Jean used wash techniques to do several underwater scenes.
A robust group of students ready to explore the mysteries of watercolor gathered for a weekend of hands-on experience Jan. 21st and 22nd. After a full day of exercises and instruction on Saturday, they struck out on their own on Sunday, doing diverse projects.
Emily painted snow on a beach.
Rebecca used salt to create texture in her painting inspired by an extreme close-up photo of a flower.
John tried to capture the soft monochromatic colors of rocks and pine in fog.
Jenny brought a bouquet of roses and took on the challenge of working from life. She wanted to try to paint realistically, breaking away from her usual cartoon style.
Katey did a painting of some of the fish she works with at her environmental job, and tried to capture the feel of the Australian beach scene she once photographed.
Ariel set up a photo shoot of her dog posed with a still life, and worked on creating the colors and textures in a painting.
Joan brought a watercolor painting she'd already begun, and realized how many detailed layers were involved in creating the flowers, grapes and fruit.
Eliza did a portrait of her pet, using a fan brush to create the texture of fur.
Janet experimented with pages of wet-on-wet washes to work on clouds, sand, and reflection on water before she completed a final scene.
Laura Lee did an amazing painting of a shark underwater, illuminated by light from above. She did an underpainting of the sharks form in violets, then used resist (masking fluid, frisket) to save her lights, and painted a wash of blue over it all.
Elizabeth painted a floral illustration, beginning with lights, and layering glazes to create form.
Debbie worked on a boat by a barn, diligently trying to get colors that were true.
Lisa wasn't around when I took photos, but she experimented with controlling washes on a painting of a sweet loosely painted bird.
It's always a pleasure to work with creative, talented, motivated students, and the weekend was a pleasure for me. I'll be teaching another weekend intensive this coming summer.
