Join Mary Erickson and a limited class of no more than eight students for a four day excursion into Plein air painting. The workshop includes demonstrations, individual critiques, and lots of one on one attention. You will be guided in seeing and capturing the essence of a landscape with the use of value, scale, and color. With practical information on materials, and tips for optimizing the outdoor painting experience, it is designed to help you experiment and grow as a landscape painter.

DATES: Wednesday, October 22 to Saturday, October 25, 2008, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

WHERE: High Ridge Gardens, the home of artist Mary Erickson, and her husband John Edmondson. High Ridge Gardens is a 39 acre artist retreat and bird sanctuary in the Piedmont Region of North Carolina, tucked midway between Charlotte and Wilmington, on US Route 74 in Marshville. Painting will take place within our 39 acre grounds which feature woodland trails, hills, pastures, and ponds, and neighboring gardens and fields. See www.highridgegardens.org

Marshville is a tiny town (pop. 2500) and there are no local hotels that we can recommend.

SCHEDULE:  Arrive Tuesday afternoon anytime after 1pm, for time to unpack and settle into rooms, and take a stroll on the grounds. We will coordinate airport transportation for those who arrive in Charlotte on Tuesday.

6:30 PM Welcome Drink on the porch, meet Mary Erickson. We will discuss subject matter and aspirations for the course.

7:30 PM Enjoy a casual country dinner served in the guest house.
Painting starts at 9 a.m. Wednesday morning and continues through Saturday. Check out is Sunday afternoon.

Join Mary Erickson and Don Demers for a fun, four day excursion into Plein air painting. This outdoor oil painting workshop includes demonstrations, individual critiques, and lots of one on one attention from both instructors. You will be guided in seeing and capturing the essence of a landscape with the use of value, scale, and color, while building your confidence in constructing a painting on location. With practical information on materials, and tips for optimizing the outdoor painting experience, it is designed to help you experiment and grow as a landscape painter.  Instructor demonstrations and student painting will take place in area beaches, marinas and downtown locations. Both intermediate and advanced painters will benefit from the experience and one-on-one instruction of these accomplished professionals. The workshop will be fun and informational, as both painters share their excitement, joy and knowledge of on-location painting.

For registration and information please contact the Venice Art Center at 941-485-7136 or www.veniceartcenter.com

About Don Demers
Energetic, incredibly talented and versatile artist Don Demers is one of the leaders of today's contemporary realists.

Don was born in 1956 in Lunenberg, a small rural community in central Massachusetts. His interests in painting maritime subjects began while spending his summers on the coast, in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Demers attended the School of the Worcester Art Museum and the Massachusetts College of Arts. His education continued at sea as a crewmember aboard many traditional sailing vessels, where he experienced first hand the workings of traditional sailing ships and the mysterious beauty of the open ocean. He cruised the waters of the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Caribbean during this period, observed and recorded the experiences in his visual memory.

His professional career began as an illustrator, expanding into maritime subjects as the years progressed. A move to make his permanent home to Maine in 1984 marked a dramatic change in which illustration yielded to maritime and landscape painting. Don is a member of Plein Air Painters of America, “fellow” of the American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA), a member of the Guild of Boston Artists, and has won a record twelve awards at the Mystic International Art Exhibition, Mystic, CT. His paintings have been featured in a numerous publications including American Artist magazine, Yachting magazine, Marine Painting and Yachts on Canvas, by James Taylor,  A Gallery of Marine Art, Rockport Publishers and an instructional textbook titled Marine Painting, Techniques of Modern Masters published by Watson Guptill.

Don is currently filming a series of instructional videos entitled “The Outdoor Studio,” soon to be seen on Public Television.

Teaching his techniques and sharing his experiences with artists and demonstrating the depth and versatility of this time-honored media is one of the things he enjoys most as an artist.

About Mary Erickson
Mary Erickson was drawn to the world of fine art when she arrived in Venice.  Raised in Connecticut, Mary studied at the University of Bridgeport and Sacred Heart University, and initially pursued a career in business. Her passion for painting, and a move to Florida in 1986, stirred the desire to pursue art as a career. Finally, she realized a long held dream, and in 1993, Mary began painting professionally.

With a realistic style that ranges from luminism to impressionism, Mary is a versatile artist who specializes in landscape and birds. Her love for the outdoor world is apparent in her work. While painting plein air (on location) she responds to everything around her to create the essence of the place as she brings the world to life on canvas. She paints full time and travels extensively, but is never too far from the Gulf Coast City that she loves. Painting the beaches of Venice has always been a favorite. “Nothing is more refreshing and exhilarating for me than to paint while the surf gently laps at your feet and the gulf breeze stirs your emotions. I have been moved to tears at the beauty of a sunrise here.” Her paintings have garnered numerous awards and hang in many private and corporate collections throughout the United States and abroad.  She is represented by M Gallery in Sarasota, Sheldon Fine Art in Naples, and Elder Gallery in Charlotte, NC. Mary enjoys sharing her knowledge and experiences as a workshop instructor. Her passion for painting the natural world is never ending, and it is truly that, a passion. She shares this passion with energy, enthusiasm, and encouragement with her students.