The Gift in Teaching

Painting Quince branches on 300lb cold press watercolor paper.

I learn as much from my students as they learn from me. Before I explain a technique, I must first think about it for myself. What am I doing? So much of art is just doing, my hands know what to do after years and years of painting. Putting actions into words is sometimes hard for me. I've found that teaching has made me more aware of what I'm doing as an artist. Why am I holding the brush like this? How much water am I using? What colors am I using, and why? When does a watermark happen? All these questions have made me a better painter.

I've found that watercolor painting can be a spiritual practice. There is certain amount of letting go in watercolor painting. The paint and the water can have a mind of their own. They want to do their own beautiful thing together, and sometimes it's better to get out of the way. The more you try to control it, the worse it looks. This is especially true of wet-into-wet watercolor technique.

Some students come to class wanting to know exact formulas for painting —exact color combinations and step-by-step instructions. I do my best to give them all the information I know, but this is art, not science. The one thing that will make them a good artist is the one thing I can't teach—it's putting in the time. Invest hours of time into your painting. Practice, practice, practice. Don't be afraid to fail. Not every painting is a keeper. I'm still learning this for myself.

Happy painting!
Bridget
If you are interested in learning more about watercolor painting and drawing techniques consider taking one of my workshops in my Studio listed below.
I also teach weekly classes at 171 Cedar Arts Center in Corning NY. Visit their  website for more information and to register: 171cedararts.org/classes/drawingpainting

 Studio Workshops

Join me in my light filled home studio for a morning of drawing and painting. These classes are for all levels.

$50 per student per class.
Materials are included in the price of the class). Feel free to bring your own materials if you have them.

All workshops held on Saturdays - 9:00am–1:00pm in Corning, NY. (address given at time of registration)
To register, email me at bbvanotterloo@gmail.com

• October 22, 2016 ♦ Nature Sketching
  Learn to observe and sketch the natural world. We'll cover easy sketchbook techniques while working with live specimens. Drawing with graphite, colored pencils, pen, and some easy watercolor techniques.
   
• November 19, 2016 ♦ Botanical Drawing and Watercolor
  Working with live plant specimens, students will learn to draw and paint plants with accurate detail. We will go over the basics of botanical drawing, and watercolor painting techniques. I will be teaching the classical botanical style of working in thin transparent layers of watercolor along with other detailed painting techniques.
   
• December 10, 2016 ♦ Holiday Cards
  Create beautiful hand-painted holiday cards. I'll provide some easy templates to follow. Paper and envelopes included in the cost of the class. Bring your ideas too!
   
• January 28, 2017 ♦ Introduction to Watercolor
  We practice color mixing, go over brush types and handling, and the different types of watercolor paper. We'll start with a color wheel and finish with a small watercolor painting.
   
• February 25, 2017 ♦ Botanical Drawing and Watercolor
  Working with live plant specimens, students will learn to draw and paint plants with accurate detail. We will go over the basics of botanical drawing, and watercolor painting techniques. I will be teaching the classical botanical style of working in thin transparent layers of watercolor along with other detailed painting techniques.
   
• March 25, 2017 ♦ Nature Sketching
  Learn to observe and sketch the natural world. We'll cover easy sketchbook techniques while working with live specimens. Drawing with graphite, colored pencils, pen, and some easy watercolor techniques.

Finding all the shades of purple in these irises.

Artist's Residency at Sunny Point

Sunny Point Art Center on Keuka Lake—view from my kayak.

Last week I had the pleasure of spending time on Keuka Lake with my artist friends Aleta Wynn Yarrow and Gretchen Halpert. The Arts Center of Yates County has a beautiful location at Sunny Point for Artist Residencies, Retreats and Workshops. Check out all they have to offer on their website: www.ycac.org

The purpose of an artist residency or retreat is to give an artist time to create their art, away from the distractions and routines of daily life. The experience is especially wonderful if you can share it with inspiring artist friends. Aleta and Gretchen made my stay even more enjoyable. Here we are warming up for a day of painting and creating with some yoga.

Yoga before painting

I spent my days at Sunny Point enjoying the beautiful surroundings and completing some watercolor paintings. I did not give myself any big goals to accomplish (I've been doing too much of that lately). I just wanted to use the time to enjoy watercolor painting and absorbing inspiration from the environment.

Watercolor study—view of the studio barn from the cottage dining table. Can you smell Gretchen cooking dinner in the background?

Watercolor study of the trees on Sunny Point surrounded by lake water.

Rainy day watercolor of foliage changing on Keuka Lake. I used the splattering technique to create that rainy day wet feeling—leaving droplets of water on the paper.

Windblown autumn leaves caught in delicate spider webs. The wind kept trying to take my paper too.

I really enjoyed the peaceful time here at Sunny Point. Thank you Chris and everyone at the Arts Center of Yates County who make this Residency possible!
If you are interested in finding Artist Residencies or Retreats for yourself, check out this website: http://artistcommunities.org/. You'll find a wonderful directory for Artists of all disciplines there.

Happy creating!
Bridget