AMERICANS IN PARIS PAINT PROVENCE

The 10-day creative retreat took place from April 26 to May 5 at Moulin de la Roque, Noves, a beautiful 13acre estate in the heart of Provence, France. In attendance were five leading American artists: Casey Childs, Michelle Dunaway, David Gray, Olga Krimon and Rothe, accompanied by two dozen students and patrons. Divided into two groups, students took classes and attended workshops and demonstrations with each artist, gaining unique insights and information along the way. Each artist conducted live demos, set up models on location or ventured off to paint in plein air for the afternoon. Students and patrons alike were able to partake in the experience of a fine art school condensed into a short term commitment. During the retreat, award-winning figurative artist Dunaway explained the importance of the figure in the landscape and how to deal with light sources in the open air. She explained that the light, just like in the studio, should be coming primarily from one direction and that shadows cast on the face from that main light source make it easier to capture. The artist also painted a female figure in blue by the water. She spoke about the challenges of a blue dress with a blue background of water and how to make the figure stand out. Dunaway, like Childs, starts with larger, simplified shapes and progresses to more detail. However, Dunaway is able to paint starting from just the eyes, moving outward in relation to the initial shapes. Childs, an award-winning portraitist, painted a portrait of a local man, breaking down the basics of laying in darks as well as the importance of shape making and proportions for the head, eyes and nose. Childs discussed specific topics like the nuances of human faces, noting that noses and ears are always a little more warm, and that these details can be added little by little. Aldo Balding taught the first day