Impressions of Light With Oils | Katherine Carson

About this workshop

Over this two day workshop, Katherine will guide students through her process on how she creates her luminous landscapes and seascapes. She will share her knowledge with plenty of step by step demonstrations on colour, value and tone. She will also show you her tricks for creating distance and accentuating light. 

What will I learn?

• Katherine's method for preparing the canvas.
• Expert tips on composition, choosing your subject and how to lay down the correct tones to give the foundation for the painting.
• Colour mixing, working with a limited palette and warm and cool colours.
• Students will learn about brushwork, palette knife techniques, controlling edges and light affects to give an understanding of how each painting is composed.
• Students will create two works over the two days, one - 20cm x 30cm and one larger one - 30cm x 40cm, working from reference photos.

Who is this workshop suitable for?

Beginners to intermediate.

What do I need to bring?

Oil Colours

• Titanium white
• French Ultramarine
• Permanent Alizarin Crimson
• Cadmium Red or a warm red like scarlet red (Katherine uses Winsor and Newton cadmium free red) 
• Cadmium Yellow, Hansa Yellow or Arylide Yellow
• Phthalo Green or Viridian
• Transparent Oxide Red or Burnt Sienna
• A cool yellow such as lemon yellow

There is an option to pay $25 to use Katherine's colours and mediums. Please bring cash on the first day of the workshop.

Medium

Archival Odourless Lean Medium

Brushes

This is a suggested list only, but please make sure you have some short flat bristle brushes, just bring what you can afford and whatever you have in your kit.

• Short flat bristle brush - No. 6 and 10 (Suggested Neef 1150, Art Spectrum 1000-B) 
• Long Flat Synthetic - No. 6 and 10
• One soft filbert brush approximate size 8 or larger (for blending) 
• One short round pointed brush Size No 2
• One liner or rigger Size No 2

Solvent or Oil

Katherine generally does not use solvent, she will show you how she paints solvent free, but for this workshop, solvent can be used to keep things simple and to clean up brushes, as long as it is safer alternative such as Gamsol or Langridge Solvent 75 and it is used in a container with a lid.

At the end of the day, Katherine generally uses walnut or linseed oil to clean brushes then a brush soap Please do not bring regular solvents into the room.

Surface

Katherine will supply the canvas which will be taped to a board.

Please bring two boards, this can be any light, rigid and smooth surface such as foam board, mdf etc, 

Sizes:

• One 35cm x 45cm plus
• One - 25cm x 35cm plus

You can bring your own canvas if you prefer. It must be of artist quality to get the best result.

Other Supplies

• Masking tape
• Palette knife
• Charcoal
• Pencil and sketch paper
• iPad or tablet if you own one, not necessary but helpful 
• Paper towels and cotton rags

Palette

You can bring your own palette or Katherine will have some on hand you can use. She uses a neutral grey acrylic palette.

What is provided?

• Easels, tables, chairs
• Tea and coffee (please bring your own cup)
• A friendly, supportive and encouraging learning environment
• Connection with the Bienarté art community

About the Tutor.

Katherine explores the interplay between realism and impressionism, primarily using oils to capture moments of light across diverse landscapes. She gained broad international recognition for her wildlife and bird paintings under her former name, Katherine Castle. Her artwork has adorned millions of products, including mugs, plates, and tea towels.

Now bewitched by ephemeral natural light, Katherine sensitively captures landscapes and still life with subtlety and delicate nuance. Katherine has been a Professional artist for over thirty years. She holds a diploma of fine art, and has received personal instruction from some of Australia’s finest painters. She has received numerous awards. Now settled in the Tweed Valley, Northern NSW, she finds endless inspiration in the region's natural beauty. She has traveled Australia widely and loves to paint en plein air to capture the essence of the landscape.

Katherine has held workshops in oils, watercolours and drawing all over Australia. She believes art is a powerful tool to appreciate Nature's beauty. Each painting is an invitation to pause and reconsider the world around us - to awaken ourselves to the overwhelming beauty in which we are ever immersed.

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