Designing the Moment: Painting Alla Prima from Life with Michelle Chrisman (Tuesday through Friday)

This four-day workshop is focused on developing fresh, contemporary paintings through direct observation and intentional mark-making. The first two days will be spent painting a variety of contemporary subjects from life. The final two days will focus on incorporating the clothed figure into surrounding compositional shapes, exploring the relationship between figure and environment. Working alla prima, an Italian term meaning “at once”, students will paint directly from life and produce several small paintings each day. Emphasis will be placed on the simplification of shapes, color relationships, and shadow patterns, rather than over-analyzed perfectionism. Bold, intentional brushstrokes will be encouraged to create paintings that feel immediate, confident, and alive. Each class will begin with a brief visual lecture and instructor demonstration, followed by individual guidance. Structured exercises will help students simplify their color story and work with limited strokes, promoting clarity, freshness, and a contemporary aesthetic while avoiding overworking and unnecessary detail. Students will paint from arranged objects as well as a live model. All painting mediums and experience levels are welcome. The instructor will demonstrate in oils.

Michelle Chrisman is a plein aire painter of the New Mexico landscape, a contemporary figure painter and a still-life painter. Michelle’s work is represented in Santa Fe by The Signature Gallery, in Taos by Wilder Nightingale Fine Art. Michelle is a contemporary colorist/expressionist painter grounded in the principals of Impressionism. Michelle graduated from Fashion Institute of Technology in Figure Illustration, The School of Visual Arts in Graphic Design with a BFA, and completed intensive art studies at the New York and Denver Art Student Leagues and Scottsdale Artists School. Instructors who have had the greatest influence on Michelle are Kevin MacPherson, Kim English and Peggi Kroll-Roberts. She has long been a Signature Member of PAPNM. www.MichelleChrisman.com