Boot Camp at COTR

Colour Boot Camp has started at the College of the Rockies here in Creston, and I suspect there will be some changes made in the participants' palettes in the next month or so.

 The initial exercise consists of creating swatches of colour to construct a colour wheel for their binder.

Painting fast and furiously they work hard to get a start on the exercises before the end of class.

They learn to create a 'dark dark' by mixing complements together - the results are far richer than any black on the market.

And they learn about tints and shades and take that study home to create examples for their binder and Colour Bank.

I'm always delighted at the end of  the course to see how varied and many-layered their colours become, and how knowledgeable participants are about creating lush, powerful and vivid colour combinations.  Since I'm such a colour pig, it feeds my addiction in a VERY satisfying manner!

It's a mystery...

...to me how a scant few seeds can go from this,

One of John's heritage tomato patches

to this,

Running from the imminent frost

 to this,

Snuck out from the pantry

in just a few months.  This planet is an amazing place, and I'm sure we live in one of the best spots here in the Creston Valley, if only for the colour!

Looking for more colour in your life?  Check out the upcoming Colour Boot Camp at College of the Rockies in Cranbrook - registration closes Tuesday, October 9, so now is the time to do it.

Pear perfection

I especially love fall for the abundance of pears that are available.  This year, my nephew Joel and his wife Chandra gifted us with a wonderful array of them (they managed to snare them from their tree before the un-neighbourly neighbours did so!).

They ripened on our windowsill until they reached the peak of perfection...

 and then they were cored and cooked

and pureed,

and cooked some more with spices and caramelized sugar on low heat,

until they were at the perfect consistency for Caramelized Pear Butter (thanks for that recipe, Chandra - it is marvellous).

As always, these kitchen forays make me pay close attention to colour, and I think the range from raw, unripened fruit through to the completed butter makes a fabulous colour combination for a painting.

If you're interested in how else you might choose colours for your next project (be it quilting, decorating, painting or architecture!), you might want to check out the Colour Boot Camp classes upcoming in Cranbrook at the College of the Rockies.  You can view more information in the sidebar on the right;  participants at this class will also receive a unique opportunity related to upcoming studio classes, too.

Colour, again

I'm heavily into workshop season right now, from Colour Boot Camp (in progress here in Creston) through to planning for the fall and winter of 2012/2013.

It's probably not a good idea to let you know that we do have a great deal of fun in Boot Camp, in spite of the name.  One of the best things about workshops is the interaction between participants.

Donna and Linda pay attention, but not to the instructor!

 In spite of the scintillating repartee, work actually gets done in class, so participants can go home and then REALLY get to work.

Jennifer works on greying her colours

The exercises are comprehensive and encompass a huge knowledge base, giving students a new appreciation and understanding of a massive subject.

Here Jennifer assesses her work

You'll note from my list on the right that I've added some classes for the fall session (and one or two for the winter one as well).  I have left some open space in the winter in case you're interested in requesting a workshop in your area of BC or Alberta.  I'd love to come and infect your community with the creativity virus.