Classes, Uncategorized
In-Person class at the Hoyt Arboretum Library
Monday afternoons in April, 1:00 – 3:00 PM
April 7, 14, 21, 28, 2025
In this series of very beginner-friendly classes, students will learn the basics of mixing and painting with watercolor paints in popular colors for nature drawings. Using just a few paints, we will focus on creating a range of nature-inspired colors using the three primaries of red, yellow and blue, as well as learning techniques for applying paint to paper. Each week will be dedicated to creating a range of hues within a color family: gorgeous greens, beautiful blues, vibrant reds and oranges, and luminous neutrals.
Learn more and register here:
Nature’s Colors at Hoyt Arboretum
Awards, Journal, Shows
December 10, 2016
After a short break from painting this summer, I needed a simple, fun goal to get me back into the swing of things this fall. I felt the need to put paint to paper, but did not have the energy or inspiration to think of a subject, to make those important foundational drawings, and create a successful composition.
So I gathered a big supply of watercolor paper, loaded my palette with pure hues, and began playing. I reached for the colors that attracted me and I made marks with my favorite brushes. It was pure play.
Once finished with the “painting” I had the desire to cut it into smaller pieces and rearrange those pieces to make a more interesting composition. Once I was pleased with the new arrangement, I glued the pieces down on another piece of watercolor paper. The following photos show the “before” and “after” results of this process.
This is a fun and liberating mode of creating, and I plan to show these deconstructed abstracts in my upcoming solo show in February 2017 at Village Gallery of Arts, 12505 NW Cornell Road, Suite 14, Portland, OR 97229.
