Our demonstrator was Dianne Panarelli Miller.
The meeting was held in the Guild Hall, First Congregational Church (middle side door), Sanborn Street, Reading, Wednesday September 13th, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.
We have some photographs of the event in case you could not make it there in person.
A small but intrepid audience attended, defying the lousy weather that evening.
Lou introduced Dianne.
Dianne demonstrated painting the scene in her existing painting.
Dianne often works plein air, so she brings along everything she
needs in her backpack. Here she shows us her mahl stick, which
is actually a collapsible dog training stick.
She works with a limited pallet, which has a warm and cool version of each color.
Dianne tones her canvas with a warm color to provide a
warm background for the cool colors that she uses.
Since she paints the cool colors thinly, the warm background
breaks through and makes the surface sparkle.
She obtains the correct proportions in the initial drawing by using
a cardboard framing device to measure the sizes and locations of the major spaces.
Here is the initial drawing.
Dianne started with the warm colors in the foreground.
Here is a closer view of her progress so far.
After blocking in the foreground, she began adding the cool colors in the background.
Progressing.
At this stage, Dianne blots the painting using a Viva paper towel.
This removes excess paint and thins it in preparation for the next layer.
More progress.
At this point, Dianne turned the painting upside down,
which allows mistakes to be more readily visible.
Adding finishing touches to the painting.
Done.
Dianne has generously donated the painting to the Reading Art Association. We will probably have a drawing for it at the Fall Show, so stay tuned.
Dianne Panarelli Miller is a award winning Boston based "Plein Air Painter" of color and light and is a signature member of the New England Plein Air Painters and a "Copley Master" with 40+ years experience. Her approach combines the classic atelier training of the "Boston School", a mastery of technique with her own personal style expressed through the harmony of color and design. The original Boston School way of painting seeks to combine the truth of impressionist color with good drawing, sound composition and skillful paint handling. It's leading exponents included Edmund Tarbell, Frank Benson, William Paxton, Joseph Decamp, Philip Hale, R.H. Ives Gammell. Gammell was a turn of the century Boston Museum School pupil of the first three men and later consulted with Paxton. Robert Douglas Hunter and Robert Cormier (with whom Miller studied ) were students of Gammell. David Lowery and Robert Moore, also students of Gammell rounded off her studies.
More information at Dianne's website, https://www.diannepmiller.com/