Adult Art Studio Class: Painting Plants and Flowers Through Piet Mondrian's Eyes

"I too find flowers beautiful…yet there is hidden within a deeper beauty." – Piet Mondrian. Never painted before? Curious beginners and artists of all levels are invited to paint en plein air in the Lotusland gardens, seeing nature through the eyes of one of modern art's most influential figures. Museum Teaching Artist Nicola Ghersen will guide participants step by step through simple watercolor and gouache techniques, creating close-up diptych compositions with delicate micro pen details. All art is inspired by Piet Mondrian's early flower painting, Rhododendron, ca. 1905, on view at SBMA. Before developing his iconic geometric grids in bold primary colors, Mondrian drew deeply from the beauty of the natural world. He remained fond of these early nature studies, throughout his life often keeping a wall in his private living quarters devoted to displaying them. During this afternoon workshop participants will follow the same thread by selecting plants and flowers in the garden to paint in quiet personal studies. All materials provided. This program is a collaboration between the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and Lotusland, bringing art into the Garden.