Painting Under The Influence with Melinda Cootsona

Three days. Three masters. Endless inspiration. We'll explore the color theories and fearless painting approaches of Henri Matisse, Wolf Kahn, and Joan Brown, learning the stories behind their art and the ideas that drove it. Each day Melinda will present immersive slideshows, artist deep-dives, and guided painting lessons designed to spark your creativity, stretch your practice and emphasize that fearless approach. By the end, you’ll have a rich understanding of each artist and you won't just admire their genius, you'll be painting through it.

This workshop is for oil and acrylic painters. Enrollment is limited to increase individual attention.

Melinda Cootsona has been teaching painting to students of all levels for over 20+ years. Beginning with weekly classes in her home studio, her career evolved into teaching workshops throughout the U.S. and Europe. Additionally, Melinda has been on the forefront of eCourse instruction developing her first course in 2012. Known for giving specific feedback and quality, constructive critiques, her courses are in high demand. Teaching creativity and art to students all over the world is an essential part of Melinda’s work.

Greatly influenced by the Bay Area artistic tradition, her paintings focus on the strength of the female figure. Created with layers of oil paint, applied and then scraped away, her paintings reveal figures that fill the canvas in varying poses of contemplation or reflection in abstracted surroundings. Whether in a soft or harsh surrounding, the strength of the female figure is primary.

Melinda’s work has been included in exhibitions at the Bakersfield Museum of Art and the Triton Museum in California, The San Francisco Art Market, The Coos Bay Museum of Art in Oregon, and Art Basel Miami, as well as many group and solo shows throughout the U.S.

Cootsona received her BA from the California College of the Arts. Her work can be found in collections in the United States, Europe, Australia, and China.

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Host or Publisher Palo Alto Art Center Foundation