Beat the Monday blues with an eveningtime escape into nature!
On May 19th, from 5:30-8 at Roy G. Guerrero Park, Morgan Gage (visual artist & locally grown austinite) will be hosting an En Plein Air / Landscape Art Workshop, supported by ContraCommon and the City of Austin Economic Development Department.
This location has many options for subject matter including trees/forests, fields, and our beloved colorado river. The workshop will be FREE, with $5-10 donations welcome.
-All Ages & Pet friendly! Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Participants are responsible for their pets & kids and should understand to step away as needed in case of disruptive behavior.
-The weather forecast is looking good but currently says it will be windy. Please plan accordingly with clipboards & etc. Do not forget water/hydration and sunscreen/sunhats for heat management. Participants are encouraged to bring their own picnic blanket or folding chair, these will not be provided. The trail to & shore of the river are very sandy! But you can choose between going down to the river or staying in the grassy field.
-Leave no trace! please manage your trash and be considerate of minimizing toxic materials’ contact on the earth. All mediums are welcome as long as this is kept in consideration.
-The workshop will start promptly at 5:30 but late arrivals are fine.
-You will Not be forced to show your work for critique. There will be an invitation for an afterparty at Casa de Luz (Eastside Location!) from 8-8:30 to casually share & discuss our art there. Food is available at the restaurant-- but will not be covered/provided by the workshop host.
Location information & Agenda:
See Maps provided below to find out where the meetup with be. The closest parking lot is circled in purple, the initial meetup location (the field) is circled in blue, and the trail leading to the river is circled in green. After the initial meetup & discussion session is completed (about 30minutes) then at ~6pm the group can choose how they feel about location for setting up their drawings. Participants can choose to split apart from the group and work independently for their own choice of view/subject matter or to join the group in walking down to work alongside the river. At ~7:30 everyone will reconvene in the starting field to discuss any thoughts or ideas that surfaced during their time drawing/painting in nature. Then from 8-8:30 participants are invited to Casa De Luz (eastside location!) for the option of group critique in a calm restaurant atmosphere.
About the host:
Morgan has practiced the art of drawing depictions of the environment while physically locating themselves within nature for over 8 years.
They believe in and advocate about the meditative and grounding affects that result from any practice which relies upon looking closely at real-life locations or objects in order to create an artwork which pulls directly from life itself.
Their recent educational experiences include teaching about art mediums to children through the City of Austin's PARD Lending Library Program leading a still-life workshop at Honeys Eden. Morgan's exhibition history includes the Museum of Human Achievement, Antenna Gallery (New Orleans), ICOSA, Tin(y) Library (Chicago), Flatbed, TEDxUTAustin, and more.
