'Looking at Diebenkorn' - Workshop Review

Teddy Kempster

The latest Freedom in Painting workshop, 'Looking at Diebenkorn', took place recently over 2 days at  Creek Creative  in Faversham, Kent. As it was a new venue I was a little nervous, but the room we worked in was ideal, with its features and central columns featuring in several of the paintings. I've already booked it for the next Freedom in Painting workshop 'Still-Life' in October. 

Jane Crane- in progress

In advance of the course, the 14 artists were asked to choose their favourite Diebenkorn painting and bring along an image to the workshop - a difficult task but of course it forced everyone to look at all of Diebenkorn's work. 

After an introductory talk about the three distinct phases of Diebenkorn's career, his ideas and methods, I asked to the artists to find a connection between their chosen image image and reality, with something out there, and make a drawing and use this as the start point for their painting. Some artists found their inspiration outside, others in the studio, perhaps proof that, because of his range and his seamless shifting from abstraction into figuration and back again, Diebenkorn is everywhere.

Drawing was an integral part of the workshop: drawing from Diebenkorn's work, from the world outside, from the drawings themselves and from the paintings in progress. Here is a selection of studio shots and paintings - I'll be adding more images as they arrive. 

Anne-Marie LePretre

Jo Rollnick

Jo Dunlop

Catriona Campbell

Jane Crane at work

   Jan Bunyan

We had a fascinating conversation in our Group critique about Jan Bunyan's paintings working as a diptych (or not) 

Margarita Hanlon- work in progress

Teddy Kempster

Rob Frampton-Fell's three paintings

Here are a few comments about the Workshop:

'Outstanding tutoring and camaraderie really helps the atmosphere of serious enquiry'  Margarita Hanlon

'Having Diebenkorn's range of work was inspiring and stimulating. The course is a springboard for future work. Ashley's a great teacher!'
Teddy Kempster

'Every time I work with Ashley I feel more confident that I am progressing my art' 
Catriona Campbell