KRAUSMAN’S 2012 SEMINAR SCHEDULE

REALISTIC LONG-EARED OWL 10 DAY ART EXTRAVAGANZA

Keith Mueller   June 6-15    $1250   &   $350 Kit Fee     all meals included**waiting list only

***View Krausmans’ Seminar Class Projects www.krausmansphotography.com

     Come join a celebration of avian art in a magical location; up North in the UP of Michigan.  This very special seminar is unlike any other. Imagine a reclusive Long-eared Owl hidden from the afternoon sun waiting for the moment when the first hint of night chills the air. The softening hues begin to cover the owl in a cloak of cool colors complimented only by the last whisper of the remaining ambient light. As the owl inquisitively leans forward, it is time to leave its roost. This ten day seminar will be devoted in its entirety to designing and creating a dynamic composition and painting your Long-eared Owl.

     How does it work? Because of its uniqueness, this painting/design workshop will begin with you carving your own Owl in your carving shop under home instructions from Keith.  Beginning in October 2011 Keith will be carving an Owl along with everyone in this class.  He will document each set of carving instructions on a picture CD or by email and accompany them with written instructions. Each instruction packet will be timely sent to everyone possibly every few weeks with procedures and techniques as needed. With the completion of each step in the carving process, a new instruction packet will arrive continuing the carving process where the last instruction packet left off. Keith understands that everyone carves at different skill levels and time frames, and to accommodate this, Keith will offer alternative techniques for each carver to use depending on your skill level.  These alternative techniques will be evident with the many feather carving techniques he will demonstrate for you and will guide you through such techniques as feather delineation, edge carving, stoning, burning, feather shafts, feather activity, and many others. The instruction packets will continue to arrive in a relaxed timely manner.  Remember, Keith wants everyone to enjoy the carving process of this Owl by not being rushed so you will thoroughly enjoy all aspects of this beautiful bird.

     Each Owl will be carved from tupelo, along with the perch and base segments.  The base stand component used to display and balance the overall composition of this sculpture will be made from an appropriate wood species to add and compliment the dynamic of the overall composition.  Keith will demonstrate many methods and techniques in this workshop. Each Owl will be uniquely you with the theme of this class being “You design the Overall Theme and Composition!”  When you come to class with your Owl, Keith will begin to help you explore the sultry world of design and composition. You will design your personal composition adding a perch and base to your sculpted and textured Owl. Each Owl will be an individual inspired work of art, incorporating interesting and thought provoking artistic interactions of color theory, visual and color dynamics, natural elements, and most importantly; a dynamic composition.

    Keith will entice you to explore the many fascinating aspects of art; you will be gently encouraged by Keith to look at bird carving with fresh eyes.  This Owl will be painted using a variety of painting techniques using both acrylics and oil paints; with hand painting techniques using brushes and light and shadow techniques using an airbrush. Keith will instruct you in many of the fascinating elements of creative artistic and painting techniques including color theory and proper color usage, color dynamics, natural elements of color and illumination, cast light, highlights and shadows, natural interactions and of course, how to use and get the maximum out of your paint.  The first days of class will be spent designing and carving the components to your unique composition.  While you are creating the base design, the Owl will be prepped for painting, and demos about art, sculpture, color, paint and of course composition and design will be discussed and taught.

***If you choose to take both Mueller seminars, you will also get a $50 discount.

 COMMON EIDER HEN DECORATIVE SMOOTHIE DECOY PAINTING/OPEN WORKSHOP

Keith Mueller   June 17-22    $800   &   $350 Kit Fee   all meals included

     How does it work? Because of its uniqueness, this decoy workshop will begin with you carving your own hen Eider in your carving shop under home instructions from Keith.  Beginning in October 2011 Keith will be carving an Eider along with everyone in this class.  He will document each set of carving instructions on a picture CD and accompany them with written instructions. Each instruction packet will be timely sent to everyone possibly every few weeks with procedures and techniques as needed. With the completion of each step in the carving process, a new instruction packet will arrive continuing the carving process where the last instruction packet left off. Keith understands that everyone carves at different skill levels and time frames, and to accommodate this, Keith will offer alternative techniques for each carver to use depending on your skill level.  The instruction packets will continue to arrive in a relaxed timely manner.  Remember, Keith wants everyone to enjoy the carving process of this Eider by not being rushed so you will thoroughly enjoy all aspects of this beautiful bird, allowing an exciting time frame for the painting of this bird in class.
    Each Eider will be carved from tupelo. The decoy will feature a hen Common Eider holding a mussel in its bill. All aspects of a decorative smoothie decoy will be featured: raised wings, delineate tertials and scapulars and the unique raised "thorn feathers", also a realistically carved bill featuring the open bill grasping a mussel or clam. Each decoy will be uniquely you with the theme of this class being “You paint the decoy with your creative interpretation of a hen Common Eider”.  When you come to class with your decoy Keith will begin to help you explore the comprehensive world of oil paints and oil painting featuring Keith’s time proven oil painting techniques. Keith will entice you to explore the many fascinating aspects of art.  You will be gently encouraged by Keith to look at decoy carving and painting with fresh eyes.  This Eider decoy will be painted using a variety of hand painting techniques exploring the many dimensions of oil paint especially the fascinating elements including color theory and proper color usage, color dynamics, highlights and shadows, and of course to get the maximum out of your paint.
    The first day of class will be spent prepping your decoy for painting, including priming and Grisaille techniques, and practice painting techniques such as paint control, consistency, application, blending and detailing on practice boards.  No airbrushing will be used on this bird.

  If you choose to do the Open Workshop instead, you can pursue the Decoy segment of painting an antique/realistic decorative decoy of your choosing or pursuing your own project of your choice, as in years past, with Keith’s guidance.

“CARVE & PAINT A HOUSE WREN”  

Jean Minaudier   August 5th-10th   $800 & Blank Fee, 6 days   all meals included

    Returning to the Krausmans is Jean Minaudier, a Canadian who has 18 years of carving expertise.  He has carved waterfowl, songbirds, life-size & miniatures, & even floating decoratives & some decoys.  He has been a contributor to Wildfowl Carving & Collecting magazine since 2005 with his colour guide patterns.  You have seen his work featured in Competition Magazine since 2000.  His major wins include the 2005 2^nd Best in Ward World Decorative Life-size with his Magpie, also 2^nd Best of Show with the same bird at the Canadian Nationals, 2006 Best of Show Ward World Miniatures, 2007 2^nd Best in Ward World Miniatures & 2007 People’s Choice with his mallard hen with the old chair, decoys, & “sweet sixteen” shotgun & Cocktail Bird at the 2010 Ward World.  We highly recommend him to you as another great Krausman instructor. 

    Join Jean as his goal for 2012 is to carve & paint a House Wren  with his head turned & tail in its familiar posture of flipped up.   Jean will do the basic roughing out (foredom part) of this songbird with knives, gouges, & basswood.  If you are a power carver, don’t be concerned that this class is not for you.  You have the option to choose knives & basswood or tupelo & power.  Then everyone will be using micromotors if you wish.  Extra attention will be given to facial detail that will give life to this bird sculpture.  Jean uses a combination of micromotor & wood burning techniques to create interesting & diverse texture effects that will complement subsequent painting techniques.  

    Using acrylics & brush work, Jean will focus on layering techniques to create depth, shadow, & highlights.  The House Wren will give you the opportunity to work with earth colors.   The painting must follow the details that have been carved but it also must enhance those features that capture the viewers’ attention. Realism is the starting point for the painting, but the extras - highlights, shadow, & color are the “makeup” that add drama & life to a sculpture.  Please allow a full 6 days for this seminar so that painting gets the time needed to complete this project.  You will also have the option to have a studycast ordered ahead to paint instead of your carved bird.   You may bring something you would like to mount your bird on or Jean will discuss some ideas & suggestions with you.

“NORTHERN YELLOW-SHAFTED FLICKER”   

Gary Eigenberger  August13^th-- 20^th     $975 &  Blank Fee          8 full days   all meals included

    Please join the three times Ward World Miniatures Champion & eleven times Ward World Masters Champion in doing a full sized Northern Yellow-shafted Flicker.  The Flicker will be depicted in a relaxed pose with its head turned.  Gary will bring some unique pieces of wood that you can use to work with for habitat.  Glass eyes will be used along with tupelo blanks.  Combination stoning & burning will be used to suggest little groups of feathers.  Hard edge feathers like flight feathers & feather shafts will be done with a pen while the belly & sides of the face will be done with a combination of burning & stoning.  Topics stressed will include feather layout, texturing, & wood burning.  A foot demo will be done in the evening & those that want to make their feet can do so then or make them later at home.

    This bird will be an exciting project to paint.  Gary will focus on preparing the surface for painting, mixing colors, oil painting which will include wet on wet & wet on dry blending techniques, & soft translucent painting techniques. Gary will be using acrylics as well as oils in painting this bird.  You can be an oil or acrylic painter to take this class.  To get feather patterns & their richness, translucency or softness, Gary complements actual textures from his burning tools with the illusion of highlights & shadows with oil pigments. He shows you how to play warm & cool colors against each other to suggest feathers under feathers & to mass in color & create details from negative space.  To view Gary’s art go to www.garyeigenberger.com.                                                                                        

“LONG-TAILED DUCK DRAKE”   

Pat Godin August 25^th – 31^ST     $950 & Blank Fee       7 days       all meals included  

    The subject for this seminar with 12 times World Champion Pat Godin is the very attractive & pleasing Long-Tailed Duck Drake.  This project will carry the students through the carving & painting of a smoothie style decoy.  The Long-Tailed Duck Drake will be designed similar to Pat’s Best of Show winning World Decorative Smoothie carving from 2010.  The feather shapes & arrangements allow for great artistic interpretation of the design of this bird.  There is considerable complexity in the layering of the back & wing feathers.  Pat will explain & demonstrate the logical sequence in carving these feathers to achieve an accurate result.  The characteristic long tail will be made from a piece of ABS plastic and then inserted into the body.  There will be emphasis on feather sculpting and an appropriate level of detail incorporated into the surface including a detailed bill.

    The color scheme of this bird is very contrasting and this will allow the students to work on perfecting their techniques for incorporating subtle detail into the light & dark values.  The painting of these two extremes will also allow extensive instruction of incorporating dimension with shadow & highlight.  The head of the Long-Tailed Duck has very contrasting values, but also very rich & pleasing colors.  Time will be spent blending these color zones on the head and then incorporating fine detail on the surface.   Several blending techniques will be learned at this session.

    Each student will receive an image CD showing in detail the entire project of the seminar.  To view Pat’s art or items he has for sale go to  www.godinart.com.  

2012  “ PINNACLE PEAK PEREGRINE!! ”   

Floyd Scholz   September 10^th -19^th       $1275    10 days    all meals included

    Carvers of all abilities will be delighted as they are challenged, inspired, & amazed at their results in creating the “Prince of Falcons”.  Floyd’s practical, common sense approach to bird carving will ensure that you realize your full artistic potential in elevating your carving to the next level.  What can be more beautiful and elegant than a life-size male Peregrine Falcon defiantly perched upon a jagged cliff, intently scanning the horizon in search of its next meal!  From rough out to feather highlights, each phase of the carving, texturing, & painting process will be covered in depth during this 10 day seminar experience.  In addition to completely carving, texturing, & painting a life-size Peregrine Falcon you will also create a jagged rock out of tupelo wood sure to fool even the most seasoned geologist.  All of this while you indulge in the culinary wizardry put forth 3 times each day from the world renowned FIVE STAR kitchen of Chez Krausman!  And if that’s not enough…..the intimate woodland setting will make you think you’ve arrived in Bird Carver’s heaven!!  What are you waiting for!!!  Sign up today before you miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity!!!    www.vermontraptoracademy.com

***VIEW KRAUSMAN’S SEMINAR CLASS PROJECTS AT WWW.KRAUSMANSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM .