IRIS PROMISE
Watercolor on tissue - 11x15
I have taught watercolor classes for over seventeen years and I enjoy it as much now as when I began. It is of course important to teach the basics of applying the paint, handling a brush, designing a composition, and using value and color appropriately but it is equally important to help each student develop their own personal artistic style.
When we begin our creative journey it is obvious to focus on realism and depicting the subject matter as accurately as possible. It can be difficult to break away from this approach and experiment freely so that we can discover our own self expression. In each class I try to combine the best of both worlds, teaching the tools needed to paint accurately while also allowing students to experiment with different techniques, colors and materials to discover their own creative style.
As an example of pushing the artistic boundaries, Iris Promise was painted on crumpled tissue paper that was first sprayed with water so that the paint would mix and flow into the crevices of the paper to create a unique texture. I also loosened up the shape of the irises to get away from pure realism and to add my own personal expression to the overall composition.
