"Peony Demo"
6" x 6"
Acrylic on panel 

I taught a two-day knife workshop in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin last week. The ten attendees were, for the most part, watercolorists with a willingness to learn to: #1 paint vertically  #2 paint with thick acrylics  #3 use a painting knife  and #4 paint on a black background. None of these things were at all like what they were accustomed to.  

Below are two photos. One is from day two of my workshop.  The women are holding their second paintings. Many of them began a third or fourth — wishing for another few hours of painting time, or perhaps another day.  

The last photo is of me with Texas artist, Qiang Huang. Qiang was teaching a workshop in the neighboring town of Lake Zurich at the Mainstreet Art Center.  Since he had traveled so far, and I have followed his blog and his career for years, I stopped by during his lunch break to meet him. His oils are inspiring and Qiang is getting the recognition he so readily deserves. Director Frankie Johnson brings in the BEST artists from around the country.  I've taken several workshops there. Find out more about Qiang here.  Learn more about Mainstreet Art Center here.

Watch for a musical slideshow of my own workshop on tomorrow's post. My husband and I finished it tonight, but we would like to save it for tomorrow. 

Day two of my knife workshop 

Meeting Qiang Huang

Fruits of My Spirit

"Fruits of My Spirit"
6" x 6"
Oil on panel

It was March, I had looked forward to it since the night it was announced—a Carol Marine workshop in a town near mine!  I signed up, paid up and showed up.  She was here in Illinois, across the room, arranging her demo items.  Even though I don't normally paint like Carol, I wanted to be in her presence, and in front of her wisdom.  I somehow managed to paint, and more importantly, to learn.

This is a piece I painted in one of her many timed exercises.  It was as important to learn how to do this as it was to hear her critique the others in the room.  Carol lived above every expectation.  Attend if you can.  

This piece is not for sale, but will be exhibited in my gallery on Dailypaintworks.com.  

Thank you for peeking in today.  

Carol

At Sondra's

"At Sondra's"
Watercolor on paper
30" x 22" 

I had been painting for about twenty years, before I took my first watercolor class.  It happened to be a workshop with my idol, Sondra Freckelton.  I spent a week with Sondra and her husband, Jack Beal at their upstate New York home.  It was one of the highlights of my life.  I painted this piece during that week.  I had collected the marbles in Corning, New York on the way there.

As Robert Genn recently wrote: "The best workshops are conducted by practicing pros who feel the need to share.  Often humbled by the demands and foibles of creativity themselves, these pros can offer sincere student-hood and practical, insider understanding."  I couldn't agree more.

Carol Marine had a similar impact on my life as an artist during a three-day workshop last March.  Spend time with the best, it will pay off. 

This painting is not for sale. But thank you for stopping by to see what I've been doing.  

See this and my gallery of posted paintings at Dailypaintworks.com

Carol