Atlanta Workshop With Marvin Mattelson

[Lynn T. McCallum]

Hi from Atlanta!

Just got over the whirlwind of last week and just wanted to fill everyone in on what a great learning experience we all had.

I had the honor of hosting the Atlanta workshop for Marvin and it was a great success.

The first night was Marvin's slide lecture, 'Everything I Know About Painting, I Learned at The Met'. He explained the slides and what he gained from each image he showed. We found out what we were going to be exploring in his workshop for the next week and we all got to meet one another. A few folks came besides the participants which made for a good turn out.

What followed the rest of the week just went so fast. You would think that a five day workshop would just be too long. Not with this guy. He holds your interest and explains his material well. Humor always helps people to remember things better and Marvin is not lacking in the humor department at all!

He took professionals and beginers step-by-step, sharing his knowledge unselfishly. There were folks that were accomplished artists that had never used oils. You'd never have known it by looking at their final product on Friday.

We had one gal that had never really painted, let alone drawn. Marvin helped her to see like an artist and to really see what it was that she was painting. With Marvin's help and encouragement, she did it! Then there were the fine artists wanting to fine tune their paintings, they did. We were from all levels and we all gained so much. Well, time flies when you're having fun!

I wanted to tell Marvin, the participants, our models and the gracious staff at the Art Place of Mountain View and Chestnut Ridge Christian Church in Marietta, GA how grateful I am to you all. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Could there have been a better group of folks? I had a great learning experience and hope all of you, including you Marvin, had a great experience too.

Photos are in the making for later. I'm still getting over this last week.

Marvin and I are already planning next year's extravaganza of value, color, shape, and form. An extra day will also be thrown in, it's just that good. Marvin Mattelson Part Deux. Looking forward to it. I'm sure in this case, the sequel will be as good as the original class.

Anyone who is thinking of taking a class or a workshop from Marvin, please do yourself the favor and do it! You'll never be the same again!

Again, thanks to one and all.

Gosh, what a great vacation I had! Well, it feels like I had a vacation!

[Renee Price]

Lynn,

I'm so glad your workshop was a success! It's hard to make a mistake when you've got good material. Marvin's popularity is growing at such an amazing rate that we need to start planning next year's workshops now before he's booked solid!

Renee Price

PS I'm looking forward to seeing those pictures!

[Marvin Mattelson]

Lynn was a very gracious host and we had a ball. The participants were a wonderful group of people of varying degrees of talent and experience. The week flew by and I feel that we all walked away enriched by the experience.

I have decided that in the future all my workshops will be extended from five days to six days in length. I wanted to add an additional day to give folks the opportunity to play with their new toys while still under my supervision.

I spend a great deal of the time demonstrating all aspects of the underpainting, palette setup, lay-in and realization towards the finish, so I felt an extra day would really help. I feel that by demonstrating, while explaining in great detail what I'm doing, I am connecting to both sides of my students' brains.

If you consider the introductory slide lecture I present the night prior to the start of the workshop, you could legitimately call this a week-long event. The lecture, which gives the historical relevance for the concepts and theories that I teach, is just one of the many ways I have tried to revitalize the workshop format.

Lynn has already booked the facilities for next year starting on August 8 with the lecture and finishing up on August 14. Anyone interested in contacting Lynn can call her at (770) 778-5665. She's a great lady and you'll enjoy talking to her.

[Mike Dodson]

Marvin,

Just placed my name on the list for next year. Counting the days!

[Holly Snyder]

Hi everyone,

I've just completed a web page of our workshop week in Atlanta. This was my first workshop, and prior to it I've really enjoyed reading other member's workshop discussions on the forum from the variety of instructors here (Chris Saper, Peggy Baumgartner, Tim Tyler, Bill Whitaker, Marvin Mattelson, etc.). It was nice to be able to get an idea of what to expect from a workshop, and learn from experienced pros the different methods of achieving the desired result (a slam-dunk painting!). Thus I've included a fair amount of detail in my discussion, in the hopes that it might be of interest to someone else someday.

http://www.artsci.us/workshop.htm

Cheers,

[Linda Brandon]

Marvin, I just wanted to publicly thank you again for so generously letting me sit in on your New York City workshop a few weeks ago. I just wish I could have stayed longer than a couple of hours. Everyone who has posted about your workshops is right: you're an entertaining, funny and fiercely passionate teacher. It was good to meet you.

I came away traumatized after watching you mix all those grays, though. I'll need to take your workshop to find out what happens next.

[Lynn T. McCallum]

Hey, once you've mixed the pallete that Marvin teaches a few times, you'll get the hang of putting it together and using it. Don't let it worry you, your paintings will start to almost paint themselves (one of the little things about the palette that Marvin likes to claim). Once you've been a part of his workshop nothing will ever look the same again. You have been warned!

[Marvin Mattelson]

Linda, I really enjoyed meeting you and wish we would have had more time to chat, however when I

[Marvin Mattelson]

I just received a disc of images from Natalie, my model for the August Atlanta workshop. She photographed my demonstration and I have placed eighteen sequential images on my website at http://www.fineartportrait.com/workshop_demo.html
Below are four of the stages.