CAPTURING COLOR & COMPOSITION:
The Figure & Cold Wax
A Specialty Workshop with Melinda Cootsona & Jerry McLaughlin
MARCH 24 - 28, 2025
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
$1,695
*(includes 5 days daily lunch, transportation to/from studio, $100 materials fee)
‘Having two perspectives to demonstrate techniques and concepts gave a confidence to follow objectives and license to push boundaries in our work.’
- Janet H
An aerial view of San Miguel with its famous Paroquia and Jardin Allende.
Looking down one of the many beautiful cobblestone streets.
ABOUT THIS SAN MIGUEL WORKSHOP
All participants will get one-on-one time with Melinda and Jerry.
Pre-workshop meet and greet. The evening before the workshop begins, all participants are invited to a meet and greet to help ease ‘Day 1 jitters’.
The workshop takes place at Estudio Paloma. On workshop days, there is no need to worry about lunch or travel logistics. Pick up and drop off between San Miguel city center and the studio, as well as a full, home-cooked lunch and wine are included in the price.
WORKSHOP TOPICS INCLUDE:
Principles of design and composition
tension and balance
variety and unity
pattern, movement, and rhythm
Under-recognized compositional issues
the importance of edges
symmetry - asymmetry
character and unity
Recognizing and identifying problems in composition
Harmonizing your colors
the joy of limited palettes
understanding color and value
the dynamics of neutrals with saturated colors
local color and reflected color
And MORE!
ABOUT THIS ADVANCED WORKSHOP
Melinda Cootsona and Jerry McLaughlin team up again for this 5-day intensive workshop exploring composition, color, and the human figure, with cold wax and oils.
Learn the power of harmonizing your color through limited palettes and deliberate color interactions.
Develop your composition skills with the figure, focusing on tension, balance, unity, and more. Recognize and avoid common problems.**
**This is NOT a beginner class. This workshop is for artists with prior experience using cold wax medium and prior experience with the human figure who want to take their work to a deeper level.
Melinda Cootsona in her studio.
Are supplies included?
To make travel more convenient, artists essentially need to bring only their tools, paints, creativity, and enthusiasm. The following supplies are provided:
cold wax medium
solvents
Arches oil paper
painting surfaces (Multimedia Artboard)
1 roll paper towels
waxed, non-stick, and other papers
texture materials, PanPastels, dry pigments, sand
palette paper
inks and other water-soluble media
and more!
What should you bring?
Here is a link to the supply list. Read it over thoroughly!
Thinking of taking the workshop? Make it happen, no matter the inconvenience, cost, or timing!
- Judy V
It was well thought out and more giving of experience and talent than any other workshop I have taken.
- Dana G
ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTORS
Jerry McLaughlin, MD, initially trained as a pediatric critical care physician. He began his artistic career as a fine art photographer, but realizing he had always wanted to be a painter, he abandoned photography and started painting. Although encaustic was his initial medium, once he discovered cold wax and oils, he quickly transitioned and has never gone back. His work has been collected across the US and internationally and has appeared in many publications. He works with HG Contemporary Gallery in New York, DZINE Gallery in San Francisco.
In 2017, Jerry, with co-author Rebecca Crowell, published the internationally award-winning Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts & Conversations. It is the first ever comprehensive book exploring the myriad techniques and ways artists are using cold wax medium. In 2020, Rebeca and Jerry started COLD WAX ACADEMY, the only online learning portal devoted exclusively to artists interested in cold wax.
Jerry is passionate about teaching, and he holds a certificate in adult education from the University of Washington. His strength lies in identifying and addressing the individual needs of his students and helping them analyze and develop solutions to the difficulties they are encountering. Jerry maintains an active artist mentoring and coaching practice, working with artists around the world
Jerry went for the first time to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico in 2018. Three weeks later he and his husband, Mike, bought a home. They left Oakland and now live in San Miguel with their dog, Bert.
Melinda Cootsona is a figurative painter in Northern California. Greatly influenced by the Bay Area artistic tradition, her paintings focus on the strength of the female figure. The paintings are created with layers of oil paint, applied and then scraped away revealing figures that fill the canvas in varying poses of contemplation or reflection in abstracted surroundings. Whether in a soft or harsh surrounding, the strength of the female figure is primary.
Having taught oil painting for 24+ years to students around the globe, Melinda takes particular care to interact with each student individually to help them discover their own voice and work on their unique needs.
Melinda’s work has been included in exhibitions at the Bakersfield Museum of Art and the Triton Museum in California, The San Francisco Art Market, The Coos Bay Museum of Art in Oregon, and Art Basel Miami, as well as many group and solo shows throughout the U.S.
ABOUT TAKING A WORKSHOP IN SAN MIGUEL de ALLENDE
Getting to and around San Miguel
I recommend you fly into Leon (Guanajuato International Airport, BJX), which is about 60 miles from San Miguel or into Queretaro (also about 60 miles, QRO). From any of the airports you can take a cab or hire a car. There are shuttle/car services like BajioGo, whose services are reputable and have a solid track record. I use them when I go to/from the airport. I have some private drivers I can recommend if you are interested.
You can also fly into Mexico City, but that is about 160 miles away and a 5-hour trip by car/bus to San Miguel.
Although you can rent a car and drive, having a car in SMA can be inconvenient with parking/traffic. It is easy to get around SMA via taxi and Uber. They are abundant and inexpensive.
Lodging
The studio address is Paloma 11 La Luz, San Miguel de Allende, 37747 (the pink circle on the map).
Because daily transport to/from the workshop is included, you can book one of the many hotels or Airbnb’s in the city center and take advantage of the food, beauty, and culture of San Miguel.
Because people have different budgets and different tastes in the kinds of places they like to stay, I generally do not recommend any particular lodging. Click HERE and scroll down for some places that have worked with Estudio Paloma previously. Some offer discounts for artists taking workshops at Estudio Paloma. Make sure to mention Estudio Paloma.
If you would prefer to be walking distance to the workshop, Hotel Casa Primavera (the red circle that says ‘Hotel Spring House’) and some Airbnb’s in the area are options. However, unless you prefer a walking distance option, I recommend you stay in the city center (up and left of the red circle) and enjoy the local culture.
Click HERE for information about traveling with art supplies.
*No, you cannot ship your supplies to me. Please do not ask.
How will I get my paintings home?
We will be working on surfaces varying among 9x12, 12x12, 12x16, 16x16, or 16x20, depending on what sizes you choose when you’re here. I recommend you bring two pieces of corrugated cardboard approximately 1 inch bigger than the largest size you plan on working with (e.g. 17x17 will accommodate a 16x16 inch painting). This will keep them protected during your travel.
Travel Insurance
I recommend that you purchase travel insurance to help cover the cost of workshop, flight, lodging, luggage, etc., should there be interruption or disruption of your travels. Your policy should also include health coverage. Medicare and many other insurance plans do not cover medical expenses or repatriation during international travel. Click HERE for basic information on travel insurance.
CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT COVID-19