Student Art: Spring 2019

Kari Zeplin6

Diane Winningham

Joe Isca4

Bill Lambert5

The above paintings are from our Exploring Watercolor class. These artists learn the basics about watercolor. They learn how to create colorful darks and value differences. They learn how to recognize differences in value and that it is always better to allow the water to help them create. Basic color combinations are discussed and practiced. They learn to use a sponge, masking fluid,  a magic eraser, salt, make a rubber band brush for grasses, and how to soften an edge with their brush. They practice skies and water and trees and buildings. They take watercolor magazines home with them, each week, so they can see all the different ways artists use watercolor. This is the class that starts it all. If .ou would like to see all of their incredible work, click here.

Mary Ann Berron3

Kathy Cron4

Masa Paper Painting

Laura Nellum

Ink and Watercolor Painting

Linda Gerbers3

Joyce Racine4

Rachel Peterson3

Gouache Resist

Jennifer Hope

Tammy Enrietto

Watercolor and Collage

The above paintings were completed in a class titled Watercolor Plus. It is probably the most creative as well as the most demanding watercolor class that I teach. I pretty much teach different techniques for the use of other media in watercolor. The artists select the things they want to try. I am so pleased with the results in this class that you must visit their gallery page by clicking here. These artists worked with masa paper, gesso and watercolor, gouache resist and watercolor, many different forms of waterproof black ink and watercolor, elegant writer, citrasolv collage and watercolor and rice paper and watercolor. High praise for the work you all did!!!!

Nancy Longmate

Sue Joseph6

Janet Heffley4

The above paintings were completed in the Advanced Watercolor Class. This class is designed to be a class where artists, who have completed all the other classes, may come and work together on paintings of their own choice. They must complete at least 3 paintings in the 6 week period. I am available as a mentor as well as them helping each other. They have a sharing time at the end of each class session. If you would like to see all of their work this period click here.

Henn Laidroo

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER BREAK!

New Student Art Fall 2018

Three art classes ended this past week.  I thank all of my students who have agreed to share their art on this post and within the gallery pages listed above. I am very lucky to be able to witness the growth and creativity in all of these artists.

Henn Laidroo

Cindy Guzik

Nancy Longmate

The above three paintings are from the Advanced Watercolor Class. This class is for the students who have completed the other classes I teach. They come together on Monday nights and work on paintings of their own choice. They have more time and freedom to explore techniques I have taught or research on their own and try something new. There is always a critique at the end of each class and the students share new ideas with one another. To view the Advanced Watercolor Student Gallery click Here.

Dionne Carter2

Jennifer Hope

Mary Anne Berron

This grouping of paintings are from the Watercolor Portrait class. They could work on people, animals and / or figures. They studied portrait composition, value, skin tone, measurement and features. To view the Student Portrait Gallery click Here.

James Toole
Blind Continuous Line

Joseph Quinlisk2
Study in Perspective

Elaine Lehman4
Value Study

The above drawings are from the Beginning Drawing class. They work so hard. They learn how to turn their left brains off and draw in blind continuous line and feel their way around and over a form. They learn the elements of perspective and how to make various marks for value. They practice drawing from life and from photos. They learn to grid and to draw themselves and each other. They also work on several still life arrangements. If you would like to view the Beginning Drawing Student Gallery click Here.

New Student Art: Beginning Watercolor, Spring 2018

Kathy Cron

Diana Adkins

Jennifer Hope2

Mary Anne Berron

Sydney Salway

John Glascow

The above paintings are just a few of the paintings from this Spring’s Beginning Watercolor Class that ended this past week.  Every single person in this class works hard each week. There are new topics covered each week. Students are encouraged to complete a painting, using the technique or topic discussed, each week . We covered the basic strokes and learned about brushes, paint and paper. We learned that we needed to partner with the water and that there would sometimes be “happy accidents” where the water shows us something new and how to allow that to happen. We learned how to make foliage and trees and clouds and buildings. We learned about color and value and how to make better colors that were not flat. We learned about frisket and wax resist and the magic eraser. We learned to paint “little people”.

If you would like to view all 35 of their paintings click here.  You can also scroll to the top of the page and click on the page titled Student Art: Beginning Watercolor Spring 2018.

Thank you to all the artists, from this class, who gave me permission to share their art here.

Student Art: Advanced Watercolor Spring 2018

Dianna Burt

 

Barb Knepple

 

Kathleen Smierciak3

 

Melissa Scare3

 

Sheila Boneham3

 

Sue Mendenhall3

The paintings, above, are examples of what were created in our Spring 2018 session of Advanced Watercolor. The artists enrolled in this class may decide what they would like to paint. They are to complete three paintings within the six week period.  I am available as a mentor to answer questions and encourage along the way. All of the current students have taken all the other watercolor classes I offer. This is their opportunity to explore the techniques they have learned and to bring in new ideas that they discover to share with the group. We always have a sharing and critique session at the end of each class session.

If you would like to view 40+ other paintings they created click here . 

You can also scroll to the top of the page and click on Advanced Watercolor Students: Spring 2018. Thank you to all the artists who gave me permission to post their art here.

Painting on Khadi Paper

 

I recently tried a new paper, 140lb Khadi Rough. The two paintings, above, are my first attempts to feel the paper and explore how it took the watercolor. It is very soft. Large areas of liquid friskit will damage the surface but I have used it on small areas with no problem. The paper remains wet for a long time, so I had two paintings going at a time. While one was drying, I’d work on the other. I love the texture of the paper and the imperfections in it. There are bumps and particles that appear throughout as I paint. Once a layer dries, I can lift most colors. by scrubbing back with sponge or bristle brush. The paintings look soft and have a glow. I feel like I can complete a painting faster on this paper. The color is more vibrant from the beginning.

 

The next two paintings are much larger. To begin each of these paintings, I painted in gray scale with Paynes gray to establish values. I spritzed each gray scale painting with water to blur some of the edges. I then painted on top of the gray scale. In the bottom painting, I added white gouache glazes to the background and sponged where I wanted to lift some of the mist.

I am sold on this paper. I do not know if it will hold up to the abuses of gouache resist or collaging but will try both techniques on it. Arches may be the better choice for those techniques. I know I could use ink, elegant writer and gesso techniques with this paper.

Thank you to wet canvas for the photo references for the horses and cat.

 

 

 

New Gouache Resists

 

The paintings, above, are gouache resists. It is a process involving the use of ink, white gouache and watercolor. I enjoy experimenting with all sorts of images when I create these. They all turn out different. If you would like to try this I have a tutorial here.

My Grandchildren have been back and forth this summer sharing all sorts of activities with me. This summer I taught them how to grid a portrait from a photo reference, size their format for proper dimensions and grid their watercolor paper to help them draw their Dad’s.

The following is what they came up with.

9 year old

The photo reference for the above portrait was from a Christmas photo.

10 year old

The above photo is the same Dad as the 9 year old’s but at a recent rock concert (making a funny face).

11 year old

Photo taken at rock concert.

I was amazed how easily they caught on to gridding and how happy they were when they saw they could see where to put their drawing lines in relation to the grid lines. They needed very little help from me. Noses and mouths were what they needed help with, but not much. We used a very simple grid and  divided the paper into 9 sections. I have described how to do this in this post. It was a great exercise in math. They were able to see how math can be important in everyday activities. Children soak things like this up so quickly!

 

Student Art: Spring 2017

Laura Butchko

Kara Morris3

Jim Wulpi5

 

Jan Reche

Diana Ringer2

Linda Flatley2

The above paintings are just a few from the spring classes in watercolor this year.

The beginning class learns about their supplies, basic techniques in application such as wet-in-wet, wet on dry and dry brushing. They learn about color combinations and value, texture and techniques to enhance texture. They learn to use masking fluid. We talk about things we need to be concerned with when painting trees, clouds, buildings and little people. If you would like to view more of the Beginning Watercolor  paintings,  there is a temporary gallery set up here.

The Watercolor Plus class worked on six different mixed media approaches with watercolor. They painted on masa paper. They worked with ink and watercolor and chose all sorts of different techniques with ink. One example using ink might be this technique. They used citrasolv collage and watercolor. They used white gouache to glaze a painting. They did a gouache resist.  Everyone painted on a textured gesso surface they created.

If you would like to view a gallery of the  Watercolor Plus class paintings click here.

Thank you to all my students who attend my classes and share their art here!

For the Birds!

My Watercolor Plus class has been working away on trying to complete a painting a week; each one using a different medium with watercolor.

The photo reference for the above painting came from one of my students. Thank you to Dawn!

If you enlarge the above painting times three,  you will be able to see

the different rice papers I used for the nest leaves and grasses and the citrasolve collage papers I used for the adult bird’s feathers.  Just another way I enjoy working with watercolor.

For more on citrasolv click here. For more on rice papers and watercolor click here.

Masa Paper Sparrows and Gesso Juice Cat

 

The above two paintings were painted on toned masa paper. It is one of my favorite supports to paint on.  If you would like to learn more about how to prepare and tone masa paper and some of the things you can do with it click here and here.

This painting was painted on a different support that I made with gesso juice. You can learn all about how to prepare and paint on this surface here. I have improved on creating different effects with this surface by sometimes adding white craft sand to the mix and sometimes torn pieces of rice paper.

Little Bear 2

This is Little Bear. She was a best friend to my sister’s family for years and years. I remember the first time I ever saw her. She was hanging upside down on a gutter outside the family room window and had grabbed a small wooden birdhouse, hanging there, between her front paws. She was peering into the hole in it. I laughed so hard.

I painted her once before here.