Plein Air Workshops & Painting Process

Philip Frey painting on location on Great Cranberry Island, Maine

"Depending on the time of year, my painting process occurs in one of two ways. During warm weather, I paint oil studies on site and return to the studio to create a larger painting based on the sketch. In the colder months, I work from reference photos on an iPad to create a graphite sketch and an oil sketch to establish the composition and color palette. The winter months are spent painting other subjects like the figure and still life. If the studio is inspiring enough to me, I'll paint a larger version, usually 30 x 40 inches in size. In this studio photo (below) you can see the scaled version to the left of a larger (42 x 94 inches) commissioned oil painting in progress. Once the oil study is completed, any photographic reference is abandoned and the sketch becomes the “reference” to keep the painting fresh and alive."

Philip will be teaching three plein air workshops this year: Monhegan Island, Damariscotta and Winter Harbor, Maine. Each day students will work on specific exercises including: several small quick paint studies, limited color palettes and composition challenges. The instructor will give two demonstrations and daily one-on-one instruction. Philip is known for his hands-on, informative and skilled teaching style. His teaching philosophy is to address each student at their skill level and present them with the tools to build their confidence and painting ability. 

Plein Air Painting
May 4 & 5, 2013  | 9am-4pm | $210 members / $225 non-members

River Arts, Damariscotta, ME | Tel 207.563.1507 

Painting Downeast
June 27-30, 2013 | Winter Harbor, ME | $400 |  Registration Info
www.philipfrey.com | Tel 207.422.2008

Painting Monhegan: A Master Class
August 12-15, 2013 | Monhegan Island, ME | $450 | Registration Info
www.philipfrey.com | Tel 207.422.2008

Student Testimonials: “His teaching style is positive, reinforcing, instructional, and gifted." -Andy Carpentier.  “One of the most beneficial lessons I’ve had in all of my Art education was watching Philip develop a painting from its very beginnings to its very end: It educated me about the “Process” of painting. For me, that was priceless,” M. Zamora, Freeport, Maine. 

For more information please call 207.422.2008 or visit www.philipfrey.com.

Philip's studio with sketch (left on easel) and commission (center) in progress