Teaching and Beyond

It can't really be almost an entire month since I made an entry can it? Apparently, it is true. Not that I haven't thought of you all many times . . . being in my new studio space in Ashland Art Center has taken on a life of it's own. All good and growing and educational . . . but time swallowing.

Besides the added commitments of rotating shows, additional group meetings, "First Friday Artwalks" and "Holiday Open House" events, I've been nearly inundated with students requesting classes! Oh, I know, what a compliment to complain about. But I'm really NOT complaining, I'm SO honored. And just going with the flow.



I taught a "Beginning Watercolor Journaling Class" middle of October with 3 sessions. We began back with plenty of basics, first of course, the "Upsidedown Drawing" which totally enlightened one of the students who'd been affirming, "I can't draw"! Even tho she'd been making magnificent stained glass for years, she didn't realize this capability within her. We proceeded with different drawing techniques, which actually had ME modeling for their "gesture drawing" - getting some laughs and comments like "nice buns" from the group. We finished up with some into to pigments and very rudimentary watercolor techniques. Here's the pages where I'd painted/sketched examples for them.


I've also been blessed to have requests for private lessons in watercolor journaling - and I'm finding this quite exciting and interesting. It gives me a chance to review the art and skills of my interested student then, following their requests and gaps I attempt to fill in their exposure, we formulate a class together, the two of us. Sometimes the class morphs as the class proceeds. Just last night at our first physical meeting and first class, I was working with a gentleman, looking thru his journal. He'd requested some drawing work and then reviewing his pigments and palette. As we paged thru his journal I saw very little use of glazing and some tweeking that could help him with compliments and opaques vs. transparent pigments. We worked a color wheel and then, I went digging in my pack for something, anything that would serve for us to paint using glazing. Thank goodness, I'd brought an apple. So here's the "worksheet" I whipped up, painting alongside him.


I'm sometimes feeling gratified and it alternates with feeling unorganized. But, it's spontaneous and ... hopefully working for every one's good.