Abstraction from Nature Workshop w/Larry Moore

This class covers the fundamental tenets of design in art. It’s not specifically a non-objective (pure abstract) class. You get to decide the level of abstraction you wish to explore. It is more a learn-how-to-think class where you learn a process that you can use to explore new ideas. It’s a crash course on finding authenticity in your work. This class covers the seven principles of creative expression and the language of art. Larry’s intent is to help each artist find a way that works that is unique to them, whether they wish to interpret from life, push their process, or go fully abstract.

Larry is versatile in all mediums, having worked extensively in pastel, acrylic, oil, gouache and mixed-media. Work in the medium you are most comfortable with. This is not a class for beginners, participants need to have some experience with drawing, color and painting. Also not a class to learn a new medium like gouache. Bring the medium that you are most comfortable with.

Larry Moore is the author of Fishing for Elephants: Insights and exercises to inspire authentic creativity.

Available on Amazon

Larry Moore is a fine artist, instructor, illustrator and author. Moore's illustrious career as a visual communicator spans an impressive 50+ years. His journey began in the vibrant world of the surf industry where he honed his skills as a mural and apparel artist. Over the years, he seamlessly transitioned into graphic design, advertising, illustration, and fine art, earning national acclaim in each of these realms of visual communication. Since 1990, he has shared his knowledge as a college and workshop instructor. His contributions to the field extend beyond his teaching, with the publication of his successful workbook on creativity for artists, 'Fishing for Elephants: Insights and Exercises to Inspire Authentic Creativity.'

Moore’s work has been recognized in numerous plein air events around the country with Best of Show Awards, a variety of Best of Category Awards, and Artists and Collectors Choice Awards. Some of his most noted awards include Society of Illustrators, NY 2005 Gold medal; Society of Illustrators, NY annual exhibit 1995, 1997-2005; Luerzers Archive Top 200 illustrators worldwide, 2005; and Art Renewal Center International Competition 2023, 2024.

Moore’s work is represented by galleries in Georgia, South Carolina, Wyoming, Florida and New Mexico and has been included in a number of museum exhibitions including Huntsville Museum of Art in Alabama, Society of Illustrators Museum in New York, Orlando Museum of Art in Florida, Laguna Museum of Art in California, Tallahassee Museum in Florida, and The Museum of Wildlife Art in Wyoming. His work can be found in public and private collections across the United States, including Central Florida Historical Museum, Cape Canaveral Port Authority, Jacksonville Baptist Children’s Hospital, and The Kessler Collection, Grand Bohemian Hotel.

You don’t need everything, pick one medium

You should already have most of this stuff, so don’t freak out.

The first couple of classes will be spent doing small taped-off studies, you can go up in size on the last day but we’ll mostly stay in the 4x4 to 6x6 study size range.

For this class, you can work in acrylics, oil, or gouache. Even pastel. Just pick one.

You can work in your preferred medium from the start but I recommend working on watercolor paper (or oil paper for oil) for small studies because canvas surface can get in the way on a small scale.

This is not a good time to learn a new medium. Work in your preferred medium. I will be doing demos in gouache. If you don’t know gouache, don’t bring it.

If you are an experienced painter, bring what you are used to working with.

For Gouache OR acrylic: 9x12 or 11x14 watercolor pad, like Arches cold press watercolor paper pads, fine grain preferred.

Sketch pad for thumbnails, notes and doodling while I yammer on.

Set of Gouache watercolor paints, they are awesome and not terribly expensive. Basic set of primaries, earth colors, plus white, black, grays. It’s versatile medium that is great for exploring new ideas:

Suggested brands Grumbacher, Winsor-Newton, M. Graham, Royal Talens or similar.

Titanium White (get the larger tube if you have the option)

Cad yellow light or lemon

Cad yellow medium or yellow ochre

Cad red light

Alizarin or similar

Ultramarine blue

Prussian blue

Burnt sienna (and/or various earth colors)

Black

Gray(s)

If you can’t find these exact colors, no worries, just get a range of warm/cool, earthtones and grays.

Watercolor mixing tray for gouache. Look for a larger tray that has some mixing area. I recommend this one on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004KJEWMY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_.kSOCb6VBY1PN

Set of watercolor brushes, mix of flats and rounds.

If you don’t have any get the affordable variety bag o’ synthetic brushes.

Roll of 1/4” white artist tape

Phot ref We won’t really need any but if you wish to try your hand at abstracting from a source, bring images on phone, ipad or laptop or go outside.

For either Oil or Acrylic

Colors: Same as above, a limited palette of warm and cool of each primary color, earth tones, gray, black and white:

If you have favorite pigments, bring them. There is no perfect palette. A good starter palette is a warm and a cool of yellow red and blue (above), but if you want to augment this be my guest.

However, a limited palette is usually better. Just primaries, earth tones, white, grays and black.

Oils: Utrecht and Gamblin are good paints for the money. Gamblin 1980, Winton by Windsor Newton, Rembrandt, Grumbacher are also fine.

Surface for oil Arches oil paper is awesome, Cold fine grain or hot press, or fine-grained canvas.

black felt pen (fine) like Pilot, 2b pencil

Cold wax for oils. Optional but extremely awesome.

A palette to mix on.

Acrylics. Golden is golden.

Thinner for oil: Gamsol, Turpenoid (blue can) or Mona Lisa, or you can go thinner free and just use Artists medium or linseed oil. No smelly stuff!

Can or container to hold Gamsol or medium

Palette Knife (angled, tapered tip)

Brushes:

For small studies, get a mix of smaller synthetic flats and rounds. For larger stuff, bristles are great – sizes 2-12 flats and filberts. You should augment with sables or cheaper synthetic flats and filberts for blending and fine marks (I use the synthetic flats and filberts a lot for blocking in).

There are no magic brushes. If you are interested in trying different approaches, also bring a brayer, a squeegee, chip brushes, any tool that might give you something a brush cannot.

Easel – The first few days we will work flat on the table.

A good portable and multifunctional easel New wave by U.Go, Strada, or similar along with the appropriate tri-pod support. In case we go outside or if you prefer to work upright.

The easel you use can be determined by the surface size you wish to work on. If you go larger, you need an easel to support that.

Canvases: (if you are working in oil or acrylic)

In addition to the pad of watercolor, oil, or mixed media paper pads:

2-4 12x16 or similar favorite canvas panels or canvas pad.

We’ll be using these the last day. We aren’t going big.

Finer weaves are better. Crappy canvas panels are not helpful.

If using Frederix or similar single gesso-primed surface, I recommend a brush coat of gesso or two. Raymar, Windsor-newton and Pintura are good and fairly inexpensive.

Or

Gessoed 140# watercolor paper works great too.

So do gessoed wood panels and cardboard, for that matter.

Artists painting medium for oil by Winsor Newton or Gamblin Galkyd or Gamblin solvent free gel (optional but very handy)

Paper towels (viva) or lots of good painting rags

Sense of humor and an open mind

got a question? larry@larrymoorestudios.com