Issue link: https://alabamapower.uberflip.com/i/1003214
More than color theory and brush technique, a painting class is about learning to see – a delightful task in a setting of natural beauty. Dorothy Littleton knows this from experience, having lived and painted on scenic Lake Martin for more than 30 years. e lake has been her muse. Last year, she decided to share it with others by offering spring and fall art workshops at her airy home studio in the Dadeville area, led by experienced artist-instructors. us was born the Tallapoosa School of Art, named for the lake's mother river. Courses last from one to four days and offer hands-on instruction in oils, watercolor and pastels. Littleton had taken workshops, from Alabama to coastal Maine, where at the end of the day participants were le to fend for themselves for meals and lodging. She envisioned a better, more inclusive approach: "I supply easels and chairs, we take artists by boat to places around the lake where they can paint, we cater in the meals, and the artists lodge in the Blue Heron." at would be the family's original lake house, an award-winning design built in 1973 by her in-laws, Taylor and Lucy Littleton (Dorothy's husband, George Littleton, recalls digging the foundations with his brother when they were teenagers). Clad in weathered wood, the structure blends into the sloping, tree-lined shore and features a soaring, lakefront screened porch with inviting dining and seating areas. Just above the Blue Heron are Dorothy and George's own house and her freestanding studio, where I take part in a two-day workshop on painting landscapes in oils. I'm the only novice among the eight students (the capacity of the studio and their pontoon boat limits class size to 10). e others have been painting for at least a couple of years and have taken other workshops. e group is mostly older, some retired, all seeking to discover or develop their artistic potential. Unlike the plein air classes, which set up easels at outdoor locations such as Russell Crossroads and Stillwaters Marina, ours stays in the studio and works from photos we brought. "Remember, it's about making a painting, not copying a photograph," says instructor Perry Austin, Sylacauga-based artist who kicks off both days with a demonstration painting. "Apply dark colors first, then light," he advises, daubing his canvas with a reddish brown. "Use white late, and sparingly." 6 | 2018 Vol:2