There is no new class scheduled at this time.

About the Class

Almost a hundred years ago Frank Vincent DuMond, an instructor at the newly formed Art Students League of New York, decided his students would benefit from landscape instruction during the summer months. Every summer he and his students packed up their palettes and brushes and traveled to Old Lyme, Connecticut, where the DuMonds had a farm, to spend three months painting en plein air. In 1951 Frank Vincent DuMond died and his student Frank Mason took over the class in New York. Having benefited greatly from DuMond’s insistence on the study of landscape, Mason continued the practice of a summer landscape class while limiting its duration to the month of June and relocating the class to Stowe, Vermont near the Mason's summer home in Peacham. In 2009 Frank Mason passed away and Thomas Torak, artist and former student of Mason, took over in Studio 7 at the Art Students League. Torak, in his turn, continues the tradition of a June landscape class. Like DuMond and Mason before him Torak has relocated the class to the area near his home and studio: the class is now held in scenic Pawlet, Vermont in the southwest corner of the state.

The June landscape class is an experience like no other. Generations of students cherish the memory of their time in the class. Living in the landscape for an entire month gives the student time to explore his or her thoughts and ideas about painting even as each day brings new observations on the effect of light and weather. Students have time to get to know one another and to form a community of artists. The tradition of Saturday night suppers strengthens those bonds by giving everyone a chance to relax and socialize at the close of each week of intensive painting.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays the class meets outdoors for plein air painting and critiques. The time of the session could be anywhere from sunrise to late afternoon, depending on the location and the weather. Students paint on location and receive critiques on their work.

On Saturdays everyone brings a painting they have done on their own to Torak’s studio. Torak gives each student a critique while discussing the principles and theories of landscape painting. At the end of the day everyone is invited to stay for supper.

crit sit Thursday June 28, 2012 5pm Andrus Drive

click on this map for a larger view then right click to print

• Take Route 30 to Pawlet
• turn on to Route 133 North (to Middletown Springs)
• follow rte 133 for 1.8 miles (rte 133 bends left at 1.3 miles)
• turn left on to Andrus Drive
• park on the right side, off the road, and find a suitable place to paint (please don’t set up too close to the horse pasture)

crit site Tuesday June 26, 2012 9am Mettowee Community Center

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• From Pawlet (intersection of rte 30 and rte 133) take Route 30 south 3.4 miles
  or From the Dorset village green take Route 30 north 4.9 miles
• Turn into the Mettowee Valley Community Center (left from Pawlet, right from Dorset)
• find a suitable place to paint

crit site Thursday June 21, 2012 5:30am Shehadi Pond

click on this map for a larger view then click right to print

• From Route 30 in Pawlet turn on to School Street (school st is the street in front of Mach's Market)
• follow School Street (through Pawlet village, then over a one lane bridge) for 0.25 miles
• after you cross the bridge bear left on to the Rupert Road for 0.9 miles (there will be a pond to your left and a speed limit sign to your right)
• turn left on to the trail next to the pond and park, you will see a lovely view looking back to Pawlet village
  
  This is private property. Do not paint here unless we are meeting as a class.

crit site Tuesday June 19, 2012 9am Dorset Quarry

click on this map for a larger view then click right to print

• From Pawlet (intersection of rte 30 and rte 133) take Route 30 south 9.7 miles
  or From Manchester take Route 30 north 4.6 miles
  or From Dorset take Route 30 south 1.3 miles
• Turn on to Kelly Road (left from Pawlet or Dorset, right from Manchester)
• Park on Kelly Road and walk over to the marble quarry, find a suitable place to paint

This quarry is the locals favorite swimming spot so we will be able to paint figures in the landscape. Bring a hat, sunblock and water. You will probably need to set up in the sun and midday can be rather hot, but it will be worth it.

crit site Thursday June 14, 2012 5pm County Rt 31 Granville, NY

click on this map for a larger view then right click to print

• From Pawlet (intersection of rte 30 & rte 133) follow rte 30 north for 4.3 miles
• turn left on to Rte 153 West
• continue on rte 153 for 3.1 miles (through West Pawlet village) to the T intersection
• bear right at T intersection then stay left on to Egg Street
• Egg St becomes County Rte 31, stay on this road for 1 mile
• park on the side of the road and find a suitable place to paint

• From Granville, follow Rte 22 south for 3.6 miles
• Turn left on to County Rte 31, park on the side of the road and find a suitable place to paint

crit site Tuesday 6/12/2012 9am 4208 Dorset West Road

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• From Pawlet (intersection of rte 30 & rte 133) follow rte 30 south (toward Dorset) for 6.1 miles
• turn right on to Route 315 then immediately left on to the Dorset West Road
• continue on the Dorset West Road for 0.5 miles
• turn left into #4208, the Thompson residence driveway
• Cherie Thompson will meet us there and direct us to a place to paint in the shade by the Mettowee River

This is private property. Do not paint here unless we are meeting as a class.

crit site Thursday June 7, 2012 9am Robinson Hill Road

click on this map for a larger view then right click to print

• Take Route 30 to Pawlet
• turn on to Route 133 North (to Middletown Springs)
• follow rte 133 for 1.3 miles, instead of bearing left to stay on rte 133 continue straight on the Pawlet/Danby Road
• take first right on to Robinson Hill Road
• find a suitable place to paint on this road

Letter to the 2012 class

Welcome to everyone interested in my June 2012 Landscape Oil Painting Class!

This class takes place in and around Pawlet, VT a small agricultural community at the north end of the beautiful Mettowee Valley. An ideal place for landscape painting, Pawlet is also where Elizabeth and I make our home and have our studios. Saturday crits and Saturday night suppers will take place at our home and studio.

Traditionally the workshop is a month long plein air painting experience. This year I will be teaching from June 5 - 30. I encourage students to come for the entire month but realize many have time and financial constraints. For that reason I offer 1, 2 or 3 week options in addition to the full month.

You will find detailed information about the class and a materials list in the posts below. As always students will be responsible for their housing. Expect to find both housing and crit locations in the surrounding towns of Danby, Rupert, Dorset, and Manchester. In past years students have had success finding accommodations in both the Manchester http://www.manchestervermont.net/ and Lake St. Catherine area. Though the distances are not long (and the drives are beautiful) everyone will need a car or a friend with whom to carpool. If you have any questions please feel free to email me at thomastorak@gmail.com or Elizabeth at torak@vermontel.net or call 802-325-6428.

 

About the Class

Almost a hundred years ago Frank Vincent DuMond, an instructor at the newly formed Art Students League of New York, decided his students would benefit from landscape instruction during the summer months. Every summer he and his students packed up their palettes and brushes and traveled to Old Lyme, Connecticut, where the DuMonds had a farm, to spend three months painting en plein air. In 1951 Frank Vincent DuMond died and his student Frank Mason took over the class in New York. Having benefited greatly from DuMond’s insistence on the study of landscape, Mason continued the practice of a summer landscape class while limiting its duration to the month of June and relocating the class to Stowe, Vermont near the Mason's summer home in Peacham. In 2009 Frank Mason passed away and Thomas Torak, artist and former student of Mason, took over in Studio 7 at the Art Students League. Torak, in his turn, continues the tradition of a June landscape class. Like DuMond and Mason before him Torak has relocated the class to the area near his home and studio: the class is now held in scenic Pawlet, Vermont in the southwest corner of the state.

The June landscape class is an experience like no other. Generations of students cherish the memory of their time in the class. Living in the landscape for an entire month gives the student time to explore his or her thoughts and ideas about painting even as each day brings new observations on the effect of light and weather. Students have time to get to know one another and to form a community of artists. The tradition of Saturday night suppers strengthens those bonds by giving everyone a chance to relax and socialize at the close of each week of intensive painting.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays the class meets outdoors for plein air painting and critiques. The time of the session could be anywhere from sunrise to late afternoon, depending on the location and the weather. Students paint on location and receive critiques on their work.

On Saturdays everyone brings a painting they have done on their own to Torak’s studio. Torak gives each student a critique while discussing the principles and theories of landscape painting. At the end of the day everyone is invited to stay for supper.

Information and Materials List

FIRST CLASS: Tuesday June 5, 2012 @ 4pm – We will start with a late afternoon painting session on the road (Beaver Brook Road, Pawlet, VT) outside my studio. Directions will be sent when you register for the class.

CLASS SCHEDULE: Three classes a week. Tuesday and Thursday we will meet outdoors for plein air painting and critiques. The time of the session could be anywhere from sunrise to late afternoon, depending on the location and the weather. I will decide a day or two before the crit so you should be prepared to keep those days free from other obligations. Saturday we will meet in my studio to discuss the principles and theories of landscape painting, each student should bring one painting.

CLASS SUPPERS: Each Saturday evening (June 9, 16, 23, 30) Elizabeth and I will host an informal class supper at our home and studio. We invite the students to bring friends and family.

LAST CLASS: Saturday June 30, 2012

CLASS FEE: $750 for the month. $600 for 3 weeks. $400 for 2 weeks. $250 for 1 week.
A $50 nonrefundable deposit (checks only please, no credit cards) payable to Thomas Torak will reserve space in the class, enrollment is limited to 30 students.

Mail to:
Thomas Torak
360 Beaver Brook Road
Pawlet, VT 05761

For additional information contact Elizabeth Torak: torak@vermontel.net or call 802-325-6428.

SUPPLIES: Portable field easel. Palette (a small wooden palette works well outdoors, no white or paper palettes). Gesso panels, canvas boards or stretched canvases (if you bring stretched canvases bring a piece of cardboard to put behind the canvas so that light will not pass through from the back), 9 x 12 or so is good for field crits, but if you want to do something larger to bring to the Saturday crit please feel free to do so. A sketch pad (9 x 12 or so), pencils, charcoal or other drawing materials are very useful. Mineral spirits in a can or jar to clean your brushes. Filbert and round brushes in a variety of sizes. A few round sables are useful for details. Paper towels or rags to wipe your brushes and a small bag to keep them from blowing away. Palette cups to hold medium.

PAINTS: OIL PAINTS ONLY, no acrylic or water based oils. White (titanium-zinc or Permalba, a large tube); Winsor Newton’s best quality cadmium lemon yellow and cadmium yellow light (these are very important for making rich landscape greens); cadmium yellow medium; cadmium yellow deep; cadmium orange; cadmium red light (again Winsor Newton’s best quality); cadmium red medium; cadmium red deep; alizarin crimson; cerulean or manganese blue; cobalt blue; ultramarine blue; thalo blue; thalo green; sap green; yellow ochre; ivory or lamp black. Any other colors you like to use.

MEDIUM: A good general medium is: 1 part linseed oil, 1 part dammar or mastic varnish, 1 part turpentine mixed together in a jar. If you prefer to use Fels mediums, Maroger, Liquin or any other medium (except water based) please feel free to do so.

Prepare for all sorts of weather. Bring boots, warm clothing, rain poncho, sun hat and a swimsuit.