Small Format Watercolor Workshop - January 3, 2024

   

Small Format Watercolor Workshop 

Join us January 3, 2024 at 6:30pm PST

Ready to have a fun hour or two with other creatives painting watercolor? We had a great time in December so let’s do it again! Live online and interactive.

In this workshop “small” means 5x7”, 8x10”, 9x12”

You may want to choose the smaller format for three reasons:

1. Limited display space.
2. Cost of framing.
3. Practice for a larger composition.

Join me from the comfort of your own home on Wednesday, Jan 3, 2024 at 6:30pm PST

Paint along, ask questions about watercolor materials, methods, etc. Get some unique tips and hacks from experienced artists.

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

6:30 PM – 8:30 PM PST

Live from Michele’s NW Studio via Zoom

All levels,  Ages 14 through adult

Tuition: $45 for a 2hr. class on Zoom, replays available 

Payable by Zelle, check 

What color scheme would you choose?
Original watercolor by Michele Cooper (5x7”)

Message me on my Instagram/Facebook or email me (michelec12@gmail.com) with YOUR NAME AND EMAIL to get access to our live interactive watercolor workshop on Zoom.

What’s next?

After I receive your tuition, name and email address, I will send you preliminary instructions and handouts.

I will send you the Zoom link a few days before the workshop

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

6:30pm PST

You will need:

A stable Wi-Fi connection 

A laptop with webcam, tablet or smart phone

Optional: AirPods, headset

About 5 minutes early on Wednesday, you may join the Zoom meeting. I will let you in from the waiting room. Make sure your video is on and your audio is off until you want to speak. Smile and wave to greet your art friends. Text where you’re from in the Chat.

For approximately the next two hours:

1. Enjoy the demonstrations by Michele
2. Paint along (have paper, paint, brushes and water ready)
3. Ask questions about watercolor

If you want to paint along you will need:

Three pieces of 140# CP or 140#Rough watercolor paper

(one 5x7” and one 8x10” and one  9x12”)

Watercolor paints and brushes

(materials list, handouts, references sent upon registration)

Just use what you already have. Here are some options. 

My Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/michelecooperart

My Facebook page 

https://www.facebook.com/ArtMicheleCooper

Can’t wait to see you soon !

Last Day for 30x30 Direct Watercolor 2018 Challenge

Last day of #30x30DirectWatercolor2018 So this is the way June goes out in the Pacific Northwest, 62°F and continually increasing rain showers all day. Thanks for the inspiration, Marc, and from all you other watercolor artists as well. This was fun!

EDiM 12 - Some stairs or steps

Watercolor Landscape-Step by Step

 

 

 

 

Nearly every day of the week, I teach watercolor. Part of the lesson often entails a demonstration of how to paint the subject, step by step.

I am a contributing author in two books, "The Ultimate Guide to Painting from Photographs" and Gary Greene's "Artists' Photo Reference: Buildings and Barns",  both published by North Light Books. My portion of each book includes step by step watercolor instruction.

Williams' Farm Pumpkin Patch

Today I drove around the corner after my class at A Guilded Gallery to find the sun shining across the pumpkin patch owned by Williams Farms. Melissa, a family member, has everything set up beautifully in the little shed. She has a display of "Exotics" with a friendly scarecrow on top of a giant power line spool.

My sketch for the day in my Pentalic Aqua Journal

A panorama opens up for you, from the water truck, to the eye line displaying every kind of tree, the old house nearly buried under blackberry vines, the distant hills on the coastline, the corn maze on your right, and most of all-the pumpkin patch! If there ever was a time to use a full spread panoramic sketchbook, this it!

We are all welcome to sketch there anytime!

Flowers in the window

I have three new classes starting this week, so I won't be saying too much about this painting. I'm just happy I got it posted.

 

My fellow sketchers are at Rosario today, for one more summer/fall afternoon. Since I am prepping lessons at home in the studio, I am posting a plein air piece that I did around this same time of year at a farm in Issaquah. It's a half sheet (15x22") size. I know a similar treatment could be applied to the picnic shelter there at Rosario. (I am there with you in spirit!)

Trading sunshine for showers

Rain floods the fields and dramatic skies rule the fall landscape

The kids are back to school, Labor Day Sales are over and the predominant weather has shifted from dry and sunny, to moderate temps during the day and much cooler nights, as well as more cloudy days than sunny ones. Summer is my favorite season here in the Pacific NW and I hate to see it end!

Another thing I will miss is the time to go out sketching on my own and with friends and colleagues. My goal for the summer was to fill an entirely new sketchbook. I can say that my new Stillman & Birn Beta has been there the whole time, as well as my handmade, Sketchbook Project, and a new little Pentalic Aqua. So the accumulated collection has filled more than one sketchbook!

Now I look forward to using all that recharged creative energy to teach my watercolor classes.

PS. Never fear, we have some fantastic weather coming up through the end of October.

Rosario

My sketch in progress on location 9/8/14

Anacortes Sketchers roamed all over the Rosario beach section of the Deception Pass park system today. Rosario Beach is a small cove on the southwestern corner of Fidalgo Island where you’ll find sandy beaches, centuries old trees that provide perches for bald eagles, and a meadowy bluff that comes to life with wildflowers in the spring.

I've been enjoying the paper texture and proportions of my new tiny Pentalic Aqua pocket journal. It's easy to carry, but presents a bit of awkward maneuvering while working on the bottom edge.

Finished sketch--Rosario, Looking Eastward (zoom to see larger)

Green in the Landscape, with Barns

These are the demos used in our lesson on "green in the landscape, with barns." (click to zoom)
Please refer to Tom Lynch and Tony Couch for more examples of their work.

Multiple compositions from the same Scene

As I was waiting at a stoplight the other day, I snapped a photo of the scene to my left. It was the sky that first caught my attention.

The longer I looked, the more compositional possibilities I saw.
So far, I've cropped out 9. Here are a few.

How many can you find?

Where is the Sketchbook Project Tour now?

From my Sketchbook Project 2014
"The other side of the jungle."

I posted the left side of this two page sketch here.
My challenge was to show both sides of the tropical landscape at a coffee plantation.

I am used to a lot of green here in the Pacific NW, but this landscape tops it! Follow this link to see where the tour of my book is now.

"Choosing the Subject"
by Michele Cooper
Original Watercolor 15x22

As I survey the remainder of the summer, I have so many subjects from which to choose. I want to take advantage of the beautiful weather and paint outdoors every day that I can.

Trees

Original Watercolor
7"x10" center of foldout
Sketchbook Project, Limited Edition

Here's another page from my sketchbook. It's the center section of an accordion foldout. It has another section either side of it, each 7"x5".

We had a long winter and the transition was almost immediate into spring. Another day in early April, and I don't think I would have caught the change.

I'll post more about this series of three sketches soon.

Red Roof Progression

Red House on the Bluff
8x10" Original Watercolor, Line and Wash


First, I used a photo reference and micron pen....no preliminary drawing, no eraser!

Next I painted a pattern of light and shadow.



Finally, I worked on the variations of light and dark tones, warm and cool colors and textures, while trying to keep it fresh and "sketchy".

 This one's not in the show at Gallery by the Bay. I just finished it in the studio yesterday.

Late Morning Snow Melt

"Late Morning Snow Melt"
15x22"

Class demonstration
by Michele Cooper

Yesterday's class demonstration got a little "tweaking" in the studio this morning. After various pauses to answer students' questions both am and pm, this one moved from a spontaneous wet in wet demonstration to negative painting on the dried paper. Back in the studio, I used some textural devices, such as spatter and scraping with an Xacto knife to balance the softer edges of the original wet in wet passages. The paper was now dry enough to create the dark accents of the tree bark. I usually need some time for thought after the initial painting session to evaluate it and add the "last five strokes". Those who took photos in class can compare, to see the final touches that were added.