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ABOUT US

Just half a block off of the old historical downtown section of Petaluma, CA,  within the humble headquarters of Plein Air Liaison™, is PAL | atelier™., founded by Carole Gray-Weihman in the winter of 2014. (Plein Air Liaison, Inc., Carole's last collaborative project, got off the ground in the fall of 2012). Carole is looking forward to PAL | atelier™ and Plein Air Liaison™ enjoying a symbiotic relationship, feeding and inspiring their faithful muse. Read more...

OUR HISTORY

Prior to PAL | atelier™, we were known as, l'Atelier aux Couleurs, founded by Carole Gray-Weihman and Camille Przewodek, in 2003. We operated an artist's atelier side by side for nearly a decade. Alfredo Tofanelli joined the atelier in 2007 and has been a resident artist and instructor at the atelier ever since.

 

We operated not only as a working atelier, but also an art school that offered painting classes and workshops by some of the most experienced premier plein air painters of today–painters of a diverse background, some who were classically trained and others who had been protégés of well known master painters. We're happy to say, that after a three year hiatus, we're bringing these talented instructors back.

 

 

 

 

OUR PRESENT & FUTURE PLANS

What hasn't changed from the last decade into the next, is that Carole, Alfredo and Camille continue to hold plein air workshops and classes out of the atelier as resident artists. What has changed? We are much more than a place to study en plein air. We are about creating, and creating can take on many forms. We are engaging in the business of creativity and inspiring others to make art and share ideas! We encourage all levels whether you're a true beginner or a professional artist.

 

If your passion is painting en plein air, then be sure to head over to our sister site, Plein Air Liaison, to learn about plein air classes, workshops and events being offered at our other locations besides our Petaluma facility. In our Events section, alongside our other inspiring and creative events, we'll list the ones happening right here at PAL | atelier™ or just outside our doors in beautiful Sonoma County.

 

Here at PAL | atelier™, you will find Carole, Alfredo and Camille are dedicated and highly motivated artists, each focusing on their own individual endeavors to broaden their skills and opportunities nationally and abroad. They continue to strive to teach newcomers as well as experienced painters their own unique approach to painting en plein air and they concentrate on working individually with students in order to maximize individual learning.

 

Soon we'll be sharing with you our other talented instructors and event holders! Consider joining the PAL | atelier™ mailing list to stay informed.

 

READ MORE

READ MORE ABOUT THE RESIDENT ARTISTS

Carole Gray-Weihman
Carole Gray-Weihman,

former Co-Owner/Co-Founder & Executive Director of the former Art Academy of Petaluma and l'Atelier aux Couleurs, is now enjoying her new role as Goddess of Good Will and All-Around Workaholic at PAL | atelier™ and as owner and operator of Plein AIr Liaison, Inc. (also housed at the 250 Water Street atelier); her dislikes are bad hair days and animal abusers--her likes include a commitment to plein air study, designing cool stuff and her dog (not necessarily in the order).

 

Carole teaches oil painting classes at PAL |  atelier™ on an ongoing yearly schedule. Her classes are: "Going Coastal on Tuesdays" and "Still Life & Landscape on Wednesdays", for beginners to advanced students. She also teaches 3-5 day workshops at PAL Atelier and abroad.

 

She has put in many hours of study and painting to have earned herself a spot in the growing field of plein air painting having won over a dozen plein air awards since 2007, and in 2009 being featured in the international magazine known as, Ashtii. Carole was also featured in an article written by Michael Chesley Johnson for the Pastel Journal in 2007. She has been interviewed by KGAB Cheyenne, Wyoming, and has had two guest appearances on the KGWN-TV Morning Show. 

 

Carole was Camille Przewodek's protogé from 1996 to 2007 and to this day, credits Camille for providing her with a strong foundation of intense color study and discipline- that knowledge which she tries to impart with her own students. Carole also studied with the late Joseph Mendez, student of Russian master painter, Sergei Bongart, for three years and continues her studies with Cedric & Joanette Egeli, Peggi Kroll-Roberts, Ray Roberts, John Ebersberger and Skip Whitcomb. For 6 consecutive years, Carole also studied with many of the members of the Plein Air Painter's of America. These instructors included: George Strickland, Kenn Backhaus, Gay Faulkenberry, Matt Smith, Jean Perry and John Budicin.

 

Carole's teaching, which is directly influenced by many of the painters mentioned above, emulates the methods she's learned, but in her own voice and style so as not to imitate any one discipline.

 

In 2004, Carole took on the freelance position as San Francisco & Northern Ca. Regional Editor of Plein Air Magazine. When the magazine went on a hiatus, Fine Art Connoisseur took its place and Carole went on to become the San Francisco & Northern Ca. Regional Editor. Plein Air Magazine has since returned, yet Carole has stayed on with Fine Art Connoisseur. 

 

Carole's Affiliations: California Art Club, Plein Air Painters of Colorado and is a signature member of Laguna Plein Air Painters Association.

  

To learn more about Carole and view her paintings, visit her website: www.grayweihman.com

 

Camille Przewodek
Camille Przewodek,

former Co-Owner/Co-Founder & Curriculum Director at the Art Academy of Petaluma and currently the Head Mistress of her own Color Boot Camps. Her strong dislikes are closed-mindedness and whimps. Her likes include, coffee, crosswords, and meditating.

 

Camille has won many awards and has been featured in several magazines, including American Artist, The Artist's Magazine, PleinAir Magazine and Australian Artist, and her work has been published in several books as well. She was trained at Wayne State University, City College of San Francisco, Academy of Art in San Francisco and the Cape Cod School of Art in Provincetown with renowned painter, Henry Hensche. She began her career as an illustrator before making the transition to fine art in 1996.

 

Camille Przewodek's Statement: "Lineage of Impressionism- In 1980, Henry Hensche [1901-1992] opened my eyes by introducing me to Monet's impressionist tradition of seeing and painting color with the influence of light. Hensche, who had assisted famed American Impressionist Charles Hawthorne [1872-1930] at the Cape School of Art since 1930, changed the way I perceived shadows, which were no longer dark shapes but were filled with color. I also learned that conveying the shape of objects was accomplished through the interaction of colors. And as the colors changed, so did the form. Hensche changed forever the way in which I see color, helping me understand the fundamental principles of impressionism."

 

"The Effect of Light on Color- Impressionism, which has come to mean the effect of light on color, demands that the artist pay conscious, careful attention to what she sees and how she sees it. Like playing scales on the piano, practice is critical to understanding and expressing both how light creates color and how color notes convey light. I struggle against formulas and try to keep a fresh eye when exploring the color of each scene. That's why I continually do outdoor studies, and why I stop work on a painting when the light changes, returning to it only when the weather and light conditions are the same."

 

Camille's Approach: "I begin by quickly putting down color notes in an abstract series of shapes. Using a palette knife or a brush, I mix the colors directly on the painting surface and study their relationships to one another. If I change one color, I must change them all. I move from big masses of color to smaller spots, refining forms and shapes through values (light and dark) as I go along."

 

As well as teaching two workshops a year at the atelier, Camille teaches weekly: "Mondays with Camille" and "Friday Morning Figure with Camille", for beginners to advanced.

 

To learn more about Camille, visit her website: www.przewodek.com

Alfredo Tofanelli
Alfredo Tofanelli,

commonly known as Big Al, was the Programs Assistant, Adman and Go-to-Guy for mechanical and technical support for the Art Academy of Petaluma and currently is the Creative Director and one of the instructors for Plein Air Liaison, Inc and PAL | atelier™. He's the advice man, smile-maker and friends to all dogs, cats, and babies. Most of the time not knowing whether he's coming or going, we like to say that Al, just "is".

 

Al, a native of northern California, is an Italian-American, who received his Fine Arts degree from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. While at Art Center he studied under Craig Nelson, Peter Liashkov, Dan McCaw and John Asaro. More recently he has studied with Plein Air Painters of America  members; Joseph Mendez, Ken Backhaus and Skip Whitcomb to name a few. In 2004, he began studying color with Camille Przewodek and Carole Gray-Weihman at our atelier.

 

Al established himself as an illustrator and graphic designer in the Los Angeles area before returning north to San Francisco. He held a faculty position for ten years at Otis Art Institute of Parsons School of Design in Los Angeles, teaching courses in life drawing, painting and computer graphics. In the Bay Area he worked as an Art Director at The 3DO Company and Electronic Arts and also as a web developer.

 

As well as teaching two workshops a year at the atelier, Al teaches a head and figure class on Thursdays called, "Head & Figure Painting with Alfredo". This is a beginning to advanced class. Alfredo demonstrates what to look for and how to paint the head and figure in simple shapes to create form. He teaches the basic tools to help the student reach that next level. 

 

To learn more about Al, visit his website: www.tofanellistudio.com

Paint Brushes
Paint Brushes
Alfredo Tofanelli & Carole Gray-Weihman
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