WITH SUSAN LICHTMAN
THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL
September 3 - 6, 2025
Wednesday-Saturday
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
IN PERSON AT BLACK POND. When composing a drawing or painting it is common practice to work from the “general to the specific.” We often start with a strong design and then add detail to the parts. But it is possible to reverse this procedure: we can start with a detail and then work out from there, creating a large structure that emanates from the small starting point. This detail might be a little thing seen or an alluring shape - a shadow or negative space. By starting with a part, we can embark on a journey where our habits of composition and focus are upended. By delaying a claim to a finished design, we might organically find composition which is delightfully surprising and an authentic account of an intimate visual experience.
In this workshop we will work on large sheets of paper with twigs, pens and brushes dipped in ink, and ink washes. Drawing from direct observation of a complex studio set-up or the landscape, we will make webs of shapes and rich compositions of light and shadow. Be prepared to improvise: to embrace accidents and get into “good trouble” with this painterly creative process. Lunch will be provided each day. On Saturday, the final day of the workshop, Susan will invite participants to a luncheon at her studio and garden.