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Long Days

I had a great time at Jerry Greer’s photo workshop. We usually left at 5:30 a.m. to get to our shoot location before sunrise and kept at it till the sun went down – lots of hiking and not much sleep. (I can sleep when I go home, right?)

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Photo Workshops

This was my first workshop and I didn’t know what to expect. The teacher has planned the best spots for students to get stunning photos. He took us to the locations and showed us the exact viewpoint that gave the best picture. Then he helped us with the technical camera stuff. Even I, who have a hard time paying attention for very long, learned a lot. Now, I can paint a lot – I have reference photos galore and feel quite inspired.

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I’m taking a photo workshop with Jerry Greer in Tenneessee! I haven’t had a vacation in a while, and it’s nice to get away, even if I did drive nine hours to get here…

I’ll try to update this every morning so you can see what we’re doing.

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DEB  WATSON SHARES NEW TIPS AND TECHNQUES FOR FRAMING WATERCOLORS

(HERSHEY, PA).   Hershey Area Art Association’s April Program featured artist and speaker Deb Watson, from Lancaster, PA.  Deb shared her experiences and expertise about many different new materials tips and techniques for watercolors with other area artists and art lovers. She challenges some of the traditional thinking that watercolors are any less valuable than oil paintings and that they need to be presented matted and under glass. With many of today’s new art supplies, paper can be easily protected and matting is not necessarily needed to make a stunning artwork presentation. She shared various examples of paintings on pastel board, aqua board, cradle board and traditional watercolor paper stretched similarly to canvas.

Deb Watson is a self taught artist that delights in constantly experimenting in media and form. She became a full-time watercolor artist and instructor in 1999 after a full career as a nurse. She’s inspired to create art because it “makes people happier, healthier and more sociable” and she feels she’s doing her part by sharing her talents, artwork and creative spark to make the world a better place. Her students have noted that her classroom style leaves them encouraged and inspired.

Deb served as President of the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society (PWS) in 2012 and was instrumental in having the 2012 PWS Juried Show at the State Museum of PA.   She is also the innovator behind the York Gallery Group which currently has nearly a dozen local York businesses participating where artists display their works for sale.  These are just a couple of Deb’s many accomplishments.  She is a member of several watercolor societies and has received numerous awards for her paintings.  Additional information about Deb Watson and her work can be found at www.debiwatson.com.

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I have some fantastic students and here a few paintings of theirs from various classes. Little do they know I learn as much from them as they do from me!

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Basket Weave For Watercolor

Click on the above link for a pdf explaining how to do your own basket weave painting.

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This is a fun exercise for watercolor – taking two paintings and weaving them together like a basket (or the old potholders we did in girl scouts.)

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General Directions

I painted two paintings of red tulips, making each the same size. When they were dry, I sliced the middle of one vertically in 1/2″ increments, leaving the top and bottom on the painting unsliced. The other painting I cut in 1/2″ strips horizontally. I wove the horizontal strips through the vertical slices, lining up the two paintings as best I could.

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Watch For The Student Paintings In A Future Blog Post

I will be demonstrating this for my classes as a unique way to create a watercolor painting. They usually turn out very well, and are fun! I’ll take photos and post some of the student paintings in a blog later this month.

8 x 10 Watercolor mounted on cradle board

April 9, 2013 (at 7 p.m.)  I will be the guest speaker at the Hershey Area Art Association. I’ll be discussing all the new mediums that are available for watercolor painting -

• canvas
• Arches board
• aquabord (masonite panel) and pastelbord
• watercolor canvas
• watercolor paper on canvas stretcher bars
• watercolor paper mounted on cradle board
• There are so many new ways to display watercolor, just like acrylics or oils. I’m still experimenting myself. The above painting I did on 140 lb. paper and mounted on an 8x 10 cradle board. I managed to get a streak of the acrylic gel medium on the painting, so I painted the whole surface with the gel medium so it wouldn’t show.

For the talk, I’ll be bringing examples of all of the above and doing a demo of stretching paper on canvas stretcher bars and a demo of mounting paper on cradle board.

Watercolor Forest Scene Mounted on Cradle Board    

Thursday, April 11, 2013  9:00 am to 3:00 pm

 (For a printable pdf of class info and supplies – Hershey April WC Workshop.)

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Description:  We will be working small, just a bit larger than 8 x 10.  Wet on wet watercolor and sponging will be used to create a soft focus forest scene.  Spattering, opaque detail and lifting out of sun beams will be the finishing touches.  Finished paintings will be mounted on cradle board and go home ready to hang.  This exercise is for all experience levels from non-painters to advanced.

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Students should bring their own paints, brushes and palettes;  Instructor will supply the natural sponges and supplies for the cradle board.  (Instructor can also supply paper and paint for a small fee.)

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Contact Deb@debwatson.org or 481-7526

To sign up complete the Student Registration Form at the bottom of the Hershey Art Association Page
Fee:  $35.00 -

Class size limited – call or email Deb for availability and send check to Deb Watson 916 Forest Rd Lancaster PA 17601 (made out to Deb Watson)

Watercolor of York, PA by the Chocolate Company

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What’s Up

I just entered Man About Town (left) in the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society’s online member exhibit. Currently, I’m working on a commission of a Revolutionary War Camp in York.

Selling VS Showing

I haven’t been entering many juried exhibits lately. This year I’m focusing on paintings that will be for sale, watercolors and oils of scenes from my hiking trips. My new hiking buddy, puppy Edgar, is still too little to hike far, but he’s growing fast. He’ll be ready for some great adventures once spring gets here.

Blue Ridge Mountains

I’ve signed up for a photography workshop in the Blue Ridge Mountains in April. It’s a big beautiful world out there when you go hiking and I want to be able to take fabulous reference photos. I can hardly wait!