Elizabeth Robbins Workshop

Week before last, I attended a still life workshop with Elizabeth Robbins hosted by the Highlands Art Gallery in Chester, NJ. The workshop accompanied her One Woman Show at the gallery from June 5 - June 30.

I had a feeling the workshop was going to be special upon arriving at the Gallery. Liz had shipped a full set of props and fabrics from her studio for our use in setups. In addition to the props, the Gallery supplied a vast array of amazing high quality flowers from local growers. We got to choose from several varieties of peonies, daisies and David Austin roses. Fresh fruit and vegetables were also available for the choosing.

Liz's Demo

Liz started the workshop with a three hour demo where she talked about her thought process behind putting together a setup. Topics she covered included lighting, composition, concept, edges, values, temperature and texture. After lunch we gathered the elements we wanted to use in our designs and began our setups. The remainder of the day was spent blocking in our designs and putting a little color on our canvases. Liz reviewed each setup and offered advice on how to improve the arrangements.

Day 1 & 2 Set Up

Day 3 Set Up - Gay Paris Peonies

During the second and third days of the workshop Liz painted mini demos focusing on brass, silver and leaves. She was truly interested in helping us improve areas we struggled to comprehend. This was evident throughout the workshop as she repeatedly asked for feedback on the techniques she covered. Her premise was not to teach us to paint but to teach us to "see".

Silver Demo

Not only is Liz a truly gifted artist, she shared what she knew to all her students without hesitation. It was a great workshop.