Still Life in Oil

Description - Breathe light into your still life with a more thoughtful approach. Combine vision and knowledge to paint extraordinary compositions. Learn how to think about painting “light” instead of objects. Jeff’s thought process will be revealed through setting up a concept and executing it by going directly to paint in this four day workshop. Over the course of his creative life, Jeff has developed an appreciation for the teaching process and the give-and-take relationship that he desires to create with students and emerging artists. Through challenge and encouragement, he hopes to convey that good art is more than just mirroring a subject, but is also about capturing and interpreting a feeling or a mood, and to show that good paintings are built on principles, not formulas. Legg believes, “The great artist has not reproduced nature, but has expressed by his extract, the most choice sensation it has made upon him”(Robert Henri-The Art Spirit). Above all, he desires that those he teaches understand they can do more than they now realize and can eliminate fear from the painting process. During this four-day class, Jeff will demonstrate his approach to still life from the concept to set up and lighting and the progression to the finished work. Through demonstrations and individual critique, he will emphasize the time tested principles including drawing, value, edges, color and interpreting light and shadow. Painting from life will be emphasized and is at the core of Mr. Legg’s artistic sensibility. Legg says, “Visualization and being truthful about the subject are inextricably linked and are at the heart of creativity. A painting is a “translation” and can only become as great as the artist’s love and understanding of his subject.” Daily demonstrations and commentary throughout the process will provide the opportunity to understand his paining methodology. There will be open discussion of material choices, prop selection, paint application, values, color palette and lighting. One on one critiques will be provided with special attention to individual needs.