I had the privilege of attending a whole weekend workshop at the CCP with Les Walkling. The workshop was the injection of inspiration I needed for my art practice. It is always interesting meeting new people who attend the workshops from varying backgrounds and have such different work to share.

The workshop was about understanding how we see pictures by looking at the great master painters from history. From Titian to Claude and Poussin. What I liked is how Les showed us works of art that can be viewed at the NGV.

In the course we drew the tonal composition and drawing composition of pictures. I have been sketching from books and at the NGV ever since the course. It is an old tradition to draw in front of the old master paintings and learn how they construct their compositions.

Looking at a Rembrandt painting with Les

Exploring the NGV paintings and sketching

The finding of the True Cross, Cola dell’ Armatrice, 1516

I was struck by this painting at the NGV and sketched it.

The crossing of the Red Sea, Poussin, 1637

The scale of this painting is huge. You see it from the other end of the hall and it stands out at the NGV. The frame is exquisite.

River landscape with Tiburtine Temple at Tivoli (c. 1635) Claude Lorrain

Les also talked about Claude Lorrain. I then found out his use of light influenced Turner. Turner wanted one of his paintings to placed next to Claude after his death in the Art Gallery of London.

J.M.W Turner, Falls of Schaffhausen, 1845