What we'll cover:

Color and Palette –Eliminating color chaos by creating harmonious palettes, working with neutrals, and exploring the endless possibilities of just black, white, red, and yellow.

Mark Making – Uncovering your personal mark-making vocabulary and learning how to use marks to infuse energy and rhythm into your paintings.

Starting Strong – Discovering several ways to begin a painting so you're never stuck staring at a blank canvas.

Bold Composition – Learning how to divide space on the picture plane with intention to create dynamic, compelling compositions that guide the viewer’s eye.

Depth and Layers – Exploring techniques like flux, obliteration, and layering techniques to create rich visual depth and emotional resonance.

Shape Language – Developing a shape vocabulary that’s distinctly your own and using it as a foundation for building more cohesive, compelling paintings.

Working Through the Middle – Navigating the tricky “muddy middle” of a painting, including how to get unstuck.

Finishing Strong – Creating a set of criteria for evaluating when a painting is complete—so you can move forward without second-guessing.

You'll be working on a large scale—60 X 48 and up—which will stretch your creative muscles and help you loosen up, trust your instincts, and paint with greater freedom and clarity.

This workshop is about more than just techniques—it's about learning to listen to your creative intelligence, cultivating your visual language, and approaching your work with joy, curiosity, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Paint:  2 of each primary, black, white, 3 to 5 colors of your choice. If you tend to use a lot of paint bring more. Inexpensive paint is suggested such as Liquitex Basics, Sennelier Abstract Acrylics in a pouch, Nova Color. You might consider a set of cool and warm primaries for variety. We will be doing a lot of color mixing so no need to bring a lot of different colors.

Gesso:  Any brand will work fine. You need gesso if you want to use it as a white alternative or to gesso your paper.  Otherwise, it’s not necessary.

Mediums:  Heavy Gel Gloss and Matte Medium or Glazing Liquid.

Drawing Tools:  Have a variety on hand. Suggested are various forms of charcoal, i.e., pencil, stick or block, various forms of graphite including pencils such as Art Graf Soft Carbon, sticks, tailor’s chalk, Lyra 9B Water Soluble Graphite Crayon, Stabilio “Woody” thick pencils, water soluble art crayons, pastel, Sakura solid paint sticks.

Supports: Paper of your choice, either in a roll or sheets. Inexpensive paper is suggested for exercises.  For exercises Strathmore multi-media paper in a roll is suggested. These rolls are 42 inches wide with 8 yards on a roll.  This is a very durable paper and can handle a lot of abuse.  If you prefer sheets, Stonehenge 90 pound paper comes in 22 X 30, 44 X 30 and 50 X 38.  Unstretched canvas is a good option as it easier to transport, check Fredrix Universal 70/580 which comes in several different widths. Please do not buy stretched canvas wider than 53.” The amount of supports you need depends on how fast of a painter you are.  We will be doing some exercises but there will be free painting time where you might want to be using the unstretched canvas. You can also bring stretched canvas not wider than 48.”  

Brushes:  Suggested are 1, 2 and 3 inch inexpensive chip brushes, and a few favorite brushes of your choice.  Also useful are long handled brushes which you can make by taping a brush onto a thick long dowel stick which you can buy at Home Depot.

Painting Tools: Your favorite painting tools.  Consider plastic or metal spreaders from Home Depot, squeegees, rollers, whisk broom, micro fiber duster, large or small paint sponge, long handled shower brush, etc.  Plastic paint shapers are also a good option as are Bondo knives.  Embrace the unconventional!

Miscellaneous:  Palette of your choice, something to mix colors with such as plastic or metal small palette knives. Color wheel and gray scale.

Willow Pond will supply scissors, tape measures, trash bags, and paper towels, water buckets, a straight edge, and spray bottles.

Don’t forget to bring return shipping labels and packing materials.

Julie Schumer was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.  As a very young girl she covered herself in Kelly green paint one day, luxuriating in the sensuous feel of paint, thus beginning her infatuation with painting.  At age 5 she adopted an abstract expressionist style, continuing in this vein through high school. 

Julie ultimately became a criminal defense lawyer, returning to her art practice in her mid-forties.  She relocated to Santa Fe, NM from the Northern California area in 2002 where she has dedicated herself to her painting process. She began her painting career with very colorful and energetic abstract work that has over time evolved into work that is more introspective and contemplative. 

Over the past 20 years Julie has shown her work in various Santa Fe galleries as well as galleries and other venues across the nation. Her paintings are in numerous private collections as well as the public collection maintained by the Tucson airport and have been featured in numerous publications.

There is limited accommodation available at Willow Pond House. Reservations will be managed on a first-come, first-served basis. Willow Pond House is a private residence and you will be hosted by Carol and Jean Paquet and an on-site chef. Select your workshop under the tab of the room of your choice and the number of nights is automatically calculated for the workshop duration. If you choose to stay on site, your reservation will include breakfast and dinner. This is a separate booking from the workshop and is accessible under the GUEST ROOMS menu tab on Willow Pond’s website. Please note - we are not licensed to sell or serve alcoholic beverages however you are welcome to bring your own. There is a fridge available to students in the studio.

In addition, there are numerous AirBnB’s and VRBOs within a few miles of the property. We also recommend hotels in Pismo Beach and The Agrarian Hotel in Arroyo Grande. Both of these locations are less than a 10-minute drive. Recommendations with link can be found at the end of the GUEST ROOM page.