In my watercolor painting class last Tuesday, students learned how to paint sandy beaches and seashells the fun and easy way. Letting gravity do the work, by putting color and water down and tilting, was new and exciting. There’s a lot of layering in this watercolor exercise and we use hair dryers to speed the drying.

Removing the masking to show the texture made everyone “ooh” and “ahh.” And lifting the color for the shells was another new experience for many students. It was a day of discovery and amazing results.

I started this happy snowman as a demonstration in my watercolor painting class, then I brought him home to finish in the studio this morning.   It’s all blue skies and smiles when you have friends, in this new, original watercolor painting. 

Now, available on eBay!  click here to see my listing. 

 Snowman and Chickadee is 10″ x 7″ and my first posting on the new blog I joined:  Daily Painters of Pennsylvania.  In 2010, I’m going to be offering more fun and beautiful paintings for collectors of every taste and budget. 

“Painting Shells with Debi Watson” DVD
Running Length: 42 min.
Price: $14.95

It’s tough to stay focused in the modern world, because there’s so much to do and learn.  While  there are tons of good information at your fingertips on the internet, there’s also tons of bad information.  How do you sort it all out? 

Art Marketing NOW 

If you want to learn about all the ins and outs of art marketing I’ve discovered - Kelly and I are giving a one day workshop at the York Art Association on June 5, covering art marketing in person and on-line, with space for 45 students.  We’re still putting the details together, but you can put your name on the list to reserve a spot – just call or email YAA at (717) 755-0028 or yaa1@comcast.net .  I’ll be giving you more information on it as it gets finalized, and sharing a lot in this blog.

Juried Show Opportunities – One for now and one for later 

Deadline fast approaching - the Baltimore Watercolor Society’s 2010 Mid-Atlantic Regional Watercolor Exhibit  (last year $8,000 in awards and over $15,000 in sales.)   My award winning original watercolor painting above, Wannabe Lap Dog, was accepted and shown in their 2009 exhibit.  Also, the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society’s juried show prospectus is available on-line, for anyone who wants to get an early start. 

Did you ever look at one of your older watercolor painting and have an obvious problem suddenly jump out at you?

In this painting, I toned down the white flowers on the left side, so the cherub vase stood out as the center of interest.  I darkened the ferns beside the cherubs face, and softened a few of the hard edges.

Watercolor is a terrific medium – you can change anything at any time, even a year later.

This happy little snowman is a tiny painting, 5″ x 7″, done as a demo at my Monday classes at Mulberry Art Studio in Lancaster.

Snow helps simplify shapes and colors, so that the shading is easier to see and understand.  (For more painting tips, be sure and sign up for my monthly newsletter.)

First 2010 Exhibit

My first show for the New Year will be at the Sally Danyo Gallery at the York Art Association, 220 South Marshall Street, York, PA, February 14 – April 11.

Do You Need Backup?

Another new 2010 thing is learning how to back up my web site.  (Yikes!)  It is a pain, but not as bad as losing the whole thing.  Check out Kelly’s (my daughter and owner of womenwise marketing) article “Eight Things I Learned When My Website Got Hacked.”

“It’s Always Trash Day Somewhere”  Original Watercolor 2009  10 x 14″  $600 framed

I actually changed this watercolor painting a bit on my daughter, Kelly’s advice.  (She always gives me excellent advice.) I added a face to the garbage man (peeking out from his hood) and a little dog following the guy across the street.  I’ll show the redone picture when it gets back from a show. 

It’s usually trash day when I go out to take photos, so I decided to embrace it for the original watercolor painting above and put in the whole truck.  Below, I started a new series in my Small Town America landscapes, of back alleys with an alley cat in each one.  Here’s the first.  Can you find the cat? 

 Alley Cat Series #1  Original Watercolor 2009  12 x 8″  $450 framed

                         New Original Watercolor – Early Morning – 13″ x 21.5″  Price:  $750 framed

This was the view from my hotel in Boone, NC this summer.  I was there teaching a watercolor workshop at Cheap Joe’s.  The sunrises were beautiful and the road reminded me of a river, with humanity flowing through the gorgeous mountain scenery.

The Race – Original Watercolor 10.5 x 14″

I can’t believe I’ve been a professional watercolor artist for ten years now.  Not only have I had an exciting time learning about the watercolor art world, I’ve also discovered a lot about myself as an artist.

2010—Getting Focused On Watercolor

Next year, I’ll be working on a series of watercolor landscapes and figurative scenes from my world.  I was thinking of calling it faces and places, but that’s kind of trite.   I enjoy painting blue collar America - where their lives happen and who they are – (which is my kind of people.)  It isn’t usually as pretty as the scenes most watercolor artists paint, but it’s real.  And it’s interesting. 

What about YOUR art?

What are your plans and goals for 2010?  Comment and let me know.  I think everyone should set goals – it’ll help you improve as an artist and figure out who you are.  And if you think of a better name for my series, please shout it out.  I always need help with names.

Featuring artists:

• Carole Barnes
• Carrie Brown
• Cathy Searle
• Linda Baker
• Linda Benton McCloskey
• Lucy Weigle
• Me, Debi Watson