Artist offers plein air workshop

On Sept. 10, artists from throughout the United States will join internationally known artist Calvin Liang for a five-day plein air workshop in Northwest Montana.

Born in Canton, China, Liang began his artistic career in the theatrical industry designing and creating sets for operas and musical productions of the Canton Opera Institute. When he moved to the United States in 1987, he continued working in the entertainment field, creating visual art for Walt Disney Studios and Nickelodeon Studio. His art helped to bring to life “The Little Mermaid,” “Cinderella Stories” and “SpongeBob SquarePants.”

Ten years ago, Liang decided to leave the studios and embark on a full-time career as a fine artist. He has won major awards in exhibitions throughout the country and has been featured in publications such as Art of the West and American Art Collector magazine.

During the workshop, Liang will focus on painting from direct observation to achieve better understanding of composition, design and color harmony. Workshop participants will depict the landscapes of Glacier National Park, Flathead Lake and other locations throughout the Flathead Valley.

The class is limited to 15 students. The workshop has been limited in size in order to allow Liang to work closely with each participant.

Lessons will cover:

• Planning a composition effectively to express the artist’s intentions and preferences,

• Seeing and using warm and cool colors in landscape,

• Commanding hard and soft edges to create space effect,

• Utilizing design, value, color and drawing skills to simplify the subject matter,

• Considering paint texture and brushstroke orientation to generate forms, and

• Getting the best possible results within a limited time.

Sessions will begin each day at 9 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. The registration fee for the five-day workshop is $600.

Artist Sunnie LeBlanc, who paints in the Flathead Valley and Texas, is coordinating the registration for the workshop. She can be reached at 752-4882 or via email at tibbarhome@sbcglobal.com.