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Participating in a three day watercolor workshop with Wendy Artin at The Church was both exhilarating and grueling. We spent three days from 10 am until roughly 4pm in intense focus. Working to create light and shadow shapes in watercolor. We would begin the day 'sketching' the figure in watercolors. After a lunch break, painting would resume. Our afternoon subjects, fresh farm stand vegetables of our choosing. To inspire us further, we were fortunate to view a screening of Wendy's film, "Roman Studio", featuring her studio practice in Rome. The captivating film depicts an artist's way of life. Wendy Artin's life in Rome. The film describes the artist and models collaboration with incredibly gorgeous results. Not only creating art, but also, meals together, performances and relationship. The film is currently making rounds at film festivals. Hopefully it will be in theaters soon. 

To view the Roman Studio Trailer go HERE  Wendy Artin website HERE

Wendy's art is spectacular. I can only aspire and practice, practice, practice. And so I began....

We began with monochromatic watercolor sketches of a model. Progressing from quick to longer poses.

Before our class, we received a supply list suggesting what paper and brushes to bring with us:
Three brushes as follows: 
One inch wide flat firm 
Round pointy medium sized #8-10 (squirrel is nice, but sable/imitation sable is fine as well)
Round smaller firm sized #4-6 (not squirrel) 

I used the larger brush for wetting the paper when working wet into wet. The squirrel brush loaded with paint for mark making and the smaller brush for taking paint away. Using the smaller clean brush in this way was a revelation!Wet into wet using the small brush to take paint away.

Our paper supply list included inexpensive paper for the warm-up figure poses, Canson Mi-Teintes, 70 x 50 cm to tear in half, Rives BFK and a block of Arches hot press or cold press. You may ask, what is the difference between hot or cold press? Well I wondered that myself. The most simple explanation is that hot press is pressed through heated rollers so it has a very smooth surface. Cold press paper has more texture.
During the first afternoon session, I chose a radish as my subject. Wendy directed us to use a piece of our lesser grade paper to do a test painting, complete with an indication of frame, before advancing to Canson Mi-Teintes or Arches. Everyone brought along their own choice of watercolor paint. My sister-in-law had gifted me a 12 pan set of Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors that I had been wanting to try. They were perfect! The top radish is painted shadows first, wet into wet; another watercolor technique to learn to master! I asked Wendy how she signed her work and she pulled an old broken fountain pen out of her supply kit. She uses an ink-less fountain pen dipped watercolor paint. Thanks for another great the tip! 

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More vegetable adventures.

Thank you, Wendy, for sharing your excellence. You are an inspiration.

Wendy is leading a workshop at Clos Mirabel next summer that looks amazing. Go HERE for details.

Workshop photo of me by Wendy Artin