Workshop Description

Painting workshops with Ovanes Berberian immerse you in five full days of still life, landscape and portraiture painting.  Artists work on-site at Berberian’s home studio in Rigby, Idaho.  With spectacular evening skies and the natural beauty of nearby streams and lakes, you’ll find scenic Idaho an ideal location for painting.

Painting with Ovanes is an intensely enriching enhancement of your artistic skill and vision.  Attendees are encouraged to take full advantage of the long workshop day.  Most artists arrive between 8 and 9 am, stop around noon to venture into Rigby or nearby Rexburg for lunch, (or bring a packed lunch), and work until 5 pm or later into the evening.

Workshops run Monday through Friday during the month of June.  Artists arrive Monday morning to find the spacious yard area filled with a variety of still life arrangements.  As mentioned, set-up and painting may begin as early each day as the artist wishes, and continues until the last light of evening.

Ovanes usually joins the group around 10 am each morning.  He spends the morning and afternoon hours walking from artist to artist as they paint, discussing technique, style and color.  His assistants are also available throughout the day.

Two evening demonstrations are held during the week.  A still life painting is demonstrated on Tuesday evening and a landscape on Thursday evening.  An artist social precedes each demonstration.  The painting demonstration usually begins around 8:00 pm, and can run until one or two in the morning.  You will find the demonstrations to be fascinating and inspiring.

The Friday workshop closes with a formal class critique held in the studio.  Each student presents work to be discussed in this setting. 

Workshop painting is usually done outside and artists should come prepared to be outdoors for long periods of time.  Ovanes’ yard is shaded and umbrellas with stands are available for a small rental fee.  Should inclement weather rule outdoor painting impossible, still life stations will be moved indoors to the studio area.