Deep Cove by Martha Johnson
acrylic on panel, 12" x 24", 2011
July 12-19, 2020
Martha Johnson has been teaching drawing and painting at the Avenue Road Arts School and at ArtEmbassy, Toronto, since 1996. She has a Fine Art B.A. (Hons.) from the University of Guelph and was mentored by Tom Hodgson (Painter's Eleven.)
Martha is known for her passionate approach to landscape and animals. Her recent avian paintings and sculptures have developed as a result of her Grand Manan experiences, and she is currently working on a large portfolio of paintings in conjunction with Allen Moses Collection in the Grand Museum Museum. The project began with the re-discovery of a historic event when an yellow-billed albatross from Antartica was sited in the Bay of Fundy in 1913.
Martha's workshop gets you into landscape quickly and welcomes all levels of experience and mediums. Her approach to locating sites includes attention to composition, colour and an easy set-up without heavy equipment. The course will show you how to paint on site, work with a sketchbook, a camera and a notebook, gathering information that may be applied to later studio work and larger images.Our Painting Days
Each day begins about 9:30 to 10 a.m. when we settle into our new location to begin a glorious day of painting on Grand Manan. Martha's instruction is geared to both beginners and experienced painters. The day starts with a brief chat about the site, possibly a demo, and when needed some pointers about set-up. The only interruption is a catered lunch on site, from roll-ups, sandwiches, salads or quiche, followed by fresh fruit, cold water and a small sweet. Then we return to the work, finishing between 3:30 and 4 p.m.
The workshop typically includes one day of tripping to a local small island, or to the other "far" side of Grand Manan, where painting time is modified by some travel. A charter will be an added fee calculated per person. Field trips are not mandatory. The everyday sites—lighthouses, Seal Cove, an abandoned herring plant, the beaches and cliffs that make up the shoreline of this lovely unspoiled island, provide our subject matter. Opportunities abound for sketches, colour notes, variety in perspectives, and subject matter from meadow stretches to steep rockfaces to marine harbours. Bird sketches may be completed in the local Grand Manan museum's Allen Moses collection.
At the end of the day we join for drinks in a beautiful setting by the sea before finding a local eatery, singly or with the group according to preference, for good company and conversation. A welcome supper and a farewell feast are provided on the Sunday arrival and the Saturday finale—cooked by your hosts. We offer a full week for you to concentrate on your art with no domestic or work distractions.