Weekend With the Masters

As I mentioned before, I attended my first  Weekend With the Masters Conference a couple of weeks ago. I had been wanting to go for a couple of years, and because it was so close to home - only three hours by car - I decided to sign up for a couple of lectures and a one day workshop with C.W. Mundy.

 It was the right thing to do for the first time I think. Next year I'd love to buy the whole package and really delve into it.

The artists that were there were the same ones that I love and follow pretty closely. (With the exception of Ovanes Berberian and Terry Miura) The experience better than I could have hoped. Not to mention that I love Monterey.. I was glad that my friend Ronna Scott and I took it at a reasonable pace. We got in a little bit of everything including some very good eating.

The event was held at the Portola Hotel very close to the shore. Many of the plein air painters chose to conduct their workshops right there. 

Ronna and I arrived with plenty of time to get checked in and unpacked and take a tour of the area on foot. When we left Sacramento it was 100 degrees and when we arrived it was only 59! As it turned out the little main street in Monterey was having their weekly market and fair. We prepared for the next day and went to bed early.

We went to lunch at the famous Casanova Restaurant, yum!

The next morning we attended our first class at the event, a lecture with C.W. Mundy. We were very entertained and at the same time I love the way CW drove home the trusted belief in the importance of the focal point. He talked about his journey as an artist and musician. You really must read up about his 7 foundational truths for a successful painting. He is an amazing painter and teacher.
 http://www.cwmundy.com/artist/

The next day was our workshop with CW.

 This is Mundy's demo piece

And this is my piece from the class....

Last but not least on Friday evening we attended an amazing demonstration by two artists who painted the same model. 

On Friday evening of Weekend With the Masters, Quang Ho and Daniel Sprick will take the stage to conduct a side-by-side painting demonstration of the same model. Although Quang and Sprick have different painting styles—Quang paints in a representational manner this is firmly planted on the foundations of painting but that pushes into the realms of abstraction and expressionism; while Sprick’s tightly controlled, Old Master-like technique coupled with his contemporary subject matter are bridging the gap between realism and modernism—they both have strong philosophical views on the process and purpose of painting, which will they will share with audience members as they conduct their demonstrations. 

Definitely worth the price of admission. Next year the conference is in San Diego, so who wants to drive??