Daniel Gerhartz Workshop

Day one

So one thing I have to say and apologize for right off the bat is that I am not able to post any of the amazing artwork that Dan has hanging in his studio, and there is a lot of it. His work is incredible and really has to be seen in person to be appreciated fully. He asked that we not post any pictures of his work for the benefit of his galleries and so I wanted to respect that.

Dan's studio is in Kewaskum Wisconsin. It sits near the rear of of 20 acres of heavily wooded property. It's a gorgeous and amazing studio. Here are a few shots of the inside.

As the first photo shows, today was a very overcast and foggy, which really kind of gave the place an  interesting sense of mystery, at least today that is. I know it sounds sappy and maybe a little fan-boyish, but the place really does have a kind of magical feel to it. There is amazing detail in the architecture and the surrounding landscaping. He really spared no expense to make it as special of a place as he could, and it truly is.

Dan has an amazing collection of objects, props, fabrics, furniture, that he has collected over the years and you can find interesting and beautiful artifacts in nearly every corner of the studio. Most of which eventually find their way into one of Dan's paintings. 

This first day started out with Dan telling us about his philosophy toward painting, fielding questions, and then doing a roughly 3 hour demo. I wish I could show you the demo. it was stunning. 

After lunch it was our turn. Dan had 2 great models lined up. Much of Dan's emphasis on this first day had to do with maintaining structure through tight value control and accurate observation of edge relationships. Another point that he emphasized often was turning form through shifts in temperature. This is long to describe but is better understood through a demo which Dan would point out frequently when he did his demo.

Dan was very patient taking and answering many questions thrown at him throughout his demo.

One of the big things that I personally have wanted to get a better feel for, is a little better handle on application of paint, as simple as that sounds. After today I feel like I'm already making some positive strides in this aspect of my painting.

Day one for me did in no way disappoint.