Cosmologies and Constellations: Painting a Magical Nightscape

Instructor: Margaret Peot

margaretannpeot@verizon.net

www.margaretpeot.com

 

Description: In this workshop, participants will use stencils and thickened dye to paint constellations come to life in the night sky. We’ll explore how to suggest movement, starlight, and layered effects while keeping the process playful and accessible. Fantasy animal constellation stencils will be provided, and stencil material will be provided for those who wish to create their own—there are so many constellations from many different cultures, but participants will be encouraged to make one up if their favorite animal isn’t represented! Painters of all levels will leave with both new techniques and a silk panel that feels alive with motion.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn how to create the illusion of depth and movement using thickened dyes

• Experiment with stencils to simplify complex imagery

• Complete a silk panel featuring a night sky complete with a constellation-come-to-life

MATERIALS PROVIDED:

Provided large foam core boards (approx. 30x49), Grafix Mylar, Spraymount, tape, stickers, pushpins, plates for palettes, and precut stencils. Paint kits will also be provided courtesy of Pintler Paints.

MATERIALS FEE (APPROX.)_$35

 

STUDENT REQUIREMENTS: Participants bring: 1 yard of silk (any weight, but not textural—habitoi or broadcloth best), brushes, scissors, and an apron or protective clothing.

 

Instructor Bio:  Margaret has written and illustrated several books for children and adults and is represented by Anna Olswanger at Olswanger Literary LLC. Her picture book The Science of Light (Holiday House 2022) was awarded a silver Orbis Pictus award for excellence in non-fiction children’s books, and Inkblot: Drip, Splat and Squish Your Way to Creativity (Boyds Mills 2011) was awarded a Eureka! Silver Medal for non-fiction children’s books. Her art-making-for-everyone book for adults, Make Your Mark: Explore Your Creativity and Discover Your Inner Artist (Chronicle Books, 2004), voted one of Library Journal’s best how-to books of 2004.

Margaret paints and dyes costumes for the theater at Parsons-Meares, LTD. Shows she has worked on include Broadway shows such as Moulin Rouge, Wicked, Frozen, and The Lion King, among others., for dance; American Ballet Theater’s Peter and the Wolf, Joffrey Ballet’s Cotillon, Pilobolus, Feld Ballet’s Evo and Paper Tiger, among others. She is featured in the 2020 Routledge book Theater Artisans and Their Craft andSharon Powers’ book How Broadway Works (Applause 2023). Margaret is a member of United Scenic Artists, local 829.

 Margaret teaches fabric painting at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) and Dyeing for the Theater at SUNY Purchase. She taught costume painting at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts for ten years and has presented costume painting workshops at UNC, BYU, USITT-SE. She presents art workshops (inkblots, fabric painting, painting with stencils) with cancer survivors, elders, children, writers, nurses and caregivers, at The Creative Center at University Settlement’s Creative Aging conferences, and their Artist-in-Residence Training program, at Art Lab at Mount Sinai Hospital, Gilda’s Club, EngAGE Utah, The Huntsman Cancer Institute, Operation Exodus in NYC, and at Miami University’s Scripps center. Margaret was happy to teach two workshops and honored to be the keynote speaker at the 2024 SPIN Festival

 

Workshop Title Cosmologies and Constellations: Painting a Magical Nightscape TH/F
Workshop Dates 9/24-25, 2026
Workshop Description  In this workshop, participants will use stencils and thickened dye to paint constellations come to life in the night sky. We’ll explore how to suggest movement, starlight, and layered effects while keeping the process playful and accessible. Fantasy animal constellation stencils will be provided, and stencil material will be provided for those who wish to create their own—there are so many constellations from many different cultures, but participants will be encouraged to make one up if their favorite animal isn’t represented! Painters of all levels will leave with both new techniques and a silk panel that feels alive with motion.
Materials Provided Provided large foam core boards (approx. 30x49), Grafix Mylar, Spraymount, tape, stickers, pushpins, plates for palettes, and precut stencils. Paint kits will also be provided courtesy of Pintler Paints.
Materials Fee $35
Students Should Bring 1 yard of silk (any weight, but not textural—habitoi or broadcloth best), brushes, scissors, and an apron or protective clothing.

 

at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts