Christmas Cheer

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'Christamas Cheer' / Oil on Canvas / 16x20  december 2016

....time to send out a greeting and wish for a Merry Christmas to all......
will be back soon with class dates and plans for 2017!

Plein Air - Blue Ridge, GA

Hello , and happy Fall, y'all.

Above is a 12x24 plein air piece painted a week or so ago at Blue Ridge.  This train leaves daily for tours along the Toccoa River and is especially popular in the Fall, when the mountain area trees turn color.
For those interested, I'll relay some of the thought process while painting this.
Compositionally, it's not usually advisable to have two divergent focal areas. (i.e. the train versus the station), and yet I thought there was enough energy and relationship in this scene to make it work.  Regarding the foreground flowers; in reality there was a mixture or red and yellow flowers there. I initially put both colors in but decided it was too riotous or unharmonious, so just stayed with the yellow/orange, which is essentially a complement of the blue train and station.  This was a pretty large paintng, and one of the difficulties was that a big SUV was parked on the left nearside of the street, blocking entirely the train. So i had to do a combination of walking around it to get a view, and then just guessing what the alignment, lighting, and perspective would be.  During the last half hour of the painting, the SUV finally moved, and I was relieved to find my guesswork was pretty close.  Oh, and , the weather...it was easily 90 degrees out and quite uncomfortable.  Thus,  a very common situation of 'unknowns' when you paint plein air; you never know what you are getting in to.

Check out information on my upcoming plein air workshop in Cumming, GA,  studio workshop in Macon, GA, and my usual 6 week class starting again soon at the Marietta/Cobb museum of Art.  See you there!

Santa Barbara Mission

...a recent study of one of the mission bell towers at Santa Barbara.

calling all oil painters....only a week and a half until my workshop at the Quinlan Ar Center in Gainesville GA. Please see my July 21st blog, or the side bar for registration information.....
only a few spots left.....will be  great time!

Yosemite

Above, an 11x14 of Half Dome, in Yosemite. A studio piece, based on recent picture sent to me from a family member.  I've painted several paintings in the past, of this iconic scene, and always love it.
Thanks for checkin' in!

Cashiers Plein Air Festival

Above is an 18x14 plein air piece from Cashiers Plein Air Festival, last week. Always a great time at this festival.

Below is a repeat of previously mentioned classes/workshops for this fall.....I have added links for more information. And as always, feel free to contact me as well for further information/questions.....Thanks!
John

6 week Tuesday night class at Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art starts ...AUGUST 2nd!! (hurry). This class is always fun as well as helpful.  (this class reoccurs again late fall,and even a short session during the holiday weeks!)
www.mariettacobbartmuseum.org/

 2 Day Plein Air workshop , October 13,14th, at the Soulful Art Studios in Cumming, GA.  A great host facility a good chance to get in some good solid instruction...perfect time of year for plein air!
contact: jeanne matey
 jmatey@bellsouth.net

Workshop at Colby Glen (Macon,  GA) goes for 4 full day sessions, once a week, Wednesdays Oct 20-Nov 10th.  (part studio, part plein air).  You can't miss this great opportunity. The last session, earlier this year sold out, and was a great time.
contact: Maureen Persons
mcgartworks@gmail.com

3 days workshop at Quinlan Art Center, Gainesville, GA.   Sept 22-24  Going on

the 4th year,  this workshop is always fantastic, and one of the best facilities you'll find. This is studio painting, and this year, concentrating almost entirely on landscape!
http://www.quinlanartscenter.org/john-guernsey.html

Heading to Cashiers Plein Air Festival

Above is a waterfall in Dawsonville, GA.......I painted it last week, and it's 20x16.  Notice a lot of greenery.....which is typical for Georgia, particularly in the summer months.....

Heading off next week to the bi-enniel Cashiers NC plein air festival. For locals interested, please take a drive over to the Cashiers Village  Green Commons and see the wet room (just completed paintings) this Wednesday through Saturday.  For interested artists, there's also an open Quick Draw on Friday at 2pm. See the website for more details   Cashierspleinairfestival.com , or contact me if you like. johnbguernsey@bellsouth.net

I forgot to add some needed details to my previous note about upcoming classes and workshops......I will get that info updated asap......I hope to see you at one (or more!) of my classes/workshops this fall.......It'll be here before you know it. 

THanks for checking my blog!

john

p.s. forgot to mention, i picked up a nice second place award at the Los Gatos Plein Air festival a few weeks ago.....(Judge was Paul Kratter. 1st went to greg larock, and 3rd to wayne mckenzie. Good company !)......Had a great time,and will load some pic's from the event soon....  

Workshops and classes coming this fall !!

Backyard Garden / Best of Show 2014 Los Gatos Plein Air / John Guernsey

Hello all,

Los Gatos Plein Air is this coming week..(6/14-18)..drop by and say hello if you're in the area...(paintings display on Saturday, 6/18 , at the city park)....be there!

Here's some great oil painting workshop and class opportunities coming up this fall.   I encourage you to sign up early as these sessions usually fill up very quickly  All are geared towards oil painters, all levels, or some, intermediate to advanced.  Feel free to email me, at johnbguernsey@bellsouth.net, if you have any questions and/or would like further information.  NOTE: I will be adding associated links and contact information for these classes.....so stand by....will be back shortly!!

6 week Tuesday night class at Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art starts ...AUGUST 2nd!! (hurry). This class is always fun as well as helpful.  (this class reoccurs again late fall,and even a short session during the holiday weeks!)

 2 Day Plein Air workshop , October 13,14th, at the Soulful Art Studios in Cumming, GA.  A great host facility a good chance to get in some good solid instruction...perfect time of year for plein air!

Workshop at Colby Glen (Macon,  GA) goes for 4 full day sessions, once a week, Wednesdays Oct 20-Nov 10th.  (part studio, part plein air).  You can't miss this great opportunity. The last session, earlier this year sold out, and was a great time.

3 days workshop at Quinlan Art Center, Gainesville, GA.   Sept 22-24  Going on
the 4th year,  this workshop is always fantastic, and one of the best facilities you'll find. This is studio painting, and this year, concentrating almost entirely on landscape!

Plein Air Festival, Carmel-by-the-Sea

Greetings friends......Above are just 2 of 4 pieces from the just concluded Carmel Plein Air Festival. (sorry, photos blurring and glaring). One was a street scene in nearby Pacific Grove (12x16), and the other some beach cliffs south of Carmel (14x18). The street scene won an award of excellence from Plein Air Magazine.  The weather was cool and overcast most of the time, but but a nice week overal. Next stop, Los Gatos Plein Air Festival.....! 

a few pic's from Winterpark FL plein air

here's a handful of paintings from last week's winterpark FL plein air festival. This is a really nice festival; lot's of good artists and nice people.   Now on to the 23rd annual Carmel (CA) Plein air festival. If you're in the area, please come by and say hello.....the Carmel display of paintings is friday night through Sunday afternoon (May 13-15). See you there!

A couple pic's from last weeks festival

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...here's a couple quick pic's from last week's Southeastern Plein Air Festival in Gadsden AL. The one on the easel was taken moments before the easel disintegrated in the wind, and the painting, a scene of the top edge of Noccalula Falls, was damaged beyond help. (It would've been a prize winner for sure, right? ha).  The other one is a view from a bridge overlooking the Gadsden Railroad yard, and old steel mill. This one, a 12x24, won a merit award from juror, Dawn Whitelaw. Kind of a wild week, but always a kick to paint there , and for the last several years.
Hope to share some moments of upcoming festivals in
- Winterpark, FL  (april)
- Carmel, CA  (may)
- Los Gatos, CA  (june)
- Cashiers, NC  (July)
..more to come.....

more January plein air stuff....

Here's a 12x16 plein air piece from my trip to the California Coastal area this past January.  This was a view of Laguna Beach from the Hensler Park walkway. I lucked out with very good weather and a nice quiet weekday.  Thanks for checking in.

a couple earlier paintings

was just reviewing these plein air pieces from a few years ago.....thought I would post them........
We're having a great time at my current Tuesday night class at Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art, and a continuing Thursday workshop in the beautiful southern city of Macon, GA. Coming up soon, end of March, the Southeastern Plein Air Festival in Alabama, and mid-April the WinterPark Plein air festival near Orlando, Florida. Hope to see some painting friends and others I've met there before.......
hoping to blog more regularly....been a bit tied up lately.....see you soon.....landijust taking careal thefriend   in WintersoughBea eAsusObbCobb-M?the H ies

california plein air

above is a painting of some fishing boats at the Morro Bay harbor, with Morro Rock in the background.  I  completed about 9 plein air paintings during a recent trip to California...hope to post a few more soon....
Thanks for checking out my blog..