Advanced Painting Workshop: Museum Visit

I am teaching a special painting workshop this month at the Alicia Trevino Lopez Center.  The four week course is an exploration of Impressionist techniques and subject matter.  We began with a field trip to the McNay Art Museum.  My students spent the morning sketching on the grounds and gathering inspiration before taking a guided tour of the museum's Impressionist collection.  In the photo below, Brenda looks at Diego Rivera's 1927 Delfina Flores, the first modern art painting purchased by Ms. McNay.  

                       

 After a morning of sketching, our docent Ellen gave us a tour of the McNay's Impressionist paintings.  She talked to us about Boudin, Bonnard, Sisley, Pissarro, Renoir & Monet.  We ended our morning by looking at Monet's Waterlilies, c. 1916-19.  The version was one of many preliminary studies the artist created for much larger panels at the Orangerie des Tuileries in Paris.  

The layers and broken color he used are really incredible to view in person.  The McNay's collection of Impressionist and later Modern European styles is impressive.  It became the first modern art museum in Texas when it opened in 1954.  Marion Koogler McNay left her home, land, collection of art (700 works) and an endowment to turn start the museum (www.mcnayart.org).  The McNay now has roughly 20,000 works ranging from Medieval to Contemporary.  Chagall's Dream Village, Hopper's Corn Hill and Monet's Waterlilies are my favorites on display right now.  We are lucky to have such a wonderful art museum in San Antonio!

 Impressionist Workshop Students in front of Villinski's Burst : Terri, Socorro, Tomasita, Virginia, Linda, Carol Ann, Brenda, Lucila & Bonita.  I can't wait to see the what they come up with for these paintings!  They are working in a large format, 24 x 30" gallery wrapped canvas (they usually paint 16 x 20").