Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: CITT August 15, 2018
I am taking a brief break from my tales concerning the life and times of Thomas G. Moses to focus on CITT. This year
CITT is in St. Catharine’s, Ontario; this is the Canadian equivalent of USITT (United Institute of Theatre Technology). My company, Historic Stage Services LLC, was co-sponsoring a scene painting class with Rosco paint to explore foliage painting techniques. The class consisted of a diverse group of theatre practitioners interested in painting techniques. The class was scheduled from 9AM-5PM on August 15 and 9AM-12PM.
We focused on artistic process, compositional coloration, contrast and brush stroke. As part of the class, I worked up a quick composition in steps on a 4’ x 6’ flat. My sample was to explain techniques and coloration. The day was not about replicating any particular composition, but examining and practicing various techniques, as each student worked up their own project. We try to share a variety of tools and techniques that may be helpful for future projects.
The group decided to take the last ninety minutes of class to venture over to the Shaw Festival Prop and Scenery shop, as three staff members were taking the class. It was delightful to learn about the process, products and tools used by the artisans in each shop. There is nothing quite like being part of a group who all gasp as a tray of textured paint roller were brought out! After, the tour, some of us stopped by the No. 99 Wayne Gretzky Estates Distillery and Winery on our way back to the reception.
The rest of our week is action packed as I finish conducting the scene painting class, share historical scenery artifacts as part of the learning lab, and visit the Hamilton Scottish Rite.
To be continued…
