LORIANN SIGNORI

A NEW KIND OF SEEING: JOURNEY THROUGH & BEYOND REALISM
A Plein Air & Studio Adventure
AUGUST 10-14, 2026
FULL WORKSHOP PRICE: $750

Classes meet daily from 9am to 4pm unless otherwise noted.

What is seeing? Is it simply visual?

We say that the job of the artist is to see openly - huge and forever morphing. How can that happen?

Think about it, how often do we impose our will on a painting? Wrangling it into shape - simply because “the photo says so” or because that is “what we see.” In this workshop we will work to erase the to do list and formulas. Painting is not a linear endeavor. Instead, we will work to refresh your curious eye -- that which bathes in questions instead of answers. Rather than take a position in front of nature and contemplate to reproduce it, let’s be inside it.

This will be a relearning for most. It is a workshop that is a mix between outdoor awareness and studio inquiry. We will paint by the fields and waters of gorgeous Mt Vernon Washington (no need for plein air easel, a small camp stool will suffice.) Next, we will take our work to the studio and allow our ideas to expand. An in-depth course, it will be a journey into understanding what you are doing and why. It will require a deep dive. Keep in mind that first, one needs to develop the necessary skills to understand space, value, color and design.  Only then can we start to explore the whys.

Our week together will include:

• How to use, not abuse photos
• The creation of color studies while in the field
• Ways to use underpainting and layering techniques
• Opening your mind to the ways the written word can enhance your understanding
• The strength of working in a series
• The use of a thinking board to help direct your work
• The art of construction and destruction