Beginning Watercolor Workshop

Hi! It's been awhile but updating my website and blog are on my 'I will get better at' list! 😉 I will upload photos of completed demos when I get back to California. Here is a list of a few things we've covered this week:

Supplies: Creative Coldsnow is the local art store on 25th & University in Des Moines. DickBlick is my online source.

Arches watercolor paper- rough, cold press and hot press. 140 lb is most common and what we used. Other good brands are Lanaquarelle and Fabriano Artistico. All papers react differently with paint. Some are softer, more delicate, some let you lift the paint easier, etc. This is a fun are to explore with!
Tube paints by Daniel Smith, Holbein and Winsor Newton.
Recommended brushes for beginner watercolorists-
1. Sable/synthetic blend. Round. #10. Please buy the best brush you can afford. This makes a difference!  My favorite round? Davinci Maestro Kolinsky Sable or Isabey Pure Sable.
2. Squirrel mop brush size 3. My favorite? Isabey 6234 Petit Gris size 3 or 4.
3. Hake brush (large inexpensive, flat brush used to wet large areas).
Kneaded eraser.
Masking fluid. Remember to use an OLD brush to spread this!
Smaller, old or stiff brush for lifting paint.
Large strait edge ruler.
#2 pencils.
1/2 or 5/8 "Gator board.
Paper towels.
Something to elevate head of your Gatorboard slightly.
Water container.

Artists who have great books or DVDs for beginning/intermediate watercolor students (this list could go on and on....) :-)

Birgit O'Connor- great DVDs!
Karlyn Holman- books and DVDs.
Jeanne Dobie- great book on mixing beautiful grays, greens, etc.
Shirley Trevena- fantastic books and DVDs. Inspirational!
Alvaro Castagnet- entertaining artist. Great books and DVDs.
Joseph Zbukvic- great DVDs
Jean Haines- great books and DVDs.
Vinita Pappas- great artist and teacher. Excels in plain air and landscape painting! Gives online classes and workshops. Has videos on Youtybe.
Des Moines Art Center has great art classes throughout the year. I've met wonderful artists, instructors and friends there.

YouTube has many clips and videos of these great artists.

Iowa Watercolor Society is a great organization and has fantastic fall workshops with world known watercolor artists who give demonstrations and workshops. It's a great way to learn and meet fellow watercolor enthusiasts!

www.iowawatercolorsociety.org

Happy painting!

 This past week I heard of the passing of one of my childhood friends. These orange roses seemed a perfect subject for my feelings. It gave me comfort to paint and absorb the fading beauty while reminiscing of times past.
Watercolor/gouache. The flowers and leaves are only watercolor. The vase, leaves and background were painted first in gouache, then I painted over the gouache with more watercolor in different hues. The gouache lifted a bit, making the background cloudy and mysterious.

PS Here is a beautiful poem written by another friend when he saw my painting. Thank you Ivan!

A soul has passed that solid grid we all deny with reverent respect to somber, undefined hereafter;  my friend, a floating blossom from a bouquet of life, a vase of ample nurture left behind.   

Ivan Volkoff

Color Therapy

This weekend created some Christmas cards. Watercolor and poinsettias work great together!

Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

This painting was inspired by you Mom. It's all about color. Hope it brightens your day! :-)

Love, Karen

Ring the Bells!!!

ring the bells that still can ring

forget your perfect offering

there is a crack in everything

that's how the light gets in

-leonard cohen

Recreating a Background

I enjoyed painting these lilies- A LOT! I think if there were only one type of flower to paint, this may be my pick. Everything from the color of the stamens, the messy flower edges, leaves, and whimsical patterns capture my heart and attention.
On this piece I  headed for a close-up of three favorite buds. They were completed without too much work; however,  I ignored planning the background. I KNOW better than that! After studying the blank, white background for a couple of days I decided to go in with a light, grey-blue gouache. What was I thinking?!? So, now that I'd killed the white of the paper (one of the 10 Commandments for a watercolorist) I realized this was a gonner. I tossed this painting into my 'stand-by' pile and moved on to my next victim.
After another painting or two I glanced back at this and decided to pull it out, experiment with dropping indigo and darker colors on TOP of the gouache and see what happened. I enjoyed the effect as the opaque gouache background acted almost like YUPO paper. Suddenly I had a 2nd chance with this piece. A few hours later this was my end result.
Lesson (that I've learned again and again): Some of my best pieces are the result of me totally giving up, walking away, then coming back with fresh eyes and energy.

Picasso Meets VanGogh?

I took a day off of my painting schedule to…..paint! I belong to a fun online class of watercolorists (Create 38) and May's objective was to study the color of yellow (not one of my favorites). I started with good 'yellow' intentions but repeatedly leaned toward a more chosen color of mine - orange. LOVE ORANGE!  These sunflowers were from the Solvang farmers market and reminded me so much of a couple of impressionists I admire.

BTW, the online class is led by Vinita Pappas and is inspiring!