Watercolor Workshop

Seven students are taking my current workshop and yesterday we were able to cover 2 important lessons: working wet using a spray bottle to help move the paint, and building wash layers to create a greater sense of depth.  I always need to revisit these lessons because acknowledging what we are doing with the paint continues to help me recognize the wonderful qualities of watercolor. This morning I was able to complete yesterday's first demonstration painting.

"Howling at the Moon", watercolor, 30" x 22"

The wolf is still on my mind and after last weekend's encaustic paintings (all wolf themed) I am still inspired by these wonderfully mysterious creatures. I also could not help but notice the full moon the past 2 nights, did you see it?

Next weekend we will work on more traditional landscape painting however my hope is that we will incorporate many of the watercolor techniques we practiced yesterday with a more impressionistic landscape as an end result.

setup and working 

2 of the 7 are repeat students who were familiar with the wash lesson. We all used painters tape to mask out white areas in the painting. They worked quickly and are allowing me to share their work.

Betty Dumas's birch trees on the easel, and Judith Eskin's painting is flat on the table.