Lecturer: Jess Mara
Sat 26 Sep, Sat 10 Oct & Sat 17 Oct
9.30am – 4.30pm
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Age – 16+
This is an adult class and is not suitable for students under 16 years of age. Students under 18, must obtain parental or guardian consent and submit a completed consent form before the class commences.
This course requires students to have completed Introduction to Oil Painting—Part 1 or for intermediate painters with experience using oil paint.
Using the method of direct painting from life or ‘alla prima painting’ students will learn to respond to objects and environments informed by wet on wet painting techniques. Students will be encouraged to gradually build their confidence through material demonstrations and incremental progression of subjects. The first class will be still life focused, the second interior and third an en plein air landscape. Individual markmaking, gesture and expression through intuitive processed based alla prima painting will be a core focus of this course. Participants will be encouraged to create their own individual dialogue with what they are observing and should come away from the course with an understanding of acute observation from life and confidence in gestural alla prima mark making of different subject matter.
Materials required:
Acrylic paint colours for grounds:
Recommended: warm/light tones, light pinks, yellows, ochres, magenta, oranges, blues and purples, gold/metallic
If you prefer to paint in acrylics, please refer to the colours below as a guide.
Oil Paint Artist Quality, not Mont Marte (Basic list below, bring any other colours that you like. You can substitute colours for similar hues. but will need a warm and cool of each primary)
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Titanium White*
- Zinc white*
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Lemon Yellow*
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Cadmium Yellow Medium*
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Cadmium Red Light*
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Alizarin Crimson*
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Ultramarine Blue*
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Phthalo Blue*
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Raw Umber*
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Peach or Ivory Black*
Brushes
A selection of large, medium & small is recommended; The brand ‘Neef’ in brushes is highly recommended
Below are some suggestions:
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Flat or Bright stiff synthetic or hog bristle brushes sizes 4, 6, 8 & 12*
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1 of each filbert synthetic bristle brushes sizes 6 & 12
- 1 cheap flat hogs hair no 16 or 18 approximately for acrylic ground application
In addition to these materials students are encouraged to bring along any special colours or brushes they already have.
Other Materials
- Odourless solvent 500mls (Gamsol or Langridge Solvent 75 recommended. Artist grade odourless solvents only; please, no turpentine or common hardware solvents are permitted)*
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Medium: Gamblin gel medium is easier to use for alla prima and highly recommended otherwise, a non-toxic medium that you have on hand*
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Small A4 sketchbook*
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pencil/graphite*
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1 x A3 size oil sketch paper pad (student quality is recommended )*
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3 x 20 x 25 cm canvas, canvas board or prepared gesso) wood board (optional, alternatively use oil sketch paper)*
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3 x 25 x 30 cm canvas or prepped wood board
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A disposable palette*
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A small-medium palette knife (optional)
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2 small jars with lids*
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Cotton rags or paper towels*
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Masking tape*
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Disposable nitrile gloves (optional)
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Detergent, incredible brush cleaner, soap or baby oil to clean brushes*
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Protective apron or shirt
*Materials needed for the first lesson
Jess Mara is an Adelaide based painter. She received her Bachelor of Visual Art (honours) in 2006 from Adelaide Central School of Art and has been actively exhibiting since. Selected solo exhibitions including Bundle, (Praxis ART Space) These Four Walls, (Floating Goose Studio) and Some Place Near, (Hill Smith Gallery). Jess has been a finalist in numerous competitions/awards notably, The Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award at Bega Valley Regional Gallery in 2018. She was the Winner of the People’s Choice Award at the 2019 Kennedy Art Prize for her painting Embrace (Self Portrait with son). Jess was commissioned by the City of Adelaide to complete a portrait of Mary Lee as part of their Honouring Women in Leadership series. This painting was unveiled in 2024 and is now hanging in the Council Chamber in the Adelaide Town Hall.
Jess has been lecturing in the BVA and Short Course Programs at Adelaide Central School of Art since 2011. She teaches in both the drawing and painting departments. She has also presented workshops for VAESA (Visual Arts Educators in South Australia) and completed a residency/ hosted workshops in schools.
jessmara.com
Image: Gemma Rose Brook, photography by Rosina Possingham
Please read the Terms and Conditions before completing your enrolment.
