Workshops
En Plein Air 2017
If you want to really advance in your painting , there is no better way to learn about color, value and light than to paint from life. This is where you learn to observe and make decisions in a timely manner. We will work on a simplified approach to seeing and editing nature … what to emphasize and what to leave out. Please join us for some great painting at these select venues for this Summer. (If you are new to plein air painting, I will go over what to bring and how to approach plein air.)
- JUNE 20-23 A 4 day "en Plein Air" painting experience in Door County, Wisconsin. Four days of painting the shores, villages, docks, farms and fields of this bucolic area. An ideal artist's location and an inspirational place to paint. All media and level of painters are welcome. Instruction cost is $300. Lodging suggestions and a detailed brochure available upon email request.
- JUNE 29th GINGER BLOSSOM's Farm, RICHMOND, ILL
- JULY 6th David Nelson's Garden/Pond Estate, Barrington Hills, ILL
- "Plein Air in the Garden", 4 Wednesdays 9:30am to 1:30pm from July 19 to August 9th at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. A course where artists gain inspiration and learn to translate beauty / nature from their own perspective. Learn color mixing to what you see in nature, 10 compositional structures for landscape & floral plein air painting. Will finish a painting at each class. See the CBG website to enroll. Please email me with any questions.
- JULY 20th LEVY'S LAKEFRONT, LAKE GENEVA, WISC
- JULY 27th MCGUIRE'S PONDS, WOODS, BULL VALLEY, ILL
- AUGUST 3rd VOLKENING FARM, SCHAUMBURG, ILL
- AUGUST 10th WOODSTOCK (SQUARE), ILL
- AUGUST 17th BOLL FARM, BULL VALLEY, ILL
- AUGUST 24th HAPP'S LAKE FRONT, LAKE GENEVA, WISC
- AUGUST 31st CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDENS, GLENCOE, ILL
- SEPTEMBER 7th PETERSEN PARK, McHENRY, ILL
- SEPTEMBER 14th FOX RIVER PRESERVE, BARRINGTON, ILL
All classes meet at the site on Thursdays from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm and are $25 each pre-paid or $30 at the location that day. Please send one check to enroll now for the # of classes you would like to attend to:
2403 MUSTANG TRAIL, WOODSTOCK, IL 60098
If needed, we can go over suggested supplies to bring, along with specific directions to each location. Please call 815-245-0819 or email me at Thomas@trauschfinearts.com
Thank you, Thomas Trausch, TWSA master status
October 2016 Plein air
Recent Plein air Paintings
Workshops are frequently conducted either at our studio (Woodstock), regionally (Starved Rock State Park, Brown County, Indiana, for example), nationally (The Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Door County, etc.) and internationally (Ireland, Italy and France) ... all great places to travel to and to enjoy!
Classes
WATERCOLOR 102
For intermediate and above levels of artists. Classes will be held at Gallery 223, 223 Broad Street, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin on Wednesdays beginning April 5th from 9:30 am to 12:30pm for 5 weeks and ongoing afterwards.
Welcome...these classes are intended for artists who have painted, but who would like to receive comprehensive training in advancing their work...to push one's work beyond the ordinary. The fee is $125 for the series of 5 classes, with no refunds. Students may elect to pay per class at $30 per session.
The painting sessions will include:
The "Why" of a watercolor, 10 different compositional structures for successful paintings, how to manipulate values, getting the most out of color, understanding light and atmosphere, and 1 and 2 point perspective. Each painting period ends with a group review and critique for the greatest amount of learning.
Please bring in your own photo references, the watercolor materials you are currently using, and be prepared to paint from the beginning.
Join us. As a fine artist, I have been painting professionally for over 40 years and teaching painting for most of those years also.
Thomas Trausch, twsa master status, thomas@trauschfinearts.com, 815-245-0819
Woodstock Fine Art classes:
Every Thursday morning from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm at St. John's Lutheran Church at the corner of Route 47 & St. John's Road. All media are welcome as the classes are based on instruction in values, composition, color, design and personal interpretation. Bring your own art supplies, easel, etc. We meet in class rooms with tables at the church. The cost for 5 classes is $100 and these classes do not have to be taken consecutively.
Evening class is at St. John's Lutheran Church at the corner of Route 47 & St. John's Road from 6 to 9 pm each Thursday. Same above instruction content and the cost is $125 for the 5 classes. In either class, bring your own photo references as starting points ... demonstrations given periodically.
Art Leagues and Groups
Demonstrations in either oils or watercolor are offered as a method to instruct, motivate and entertain. Many northern Illinois and Chicago area art organizations have enjoyed painting demonstrations, critiques and judging of their members' artwork for over 30 years.