San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, a haven for artists

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, a haven for artists

by | May 5, 2022 | Arts, Cold Wax and Oil, Travel, Workshops

I’ve made plans to travel to San Miguel de Allende in October for a 5 day workshop with Jerry McLaughln, master of cold wax media painting. (https://www.jerryscoldwaxworkshops.com/) Yes, I’m looking forward to getting up at the crack of dawn, stumbling out to the breakfast room for coffee and breakfast made by cheerful Senoritas and hurrying to catch the bus to the studio. In the evening. I’ll ramble around this artsy town full of galleries, artisan shops and restaurants. Maybe I can meet up with my friend Genevieve for a hike at dusk. Such bliss!

Ex Pats are all over the place. Even Jerry, who several years ago organized his first class there, decided to move to this small town three weeks later. He’s renovated a studio for his classes and opening a work residency for artists this fall.

I’m taking the beginning class because I have been going my own way with cold wax since 2019. There is a lot more technique to learn and I hope to be able to apply that to larger boards when I return. For more on what cold wax is, see my previous post here.

Lucy MacGillis Painting

Lucy MacGillis Painting

by | May 4, 2021 | Oil Painting, Plein Air, Travel, Workshops

I met Lucy MacGillis through a friend at the Boston Globe. Lucy is the daughter of Don MacGillis, who sadly passed away this past Fall. Don and his wife Ingrid talked many times about their daughter who moved to Italy and was so successful at her painting that she never moved back. Lucy grew up in Pittsfield, Massachusetts and as a youth would visit the Clark Institute in Williamstown to study master’s paintings. Lucy now lives in Umbria with her son and her companion. She makes gorgeous oil paintings of the italian countryside, portraits and still life.

Lucy paints from life, directly from observation, as a “perceptual painter”. The style might also be called “magical realism” or just “realism”. She first studied at University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and got a grant to study in Italy at Nick Carone’s former International School of Art in Montecastello di Vibio, Umbria. “Along with Carone I learned from Lennart Anderson, John Lees, Jake Berthot, William Bailey, Ying Li and many others; quite the line up.”

On her website you can book a workshop in Umbria, Sicily and Austria. She travels back to Massachusetts for openings at the Hoadley Gallery in Lenox, Mass. and teaches a class that same weekend at IS183 in Stockbridge. I was fortunate to attend a free public art talk hosted virtually by Black Pond Studios this March. She offers an online class studying classical painting by sketchings and writing observations. Lucy also described how she makes her own italian earth paint in her studio by mixing ground earth and stone with Walnut oil.

On a visit to a Hoadley Gallery opening a few years ago, I was able to ask about her methods which she was very generous to share. She first stretches the linen and sizes it with rabbit glue. I noted that some of the tan canvas can be seen between the splashes of paint on the finished work. This reveals confidence in the medium and location. Her impressionist playful dabs of color shows a deep understanding of what makes a good painting.

“Lucy MacGillis combines an appreciation of Cezanne and Morandi with her own unique style to create exquisite oil paintings of her life in Umbria. Her paintings are timeless and classic yet have a fresh contemporary feeling.” –– Hoadley Gallery.

If you get a chance, visit Hoadley Gallery in Lenox to see Lucy MacGillises outstanding work.

Featured Image: “Gaetano (Man’s Name)” at Hoadley Gallery, Lenox. Inset Image: Italian Earth Color Study, by Lucy MacGillis.

Shows, Classes and Books

by | Mar 31, 2020 | Books, Cold Wax and Oil, Newton Commuity Education, Newton Open Studios, Workshops

I had a lot planned this Spring. This weekend I would have been in Newton Centre at the Newton Open Studios weekend show. I was also scheduled to teach Cold Wax Medium classes for Newton Community Education in April. Then, in June, I was to hang a month long show of my paintings at United Parish of Auburndale. Suddenly, that very busy Spring and Summer has turned into other sorts of work because of the Covid 19 Virus.

I subscribed to a three part online Cold Wax class by the authors of the Cold Wax bible, Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts and Conversations by Jerry McLaughlin, Rebecca A. Crowell. I’m looking forward to spending seven hours learning about new techniques and practicing in my home studio. But, this will have to wait a week or two while I help a Globe colleague layout a 160 page book about a South Boston Village and its history. This has been a nice distraction and it feels good to be employed.

A hello to everyone and hope that you are all well and you and your loved ones are safe.  Hopefully, this summer will bring a safer environment.

Newton Community Ed Class Spring 2020!

by | Jan 31, 2020 | Cold Wax and Oil, Newton Commuity Education, Oil Painting, Workshops

I will be teaching Cold Wax on board (or paper) in the upcoming Spring session at Newton South High School. Classes start April 2 and end April 30. Thursday each week for four classes total. (No class April 23) The time is in the evenings, 6:30 to 9:30 pm. I taught this class the first time in Marlborough for three session at the Post Road Art Center and for five sessions last Fall with Newton Community Ed. This class is designed for beginners in cold wax or art in general. I review the basics of color theory, design and mark making. Beginners to cold Wax can purchase a kit from me that includes cold wax medium, paper, rubber spatula and several paint sticks. Oil paint and acrylic paint is also recommended. Find out more at newtoncommunityed.org.

Newton Community Ed Cold Wax Class

by | Oct 23, 2019 | Arts, Cold Wax and Oil, Newton Commuity Education, Workshops

This Monday we started a five week class on Cold Wax Painting at Newton South High School through the Newton Community Education Program. Class starts at 6:30 pm and runs until 9 pm. Come join us! Cold Wax medium is provided by the instructor (me) and there is a list of other materials to bring. Check it out at the Newton Community Education website. It’s not too late to join us!

In this class we are learning about what Cold Wax Medium is and how to use it. There are a lot of materials and tools involved in the stages of the cold wax drying process. We are also covering Value, Design and Color so that artists can improve their art skills as well as learning the medium.

Cold Wax Painting Class at Post Road Art Center

by | Jul 21, 2019 | Cold Wax and Oil, Workshops

Doors and Ways by Deb Perugi

This is finally happening this Monday at 1:30!!
Monday, September 6,2019, I’ll be teaching a three week class on cold wax painting at Post Road Art Center in Marlborough. Randi, Post Road’s owner, is so excited she is taking the class with us. Cold wax is a medium that mixes with oil paint, making it somewhat stiffer but with a butter consistency. It dries faster than oil paint alone and allows for scraping and incising when it is partially dry, resulting in a mixed media effect. Come try this new painting experience!