317 Pollock St - New Bern, NC 28560 Contact Us
2 Day
Plein Air Painting Workshop
with North Carolina artist
Mike Rooney

May 13 & 14 from 9 am to 5 pm

Join us for two exciting days of painting and learning with Plein Air Painter Mike Rooney

Mike Rooney teaches classroom and plein air (outdoor) workshops all over North Carolina and Virginia that are guaranteed to loosen up your style and transform your art. Learn to paint with a loose, quick and impressionistic style by learning these basics:
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~ Equipment needed for plein air work

~ Working outdoors or from photos in the studio

~ Capturing light effects

~ Simplifying objects - stick figures welcomed

~ Working quickly - time waits for no one

~ Massing in and values - from blobs to objects

~ Color and composition theory, its not as boring as it sounds

~ Color palette choices - your individuality expressed in pigment
Mike Rooney - Artists Statement

I love to paint. I love to capture the essence of a three dimensional scene in two dimensions. It's my passion.

I recall an early interest in art, beginning with drawing and painting as a child – a passion that has continued all my life.

A native of Alexandria, Va., I studied art at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., before joining the armed forces. The Air Force brought me to eastern North Carolina in 1977 and after three years and a tour in Korea, I opened a sign business in Goldsboro, NC.

Though I made my living with a brush painting signs, my fine art interests took a backseat to building a business and raising a family.
I rediscovered my passion for painting after seeing California style impressionism in one of my surfing magazines. I was hooked.

My previous style had been tight and realistic, but what I was seeing in the surf magazines left more to the viewers imagination.

Details were left out, and it was loose and exciting to look at. So I picked up some oils and a canvas, and a few books on plein air (outdoor) painting.

In one of those books it said - to become a proficient plein air painter you should try to block-in (lay in the large shapes and colors) one hundred paintings in less than 3 months, even if they can't be finished. I did the hundred "starts" (as they are called), and I can't seem to shake the habit, even now, creating over 150 finished paintings a year.

Suggested materials list to bring:

~ Easel and any supplies needed to paint outside

~ A TV tray or portable table to put your stuff on if you don't have a french easel or pochade kit

~ Pad of 140 lb watercolor paper for exercises

~ If you want to use Mike's underpainting technique, in addition to your oil gear you will need 5 small tubes of acrylic paint and a small and medium synthetic brush:

~ Acrylic tubes of magenta, white, any yellow, red, and blue are what he uses

~ Water to wash acrylics out of brushes.

~ Several canvases or supports of your choice (no larger than 12x16). Bring at least two each 6 x 8 and 12 x 16 panels.

~ Paint, brushes, rags, and all materials needed to paint. A few detailed landscape photos in case it rains. Make sure these photos have good light and shadow pattern (stark difference between what's being struck by the light and what is in shadow.

~ A complete newspaper to cut black and white pictures out of.

There will be demos, indoor instruction if it rains and outdoor painting all day if its nice. The last afternoon there will be a relaxed critique by the class on works completed during class.


The Schedule May 13 & 14

9 am - 5 pm Coffee 8:30-9 am on the 13th

Meet at

Carolina Creations 317 A Pollock St, Downtown New Bern

$150 registration due May 6

Checks payable to (or call to put it on your credit card 252-633-4369)

Carolina Creations
317 A Pollock St
New Bern, NC 28560
Bring a sack lunch or enjoy one of the many downtown restaurants For more information call or email Jan at 252-633-4369 info@carolinacreations.com