Workshops Colorado 2015: October 2-3 and November 21-22

After each class, there will be a free lecture / book signing of Ken's new book, Manifesting 123 and you don't need #3. The lecture is open to the public.

October 2-3

Colorado Springs Art Guild, sponsor

An indoor, two-day workshop, 9:30 am - 4pm

Location:

Imagination Celebration

750 Citadel Drive East Colorado Springs, CO 80909

(upper level between Burlington and Dillards) map

CSAG members $200.
Non-members $225.

More info and registration here

Workshop flyer and supply list

November 21-22

Lakewood Cultural Center, sponsor

Location:

470 S Allison Parkway, Lakewood, CO 80226

Open to artists at all skill levels and media

An indoor, two-day workshop, 9-4 pm

Limited to 20 participants, $225 payable to the City of Lakewood.

Register online  or by phone 303-987-5436, activity # 370249-01

Plans are in the works for additional two-day formal painting and pastel workshops in Denver, Austin, Atlanta, Ventura County, CA, New York and St. Louis.

Private Lessons:  

I have really enjoyed giving private lessons over the years as well. It is casual, focused and fun. There will be a big result. Give me a call and we'll discuss what works best for you. Transportation and accommodations are included as space is available for out of town guests in Ken's home / studio. Please inquire by email or 303-995-1611

People are saying:

"So, when my friend, Ken Elliott, told me he was co-teaching a workshop on color with Casey Klahn, I immediately said sign me up! Ken's work is simplified impressionist landscape with an emphasis on bold color like reds and yellows. Casey's work is influenced by the cloudy days of the northwestern part of the United States, and his paintings are simplified, abstracted landscapes. Casey uses subdued colors like blues and purples. Both artists' style and color sense are so dramatically different than mine that I knew I would be challenged by this workshop. And indeed I was! I have to smile when I see the work I produced in this workshop. It's so unlike my usual work."
Lee McVey website

I so enjoyed meeting you and being part of the workshop. You got me on fire!!!!!

Ed

"Wow! My weekend of private lessons was fabulous! While I was there I stepped into a whole new world that my soul was calling for. Wonderful conversations, a beautiful time with great art everywhere and artistic success!"

Kate

"Thank you so much for including me in the wonderful weekend workshop at the Castle Rock Artist "Retreat" :D I found all of you to be a delight and am so happy to meet each of you! Ken, you are a wonderful teacher & inspiring person!! The one day with you in your B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L home & "artist sanctuary" was "exactly" what I needed on so many levels !!! Thank you for your generosity, great color sense, sharing of your artful knowledge & supply resources. I came away with a renewed art spirit and also w/ some new artistic ideas for applying paint to the canvas! Very inspiring indeed!
Jeannie Paty  website

"When I signed up for a painting workshop, who knew that it would be so much more. Thank you Ken. For your kindness, generosity of spirit, and sharing your knowledge and skill of painting with us. And thank you to everyone for making our time together a magical weekend which will be cherished. Fortunately the universe provided me with what I needed, whether I knew it or not."
Linda

"It was a fabulous workshop! I know we all had a lot of fun and really enjoyed having you here. We would love to have you come back again next year!"

Donna

"Just wanted to thank you again for a very inspiring, informative, and fun workshop. I worked LARGE today!
Maxene

Thank you for all your inspiration!
Deb

Thanks SO VERY MUCH, Ken, for such a fun, informative, and energetic workshop. Your enthusiasm is contagious. What a wonderful weekend!!
Christine

"You are so gracious. Thank you so much for the wonderful workshop and ALL that you shared. It was a great weekend."
Suzanne

"Love the class, you are a great teacher!"
Betsy

"I feel so enriched and on fire to paint big and glowing colors. If you ever get a chance to study with Ken Elliott, I highly recommend him. If you need help getting to his workshops just read his book Manifesting 123"
Francine "

Great class Ken! Thank you for all the good tips and inspiration. So glad you came to Houston."

Kay

You are so gracious. Thank you so much for the wonderful workshop and ALL that you shared to inspire us. It was a great weekend in Alaska.
Suzanne

A good time was had by all! Thank you!
Barbara, Workshop organizer and attendee

It was a great work shop, I highly recommend Ken's workshops.
Scott

New Work: Sunset over the Hilltop

Sunset over the Hilltop  oil on canvas, 36  72 inches  sold, private collection

Large canvases allow you a lot of room to work and explore. This canvas was all about that sun and how the light and color changes across this 6 foot space.

Some of the original sketch work is visible in the sky. Since there was a lot of area to cover, I used a number of arbitrary colors for the sky just to keep it interesting. Then I left it alone and kept working on the rest of the oil, purposely avoiding the impulse to add something to the sky in the early stages.

Once the rest of the painting evolved, the sky just got better all by itself. Last, I concentrated on creating more light and glow over the entire surface.

New Work: Ocean Patterns, oil on canvas, 36 x 36 inches

Ocean Patterns

Oil on canvas, 36 x 36 inches

$4200 unframed

This is an oil started as a demo in my June, Making it Fine Art Workshop at my home / studio in Castle Rock, CO.  This is my first seascape in oil, but since we were all in class to make some new moves, I was compelled to begin an ocean canvas for the first time.

It all began with a good start, locating the brightest and darkest parts of the scene, freely using a variety of colors - some arbitrary to keep things interesting. I had severely cropped the source photo from a recent trip to Galveston, TX. This image represents just a fraction of the original photo. 

I kept the brush marks loose and free. As it turned out, any number of color combinations could have been used here and I will do so in future versions. My focus to was make an engaging work of art without being too representational. There is much for the eye to take in with the overall textures and colors shifting along the vertical and horizontal directions.

This three foot square oil is a nice success, a sketch for larger works to come!

Article: Beautiful art made of coffee, wine and chocolate

Here's an enjoyable article from the Washington Post by Nicole Crowder, photo editor for the Washington Post’s photography blog, In Sight. Check out the article for more images.

Spilled coffee turned into a scene from “Peter Pan.”(Giulia Bernardelli)

Excerpt from the article:

Each morning after breakfast, while the rest of us are polishing off the last few drops of coffee, 28-year old illustrator Giulia Bernardelli is using her cup’s remains to create dazzling and whimsical scenes across the white surface of her northern Italian kitchen. From musicians and famous faces to imaginative scenes from famous fairy tales like Peter Pan, she began sharing her creations via Instagram, (@bernulia) where she has since garnered more than 27,000 followers.

[Whimsical food creations transform an ordinary dinner plate into culinary canvas]

Less than a year ago, Bernardelli came across coffee as a medium for her art by chance: She accidentally knocked over a cup of coffee and noticed a world of beautiful shapes before her.

None of her creations are planned in advance, she says. Instead, Bernardelli prefers them to have the feeling of being found creations that were stumbled upon by happenstance with an ephemeral quality.

“Everything that I needed was around me, if I looked carefully. I decided to replace the paint brush with what nature offered, such as leaves, fruit skins, food. All these elements feature different colors and textures.”

Amy Winehouse. (Giulia Bernardelli)