Date: Saturdays, March 25-April 8, 2023
Time: 11:00 AM-1:30 PM Pacific Time (2:00-4:30 PM Eastern Time/7:00-9:30 PM London Time)
Level: All (some experience helpful)
Medium: All
Dena Peterson worked as a painter/animator on the Academy-Award Nominated film, “Loving Vincent”. In this workshop, she will share what she learned as she studied and painted scenes for the film in the style of Vincent Van Gogh.
“Every frame of this full-length film is a hand-painted oil painting. The director, Dorota Kobiela, herself trained as a painter in Poland, was adamant that we mimic as closely as possible, the brushwork and colors that Van Gogh used in his work for every frame. We all learned so much about him and his approaches in the process. Van Gogh was truly a painter’s painter. It was a privilege to study his work and to try to get inside his head as a painter. Not an easy task! The experience has helped me to create more excitement and passion in my own paintings, and I hope to help you channel some of his genius to do the same in your work. This is not about becoming a forger, but about letting “Gogh” of our fear to create paintings that say more about our emotion when painting, while taking advantage of the unique surface qualities that only oil paint can provide.”
Workshop participants will spend some time learning about Van Gogh’s work and his journey to become one of history’s most unique artists. Dena will demonstrate her approach in painting in the style of Van Gogh used in making the film. Then, she will assist students in painting their own chosen subject matter in a similar way, with an emphasis on adding bold color, line, pattern, and impasto texture to bring new life to their work. Some experience in painting is helpful.
Dena Peterson was honored to be selected as one of 120 international artists out of 5000 applicants for the film, “Loving Vincent”, truly a labor of love and tribute to the life and struggles of Van Gogh as told through his paintings.
“As artists, many of us can relate to Van Gogh’s struggles, which is why his life strikes such an emotional chord with us.”
Dena’s small-town roots prompted one of her art professors to comment that her work expresses a love of intimate, quiet, and peaceful spaces. She enjoys the richness and texture of painting with oils, both en plein air, and in her Colorado Springs studio.
“For me, painting is not about copying reality. I want to paint with passion to evoke emotion.”
An award-winning artist, Dena’s paintings have been exhibited in regional, national, and international shows, such as Birds in Art at the Leigh-Yawkey Woodson Museum and national traveling show. She received her training at the Loveland Academy of Fine Arts, the Art Students League of Denver, and the Scottsdale Artists School, where she was selected for the prestigious Wade Fairchild Memorial Scholarship.
She was invited to be an opening night speaker about her work on “Loving Vincent” at the Plein Air Convention and Expo 2017 in San Diego, CA, sponsored by Eric Rhoads, publisher of Plein-Air Magazine and Fine Art Connoisseur. She has two instructional videos on how to paint like Van Gogh, landscapes and portraits.
Among her teachers and mentors are Kevin MacPherson, Kevin Weckbach, and Mark Daniel Nelson. She is a signature member of The American Impressionist Society.
She also enjoys inspiring others through teaching, both home and abroad.
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