Confident Color Workshop was a blast!

I had a great time in Ft. Lauderdale last week. This workshop for the Gold Coast Watercolor Society is on my list of all-time favorites! The weather was fantastic--80s and sunny. Thanks to Teresa Kirk for running a great workshop and to Jennifer Kellum who handled the lunch logistics (important job!) to perfection and also to class members who kept the snack table filled to overflowing with caloric goodies.
Here's a link to some of the color sketches the artists did on the second day.
People playing with myriads of color ideas and subjects to paint with their watercolors is so energizing. The workshop (20 people) began with a review of basics (split-primary color mixing)and it was surprising to find many hadn't learned--or didn't remember--this simple, important method of avoiding mud in color mixing. Then we spent one day each on color harmony triads, color contrasts, color schemes, and painting light effects in color. On Tuesday night I gave a PowerPoint presentation for the Gold Coast Watercolor Society. This program shows how 30-plus artists in Confident Color use color creatively in different media, including graphic design, fibers, and mixed media.

GCWS has a fantastic facility for both workshops and demos. March 19-23 they are sponsoring Dave Daniels, a terrific artist and teacher who is a colorist supreme and not to be missed.
Gold Coast Watercolor Society brochure
Dave Daniels Web site

Crazy week

The Hithergreen Monday class went well--everybody seemed to "get it" about the contrast effects of masses of color, broken color and how small quantities of intense color stand out against neutrals. I didn't have time to photograph and upload this week.

Jenna slept over Tuesday night. Wednesday we had a winter storm, so I drove her home instead of to daycare and had both tykes all day. It's a good thing they're so manageable. She entertains herself and Daniel, too. He can't take his eyes off her when she's in the room, even when she isn't playing with him. I just sit there and enjoy the interaction. It's unconditional love personified. Yesterday he didn't nap much, so I was busy keeping track of him. He plays on a queen-sized comforter in the living room and rolls like a speedball from one end of it to the other in no time. He almost got himself caught under the armchair. He will be a dynamo when he starts crawling.

Today I'm at home, sitting out another winter storm and setting up my Christmas laptop. I'm taking it with me to Florida to do some writing. Tomorrow I'll pack and catch up on business and domestic duties before I leave.

Jennifer King, a former magazine editor I've worked with in the past, has launched a great new web magazine, Create Better Paintings. I browsed it the other day and it's one of the best I've seen on the Web. There are two areas, one for unsubscribed visitors and the other for subscribers. Both are packed with great articles and tips for artists in all media. Highly recommended. I plan to browse the articles while I'm in Florida. I hadn't thought of it before, but this is a good solution to magazine pile-up and recycling problems. And so easy to search back issues.

Watercolor class--contrasts

The lessons in color contrasts the past two weeks were on temperature contrast, then complementary contrast. Temperature contrast doesn't have to be opposites--it can be as simple as which of two reds is warmer or cooler than the other. But complementary opposites are always temperature opposites, which is why they are such a powerful contrast to use. My Hithergreen class caught on to both right away. Critiques are so much fun at the end of class when we see how each one has interpreted the lesson. Unfortunately, my camera battery quit on me so I didn't get pictures. Today we're doing quantity (size) contrast. Can't wait to see what they come up with. Next week I'll be teaching a workshop in Palm Coast, Florida, for the Flagler Art League. It will be nice to go where it's warm for a few days.

Back to watercolor class

We're beginning a new series of lessons this week, based on the six color contrasts: hue, value, intensity, temperature, complements and quantity. Today is the contrast of pure hues. With this contrast you can use all colors, as long as they are pure and unmodified bright hues. You can also use black and white. It will be fun to see what subjects they come up with. I'm taking three examples of subjects: an abstract design, a row of rural mailboxes and an undersea photo I took at Monterey aquarium. The undersea photo is colorful by itself, but the new printer really shows it off. I did some Photoshopping and added two colorful fish from other photos. In the painting I will use purple for the darks and quinacridone magenta or permanent rose for the bright magentas. Fun!