Author: Tracy Algar

This workshop is an opportunity for all skill levels to immerse yourself in two days of painting on a farm just outside Stanford. Choose to approach the workshop from a focus on learning the basic technical skills and processes, or focus on the experience of being in the landscape “in the moment” to just let go and push your skills to new heights. I will meet workshop participants where they are to help them achieve their goals for the workshop.

What to expect:

We will meet at 9.30am on Thursday morning to introduce ourselves, set-up, go over the basic process for the workshop and address any initial questions.

We’ll also discuss individual goals for the workshop, to set an intention for the work.

For example: one person may want to focus on one composition for the two days, while another might want to make many small studies of different compositions around the farm. Either is a good goal, but it’s helpful to know what you want to achieve before you begin to avoid wasting time or feeling undue pressure during the workshop. It also helps you get the best benefit from the two days. So, have a think about it.

I will go over some fundamentals, and start a demo. We will then familiarize ourselves with the farm by sketching possible compositions in our sketchbooks, and taking reference photographs.

Lunch at Fork & Farm restaurant at 12.00.

For the afternoon session, we will paint from 1pm until 3.30pm, giving enough time to finish a small painting, or make a good start on a larger one.

On Friday morning we will again meet at 9.30am and get straight into painting.

Lunch at 12.00 again, allowing for 2.5 hours painting in the morning, and ending the afternoon painting session at 2.30pm for an hour’s group critique/discussion. The critique will give us the opportunity to revisit personal goals set the previous morning before we started painting, and for us all to discuss what worked and what still needs work in our paintings.

For those who would like to take the conversation further, we’ll meet at Stanford Kitchen for Friday night dinner (for your own account).

Important Information

• ALL levels of painters are welcome. Don’t be intimidated if you are a beginner or if you’ve never painted outdoors before. I will be demonstrating the fundamentals. Painting outdoors is the most wonderful immersive creative experience, don’t miss out because of a little bit of fear. It’s going to be great!
• Intermediate and advanced painters are also welcome. We will have a group critique at the end of the workshop where we can all contribute to the conversation and where all skill levels learn from all skill levels.
• Visit the Simplify the Landscape Materials List page for information on paint choices, brushes, surfaces, mediums and everything you’ll need for the workshop. Please contact me if you have any questions.
• ALL styles and mediums are welcome, you don’t have to be a landscape painter or representational painter to participate. Immerse yourself in nature for two days and see where it takes you. I have experience and can assist with questions pertaining to the technicalities of oil, acrylic and gouache painting. You are welcome to use other mediums, but I won’t be able to offer medium specific advice.
• Plein air painting is most enjoyable when you are well equipped for the experience, both in terms of actual equipment, and the way you feel about being outdoors. There will be things that happen that wouldn’t happen if you were painting in a studio, like the wind, and wildlife. Be prepared by bringing everything you need to be comfortable, and an intention to have fun.

Booking & Cancellation info:

• Price: R1,500, paid on booking. No refunds for cancellations after 10th April 2024.
• To book, please email or WhatsApp me:
  • hello@tracyalgar.com
  • 084 584 3757
• For the workshop to take place, a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 10 people must book.
• There is always the risk that the weather won’t be perfect on the day. As plein air painters, we can put up with a bit of wind, or more extreme heat and cold weather by being prepared. For this workshop, we will have shelter from rain and some wind in the wedding chapel on the farm, a structure with a roof and no walls.

This Women’s Day, I will be teaching a Landscape Painting Workshop at the beautiful Zesty Lemon Restaurant just outside Stanford on the Sir Robert Stanford Estate.

Come and join me for a full day of plein air painting in the stunning gardens with views across the vineyards to the mountains, or semi-outdoors (still with fabulous views) from the comfort of the restaurant if the weather throws us a curveball.

Working in oils or acrylics (your choice – you bring your own art supplies), we will explore a variety of techniques for applying paint quickly and effectively to capture the colour, light and textures of the farmlands and mountains.

I will teach the workshop through a series of demonstrations, one-on-one tuition and discussions, guiding you through my step-by-step approach of choosing a composition, mixing colour and achieving depth and distance in your landscape painting.

Recommended supplies list:

• Whatever paints you already have (oil or acrylic). I will be painting with Zellen Zelcol Artist’s Oil paints. Zellen also does a good range of acrylics (Zelcryl), or Iris acrylics will work well too.
  • Recommended colours are: titanium white, yellow ochre, cadmium yellow, arylamide yellow lemon, burnt sienna, alizarin crimson (or similar cool red), ultramarine blue and phthalo blue
  • Mediums for oil painting: Zelkin (or another alkyd resin based medium) or your medium of choice.
  • Mediums for acrylic painting: an acrylic retarder will help extend the drying time of your acrylic paint which will be useful if it is a warm day.
• A range of brushes: bring whatever you have, but a variety of sizes if possible
  • hog hair brushes, preferably flats sizes 2, 4 and 6 for oil painting
  • hog hair or taklon brushes, preferably flats sizes 2, 4 and 6 for acrylic painting
• Substrate: choose whichever you prefer
  • canvas, canvas board or primed panel
  • no larger than 30 x 40cm
  • square or rectangular depending on your preference
• A container for cleaning brushes:
  • a glass jar (with lid) filled half-way with turps or odourless mineral spirits for oil painting
  • an empty yoghurt container for acrylic painting
• Palette:
  • disposable palette or wooden palette for oil painting
  • disposable palette or clean, white polystyrene food tray, or a white plastic or enamel flat plate or tray for acrylic painting
• Rags or roll of paper towel
• A small/medium palette knife for mixing colour and for small details
• An apron or smock to protect your clothing
• A sun hat and sunscreen, and a wind-breaker for just in case
• A 4B pencil
• A field easel or table easel (if you have one, this is optional)

I will supply cartridge paper for initial thumbnails and value sketches.

If you have questions or to book, please contact me on 084 584 3757 or hello@tracyalgar.com