Great workshop!

[Terri Ficenec]

Just wanted to rave about Tim Tyler's workshop in (Acadia) Maine this summer. It was the first workshop/class that i've been to since college 20+ years ago, so was a little apprehensive and not sure what to expect. It was an amazing experience! and I'm seeing the results in my work, I think...not only feeling more confident about what I'm doing, but am making better decisions and able to work so much more efficiently! (Thank you Tim!)

Tim covered so much in just that one week-- we did 4 different paintings (see below)! He feels that painters ought to learn to paint as did Sargent and Bouguereau and that portrait painters paint best when they can and do paint everything well . So, he had us doing still lifes, portraits and pleine air landscapes. Tim addressed compositional and technique/texture considerations, as well as sight-sizing, and more than I probably consciously remember! Tim's teaching style was very interactive and positive/supportive... making it very easy to take in what he was trying to convey.

The week just flew by. I'm still digesting everything we learned.

If you've got a chance to get to one of Tim's workshops, you should go. It'll change your life!

Here are some shots from that class
(sorry some of them didn't come out too clearly!):
1 & 2)Tim at work and his color sketch from the model
3) my color sketch
4) my pleine air landscapes and still life from the workshop

[Terri Ficenec]

On top of all of that it was great fun.

Here's a shot from dinner one night... (you might recognize my kids in there! The Maine location was very family friendly, surrounded by Acadia National Park and near to Bar Harbor Maine.) It also had a large, bright, beautiful studio.

By the way, Tim's got some great close-ups of some of Sargent's work
posted on his website.

[Kimberly Dow]

Terri-

I am glad you posted these. I just wanted to say I concur - I took one of his workshops almost a year ago and anyone can see my painting has improved greatly. There are a couple of things a year later that really impacted me. One was his teaching on edges and different ways to blend. The finger! A magical tool. One of the others was scraping off the paint on the canvas. I know this is talked about a lot, but I NEVER even considered trying it until he demonstrated. The paint/drawing is still there - amazing! My paintings before that workshop have the most god-awful surfaces. Then his real nagging about exact color...blah blah blah - but it made a difference. I realized I hadn't been as exact as I should have been.

Glad you got to go!

PS - that first blurry photo reminded me of how he stands to paint. Oddest-looking thing, but he says there is a reason. He looks as if he is about to do battle with the canvas. Kind of bends his knees, puts the non-painting arm straight out horizontal to the floor to steady himself. It looks odd since I am used to standing there all relaxed with bad posture and all - but it definitly works for him.

[Terri Ficenec]

Hi Kim! It was your post-workshop post last year that prompted me to sign up for Tim's workshop. So thank you!

Originally Posted by Kimberly Dow

P.S. that first blurry photo reminded me of how he stands to paint. Oddest-looking thing, but he says there is a reason. He looks as if he is about to do battle with the canvas. Kind of bends his knees, puts the non-painting arm straight out horizontal to the floor to steady himself. It looks odd since I am used to standing there all relaxed with bad posture and all - but it definitly works for him.

Yep--painting as an aerobic activity... kung-fu painting! It is a rather unique technique.