Category Archives: Palette Knife Painting

Upcoming Workshops 2021

Life is finally starting to get back to normal. By now I would have usually taught several workshops, but this has not been a normal year for any of us!! Anyway… I’m teaching a palette knife workshop in West Jefferson, NC in September at the Florence Thomas Art School. It’s a wonderful town and school! Hope you can join us!!!

Exploring the Palette Knife

Florence Art School

September 7 and 8, 9:30-4:30,$215

http://florenceartschool.org

Join us for a two-day workshop exploring the use of the palette knife in your painting. The knife can add a looseness and freedom to your paintings. You can explore a whole painting with only your knife — or use the knife only for accents. Some of the advantages of the palette knife include:

Easy to clean
Great for texture and clean color
The edge creates great lines, trees, etc.
You can paint over wet layers without the paint mixing like a brush
Mixing colors of course!

Day one will include an introduction to the knife and the limited palette we’ll use. Together we’ll all paint a landscape from a photo, using the brush and the palette knife. Day two we’ll paint a still life — adding the challenge and opportunity of painting from life!

Hope you can join us! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

Palette Knife Plein Air Workshop

Florence Thomas Art School

http://www.florenceartschool.org

June 17-19, 9-4 pm, West Jefferson, NC, $300

White Water Linville, 10×10-SOLD

Come join us for three days of palette knife painting the beautiful scenery around West Jefferson with a palette knife. Your paintings will be looser, bolder and simpler — full of texture. We’ll talk about composition, values and color — and of course using the knife. We’ll start with a demo, then lots of hands-on attention while you paint. In case of rain, bring some of your favorite landscape photos.

If you’ve never done a workshop at Florence Thomas Art School you are in for a treat! If you don’t sign up for my workshop, please peruse the other ones. There is a wide variety! The school is incredibly well-run. West Jefferson is beautiful, friendly and very supportive of the arts.

You’ll find a supply list and other information on the Florence Art School website. http://www.florenceartschool.org

Feel free to email me (robinwellner@yahoo.com) or call or email Florence Art School if you have any questions! Hope to see you in the mountains!!!

Small Works Show

“Clouds Gathering over Grandfather”, 12×12, Oil/Panel

This scene was painted in one of my favorite places to paint in the Blowing Rock area. Up Shoals Mills Road you can pull off and get the most spectacular views of Grandfather Mountain. This particular day, we were dodging thunderstorms all day. I was lucky to get a span of time to paint!!

Hope you can join me Saturday, August 11th from 5-8 pm for “Small Works”, a group exhibition of works smaller than 14×18″ at Blowing Rock Frameworks and Gallery. The show will run from August 6 through the 20th.

What Was I THINKING?!?!?

The Pines next Door

I’m crazed!!! I don’t know if it’s because I’m a Pisces or just simply deranged — I am so easily influenced that It is extremely hard for me to stay on my own path. And in the age of social media, it’s even more challenging. Every day I see beautiful examples of incredible artwork — and my mind busily compares and evaluates — and then proceeds to beat me up. I should be painting more from life, I should be painting abstracts, I should be working on my portraits — on and on and on!!!! Anyway — when I saw the 30 day challenge I considered it, then when I saw Dottie Leatherwood’s post about using it as a way to help the hurricane victims, I was on board!! Yes I had already donated to the Red Cross, but maybe this would be a way to generate some more to donate.

This is day three of the 30 day challenge. After spending 2 – 3 hours painting, then another hour posting on all the various social medias and websites, then another hour cleaning up so I can go on to do other work —-I’ve realized I can’t and don’t want to do this this time. I’m sorry Dottie! I just can’t keep up with you! You’re frigging amazing with all you take on and accomplish! I’m proud of you! But I’ve realized I have to stay on my course — hard as it is for me to even find the way — and this feels like off-course for me at this time.

Good luck to all you who are doing the challenge!! I wish you all the best! I’m back to trying to find my own path and continue to learn and grow as a painter and a person.

Day One – 30 paintings in 30 days – Bringing you Flowers

Once again I’m committing to doing 30 paintings in 30 days — all from life. Dottie Leatherwood was a huge inspiration for my decision. I always learn a tremendous amount when I paint daily, but this time it feels more meaningful. I saw Dottie’s post about donating 50% to Hurricane Harvey victims and realized what a wonderful idea! So for every painting that sells, 50% will be donated to victims of Hurricane Harvey. They will be posted on Daily Paintworks, or you may contact me directly.

If you purchase one, please let me know your preference for donation – Red Cross or Houston Humane Society. If you have a favorite charity that you’re familiar with that benefits those affected by this horrific event, please let me know.

I received an email from the Portrait Society today. They have set up a drive to donate art supplies to the hundreds of children who are stranded in shelters. Many people had to leave their homes with little more than the clothes on their backs. So they are coordinating a drive to send coloring books, art pads, colored pencils and markers to these children in the Dallas and Houston convention centers. So that is another cause that I would be happy to send donations to as well.

All 30 paintings will be from life — so either plein air, interiors, people or still life. My other caveat that I’m adding for my own education, is to do every painting with a limited palette. For instance, the painting above “Bringing you Flowers” was done with White, Ultramarine Blue, Permanent Rose and Cadmium Yellow Light.

I’m excited about the opportunity to learn more — and to help some in this horrible situation in Texas. Having experienced many hurricanes myself, I know how your life comes to a complete standstill — but I’ve never experienced any as intense and destructive as Harvey. My heart goes out to all those folks!

To purchase this painting http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/robin-wellner/bringing-you-flowers/620548.

All the best to you and yours!!!

Blue Ridge Impressions: Brush and Knife Paintings

This is one of my favorite places to paint plein air at Bass Lake in Blowing Rock, NC. The view is spectacular and there’s plenty of shade. In fact, Bass Lake has so many wonderful places to paint that I never run out of options. You’ll run into lots of other painters there — as well as runners, walkers, hikers, fishermen, horseback riders, and lots of other lovely people.

I am so grateful to have the opportunity to have a show this summer with my paintings from the Blowing Rock area. “Blue Ridge Impressions: Brush and Knife” will open July 17th and run through July 27th at Blowing Rock Frameworks and Gallery. The reception is July 22nd from 5-8 pm.

The show will include lots of views of Grandfather Mountain, Cone Manor area, Bass Lake, Trout Lake, Price Lake and other landscapes from the area. I’ve had such a great time exploring some new areas to paint while preparing for this show. The views from Grandfather are so spectacular. I even painted on top looking at the Mile High bridge. I had to paint with one hand on my easel the whole time because of the wind!

Thank you to Tim and Alex at the Gallery for being so supportive! I so appreciate the opportunity! And I am so grateful for my patient husband, Michael, who’s been my cheerleader all along and picked up the slack while I was frantically trying to get paintings done for the show!!!

Hope you can join us on the 22nd!!!

Daily Paintings Collage

Collage of most of my daily paintings from January

I decided to post a collage of most of my daily paintings from January. I’ve sold a few and had some questions about whether or not they are for sale. So yes they are!! Most are posted on www.dailypaintworks.com and most reasonably priced at $75/each. Please go look if you’re interested!!

Thanks! All the best to you and yours!!

Day 31!!! I Made It! Now for some tea!

Afternoon Tea

I can’t believe I’ve done it! 31 days of daily paintings. I’ve learned a lot! I’m also ready to get back to some bigger projects, but who knows I may come back to daily painting!

This teacup is a piece of Wedgewood that my Mom left me. The pewter pitcher was one of her pieces as well. Nostalgic to use these pieces in a piece of art.

Thank you to the Strada Easel folks for issuing this challenge as well as Leslie Saeta for her 30in30 challenge. I was able to combine both — doing a daily painting which satisfied Leslie’s challenge – and doing them all from life, which satisfied the Strada Easel challenge (and one extra day). I’m grateful for all the learning!!!

Day 31 complete!! All the best to you and yours!!!

Wanna Play? Day 30 Painting Games

Wanna Play??

I’m not sure what I was thinking when I set this up!! Needless to say it was challenging!! Oh well another lesson, right???

Day 30 done. Painting games, playing games!

Sushi Anyone? Painting Day 29

Sushi Anyone??

Had so much fun painting this! Got to pull out phthalo turquoise! Love those colors! Part of the biggest challenge of doing a still life is creating interesting compositions. Now all my tchotchkes ( definition: a small object that is decorative rather than strictly functional) have become much more interesting to me as possible subjects for a painting. I’m also loving incorporating strong lighting so I get good shadows.

Day 29! OMG! Only two more paintings to complete the challenges I agreed to. I’ll be interested to see if I miss it. I’m ready to get back to some larger paintings that take more time to develop – I think! We shall see!

All the best!!!