Mattelson workshop

[Janel Maples]

Looking good Julie. Please say "Hello" to Marvin and Pat from me. I sure wish I was there with you guys. I know just how much fun you are having.

Keep up the great work!

[Alexandra Tyng]

Wow, this is really impressive, Julie! The color is now so rich, and there's such a great character in her face.

[Julie Deane]

Thanx,, Janel and Alexandra. I'm learning a lot and am very grateful that I was able to attend Marvin's workshop. He is a very good teacher with such a well thought out methodology. I'd recommend his workshop to anyone, no matter how loose or tight a painter they are. I'm more of a "loose" painter compared to Marvin's style, but it doesn't matter, because I can use what he teaches. Many teachers stop at the point where they've shown you how to paint what is in front of your eyes. In Marvin's class, that is the starting point. He proceeds to show you how to plan and execute a painting by changing what is there if necessary to best communicate a three-dimensional reality.

Marvin's demonstration portrait is his best ever, I think. It looks like the model could hop off the canvas, yet he did not put in every detail. He'll be finishing it on Saturday and I'm hoping he'll okay me posting it here. He did some "magic" today with the background that was breath-taking in its effectiveness.

[John Reidy]

Oh how I wish I could have been there BUT I will be there tomorrow night. I am looking forward to it. Hope to see you there at the lecture, Julie.

[Julie Deane]

John, it was a pleasure meeting you today. Nice portfolio, too. Sorry we had to leave before seeing it all.

We have a few hours to complete our portraits tomorrow. This has been an exhilarating but exhausting two weeks. I'm tired but very happy with what I've been learning.

Here's the portrait so far. Getting an exact color balance is iffy, but this is fairly close, except it is actually slightly lighter than it appears when I post (at least on my home monitor).

[John Reidy]

Julie,

It was a real pleasure meeting you and thank you so much for your kind words. Your painting is beautiful and the color is excellent. The post here is close but can't do it justice.

I am so pleased to have attended the workshop lecture. Marvin reinvigorated me and validated some issues that I was struggling with. I give Marvin my highest regards for his generous nature to share with us. I know you agree.

I am looking forward to exchanging posts with you and give my best to Patty and my congratulations.

As a side note later that evening I received a commision and am planning my next trip for a meeting with the mother for a painting of her two daughters. The couple are friends whom I stayed with that night and they were interested in my reason in visiting the workshop. I had my portfolio and "ta-da" things fell in place with much credit going to Marvin not only for creating my reason to go to Atlanta but for energizing my marketing/selling side. If you can, please pass on the good news to Marvin for me (better yet, I'll tell him myself).

I love it when a plan comes together.

[Julie Deane]

Congratulations, John! That's wonderful news!

I'm posting how the portrait finally ended up. The colors and values are not quite right, but It's hard to get it just right online.

Marvin was so helpful - I'd be struggling, and he'd come over and remind me of something he had mentioned in his lectures, I'd apply it, and woila! it would improve considerably.

[Julie Deane]

Here's a closeup.

[Julie Deane]

Here's a shot of Marvin's beautiful portrait. I tried to get a closeup, but the shot came out blurry. His portraits have so much "dimensionality" that they seem to pop off the canvas in real life.

[Julie Deane]

And here's Marvin - putting on the final brushstrokes?