Setting the Mood: Artist Workshop with Stephen Lursen (October 14th - 16th, 2016) At Donna Downey Studios in Huntersville, NC.

1.   Create emotional artwork

      This new and exciting workshop is all about using color, shape, and layering marks over one another to produce a work of art that sets the mood for the entire room. The big question you just have to ask yourself is "How do I want to be greeted when I walk into my home or office?" You could create anything that suits your hopes and dreams if you come to "Setting the Mood" artist workshop and allow me to guide, demonstrate, and instruct how to use color, texture, and materials to produce a beacon of joy, peace, or hope. It is not easy to create something from nothing and have that something make you really feel, but the process and the result is so worth it.

     A.       Materials

       We will start off with layering acrylic paints.

       We will make use of house paints as they bring their own merits to a work of art.

       We will incorporate texture pastes to add depth to the surface and a tactile quality to the painting.

        If appropriate for your predetermined mood, you will use florescent and glow in the dark paints to add an unexpected surprise to your art after the lights go out. By using glow in the dark paint, you can add words, symbols, and other visuals to your painting that aren’t seen until when the lights go out. This is an amazing way to create a conversation piece as you show your guests the hidden message behind your work or just make it playful!

        I regularly use gold, copper, and silver leaf so we will use this in our paintings.

        If gold leaf isn’t enough, then glitter will also be used to bring that wonderful sparkle to elements of your painting. Sparkling elements make your painting change in appearance based on where the viewers stand and where the light source is.