Learning from the Artist on Saturday May 30, 2009 in Denmark with Jim Harrison.
by Carolyn Miller
The First Workshop in Denmark, S.C. given by Mr. Harrison was attended by approximately a dozen artists including , Gretchen Hash-Heffner, Gig Gruel, Pat Marranci and Carolyn Miller of the Aiken Artist Guild.
Mr. Harrison allowed pictures and no question was off limits as to technique or his history. Mr. Harrison is quite a story teller. We heard about rural America, southern culture, old buildings and barns. We also relished in the story of how he lacked the yellow cadmium he needed last night for his demo picture and so he grabbed the mustard and squeezed it onto his palette for finishing touches to his tree... "The old Masters used pigments from the earth....so I just did too."
Mr. Harrison shared his palette, color mixing technique and application methods to his stretched canvases. He shared his notebooks filled with small sketch studies from all over and he told the story of how he sat in his lawn chair in the water at the shore to study the movement of the water hitting the shoals... "Never, ever paint a straight horizon line even if you see it that way, as it won't be believed", said Mr. Harrison.
The "one hour" workshop turned into a lunch break at the Mennonite Bakery across the road followed by more demonstration and questions and answers until around 3:30. Light drinks and snacks were supplied by Mr. Harrison and the $50.00 fee gave all a credit back in the gallery...!!!
A real bargain considering we sat next to a painting I was told had originally sold for $10,000.00!!!!
Mr. Harrison spoke of his experience taking a life drawing class with Mr. Al Beyer who he praised not only for his landscape paintings but for his figurative work that Mr. Harrison feels is extremely difficult.
He told the four of us from Aiken and the one student attending Al's class that we are extremely lucky to have a Al.
Mr. Harrison will be showing in the North Augusta Westaboo Festival this October and The Aiken Art Center will host a retrospective of his work April of next year.
Pictures attached are of his workspace, mixing colors, and the completed project. CM
