Art on Vacation
When we were in Napa Valley recently, the concierge at Bardessono recommended a local artist for a private in-room art workshop. Karen Lynn Ingalls was an extraordinary instructor with a very engaging teaching style. Her specialty is mixed media in vibrantly charged colors.
This delightful painter introduced acrylic painting techniques combined with stenciling and collage, and used a simple paper plate to illustrate the effects from a variety of acrylic media. These different techniques can be quite confusing, but Karen made them fun for experimentation with different papers and stencils. We painted with all the rich, happy colors: yellows and oranges, warm blues and greens, vivid purples and red that glow in an exuberant way, nearly flying off the canvas and paper! Karen calls her preference for the super-saturated colors “a kind of visual Vitamin C.” And this palate of color would revive the health of even the most anemic composition!
If you are in the Napa Valley area, try some art in between all the hiking, dining, wine tasting and galleries. It may not be the first activity to come to mind but art can be so much fun. And I recommend the Bardessono, an eco-friendly LEEDS certified hotel, which nurtures not only its guests but the local artist community in Yountville and the surrounding Napa Valley. The Bardessono art collection in and of itself is breathtaking and I have shared one of my favorite pieces here.
Tracey Adams
Diana – sounds like you had a wonderful weekend! With your experience in collage, printing and painting, I’m sure you were very comfortable jumping in and working. Is that your wonderful underwater painting?
Diana
Hi Tracey,
Interestingly, one of my pieces that appeared in the Pacific Grove Art Center two years ago, entitled “Under the Sea”, looks very much like this mixed media piece in the Bardessono Hotel’s private art collection!
Cheryl Ellis
I loved the vibrant colors, and the paper plate of different media effects. Her website is on my “to see list”.
You didn’t explain it, but I suspect the under water scene is your work. It is serene and tranquil. I still remember the pink flowered wine bottle piece you did in Jamie’s class. It was my favorite.
I am taking a real media art class at the vista lobos adult center. the teacher is terrific. She explains things so well.
Our photoshop for artists class was so much fun because I loved being around artists, and I miss the contact.
I am tired of photographing flowers.