Photos from inside the last workshop!

The following are some select photos from our last Energizing and Experimental Workshop here in Vancouver, BC which was a two day intensive focusing on the basics of abstract design and colour in abstract painting with acrylics and mixed media. We had a full house of amazing woman and I think the pictures tell all....

Little 9 x 12" practice pieces begin to emerge and unfold with layers being added and taken away.

Students begin to explore adding various m ixed medias into their acrylic paintings.

Stamps make great focal points and add interest into paintings.

A view from above. We have the contents of a few art supply stores in our workshop!!!

Working away creating....

Emerging completed and nearly complete paintings start accumulating on window ledges, extra table space and the floor underneath the tables where we paint.

I just fall in love with all the little paintings that are created in this workshop. It inspires me every time. Always different.

Getting into the mixed media here...

Using LYRA wager soluble graphite - 8B really soft and dark. Or as Jude said B = Black.

The round circles were made using rubbing alcohol and a dropper on the wet water soluble graphite pencil marks. Way cool!

Black india ink PITT pens are wonderful tools to add on acrylic paintings. Let them dry and then spray them with fixative before adding paint over top, unless you want the writing to smudge.
Getting out the chalk pastels to add a punch of colour on my acrylic canvas pad paintings.
Kelsie looks great here! Everyone else is seriously watching the demo!

Workable fixative is wonderful to spray over dry mixed media on acrylics so you can either finish the painting or keep painting over it without ruining/smudging the mixed media.

Practice pieces lined up for the next demonstration.
The demonstration table, little paintings ready to be added too!

Closer up of paintings in process!

Another view of the students working away. Playing...Work or play? :)

Deb wonders around the room to offer help or simply oohhh and ahhh at the amazing work that comes out of everyone!

More photos of workshop participants busy working!

The girls going at it! Music is playing and everyone is busy painting!

A view of the beautiful private studio we used for this workshop.

Deb getting the mixed media ready for day 2 -- coloured pencil crayons, chalk pastel, charcoal were just some of the items we used on dry acrylics.

Margo in action painting and pondering her work!

Georgina is working here with tape and removal techniques to create beautiful depth and interest into her work.

We all had fun. Lots of questions were asked.

In the background of this photo you can see some fun tools we use to remove acrylic paint and create interesting effects. Dollars stores and hardware stores and great for these: sanding blocks, pot scrubbers...
We all gathered around the "kitchen" area of this beautiful Dunbar studio to watch Deb demonstrate the next technique.

Up close, removing acrylic paint with sand paper and water.

Deb demonstrating using painter's tape from the hardware store to create shape lines in a painting, either curved or hard edge. We also made our own stencils using this tape.

For this workshop I introduced the Muse of Creativity, inspired by Katy Perry. We played her hit song "high school dream" and got into this groovin' archetype to support ourselves in grooving into our creativity. Oh yeah!

Coffee, tea, journals, tears, smiles and laughter were often at our morning and end of day circles.

We started each day in a circle, touching base and sharing how we were doing in our own process.

On the last day at the very end we did a group critique of one or two of each of the student's paintings. We all learned and grew and were inspired to continue painting!

Join Deb Chaney for her next workshop, details: http://www.debchaney.com/debchaney/Workshops.html