Key Elements of Plein Air Painting with nationally recognized artist, George Van Hook 
(choose oil, pastel, watercolor, acrylic). 

Join George Van Hook for this two day plein air workshop in the White Mountains. George stresses alla prima painting using a loose and fast approach to capturing the landscape in the first try. He is brilliant at maintaining luscious, shimmering, thick qualities of oil colors that accurately describe the figures, barns, clouds, and vegetation in his painting. We will begin each day with a demo by the artist.  At that time, George will discuss composition, laying out the pallet, proper use of materials and all other aspects of plein air painting.  We will then break up into groups and paint individually.  George will provide individual instruction helping solve the issues for each artist.  After lunch, George  will do another quick demo to refresh the ideas presented at the start.  Painters will start a second painting for the afternoon with additional individual instruction.  Participants will be meet at Jackson Art and then travel to painting locations nearby. Please bring your own plein air equipment and media. (oil, pastel, watercolor, acrylic). Deadline for Sign up, April 20.

Sat & Sun., April 27 & 28, 9am-4pm, $285 (meet at Jackson Art)

To view George’s work, visit his website at www. georgevanhookfineartist.com

George Van Hook is an American painter best known for his impressionistic plein-air landscapes. Drawing inspiration from earlier artists such as William Merritt Chase and Thomas Eakins, Van Hook’s works are both vigorously painted and balanced in color. “The experience of seeing is the most important part of the process,” he explained. “My aim is to translate that experience onto the canvas. My eyes are so much better at that than the lens of the camera.” Born in 1954 in Abington, PA, he started painting from an early age in the rural landscapes of Bucks County. Van Hook studied at Oberlin College, and later received his BA from Humboldt State University in Arcata, CA, in 1977. While in California, Van Hook was drawn to the works of the late 19th and early 20th-century California Impressionists. His interests led him to Europe where he studied painting in Italy and France, absorbing the works of the Old Masters on his visits to the Louvre Museum. Van Hook’s paintings have been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the United States, including at the Grants Pass Museum of Art in Oregon and The American Museum of Fly Fishing in Vermont. He currently lives and works in Cambridge, NY.

Workshop Materials List:

Materials: I always tell my students to bring everything and anything that they are comfortable with using. This is their workshop, and I will accommodate myself to their needs. HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE FOLLOWING SUPPLIES! 

Oil, Acrylic & Watercolor Paints. Suggest large tubes of professional quality paint:

Ultramarine Blue

Cobalt Blue

Alizarin Crimson

Cadmium Red LIGHT

Cadmium Orange

Viridian

Cadmium Yellow MEDIUM

Cadmium Yellos LIGHT

Titanium White

Brushes: 

A wide selection of bristle flats. # 2,4,6,8,10 should be sufficient. 

For watercolor, a wide selection of sable brushes, both flat and round.

Surfaces:

a large selection of panels in smaller sizes, to allow you to work quickly. 8-10”,9-12”, 11-14”. 

Several of each size, if you can get them. Watercolor: several sheets or blocks of 140lb cold pressed paper, of a good quality. 

Paint medium:

thinner, lots of rags, etc. please bring what you normally use, and we’ll go from there. 

 General itinerary: We will be working outdoors every day, but if the weather is bad, we can work from a model or still life indoors. Or find a location inside looking out.

Cancellation Policy: We ask that you to give us 10 days notice if you need to cancel for a full refund minus a $25 cancellation fee. Cancellations should be made by phone by calling (603) 387-3463. This provides us the opportunity to fill the space. We are sorry, but we cannot give refunds or issue credits for missed classes or no shows.