Making the Most of A Workshop

 Scenario #1   A friend tells you about a terrific artist she's just discovered.  You go to the Internet and take a look.  Wow, he's really as good as she said. I wonder if he gives workshops. Scenario #2 You attend a meeting and hear about a new workshop being offered not far from home and just when you have time to take it.  You decide you could use some new techniques and ideas so you sign up.  You get to the workshop and you work really hard trying to make your work look exactly like this master artist's.  Three days after the workshop, you can't remember what you learned and back to the same old same old you go.  Sound familiar?  Sometimes as artists we tend to approach our art somewhat aimlessly -- I can't think of anything that really excites me so I'll just paint from that photo I took last week.  Sometimes that works well and we're happy with what we produce, often, not so much. The same holds true for workshops.
         Prior to taking what turned out to be one of the very best workshops I've ever taken, I read a two part article in the Palette Magazine, an excellent publication for intermediate to advanced artists, that discussed having a plan for getting the most from a workshop.  Among the ideas discussed was thinking about the areas of our knowledge that we feel are lacking and then  actually setting goals.  This may sound too premeditated for some people but for me it sounded like an excellent idea.  I thought about  the weaknesses in my pastels and the way I approached them.  I studied the website of the nationally known artist who was giving the workshop.  I decided what I liked most about his work and how I might incorporate some of his techniques in mine.  I set only two goals.  I had a plan.
        The three days I spent with Richard McKinley were a revelation.

Not only did I learn some new techniques, most importantly, Richard used incredible analogies (especially to orhcestras and music -- something that really resonated) to clarify and explain so many of the concepts I'd already been exposed to that had never quite gelled. Having some goals in mind allowed me to focus on the concepts he taught that would most help me improve. I made sure that my notes in those areas were especially clear and thorough.  Going in with both a plan and a willingness to try whatever he suggested meant that I was more likely to remember what I thought was important and be able to use it once the workshop was over.  I promised myself that I would actually use the techniques immediately after the workshop and I did.  Richard's sense of humor, warmth and incredible knowledge provided all of those who attended with a wonderful experience and a wealth of ideas.  One takeaway --"Don't Fall in Love with Any Part of Your Painting -- Nothing is Precious" Thank you Richard.  Below is one of the paintings I worked on during this workshop:

Folly Beach Revisited