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ENLARGEInternationally recognized artist Richard McKinley recently conducted a plein air workshop in Green.
In the studio with Barb Antilla
Roseburg’s Barb Antilla has always been an admirer of fine art, but it wasn’t until she retired that the painter was able to focus all her attention on her passion.
The former schoolteacher said that when she was growing up, a woman with a college education was expected to become a nurse or a teacher.
“Art wasn’t an option, basically,” Antilla said.
Her pastel “Boulder River” recently won Best of Show in the Pastel Society of Oregon’s biennial juried exhibit, held at the Palace Gallery in Oakland.
Antilla now works exclusively with pastels and said that the first time she tried the medium, she never looked back.
“I love that you don’t have to spend time mixing colors and you’ve got hundreds of these beautiful colors right there,” she said. “You don’t have any of that mess that you have with oil painting.”
Today, the pastelist savors her time in her studio. She prefers working indoors rather than en plein air and wasn’t in attendance at Richard McKinley’s recent workshop.
He did, however, jury the pastel show and selected Antilla’s piece for the top honor.
The real-enough-to-touch piece earned the artist $1,500, but it isn’t the money that gratifies Antilla.
“I put the music on and relax. I paint for myself and if they like it, great, and if they don’t, fine,” she said. “I’m always going to paint.”
The former schoolteacher said that when she was growing up, a woman with a college education was expected to become a nurse or a teacher.
“Art wasn’t an option, basically,” Antilla said.
Her pastel “Boulder River” recently won Best of Show in the Pastel Society of Oregon’s biennial juried exhibit, held at the Palace Gallery in Oakland.
Antilla now works exclusively with pastels and said that the first time she tried the medium, she never looked back.
“I love that you don’t have to spend time mixing colors and you’ve got hundreds of these beautiful colors right there,” she said. “You don’t have any of that mess that you have with oil painting.”
Today, the pastelist savors her time in her studio. She prefers working indoors rather than en plein air and wasn’t in attendance at Richard McKinley’s recent workshop.
He did, however, jury the pastel show and selected Antilla’s piece for the top honor.
The real-enough-to-touch piece earned the artist $1,500, but it isn’t the money that gratifies Antilla.
“I put the music on and relax. I paint for myself and if they like it, great, and if they don’t, fine,” she said. “I’m always going to paint.”
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A group of artists gather around Richard McKinley as he talks about the right technique to dapple those blues and pinks.
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Barb Antilla's pastel, "Boulder River" won Best of Show in the Pastel Society of Oregon's 16th biennial exhibit at the Palace Gallery in Oakland.
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Leonardo da Vinci was once quoted as saying, “You have but one master and that is Nature.”
For three hazy mornings on the outskirts of Green, in a field where racehorses were once raised, a small group of artists lived by da Vinci’s words.
The late summer’s unpredictable weather nearly dampened the workshop last week. But with the morning dew behind them, about 18 people crowded around a canvas and watched intently as artist Richard McKinley transported the shade trees in the distance onto his canvas with each flick of his wrist.
The Pastel Society of Oregon is currently holding its 16th biennial juried national exhibition at Palace Gallery in Oakland. The society, which was formed in 1987, invited McKinley to conduct a three-day workshop in Douglas County. The artist is also the juror of the pastel show and has a piece of his own artwork hanging in the gallery.
The workshop was conducted “en plein air,” a French expression that translates to “in the open air.” The venue for the demonstration was held at Harmony Farm — a picturesque spread of land hidden in the valley and the former home of racehorses owned and raised by the Hebard family.
Painting en plein air became particularly popular in the mid-1800s among French impressionist painters, with the most famous being Claude Monet. Plein air painting is a familiar concept in artistic communities of today. It’s inspired societies such as the Plein Air Painters of America and costly European workshops overlooking Venetian canals or Parisian streets.
The process of working in natural light can be a challenge, according to Lora Block, president of the Pastel Society of Oregon.
“It’s difficult because the light changes — you have about two hours of painting before it looks completely different,” she said. “It’s a fleeting moment.”
Myrtle Creek’s Phil Bates is in pursuit of that moment. The self-described student has painted for about 31 years, but has only been studying the pastel medium for four of them. The Douglas County workshop with McKinley was his fifth. Bates has followed McKinley to New Mexico, California and Washington. The digital media cinematographer said he is inspired by McKinley’s work and that attending the internationally recognized artist’s workshops in a such an intimate setting is unusual. He said McKinley’s demonstrations have drawn as many as 3,000 people.
Bates admires McKinley’s skills as an artist, his ability to communicate with his audience and his warm and friendly personality.
And on cue, the distinguished artist proved Bates’ observations true.
For three hazy mornings on the outskirts of Green, in a field where racehorses were once raised, a small group of artists lived by da Vinci’s words.
The late summer’s unpredictable weather nearly dampened the workshop last week. But with the morning dew behind them, about 18 people crowded around a canvas and watched intently as artist Richard McKinley transported the shade trees in the distance onto his canvas with each flick of his wrist.
The Pastel Society of Oregon is currently holding its 16th biennial juried national exhibition at Palace Gallery in Oakland. The society, which was formed in 1987, invited McKinley to conduct a three-day workshop in Douglas County. The artist is also the juror of the pastel show and has a piece of his own artwork hanging in the gallery.
The workshop was conducted “en plein air,” a French expression that translates to “in the open air.” The venue for the demonstration was held at Harmony Farm — a picturesque spread of land hidden in the valley and the former home of racehorses owned and raised by the Hebard family.
Painting en plein air became particularly popular in the mid-1800s among French impressionist painters, with the most famous being Claude Monet. Plein air painting is a familiar concept in artistic communities of today. It’s inspired societies such as the Plein Air Painters of America and costly European workshops overlooking Venetian canals or Parisian streets.
The process of working in natural light can be a challenge, according to Lora Block, president of the Pastel Society of Oregon.
“It’s difficult because the light changes — you have about two hours of painting before it looks completely different,” she said. “It’s a fleeting moment.”
Myrtle Creek’s Phil Bates is in pursuit of that moment. The self-described student has painted for about 31 years, but has only been studying the pastel medium for four of them. The Douglas County workshop with McKinley was his fifth. Bates has followed McKinley to New Mexico, California and Washington. The digital media cinematographer said he is inspired by McKinley’s work and that attending the internationally recognized artist’s workshops in a such an intimate setting is unusual. He said McKinley’s demonstrations have drawn as many as 3,000 people.
Bates admires McKinley’s skills as an artist, his ability to communicate with his audience and his warm and friendly personality.
And on cue, the distinguished artist proved Bates’ observations true.
So you know...
WHAT: The Pastel Society of Oregon’s 16th biennial juried national exhibition
WHERE: The Palace Gallery, 110 S.E. First St., Oakland WHEN: Now through Sept. 20 GALLERY HOURS: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday HIGHLIGHTS: Roseburg’s Barb Antilla’s painting, “Boulder River,” won first place in the show and juror Richard McKinley’s piece, “The Runoff,” is also on display. INFORMATION: 459-6777 |
“Can I mention what makes me mad as hell?” said a man sitting at the back of the small gathering.
Without missing a beat and continuing to work with what nature was offering — the sun peaking with the noon hour — McKinley laughed and listened as the man expressed his frustration with not knowing where to dapple blues and pinks when painting the side of an old white shed.
“It’s the experience part we talked about earlier,” said McKinley to the crowd of artists, all growing more and more eager to capture their own fleeting moment. They later would each plant individual easels in the field to paint under McKinley’s guidance.
Block, who couldn’t talk at the workshop because she was studiously noting each movement of McKinley’s hand and each word from his mouth, said later in a phone interview that there are about 100 members in the Pastel Society of Oregon. The co-founder of the society said the group was started to inform area residents about the attributes of pastels.
“We decided we needed a way for people to understand the medium,” said Block. “They think it’s chalk, but it’s pure pigment.”
• You can reach reporter Cara Pallone at 957-4208 or by e-mail at cpallone@nrtoday.com.
Without missing a beat and continuing to work with what nature was offering — the sun peaking with the noon hour — McKinley laughed and listened as the man expressed his frustration with not knowing where to dapple blues and pinks when painting the side of an old white shed.
“It’s the experience part we talked about earlier,” said McKinley to the crowd of artists, all growing more and more eager to capture their own fleeting moment. They later would each plant individual easels in the field to paint under McKinley’s guidance.
Block, who couldn’t talk at the workshop because she was studiously noting each movement of McKinley’s hand and each word from his mouth, said later in a phone interview that there are about 100 members in the Pastel Society of Oregon. The co-founder of the society said the group was started to inform area residents about the attributes of pastels.
“We decided we needed a way for people to understand the medium,” said Block. “They think it’s chalk, but it’s pure pigment.”
• You can reach reporter Cara Pallone at 957-4208 or by e-mail at cpallone@nrtoday.com.
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