| How to Do Stain Painting with Acrylics- Video Tutorial & Art Workshop |

A lot of people recently when I tell them about my next in-person workshop have been asking me “What exactly is stain painting?” So I thought I would show you rather than tell you. In the late 50s and early 60s there was a move towards creating abstract canvases in which color became the primary subject matter and the paint itself practically merged with the surface. These painters created fields of color on large canvases which might envelop the viewer with their scale.  were some of the known “Color Field” painters among many others. Helen Frankenthaler and Morris Louis invented a particular type of Color Field painting called Stain Painting in which the liquid paint seeps into the fibers of an unprimed canvas.

© 47 Untitled, 1946

Here is a video from a talk I did at Portland State University in Oregon showing some simple preliminary steps to getting started with this gorgeous technique.

You can see from these photos, I like to encourage people to work large and get their whole body into it! We’ll be doing some yoga stretches to warm up – but don’t worry if your body won’t allow sitting on the floor, I have a big studio and plenty of table space, too.

These were taken in 2009 and 2011 in North Carolina. May 5 will be  the first time I have ever taught this workshop on the West Coast.

It’s a beautiful technique and so much fun to try! Come join us for an all-day workshop in my studio in Emeryville, CA Saturday, May 5. Click here to register.

Responses to “How to Do Stain Painting with Acrylics- Video Tutorial & Art Workshop”

  1. Christine Smith

    Oh, Michele, it looks like so much fun! I wish I could magically transport myself down from BC to Emeryville in May. I’ll pick up some flow aid and join the class in spirit 🙂 Thank you for sharing that video, off to experiment. Take care, Christine

    Reply
  2. Michele Theberge

    Wish you could join us, too, Christine! It’s going to be so much fun to get the big canvases out and play. You will be there in spirit. Have fun with this technique in your own studio!

    Reply
  3. Ann Cooper

    What is your stain painting workshop schedule for the spring of 2017? I would like to attend some of them.
    Thank You, Ann Cooper

    Reply

Leave a Reply