Painter Joan Mitchell and singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell, both pioneering women artists ‘being free’, share an extraordinary facility to project their emotions and experiences into their art - landscapes of the heart and mind and memory.
‘Joan & Joni’ is a 2-day ‘Freedom in Painting’ workshop with the main focus on expressive mark-making. By looking/listening/responding to the work of these two great artists we aim to spark our own emotional and visual responses, leading to a different way into painting.
Your research will be enjoyable! Over the next few weeks, I ask artists to listen again to the music of Joni Mitchell – we all have our favourites - and make studies/drawings to bring to the workshop. What do you see, what colours, marks and emotions are evoked? What do you feel? Express the rhythms, shapes, spaces from the music into your studies. (Please note, we won’t be playing music in the workshop, so its important that you make your studies in advance).
During the workshop, with further inspiration from the ‘remembered’ landscapes of Joan Mitchell where ‘ Emotion, nature and physical expression collide’, we will develop the studies into paintings.
In the tradition of Chinese painting, and Joan Mitchell’s ‘Poem’ pieces, artists have the option to include lyrics/words in their paintings.
THURSDAY - The workshop will begin will a brief talk, followed by a demonstration and group exercise. The rest of the time will be spent on individual working, with plenty of one to one tuition with Ashley during the two days.
FRIDAY - There will a second demonstration and group exercise on Friday morning, followed by individual working. At 3.15 we’ll clear the studio in preparation for an invaluable Group Critique to start at 3.45.
