first year that Americans in Paris opened this academic workshop to the public, teaming up with Workshops in France, led by artist Julie Snyder. Throughout the following pages is a snapshot of that idyllic experience.  

Students search for a place to paint at Saint-Paul Asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. 

 

Americans in Paris Paint Provence

The 10-day creative retreat took place from April 26 to May 5 at Moulin de la Roque, Noves, a beautiful 13-acre estate in the heart of Provence, France. In attendance were five leading American artists: Casey Childs, Michelle Dunaway, David Gray, Olga Krimon and Rothe, accompanied by two dozen students and patrons. Divided into two groups, students took classes and attended workshops and demonstrations with each artist, gaining unique insights and information along the way. Each artist conducted live demos, set up models on location or ventured off to paint in plein air for the afternoon. Students and patrons alike were able to partake in the experience of a fine art school condensed into a short term commitment.

1 Everyone dining outside.  2 Childs paints from life.  3 Childs and Rothe enjoying the outdoors.  4 Sketching, taking notes and mixing colors.  5 Artists paint Guy Fallon, owner of Moulin de la Roque, Noves.  6 Krimon sketching with students.  7 In Conversation, plein air oil painting by Aldo Balding.

 

During the retreat, award-winning figurative artist Dunaway explained the importance of the figure in the landscape and how to deal with light sources in the open air. She explained that the light, just like in the studio, should be coming primarily from one direction and that shadows cast on the face from that main light source make it easier to capture. The artist also painted a female figure in blue by the water. She spoke about the challenges of a blue dress with a blue background of water and how to make the figure stand out. Dunaway, like Childs, starts with larger, simplified shapes and progresses to more detail. However, Dunaway is able to paint starting from just the eyes, moving outward in relation to the initial shapes.

Childs, an award-winning portraitist, painted a portrait of a local man, breaking down the basics of laying in darks as well as the importance of shape making and proportions for the head, eyes and nose. Childs discussed specific topics like the nuances of human faces, noting that noses and ears are always a little more warm, and that these details can be added little by little.

Aldo Balding taught the first day indoors, explaining his approach to a triple figure composition of three women. The artist painted all three figures simultaneously rather than finishing one at a time, which helped with color and stroke harmony. He also painted a couple sitting together at a table outside and discussed the importance of telling a story in your artwork. He arranged the figures interacting and talking, leaving clues and little details about their relationship or what they may be discussing up to the viewer.

8 Models lying in the grass.  9 Sieste, plein air oil painting by Julie Snyder.  10 Krimon conducting a demo.  11 Rothe paints figures in the grass.  12 Rothe’s oil Provincial Paysage on the easel. 

 

Fine artist Olga Krimon took a particularly fun approach to her teaching. She instructed her students to walk around the nearby village with the model each day, setting up different options and layouts, discussing composition, diagonals of lines coming into the figure for focus and more. Krimon’s students, sketchbooks in hand, learned how to set up the model and determine their backgrounds. Through demonstrations, she also delved into how she creates light and movement in her work. Krimon is known for creating interesting diagonal lines that draw the eye toward the figure.

Rothe broke down the importance of atmospheric perspective in landscapes, discussing that foregrounds will have the greatest contrast and color (with warmer tones), while backgrounds will be more muted with cooler tones. She also discussed how the direction of one’s brushwork can help create perspective. 

Over the course of those ten days, the students gleaned a variety of other tips from the pros, and patrons were able to see their favorite artists in action. The teachers also had the opportunity to connect and draw inspiration from one another-all in beautiful France.

Learn more about Americans in Paris and Workshops in France at www.workshopsinfrance.com. —