In this workshop – the first of its kind at La Romita – David Shevlino will lead the group in exploring the human figure both in the studio and out.
For the first several days, you will work in the studio, painting both figure and portrait from a nude model. For the second, the group will move outside to various locations and paint the clothed figure, incorporating the beautiful scenery of Umbria’s hill towns as stage and backdrop to the subject.
You’ll explore foundational concepts like composition, color, and value, but the heart of this experience lies in learning to paint with bold simplicity.
You will learn to distill complex forms into broad, vibrant shapes and colors, and to see beyond the minutiae and embrace a more expressive, direct approach to painting. You will paint “the tree”, as opposed to painting individual leaves. This approach is a powerful tool in capturing our subjects with greater understanding, expression and directness.
David Shevlino was born in Jersey City, NJ in 1962. A graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the University of Pennsylvania, he also studied at the Art Students’ League in New York. Growing up near NYC, Shevlino was exposed to art as a teenager. He began making trips to art museums at age 15 and developed a love of traditional figurative painting. His early work was very traditional and classically inspired. However, after many years of experimenting, Shevlino began exploring a looser paint application which stradles the line between representational painting and abstraction. This “in between” area is where the painter feels most comfortable and best able to express his artistic voice. His paintings are characterized by broad brushstrokes, a sensuous application of paint and an obvious feel for tonal harmonies. At the same time, the artist demonstrates a firm sense of control, tightening up the composition through his deft modeling of the human form.
Shevlino has exhibited work nationally in both solo and group exhibits over the past two decades and currently lives in NC.
As La Romita School caters to multiple levels of instruction and various forms of the arts, prices will vary by session, season, instructor, and offerings.