I spent most of the summer and fall creating this 5-hours of lessons for the Olga Furman Art School.
About the class
Do you sometimes find yourself worrying about ruining a painting and afraid to keep going? Or getting so caught up in the details of a painting that it comes out looking hesitant, awkward, and overworked? You can’t just tell yourself to stop worrying and paint boldly, so join me in a series of actionable exercises to learn fun and effective techniques to create carefree, loose and expressive paintings!
Fast & Fearless Portraits
Online Video Class
starting Feb 12, 2021
What will you learn in this class?
- How to paint fast, bold portraits.
- How to avoid getting stuck in details leading to hesitant, awkward, overworked paintings.
- Specific techniques to stop you from worrying about the outcome of paintings.
- Specific techniques to help you paint more expressively and loosely.
- How color works & popular misconceptions about color.
- How to use color boldly but pleasingly.
- How to make painting fun with little “games” to help you want to paint more often.
The first Open Studios event since I moved into IOM in the spring.
Behind me you can see a time-lapse camera, taking photos of visitors' faces for possible future paintings.
Indian Orchard Mills Open Studios
Nov 2021
photos by Steve Smith for MassLive
2020 Exhibits
[ canceled for COVID-19 ]
March 2020 and April 2020, solo exhibit at Coldwell Banker on Main Street, Northampton, MA. Reception March 13 and April 10.
June 2020, solo exhibit at Hope & Feathers, Amherst, MA. Reception on June 4.
Debut of all new paintings.
August 2020, Hosmer Gallery, Forbes Library, Northampton, MA. Reception Aug 14.
September 2020, Hawks & Reed, Greenfield, MA.
Solo Exhibit at Ramboll, Greenfield MA
Dec 5 2019, Jan 2 2020, Feb 6 2020
An exhibit at Ramboll in Amherst, with abstract painter Rita Edelman. A Reception during Amherst Arts Night Out for each of three months.
Interview, Greenfield Recorder
Oct 3, 2019
article & photos by Andy Castillo
Solo Exhibit at Hawks & Reed, Greenfield MA
Oct 6, 2019
For the month of October I'll be installing paintings at the Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield, MA.
The opening reception is Sunday Oct 6, 2-5 pm. During which, Violet Walker will play her ethereal musical saw!
new painting: Chaya
Exhibit at Burnett Gallery, Amherst MA
Sept 5, 2019
Solo Show & Magazine Cover
June 1, 2019
Art exhibit & Meat For Tea issue-release party ("Le Cirque De Fleurs")
Sonelab & Abandoned Building Brewery
142 Pleasant St, Easthampton, MA.
June 1, 7pm - midnight
Meat For Tea is a long-running, award-winning art and literature magazine.
Exhibit with abstract painter Robert Moorhead at the Jones Library's Burnett Gallery in Amherst, MA. Opening reception Sept 5 during the Amherst Arts Night Plus. Show runs through month.
I am also inviting participation in my project "Your Face Here", asking gallery visitors to take Instagram selfies in front of their favorite of my paintings, and I'll attempt to paint portraits of every participant!
poster by Jeff Wrench
magazine cover art by Jeff Wrench
Public Mural Painting
April-May, 2019
Starting during ArtWeek MA 2019, I painted a mural of Sojourner Truth on an electrical box at the center of Florence, MA (a village of Northampton), where she owned a house for 7 years.
Sojourner Truth was born a slave but was freed and became an abolitionist and feminist.
"I feel safe even in the midst of my enemy, for truth is powerful and will prevail."
See "Public Art" page.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Northampton Arts Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
© copyright 2020 Jeff Wrench