You may know works by Rosa Bonheur and Berthe Morisot, but can you name paintings by Adelaide Labille-Guiard, Lluisa Vidal, and Laura Wheeler Waring? Do you ever ask yourself why there are so few women among the “old masters” that we all learn from as artists? In this 3-hour workshop, we’ll explore historical masterpieces by women and use their work to teach us about art. Students will learn how master artists use composition, color, light, shape, and line to build a painting. Hands-on exercises will show how we can use what we learn in our own art practice.

The workshop has five sections:

1. The class will talk about the absence of women from art history and the importance of recognizing work by women artists. Tour a selection of paintings, learn about the artists,           and introduce ideas about composition and technique.

2. Take a closer look at classical composition in works by Gentileschi and Bonheur and play with developing the armature of a rectangle.

3. Talk about light, color and shape in paintings by Ruysch, Bonheur, Modersohn Becker, and Leontina, and put some of these principles into action with simple exercises.

4. Look at composition, value and color in portraits and figures by Labille-Guillard, Cassatt, Vidal, and Waring, and do a copying exercise.

5. Close with an intro to an array of international women important in the modern and abstract movements including Valadon, Pelaez, Beloff, Thomas, and Mitchell.

One Day Workshop

Tuition: $50 + $5 Studio Fee

3/25 Saturday 9-12 pm (1 session)

CEUs: n/a

Photo by Jay York

Faculty:

Jean Leibowitz Wiecha is an artist, writer, and former research scientist based in Portland. This workshop draws on her recent book, Discover Her Art: Women Artists and Their Masterpieces (Leibowitz and Rogers, Chicago Review Press, 2022, age 9 to adult). The book presents masterpieces by 24 women painters from the 1500s to the 1960s, offering insight and hands-on exercises that explore the techniques and ideas that make these paintings great.

COVID POLICIES:

All students + faculty are required to:

• provide proof of vaccination + booster immediately after registration by emailing an image of their vaccination card to cstudy@meca.edu.

Supplies:

Supplies will be provided.