Course Description

The Alla Prima Still Life – Perishables 

The theme for this semester’s alla prima still life painting series is perishables. Each week we will choose items that have an incredibly short shelf life. Capturing these fleeting moments when working from life can be incredibly challenging. In this series we will explore how to strategize putting a painting together while dealing with the constantly changing moments unfolding before us.

Each week, Dale will record a demo and discuss techniques as he works. After watching the demo, students will work on compositions based on the weekly theme to complete a four-hour still life painting from start to finish. The series will examine how to combine a practical understanding of color, values, edges, and paint handling (without second guessing) with the goal of completing an aesthetic, naturalistic painting. There will be a strong focus on sound drawing, composition, and shape design. Artists are encouraged to participate in the theme and embrace the weekly idea as simply or complexly as they desire. 

Students may sign up for the full 6-week series with critiques or sign up solely for the demos (no critique access). Access to the demo will also include an online document with a list of the materials and a place to submit questions. The document will be updated with any submitted questions along with Dale’s answers.

Dale will hold critiques with only the students who signed up for the full course that includes the weekly critiques. During these sessions, Dale will discuss each student’s painting in depth and guide them in meeting their individual goals. Artists will submit images of their painting and set-up to Dale before each live weekly critique session.

Week 1
Avocados – We all know what happens to cut avocados after a while! In this first challenge we will learn how to manage our time with regards to different aspects of the composition. We will discuss how to capture this fatty fruit at its best and how not to chase its decay.

Week 2
Cut Pears – These shapely beauties lose their shine the minute they are cut open.  Building on the previous week, we now have the added challenge of dealing with translucency in the fleshy parts of the fruit.   

Week 3
Strawberries – Fresh strawberries will only last a little while, as they start to age, the striking green “hats” start to wilt and those luscious reds can lose some luster.  We will discuss how to deal with bunches and also how to handle big form vs. smaller form modelling with regards to the seeds and skin.

Week 4 
Lettuce – Whether its Romaine or Iceburg, lettuce presents an incredible challenge when working from life. We will discuss how to handle this moving target with regards to drawing, color and application.

Week 5
Citrus Peels – Everyone loves the insides of the lemon and orange peels but nobody loves how fast their beauty dries up. Whether it’s a Dutch inspired spiral, or a simple peel on a table, citrus peel shapes give us very little time to capture their juicy goodness. We will discuss how to handle their deceptive values and fading good looks.

Week 6
Mushrooms – Full of water that starts to escape when placed on the table, fungi are more complicated than one might think. We will explore a very limited palette with regards to color in this final video.