Pastel and Natural Light with Bill Cone
September 18 - 22, 2023
9 am - 4 pm
$875 + 7% NM sales tax
About the Workshop
Skill level: Advanced beginner to experienced painter. Students should be comfortable walking 1/4 of a mile and able to carry and set up their own gear.
Materials used: This is a pastel workshop, but all mediums are welcome.
Workshop description: This is primarily a five-day Plein-air workshop. Lectures and demos may be conducted in the studio.
Nature, perhaps the greatest teacher of all, presents ever-changing real-world examples of lighting issues that are always available for study. Working out of doors provides everyone the opportunity and challenge of exploring and expressing lighting ideas with their own hands. Throughout the day and seasons, light exhibits an enormous dynamic range and complexity that is humbling to say the least, but it can inspire as well! Pastels are fast, simple, and primitive, which makes them an ideal medium for direct physical interaction with the lighting problems that working outdoors presents. This class is geared towards those who are interested in spending time outside, analyzing and recording light and color in nature with very simple tools. This is experience and inspiration that can be taken back to the studio and put to work in a very powerful way.
Much of my focus is on teaching people to ‘see’, to analyze and compare elements of what they’re observing, which is not medium specific. While it helps to have drawing and compositional skills, that is not a prerequisite. What's more important is the curiosity and willingness to be a patient observer of natural phenomena, while getting your hands dirty. Pastels are my medium of choice, and I know it pretty well, so encourage others to try it, or go deeper with it. However, attendees can work in other mediums, if they wish. Please note that we will, in some cases, be hiking up to a half mile to some spots, which requires a modest degree of fitness, as well as the need to be portable with your gear.
Sample class schedule:
Day 1
Morning Lecture: Working with atmospheric light and color. Demo onsite.
Day 2
Morning Lecture: Composition. Plein air painting all afternoon until sunset.
Day 3
Most of the day Plein air session off-site. Painting water lecture in the afternoon.
Day 4
Plein air painting off-site in the morning. Subject: water. Continue painting in the afternoon. Return to the ranch for a color temperature lecture.
Day 5
Plein air painting off-site in the morning. Paint at Bluebird Ranch in the afternoon. Final group critique at the end of the workshop.
About Bill
Bill Cone is a California native who worked as a feature film designer at Pixar for many years. He has been painting out doors with pastels for over 25 years, and has taught numerous workshops, from the mountains to the sea. He has exhibited in many solo and group shows around the state.
What’s Included
Every workshop at Bluebird Studios includes a mix of complimentary food and beverages. Included are the following:
Ice breaker with non-alcoholic beverages and appetizers to set up the gear and get a briefing of the week.
Complimentary continental breakfast each morning: Yogurt, fruit, coffee, teas, juices, hard-boiled eggs, and pastries
Coffee, hot and/or iced tea, lemonade, soft drinks, sparkling waters, and fruit-infused still water are available all-day
Catered lunch brought into the studio or painting location for $15 each day (optional)
Complimentary afternoon treats
Complimentary lunch of chili Frito pie on the last day with a veggie platter
Supplies
Coming soon