VRFA ATELIER
​WELCOME to ART SCHOOL

Offering 2-4 day workshops in fine art as well as private lessons in Laguna Beach.
VRFA ATELIER is supported by Raymar panels, Rembrandt -Royal Talens North America,
Laguna Art Supply ​and International Artist magazine.

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NEXT UP
​​​ VRFA ATELIER presents:
"Welcome to Art School”  an exciting new workshop, January 12th-15th, 2024 
Instructors: Jospeh Todorovitch, Kelley Mogilka, Mason Williams and Vanessa Rothe

Always wanted to go to art school?  Now you can -
We look forward to welcoming you to the 4 day, 4 artist, 4 subject workshop in Laguna Beach, California this winter through VRFA Gallery
​and Atelier. All of our instructors teach at, or are classically trained at Laguna College of Art and Design and are currently working as professional fine artists.

Start the new year off right! Join us Friday January 12th thru Monday 15th ( MLK day) in 2024, 9am to 5pm each day, for a productive weekend of art school. This exciting new workshop concept will immerse you, a total of 10 students, in an atelier setting for 4 days.  If you did not get a chance attend art school, or even if you did, learning these important skills will be incredibly helpful for your life as an artist. All our instructors teach at, or are classically trained at Laguna College of Art and Design and offer a world of knowledge and skills.​ 
The workshop will be held at Rothe’s home studio with hard wood floors, a 180 panoramic view of Laguna Beach, you will be surrounded by a realist and impressionist fine art collection and art history library.  Learn or review these important skills and improve your work with valuable art instruction by 4 professional, classically trained artists, in the following 4 subjects.

​Days and lessons are in order of skill progression.   

Day1- Still life with Vanessa Rothe
Day 2- Landscape with Mason Williams
Day 3- Figure studies with Kelley Mogilka
Day 4- Portrait with Joseph Todorovitch

Please note: VRFA Atelier Art school is geared towards intermediate and advanced artists and assumes an already existing basic knowledge of painting, basic Drawing still life, landscape drawing, basic figure proportions and basic head drawing, some color mixing. Our goal is to take your beginning knowledge and to help you progress to the next step with valuable lessons to create depth in your work using value, color, edges, light and shadow, and composition. Advanced painters are also welcome, review key concepts, learn new tips and tricks, a nice chance to paint with professional peers, and great model set ups. Contact us if you would like to chat. (949) 280-1555 

​The Daily Schedule:  
​9am to 5pm Demo 9:30 -11:30am, Lunch Break 11:30 am to 12:15pm, Group Painting 12:30- 5pm 

Friday, January 12th 
9am to 10am  We start the day off with an inspiring slideshow lecture with all the artists. Welcome presentation and 4 artist discussion with overview of the weekend, instructor notes and sample works they want to share in the slideshow. This is sure to inspire you for a great weekend of learning! 

​Friday at 10am, Vanessa Rothe will be kicking us off with a still life class and will do multiple short demo’s at her easel, both drawing tips and tricks and then review value/color block in’s. Referring to her book “ The Art School Approach to Oils” ( 2012) Rothe will review of drawing objects with tips for success, discuss light and shadows, then discuss values in black and white, then move on to some color mixing. A few composition concepts will also be covered. This is the CORE FUNDAMENTALS class that teaches you the very important basics that you can apply to and all of your subjects. We will be painting simple objects pitchers, fruits, cups and plates.  

​Saturday Jan 13th, at 9am Mason Williams will dive into his landscape and composition class here at the Atelier. Williams will demo his methods, we will break for lunch then paint together inside from photos. Working from reference photos to apply new skills, while looking out over Laguna Beach. Mason will discuss values and composition that are important for the landscape. Your instructor will supply image print outs and or downloads for you to pull up and paint from on your phone or ipad. You are welcome to bring your own subject as well. Painting landscape on location is very valuable of course, we are simply studying inside one day to teach you concepts you will be able to use next time you paint in plein air.

Sunday Jan 14th at 9am Kelley Mogilka  Always wanted to learn the figure? Now you can start. Mogilka will demo for us with a figure in the morning, showing us how to begin. She will teach her approach to painting quick figure studies with a live model changing poses every 30 minutes. An essential part of her studio practice, these quick studies help to organize the complex human figure into simplified shapes. Using a limited palette of only three colors, Kelley will show you how to begin thinking about the figure as an abstract design, focusing on gesture, values and composition. Details can be added as you progress. Our models will be set up with 4-5 artists around per model in the atelier. Our models will wear thin strap dress with arms and legs visible, no nudes. If male model used, tee shirt and shorts.
 

​Monday Jan 15th ( MLK day) at 9am Joseph Todorovitch will instruct us all with a portrait head study demo in the morning, discussing his methods as he paints. He will be covering basics of head lay in, drawing with your brush on the canvas to quickly achieve proportions and your basic notes. Using a few core values and colors you will be blocking in your head studies from dark to light as he shows you how to create volume for the head. Adding some details as you go. We will use two models, about 4-5 painters around per model and one main portrait study about 12x16” or 14x18” will be done for most of the afternoon, pausing to learn tips and tricks along the way. For our advanced painters Joseph will instruct you as you paint, helping with shapes, edges, values and more. Small classes give you lots of time with this master artist. 

The "Welcome to Art School" workshop offers the many following values and perks: 

• All our instructors teach at, or are classically trained at, Laguna College of Art and Design and are professional working artists. 
• Coffee, tea and a light lunch is also included each day at the property. Salads, sandwich goods provided as well as cookies, water and fruit. You may of course bring anything you like.
• 20% discount on the VRFA Fine Art collection. Our attendees will also receive a special 20% off the purchase of any fine art work from VRFA gallery’s regular fine art collection and very humble prices on the demos and sketches that will be created or brought to the workshop and offered for sale.
• 15% off code RAYMAR canvas and linen panels (use code ROTHE15 at check out at www.raymarart.com)  
• Small group study 10 students
• Valuable full days run 9am to 5pm
• Intro slideshow lecture and discussions with the artists, atelier contains contemporary masters art collection to study, and library. 
• Paper towel will be included and provided
• Monday night Exhibit / Chat : Open discussions in the courtyard with the artists 5pm -6pm at the Atelier. Your favorite works from the week, can be shared as we meet together for a brief recap.
• You may use, oil, gouache or acrylic during the workshop as these mediums all work with our teaching techniques and methods.
• Gamsol will be provided only for out of town guests that are traveling to Laguna, as they cannot take it on the plane. 
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Costs
 $1,000  Includes 4 days, 4 instructors, 4 subjects and includes lunch, coffee, tea, water, slideshow lecture discussion, all the discounts and perks listed above, and paper towels. This is a special 4 day art school workshop, sorry we are not able to offer only one class at a time. 

We are offering 10 spots for the January 12th to the 15th workshop 2024. 
To sign up please contact Vanessa Rothe at 949 280 1555 or email vanessarothe@icloud.com and we will share more info, travel details, etc

Upcoming Educational events: 
​Rothe's 2nd Hilbert Museum Lecture "Contemporary Realism and Abstraction" Wednesday August 30th, 2023 6pm
"Welcome to Art School"4 Instructor studio workshop. (2 day landscape, 2 day figure) January 2024 in Laguna Beach
Americans in Paris, Workshops in France: Paris, Fontainbleau April 23-May 3, 2024