Color Blending Workshop

 

Dramatic Color Blending workshop -- Day Two

Despite abnormally high temperatures in our area this past weekend, sixteen intrepid artists worked to complete a dramatic floral painting using "un-poured" color blending techniques.  By masking and then dabbing color in loosely with large brushes, we achieved the look of a poured painting without the messiness of splashed paint.  Color was subsequently reinforced or modified and details were added in with a variety of brushes.

My finished demo painting

Finished paintings posted for critique

Seeing all the paintings at the end of the weekend was quite a treat!! Although not everyone was able to stay to the finish on Sunday, we had 13 fabulous completed paintings to share!!  (If you'd like to see each of the paintings individually, Guy has posted additional pix on his blog.)

Huge thanks to Guy Magallanes for hosting my workshop.  Guy is the most accommodating and upbeat person -- it's always a pleasure to spend time with him and teach at his studio.

New Color Blending Workshop...

I'm really excited to be doing another watercolor workshop at my friend Guy Magallanes's studio!!  Guy has created such a congenial space -- it's just a pleasure to be there.  We're expanding this workshop a bit (starting on Friday afternoon and continuing with full days on Saturday and Sunday) to make sure everyone will have time to complete this painting.  I'll also be showing you some simple things you can do to make a rather plain resource photo pop with energy.  I hope you'll join me in June!!

Wrapping up my two-day workshop...

Sunday afternoon, near the end of the workshop

Just wanted to share a few pictures and a little bit about my workshop at Guy Magallanes' Studio this past weekend. I had nine students -- three from southern California (Bakersfield and Altadena) and six local artists -- including Guy and his partner in Art2Art, Joyce Faulknor. I had a great time teaching the workshop and, from the feedback I got, I think everyone attending had a fun time too!!  

My thanks to Guy for hosting my return to the workshop scene -- couldn't have asked for a better host or more congenial workspace. I greatly appreciated his support and encouragement!! Guy has also posted more pictures of the weekend with two blog entries, here and here.

Guy posts the finished paintings for review

I enjoy working at a level of detail that sometimes gives even me the heebie-jeebies, so I recognize that it can be daunting, but everybody tackled the myriad details with good cheer and determination. I also presented several options for the background.

 All our ducks in a row!!

Seeing all the finished paintings lined up together was a treat -- and I enjoyed the creativity that people took in customizing the backgrounds in their paintings. Some of the group even came prepared to do multiple paintings so they could try out several background options.

Dippy Duck #4

watercolor, 8" x 8"

Chris Beck

This is my finished demo piece, and he proudly takes his place in what is a growing line of these fun ducks with their outsized red bills. I was very excited to discover a new way of creating the background design as I experimented in preparation for the weekend. The process is fun and quite easy to do but gives a complex finished look. I'm going to be adding it to my workshop bag of tricks and look forward to sharing it with more of you as I schedule more workshops.

Ruddy Duck Demo...

 Last step of the demo -- lifting highlights -- 
taken from the mirror so everything is reversed

 Guy took this photo about halfway back in the studio

The sequence of steps used in the demo

We had a great turnout for my demo at Guy Magallanes's studio this past Saturday -- 27 people showed up for my two-hour presentation and, from his spot in the audience, Guy reports they were mesmerized.  I had a great time showing how I develop one of my paintings of a vintage salt shaker.  Seeing the subject come to life over the course of six panels is almost like time-lapse photography.

The workshop in October is now more than half full and I'm really jazzed about it.  I've got three artists from Southern California coming up for the workshop -- I can't tell you how thrilled I am about that!!  And if someone reading this post is looking for a fun workshop, I'd love to have you join me!!  Contact Guy at guy@guymagallanes.com for more info and to register.

I'm getting nibbles to teach some other workshops too and I couldn't be happier -- I'm eager to expand my teaching activities!!

More on the workshop...

Expanding a bit on the workshop description to give you a better idea of what topics I'm going to cover. We'll paint this colorful vintage salt shaker, learning how to create volume and shine on slick-surfaced objects and I'll present a number of options for customizing the background.  In addition, we'll talk about developing an idea from concept to design to finished painting.  

I'd love to have you join me for the workshop -- Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 20-21, from 10am to 4pm each day.  If you pay in full by Sept. 15 (that's the day of the free demo), you'll save $25 on the fee.  We'll send the materials list and the sketch after you've paid. Some inexpensive specialty brushes will also be available for purchase at the workshop.  Contact Guy Magallanes -- guy@guymagallanes.com -- for more info and to register.

Come paint with me...

I'm so pleased that Guy Magallanes has asked me to teach a workshop at his studio this fall.  Guy is a wonderful teacher and he's set up a very congenial classroom space at the "shop."  I'm happy to be getting back into teaching and I'm really looking forward to sharing my latest painting techniques.  Please join me for a demo on Saturday, September 15 from 10am to noon.  And I hope to see a bunch of you in the workshop on Saturday–Sunday, October 20–21, from 10am to 4pm.  For more information and to reserve your space, email Guy at: guy@guymagallanes.com.  If you register and pay in full by September 15, Guy will even knock $25 off the workshop fee!!

(You must have some watercolor experience for this workshop.)