Flowers have been a subject of intense interest for hundreds, perhaps even thousands of years. Cynthia will give lectures and demonstrations daily on the various concepts she uses in her flower paintings. She works with each student individually, providing helpful feedback and guidance as they experiment with this new approach. Handouts and visuals will accompany all of Cynthia’s presentations. At Le Vieux Couvent, you can work in the gardens, the courtyards, secluded terraces, or the spacious studio, wherever the flowers take you!

The Method of Working

We are going to make our flowers come alive! We will begin each session with a warm-up, a “Flower Power Hour,” to loosen everyone up. Now, you are becoming acquainted with your chosen flower, determining each flower’s color harmony. Through mark-making, touch, and contour, you will playfully investigate the importance of geometry, construction, form, and space. For the first five days, students will work on a different flower daily. Students can continue this method throughout the workshop, creating a daily flower painting. It is acceptable for a student to pursue a larger, more finished floral painting. We are working on an engagement between you and your subject. You are collaborating to create a compelling visual work of art, no matter the size.

There is a dual aspect to painting. There is a two-dimensional surface object and a three-dimensional illusion. Students will explore graphic elements such as shape, movement, line, and scale to determine the flower’s size and placement on the canvas. This visual vocabulary creates a more contemporary look to your paintings. We then approach our subject as a sculptural object. We look at balance, proportion, light, value, and space to develop the skills to sculpt our flowers with paint. We will explore thin paint and thick paint to create dimensional aspects of the painting. This approach has successfully demystified the creative painting process for students in previous workshops, creating a more three-dimensional appearance to their work. Cynthia’s hands-on approach will give you greater confidence as a painter and help you capture the flower’s visual and tactile qualities.

An artist creates a vivid painting for a viewer’s enjoyment and engagement. The viewer completes the painting by connecting with your nature as you connect to the flower and produce a work of art. Flowers are such lovely objects, renewing our soul and spirit! How fortunate we are to share our visual interpretation of them with others and perhaps uplift our world!!!

About Cynthia

Cynthia Rowland graduated from Texas Tech University with a Fine Art and Graphic Arts degree. She had an exhilarating dozen years in New York, where she founded her graphic design business. In 1993, She returned to New Mexico to pursue sculpture in cast bronze. Her commitment developed into significant public and privately commissioned projects. By 2005, she had completed over 40 projects, including several large-scale works, such as the award-winning Senator Dennis Chavez Memorial at Civic Plaza in Albuquerque, NM, and Lion’s Share at the Albuquerque International Airport, as well as the larger-than-life Florida Cougars, in front of the Orlando Convention Center, Orlando, FL. Turning to painting, she has developed a unique style and metaphor through close observation of her motifs – flowers, still-life, portraits, and figures. She has participated in several competitions and exhibitions, including various gallery venues in Santa Fe. She has exhibited in several museums in the US, and her work is in the Albuquerque Museum of Art collection. She has been instrumental in bringing the historical New Mexico Art League back to prominence, serving on the Board for fifteen years and as President of the Board for seven years. She also served as the State Ambassador for the Portrait Society of America for five years. Her contributions are in the book Creative Freedom, published by North Light Books.

Included in this Flower Painting Workshop

• Ten night’s lodging (single or shared occupancy)
• Daily breakfasts, lunches and aperitifs
• Gourmet dinners that are works of art in themselves
• There are daily morning excursions to nearby historic villages. These are lovely opportunities to explore the south of France and its culture by shopping, sketching, and photographing your surroundings.
• Painting and demonstrations with group and individual instruction will occur in the afternoons.
• 24-hour use of the Art Studio
• Transfer to and from Toulouse International Airport
• This workshop is limited to 14 people

The workshop’s price does not include airfare, three lunches, one evening meal, or tipping.

To get a sense of the experience Le Vieux Couvent offers, visit their website at http://levieuxcouvent.com.

For details and to register for the Art of Painting Fleurs Workshop in Southern France, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Cynthia directly by email: cynthia.rowland@gmail.com

For more information about Cynthia, please visit her website:

www.rowlandart-science.com