Painting at Harlinsdale Farm
Harlinsdale Farm is such a beautiful, historic place and we are very fortunate that it has been made into a public park. It has endless painting opportunities. Gayle Levée will help you paint the water of the lake and stream, the beautiful ancient trees, and the stunning buildings.
This is a wonderful opportunity to paint a superb subject with a great teacher.
Class size: 8 spots
Date: Sat, September 27, 2025
(Rain date: Sat, Oct 4 or Sat, Oct 11)
Time: 9:00am - 4:00pm
Location: The Park at Harlinsdale Farm
331 Franklin Road
Franklin, TN 37064
Meet at the North Entrance, past the dog park.
Park at the Lakeside parking lot.
Directions: click here
Member Price: $75
Non-Member Price: $95
At this time, please only register if you are a current Chestnut Group member.
(Registration opens to non-members August 27, 2025)
Supplies needed:
Listed here are colors, brushes and mediums that I want you to bring. I have a list for oils, a list for acrylics, and a list for water-mixable oils. This is a “limited palette” of colors. If you have other colors you like, feel free to bring them. Please bring a palette, palette knife, rags and canvas panels as well.
- You will need a portable easel. I have a Julian French Easel which I have used for two decades and with which I am very comfortable. Mabef makes an easel much like the Julian only lighter. Other artists swear by newer models of portable easels such as Soltek which clip onto a camera tripod and fit in a backpack. I have one of those which I use for outdoor painting that requires hiking. If you are not ready to invest in such an easel, you can prop your painting on a rock for the time being but that is -- shall we say -- suboptimal.
- You will need a small (3x5 or smaller) pad of paper and three markers: one light gray, one medium gray, and one black. If you have a smartphone with a drawing app and a stylus, you can use that.
- You may want a cardboard or plastic viewfinder. A camera or smartphone viewfinder will work too. If you want to travel light, your fingers make a perfectly adequate viewfinder.
- A camera is optional. You will enjoy having reference photos to paint from once you get back home, but avoid the temptation of "taking a picture" and thinking you have what you need. There is a mental discipline to capturing a scene in paint, and if you "take a picture" first, you won't concentrate on the painting. Lately I've seen my students taking the picture on their smartphone and then propping up the smartphone on the easel and copying the photo right there! Can you guess how pleased I will be if you do that?
- You will need a hat or visor, sunscreen and bug spray, long sleeved shirt, plenty of water and good shoes.
FOR TRADITIONAL OIL PAINTERS
- Paint colors: Quinachridone Rose, Cadmium Red Light, Rembrandt Brand Cadmium Yellow Light, Titanium White, Viridian, Ultramarine Blue.
- Mediums: Gamsol, Gamblin Solvent-free Gel, baby oil or Vaseline for your hands.
- Brushes: Natural and synthetic Flats 1/2" wide and 1/4" wide, Filberts 1/2" wide and 1/4" wide, Rounds about 1/8" in diameter. I can't give you numbers because brush sizes are not standardized. Just go by the dimensions I have given you here.
- Palette
- Cotton Rags or blue painters towels: Not household paper towels.
-
Painting Surfaces: Two canvas or linen panels or primed wood panels. Panels are easier to travel with than canvas.
FOR WATER-MIXABLE OILS
- Paint colors: Quinachridone Rose, Cadmium Red Light, Cadmium Yellow Light, Titanium White, Viridian, Ultramarine Blue.
- Mediums: Water, Artisan Linseed Oil, Artisan Fast-drying medium
- Brushes: Flats 1/2" wide and 1/4" wide, Filberts 1/2" wide and 1/4" wide, Rounds about 1/8" in diameter. I can't give you numbers because brush sizes are not standardized. Just go by the dimensions I have given you here.
- Palette
- Cotton Rags or blue painters towels: Not household paper towels.
- Painting Surfaces: Two canvas or linen panels or primed wood panels. Panels are easier to travel with than canvas.
FOR ACRYLIC PAINTERS
- Paint colors: Golden Open Acrylic Quinachridone Rose, Napthol Red, Cadmium Yellow Light, White, Thalo Green, Thalo Blue.
- Mediums: Water, Polymer Medium, Masking Flud
- Brushes: Synthetic Flats 1/2" wide and 1/4" wide, Filberts 1/2" wide and 1/4" wide, Rounds about 1/8" in diameter and a one-inch hardware-store brush. I can't give you numbers because brush sizes are not standardized. Just go by the dimensions I have given you here.
- Palette
- Paper towels
- Painting Surfaces: Two canvas panels or primed wood panels. Panels are easier to travel with than canvas.
Questions: Gayle Levée, leveefineart@gmail.com