Course Review - Ian Roberts' 'Brushwork & Color' Course

Earlier this month, I finished a Brushwork & Color painting class with Ian Roberts.  It was transformational.

There were a few challenges:

• Ian is an oil painter and all the demos were in oil.  I am a watercolorist, not interested in working with oil.
• We had a specific set of primaries to use.
• I am an inveterate comparer of my work to others'.  This does not go well for me. 
• I wanted to stay caught up despite a number of other things going on:  big house projects, kids dealing with covid & college/job stresses, my own job, etc. 

Some of my aha! moments:

• A good Standard Operating Procedure will get you a decent painting regardless of whether you're having a bad day or a bad attitude.  Follow the SOP.  
• Green in bright sunlight can be represented by a number of colors that aren't actually very green.
• Start by thinking about the focal area; let the rest fall into place after that.
• You can't ignore backgrounds.
• Sometimes the 6th version is when you get it.
• Value studies are very enjoyable.  I don't need an excuse to do them.   [I feel a series of value studies in purple coming on....]
• I'm better at still life than I think I am.
• It is perfectly acceptable to mix all the colors I need to get a color/effect, despite the watercolor 'rule' to never mix more than 2 or 3. 
• Purple vines are freaking awesome. [I already knew that.]
• Evening light goes really pink.
• I know my watercolor pigments well and have an excellent grounding in color theory.  I can trust my choices in primaries that are appropriate for watercolor. 
• It is possible to paint flowers in large simple masses and have it work
• Consider everyone's piece on its own merit, not on how closely it matches the ref photo.  Look for the genius in their work.
• Goal:  Sing the song on the paper, with gusto, my way.   It doesn't matter how everyone else is painting the same scene.

Now that the course is over, I'm formulating my goal for the next few months.  It will probably have something to do with working through my own reference photos and seeing if some of the bad ones can be salvaged.  [Seriously,  Ian had us working with nothing but greeeeeeen ref photos that had good bones, and showed us ways of tweaking them to make them really interesting.  I am sure I can find ways to do that with my own ref photos.]

Here is some of my work from the course: 

Value Study

Muting Color: Still Life with Squash

Muting Color Exercise 2

Limited Palette: Purple/Blue instead of greens.

Painting Light 1

Painting Light 2

Poppy Field

Daisies

Andy Evansen Workshop

Last week, I spent a few days in central Michigan at a workshop given by Andy Evansen [pronounced even-son].   I can't say enough good things about the experience.

There were 14 of us in the class, all skill levels.  Andy demonstrated at least 6 paintings and we had a chance to do dozens of practice blurbs, as well as paint 3 or 4 pieces like these to take home. 

Andy was prepared, dynamic, funny, open, kind, and happy to be there.   It was one of the best workshops I've ever attended.

Here is some of the work I did during the class.  These first two pieces below were first demo-ed by Andy, then we went back and tried them ourselves.




Our focus was on really understanding and practicing the use of value studies as we prepare to do a piece.  The object of these activities was to do a value study first, then paint the color study on the same page.

This barn scene was a reference photo of Andy's.











This Puerto Rico street scene was one of Andy's reference photos, too.   We spent a lot of time practicing cars, people and wires. 

I'm loving that line of cars.

Finally, we worked on one of our own reference photos.  It was a totally different experience to have to choose the shapes, do the value study, then add the color on our own.

One of the things I liked best about the workshop was the very realistic and kind mindset Andy brought to the group. 

We were there to experiment and learn, not produce masterpieces.   There was no pressure to do something fabulous and no public critique.  Andy was there to answer questions and to offer suggestions.

This was really one of the best learning experiences I've ever had.

Upcoming Classes

Here are a few of my upcoming classes for August.   Email me with questions.   Click on the titles of the classes to go to the registration page and find out more.

 Watercolor for Relaxation

August 4, 2018.    9:00 am - noon

So often we sit down to creative work with the heavy expectation of creating a masterpiece...or at least something that will bring compliments from viewers.  The purpose of this class is to let go of the expectation of creating something perfect and finished and replace it with the calm of simply observing what the paint and water do together.   No expectations, just fun.  

We will play with color, learn how different pigments react with water, experiment with salt and plastic wrap effects, play with abstract compositions and a few other surprises.  

This class is appropriate for all levels of skill, including people who have never touched watercolor before.  [It will probably be hardest for people who are used to trying to paint 'something' instead of just playing].     Click on the title of the class above to register.

Color Mixing Bootcamp

August 4, 2018.   1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

For all creatives working in color!  You will learn how to mix any color you want using only 2 sets of primary colors.  

Appropriate for all mediums.   I will demonstrate with transparent dyes, but you are welcome to bring paint, colored pencils, fiber, ink, etc.  It will be useful for you to see how different mediums mix. Contact me ahead of time to make sure you bring appropriate primary colors. Click on the title of the class above to register.

The Artist's Way:  Getting Started

August 18, 2018.  1:00 PM  4:30 PM

Julia Cameron wrote The Artist's Way as a method for helping creatives identify their blocks and release their creative flow.   In this one-time class, we will start the process together and get you on your way to a happier and more productive creative life.   

If there is enough interest, we will schedule regular meetings to go through the entire Artist's Way or Vein of Gold books.  Click on the title of the class above to register.

Support is an important part of the process.   If you're an artist looking for better balance between your art, professional and personal lives, please feel free to check out and join my facebook group - 'The Well Balanced Artist'.  We are there to support each other in the journey.  

Loosening Up: A Class with Dale Popovich

© Robin Edmundson (with Dale Popovich), 'North Woods', watercolor, 12 x 16 inches

April 28th, I attended a class with Dale Popovich in Bloomington, Indiana. He did two demonstrations in the morning and we did a paint-along in the afternoon, one layer at a time. I learned a lot from him and was reasonably happy with the finished piece. 

His style of teaching is very fluid. He is able to talk as he works and as a group of experienced painters, we had a lot of questions about his process and thinking. He is very generous with information and it was a pleasure to learn with him. As we were painting, he would walk around and give feedback - the most valuable to me was, 'STOP painting now. Let it dry before you work it more.' I was happy to see that he would pick up a brush and actually show me what he was talking about on my piece. It was great to see exactly how he uses the tools. 

The composition was from a reference photo he provided and we all painted with the same colors in roughly the same way. Since the purpose of the activity was to be loose, I didn't worry about making it look just like his, I worried about making it look right given how the paint moved for me. I added more bold color in areas and focused on finding shapes and volumes that appeared for me. Yes, it was intense and I came home pretty wired. I jiggled things a bit more the next day and then STOPPED. It's in a frame now, safe from over-working.

Watercolor to Music

On Saturday, March 17, I had the pleasure of attending a class called Realms of Expression, taught by the dynamic duo of Cheryl Kaldahl and Rena Brouwer at the Brown County Art Guild in Nashville, Indiana.

The topic was fascinating - What is the brain connection between art, color and music and how can our creation of art be enhanced by music?  Cheryl has been studying the science behind color and music and spent some time explaining the connections between the two.  Rena is a renowned watercolorist who led us through activities in color and design to help us see new ways of organizing our paintings. 

We spent time painting to different types of music; we talked a lot about how different types of music sparked different reactions in us.

One of the most interesting parts of the day for me was listening to a piece of music and just letting my hand guide the brush to a color then the paper and then just letting it dance.   No plan, no mistakes, just let the brush dance across the paper to the music.  It was bliss.   

The gallery's spring show is up and it is spectacular!   Every few months, every artist brings in new work for the walls and they rearrange the entire space.   It keeps things very fresh and allows for a new way of looking at each artist and each piece.   Visitors are allowed to come and sketch or paint as they are inspired by the works displayed. 

In addition, this month there is a special exhibit of watercolor works in the upstairs galleries.  So much to enjoy and learn from.

Silk Dyeing Class

CLASS:  Dyeing Silk Fabrics 

March 24, 2018
1:00 pm - 4:30 pm

If you've ever wanted to make your own hand-painted silk scarves this is your chance! Hand-dyed silk scarves are a sure winner for gifts of all kinds. You'll have time to dye 6-8 scarves and they will be ready to wear home.

Using safe dyes, I will walk you through the entire process from prepping, to dyeing, overdyeing, rinsing and pressing.  This is a small class taught at my home studio of no more than four people.  Plenty of individual attention.

There are just a couple of spots left, so register soon!  For all the details and registration, go HERE.

You can see all of my classes HERE.

Watercolor for Relaxation Class!

Class: Watercolor for Relaxation

Saturday, March 24, 2018

9:00 am- noon

Location:  Robin Edmundson Studio (map)

Cost:  $65 - includes all materials

So often we sit down to creative work with the heavy expectation of creating a masterpiece...or at least something that will bring compliments from viewers. The purpose of this class is to let go of the expectation of creating something perfect and finished and replace it with the calm of simply observing what the paint and water do together. No expectations, just fun.

We will play with color, learn how different pigments react with water, experiment with salt and plastic wrap effects, play with abstract compositions and a few other surprises.

This class is appropriate for all levels of skill, including people who have never touched watercolor before. [It will probably be hardest for people who are used to trying to paint 'something' instead of just playing].

 

Register HERE.

...and if you want to stick around for more fun that day, I still have places in the Silk Dyeing Class that afternoon.

Affirmations

© Robin Edmundson, 'Yucca pod in snow'

One of the things I do in all my creativity workshops is have people write for a few minutes about what they want their best lives to look like.   Then I have them write for a few minutes about all the reasons they can't, all the things that are in the way, all their inadequacies, etc.

I'll be honest, it's not all sunshine and roses.  

It's common to see things like this:

• I can't be a professional singer because I'm too fat.  
• I can't go back and get that degree because I don't have the money.
• I'll never stand up to this person because I'm too chicken. 
• I can't have people over because my house is too small.

It's easy to get mired in the negativity, especially since a lot of these are based in a reality we have invested a lot of time and energy in.   It's hard breaking free of limitations.  It is.  

But we do it anyway.   And this is how:

Take that obstacle and turn it into a positive.

1.  I can't be a professional singer because I'm too fat.  

• I can be a professional singer.
• My curves make me attractive and dynamic on stage.
• Audiences love to hear me sing.
• I am so happy when I sing for an audience that I don't care what my dress size is.
• I have the friends and support I need to make the changes I want to make to achieve my dreams. 

2.  I can't go back and get that degree because I don't have the money.

• I have enough money to get that degree.
• I am a creative thinker and I can find a way to earn enough money to finish that degree.
• Abundance flows into my life with ease and grace so that I can get that degree.
• I have the friends and support I need to make the changes I want to make to achieve my dreams. 

3.  I'll never stand up to this person because I'm too chicken. 

• I stand up to this person because I have a lot of courage.
• I do not shrink, I do not puff up, I stand firm in my sacred ground.
• I am confident and skilled when confronting others.
• I am calm and courageous when I need to maintain my boundaries with others.
• I know what to say when I need to maintain my boundaries.
• I have the friends and support I need to make the changes I want to make to achieve my dreams. 

4.  I can't have people over because my house is too small.

• I can have people over because my house is big enough.
• My house is exactly the right size for me. 
• It is easy for me to find the space at home or elsewhere to socialize with the people I need to be with.
• My friends love me for me and not for my house.
• I have the friends and support I need to make the changes I want to make to achieve my dreams. 

Once you get the hang of it it's easy to write these.  The hard part is believing them. In every class, I see the worried faces of people who are willing to do the work, and who want to believe this is possible, but who just....aren't....there.  They say, 'Those affirmations are nice, but they're just not true, so ... um...why should I believe them?'

And I get it.   I really get it.  

For all of these years, you've lived in a reality that you can't achieve your dream, that dreams only come true for a select [wealthy, skinny, beautiful] few.  You're lazy, stupid, foolish, unattractive, untalented, undeserving, unworthy.

Well all of that 'reality' is crap.  It's not true!  It's black-and-white negative thinking that is no more based in reality than those wonderful affirmations above. 

And if you're willing to believe the negative [which we are because...cultural norms] even though it isn't true, then I respectfully suggest that now is a good time to start believing the affirmations even though they may not be true [yet].  

The thing about believing the affirmations is that it will make you feel better, which will allow you to think more creatively, which will make you more aware of opportunities, relationships and connections, which will help you live your best life.  

Believing the negatives will only keep you stuck.  

Believing your affirmations will help fill you with enough light to see your way to whatever changes you want to make to live your best life. 

Homework:  Spend 5 minutes writing your dream.   Spend 5 minutes writing what's in the way of your dream.  Turn those obstacles into affirmations.   Then tell me how it went.

I'm teaching a class on Affirmations for your Best Life, on May 19, 2018 from 9:00 am - noon.  If you think it would be helpful for you to spend some focused time in a small group with me to help you along, you can register for the class here.   I can't wait to see you!

Watercolor Meditation Bonus: FLOW-ers

I hope you've been having a terrific time playing around with watercolor over the last few weeks and that these meditations brought you some peace, calm and focus during this crazy time of year.

I know the name of this last meditation is a pun, but it was a way to remember the purpose of the meditation so you won't get caught up in the stress of trying to paint perfect flowers. 

The point is to play.  Let things flow.  Just watch and see what happens. Look for the wabi-sabi.

Bonus Meditation:  FLOW-ers Remember it's all about relaxing and letting things flow. Take a deep breath and relax.  Breathe in.  Breathe out. Relax your shoulders. Relax your arms and hands. Breathe. You are going to have so much fun! The purpose of this meditation is to put a few of the previous activities together in a fun way.

Gather your materials:   You will be able to use these few materials for all of the activities in the series.   Watercolor pigments: Tubes, pans, or sets. Whatever is easy for you to get and use. Make sure you like the colors. [You can also use coffee or tea if that's all you have close by.] If you have tubes, then you'll need an old plate or lid to use as a palette.  Paper:  Any size mixed media paper or watercolor paper.   Thicker watercolor paper won't buckle if you decide to use a lot of water in one of these activities.  You'll need at least one sheet for each activity, but you'll probably have so much fun with some of these that you'll just keep playing.  6 x 6  inches or so is a nice size.  Big enough to play, but not be too intimidating.  If you have larger paper and want to cut it down, go right ahead.  [You can also use a napkin if that's all you have close by.] Brush:  Any watercolor brush will do.   Size 8 or 10 round is good for starters. [You can also use a straw, spoon, etc. if that's all you have close by.] Water jar:   To clean your brush in.  A recycled food jar is great.  Pint sized is great.  Salt: Any type, any size.

MEDITATION:  Painting FLOW-ers We're going to use the activities you played with in the other meditations to make a flower. Remember, it's all about the FLOW.  It doesn't have to match anything you see in real life.  This is just for fun. Choose two similar colors for the petals: 2 reds/pinks, 2 blues, 2 yellow/gold/oranges... Paint a circle with clear water, leaving the center dry, just as you did in the OBSTACLES meditation. Enlarge the circle with paint,  leaving the outside edges irregular, like petals.  Alternate your colors, leaving some lighter places and some darker places. Choose a color for the center:  Yellow, orange, purple, blue.  You can't choose wrong. Put some of that color into the center.  It's OK if flows into the other colors as it did in the FLOW and OPPOSITES meditations..  This is just for fun. Now sprinkle some salt into the center as you did for the RESISTANCE meditation.  Let it dry.   Play.   Try it with different colors.  In the photo at the top of this section, I used a pink and a red for the petals and yellow for the center.  You can see the puddles on the sides and how the yellow  blended right in to the side. This is what it looked like dry:   Here are some others that I've played with: Oranges & yellows with a purple center:  [The purple changes as it blends.] Reds with a dark blue center, still wet: Once they are dry, look them over and find the perfect in the imperfect as you did in the WABI SABI meditation. This is the joy of watercolor.

Thank You Thanks so very much for spending some time with me today.  I hope you've used these meditations to relax and put some calm in your day.  Please feel free to forward them to anyone who will enjoy them. If you have a question, observation or photo you want to share, I'd love to hear from you! Email me.

See all of my classes here.

The other activities in this series:

Meditation #1: Observation

Meditation #2: Flow 

Meditation #3: Resistance

Meditation #4: Obstacles

Meditation #5: Opposition

Meditation #6: Wabi Sabi

Bonus Meditation:  FLOW-ers

Meditation #6: Wabi Sabi

Are you still having fun with these? I love doing these for warm ups when I get into the studio.

One of the characteristics of watercolor as a medium is that it can be very unruly. This is code for: OMG. I can't make it do what I want it to do!!

You're not alone in that frustration. The trick is to work with the medium and to let it surprise you.

The knack of finding the perfect in the imperfect is a Japanese philosophy called wabi sabi. It's a good philosophy to have when working with watercolor.

Watercolor Meditation: WABI SABI Breathe in. Breathe out. Relax your shoulders. Relax your arms and hands. Breathe. You are going to have so much fun! The purpose of this meditation is to help look for the perfect in the imperfect.  It's easy to judge our efforts as unsatisfactory when we are learning or when things spin out of our control.  It's easy to focus on what we don't like or what didn't turn out instead of what is beautiful or what did turn out. Wabi sabi is the Japanese philosophy of finding the perfect in the imperfect. Watercolor is a perfect way to explore this idea. Take a deep breath and relax. Gather your materials: You will be able to use these few materials for all of the activities in the series. Watercolor pigments: Tubes, pans, or sets. Whatever is easy for you to get and use. Make sure you like the colors. [You can also use coffee or tea if that's all you have close by.] If you have tubes, then you'll need an old plate or lid to use as a palette.  Paper: Any size mixed media paper or watercolor paper. Thicker watercolor paper won't buckle if you decide to use a lot of water in one of these activities. You'll need at least one sheet for each activity, but you'll probably have so much fun with some of these that you'll just keep playing. 6 x 6 inches or so is a nice size. Big enough to play, but not be too intimidating. If you have larger paper and want to cut it down, go right ahead. [You can also use a napkin if that's all you have close by.]  Brush: Any watercolor brush will do. Size 8 or 10 round is good for starters. [You can also use a straw, spoon, etc. if that's all you have close by.]  Water jar: To clean your brush in. A recycled food jar is great. Pint sized is great.  Salt: Any kind, any size. MEDITATION: WABI SABI Choose four colors. Any four. It doesn't matter if they 'go together'. Remember how beautifully the Opposites worked together in the last meditation? Make puddles of each. Thick or thin - like cream or tea. Start with one color and drip it or brush it in three places [big or small, you choose] Clean your brush and do it again with another color. Three places. Touching or not touching the first color. Clean your brush and do it again with the third color. Clean your brush and do it again with the fourth color. OBSERVE how they mix and mingle. CHOOSE: Do you want to stop here and let it dry?  Do you want to drop more paint on in places?  Do you want to drop plain water on in places?  Play. Find the places that make you unhappy. Look at them closely and look for what is beautiful about them.  Look for the perfect in the imperfect.  Let it dry and look again. Watercolor can really change as it dries. Find the perfect in the imperfect. Thanks so very much for spending some time with this today.  I hope you've used this meditation to relax and put some calm in your day.  If you have a question, observation or photo you want to share, I'd love to hear from you! Email me. See all of my classes here. The other meditations in this series: Meditation #1: Observation Meditation #2: Flow  Meditation #3: Resistance Meditation #4: Obstacles Meditation #5: Opposition Meditation #6: Wabi Sabi Bonus Meditation:  FLOW-ers

Watercolor Meditation #5: Opposites

This is the time of year when our family differences really show up.   I love lots of holiday music.  One of my kids does not.   Two of us like a little tree, two of us like giant trees.   Some of us like egg nog thick and sticky sweet, some of us like it thinner and less sweet.  I like gift tags, others don't.  Some of us like surprises, some don't. 

There are a lot of opposites this time of year.   This meditation is all about how beautiful that interaction can be.

Watercolor Meditation:  OPPOSITES Take a deep breath and relax.  Breathe in.  Breathe out. Relax your shoulders. Relax your arms and hands. Breathe. You are going to have so much fun! The purpose of this meditation is to show what beautiful things happen when opposites interact.   Gather your materials:   You will be able to use these few materials for all of the activities in the series.   Watercolor pigments: Tubes, pans, or sets. Whatever is easy for you to get and use. Make sure you like the colors. [You can also use coffee or tea if that's all you have close by.] If you have tubes, then you'll need an old plate or lid to use as a palette.  Paper:  Any size mixed media paper or watercolor paper.   Thicker watercolor paper won't buckle if you decide to use a lot of water in one of these activities.  You'll need at least one sheet for each activity, but you'll probably have so much fun with some of these that you'll just keep playing.  6 x 6  inches or so is a nice size.  Big enough to play, but not be too intimidating.  If you have larger paper and want to cut it down, go right ahead.  [You can also use a napkin if that's all you have close by.] Brush:  Any watercolor brush will do.   Size 8 or 10 round is good for starters. [You can also use a straw, spoon, etc. if that's all you have close by.] Water jar:   To clean your brush in.  A recycled food jar is great.  Pint sized is great.  MEDITATION:  OPPOSITES Choose two colors that are very different, or opposite on the color wheel. Here are some good pairs: orange & blue red & green yellow & purple Make puddles of each color on your palette. Thick puddles or thin puddles - like cream or tea.   You choose. Swish your brush around in the plain water.  Get it good and clean and wet. Choose one of the colors you prepared and get some of that paint on your brush.  Don't worry about how much.  You can't do this wrong.  Brush it from one corner of the paper into the center.  Let it flow.  You can add more pigment if you like to make some areas darker.   Swish your brush to clean it and get some of the other color you prepared on your brush.  Don't worry about how much.  You can't do this wrong.  Brush it from the opposite corner of the paper into the center.  Let it flow.   You can add more pigment if you like to make some areas darker.  Let the colors mingle.   You can drop plain water in the center to encourage them to flow.  Watch the colors interact.  Some pairs might blend.  Some colors might push others aside completely.  Just watch. If you like, you can drop the colors on thick in places and watch them interact.  Or thin them with water and watch what happens. Now play. You can't do it wrong.  Put one color in one corner and the opposite color in the other corner.  Pull them toward the center and watch what happens.  Thanks so very much for spending some time with this today.  I hope you've used this meditation to relax and put some calm in your day.  If you have a question, observation or photo you want to share, I'd love to hear from you! Email me.

See all of my classes here.

The other activities in this series:

Meditation #1: Observation

Meditation #2: Flow 

Meditation #3: Resistance

Meditation #4: Obstacles

Meditation #5: Opposition

Meditation #6: Wabi Sabi

Bonus Meditation:  FLOW-ers