Landscape as Laboratory (Aug. 18-22)

Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00AM-5:00PM (August 18-22). Part of the Plein Air Art Festival. Learn the basics of strong landscape painting while utilizing collage as an exciting tool to see and construct inuitive, personal paintings. This innovative workshop will be team taught by Liam Murphy-Torres and Francie Cook, both recent MFA graduates of the New York Studio School. Morning sessions run 10am-1pm and afternoon sessions run 2pm-5pm. Landscape Laboratory is a week-long workshop exploring the Maine landscape through a combination of plein air painting and collage. Looking closely at the work of the Impressionists, primarily Cézanne and Matisse, alongside Lois Dodd and Fairfield Porter, two painters whose work was deeply informed by the landscape of Maine, we will examine how artists have approached direct observation and consider what their discoveries can offer our own practices. The mornings, taught by Liam Murphy-Torres, will focus on painting from direct observation. Working outdoors among Maine’s land and sea, participants will develop strategies for seeing and responding to a motif while strengthening their ability to convey space, light, atmosphere, and form. Through sustained observation, we will build a deeper understanding of structure and the visual relationships that give a painting its strength. In the afternoons, taught by Francie Cook, participants will shift from painting to collage. Using the morning’s paintings as source material, collage becomes a tool for simplification, experimentation, and invention. Participants will work on small, fast collages, rather than large works. Using collage as a means to explore new compositions, edit observations, and discover unexpected possibilities through cutting, layering, and rearranging forms. Together, painting and collage create a highly generative process. The paintings inform the collages, and the collages, in turn, become studies for future paintings. Participants will leave with a stronger understanding of plein air painting, a body of work developed throughout the week, and a collection of collage studies and ideas to carry back into their studio practice. See a detailed materials list below the artist bio. There will be a lunch break from 1:00pm-2:00pm. You can bring your own lunch or check out one of the local restaurants in Yarmouth. $750 workshop fee* does not include materials. *ACT NOW for the EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT of $150 OFF to attend for $600. Discount ends 6/30/26. About the instructors: Liam Murphy Torres is a MFA Graduate of New York Studio school. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts. https://liammurphytorres.com Education 2024-Present, MFA, New York Studio School. New York, NY. 2020,2024, Mount Gretna School of Art. Mount Gretna, PA. 2023, Barnes-DeMazia Certificate, Barnes Foundation. Philadelphia, PA. 2018-2022, BFA, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Philadelphia, PA. 2018-2020, Intermittent Study, Art Students League of New York. New York, NY. Francie Cook is a MFA Graduate of New York Studio school. She was born in 1997 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is an emerging oil painter currently based in New York. She is best known for her intimate depictions of loved ones, all drawn or painted from direct observation. Cook’s work is guided by materiality, often incorporating elements of collage that work in tandem with paint, ink, and charcoal. Her practice is further characterized by a loose, painterly application and a strong awareness of the geometric structure of the rectangle. Francie Cook has exhibited across the United States and Europe. She holds a BFA from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and has studied at the New York Studio School and the Art Students League of New York. In 2025, she founded the Francis Cook Gallery in New York and Berlin. Click here to view our cancellation policy. MATERIALS LIST: SUGGESTED PAINTS (in both Acrylic and Oil) Items with asterisk (*) are REQUIRED all other materials are optional Oil Paint (1 – 1.5 oz tubes Gamblin, Rembrandt, Winton, or any pro grade) * Titanium White (Large Tube or 2 Tubes) * Paynes Grey * Ultramarine Blue * Cadmium Yellow Medium * Cadmium Red Light Yellow Ochre + Cadmium Orange + Magenta + Cadium Yellow Lemon Permanent Green Light + Viridian Green + Phthalo Blue + Burnt Sienna Alizarin Crimson For medium: *Refined Linseed Oil (Windsor Newton or any brand) Heavy Body Acrylic Paint Tubes (Golden Acrylics are the best but “Basics” Brand by Liquitex is fine and much less money) Double Primary Colors *Titanium White (Large Tube or 2 Tubes) *Ultramarine Blue *Cadmium Yellow Medium *Cadmium Red Medium *Cadmium Yellow Light *Quinacridone Magenta *Phthalocyanine “Phthalo” Blue Brushes (Robert Simmons or any durable brushes) *Flats and Brights 1⁄2” to 1” in width Synthetic Oil Brushes Rounds any size (I don’t use rounds but many artists like them)Palette *Paper palette pad from Strathmore, large size 12” x 16” Glass palette *Metal Palette knife (I recommend more than one) *Color Wheel (The Color Wheel Company) *Gray Scale & Value Finder (The Color Wheel Company) Supports *Gesso Panels sizes 10”x10” to 16”x20” square or rectangular any depth (Ampersand or Davinci are both good value) *If you prefer you can purchase Gesso Stretched Canvas instead of panel Easels The studio will supply easels for the day. Cleaning Supplies *Clear Baby Oil in a covered glass container *Cotton rags and a roll of Paper Towels Sketching Materials *Strathmore Bristol 300 smooth Surface 100lb any size *White Artists Tape or Green Frog Tape *Graphite Pencils #HB, #2B, #6B (Just bring what you have for pencils) *Vine Charcoal, Also called Willow, softer than regular charcoal.Here are a few physical stores in our area: Artist & Craftsmen: 540 Deering Avenue, Ptld, ME 207-772-727 Art Mart: 517 Congress Street, Portland, ME 207-775- 4244 Michaels: 490 Payne Road, Scarborough, ME 207-883- 8419 Online Stores Include: Dick Blick w ww.dickblick.com 877-943-9269 Cheap Joes w ww.cheapjoes.com 888-792-6089