Mark Making: Helen Frankenthaler with Melanie Lan
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Friday, December 12, 5pm - 6:30pm PT
This is an online workshop held via Zoom.
Happy birthday to Helen Frankenthaler! Helen Frankenthaler was an American artist who drew on influences across mid-century abstraction throughout her career. Typically identified as a Color Field painter, Frankenthaler is known best for her pioneering “soak-stain” technique, in which she used thinned paint on unprimed canvas to create flowing dimensions of color.
In this workshop we will explore Frankenthaler's methods of abstract color field painting, focusing on the gestural textures in her artworks. We will observe the rich jewel tones she used for color blocking, and learn how to paint from a place of impulse and spontaneity. Her large-scale paintings embodied a wonderful sense of energy and play, which we too will try to emulate.
"There are no rules. That is how art is born, how breakthroughs happen." - Helen Frankenthaler
Mark making describes the different lines, dots, marks, patterns, and textures we create in an artwork. It can be loose and gestural, or controlled and neat. We each have our own unique way of mark making, and discovering their limitless possibility is part of what makes art so immensely fun!
Join Zoom 15 minutes early for an informal meet and greet with the instructor and class participants! Class will begin promptly at 5 minutes past the hour, so everyone has plenty of time to create!
SUGGESTED MATERIALS
These guidelines are here to help you gather supplies from home—feel free to use alternate options you love or have on hand!
- Your favorite Watercolor paints
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2-3 pieces Watercolor paper
- Scrap piece of paper for swatching colors
- Brushes - Flat brushes are great for this one
- Cup of Water
- Mixing palette
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Studio Cloth or Paper Towel
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Optional: Washi, Artist's, or Nichiban masking tape
- Reference photos will be provided
ABOUT INSTRUCTOR
Melanie Lan is an artist, illustrator, and mama bear based in NYC. She earned her MFA in painting at the Burren College of Art in Ireland, and has an interdisciplinary background in visual arts and somatic psychology. Her work explores the intersection of healing, meaning-making, and the natural world. In her free time Melanie is a selenophile who loves tide pools, stargazing, big trees, and long walks with good snacks.
melanielan.com / @melanie.lan
THINGS TO KNOW
Zoom links are emailed 24 hours prior, and again 15 minutes prior, to the workshop start time. Please check out using the email address to which you’d like the link sent. If you have not received the link within 24 hours of your class, please check your spam folder first, then email friends@caseformaking.com.
Workshop recordings are sent automatically the day after class to everyone who paid for a spot, and are available for 30 days after the date of the workshop.
If you need to cancel, please let us know as soon as possible so we can open up your spot! We are only able to refund if we’re notified at least 48 hours prior to the workshop.
If you are planning to teach in the future using anything you’ve learned from us, we kindly ask that you credit Case for Making + the individual instructor where applicable.
Thank you so much for taking our workshops!!
