Fun with Watercolor on Location at Langus Riverside Park

Friday, July 10, 2020

It was a beautiful afternoon for a watercolor workshop along the banks of the Snohomish River. The scent of wild roses hung in the air as kayaks silently glided across the ripples and reflections in the lazily flowing water.

The hum of traffic in the distance could be heard now and then but the twittering of wild birds captures ones attention as they go flitting among the branches of the trees. Now and then a couple in quiet conversation strolls by.

A man walking his dog on the sidewalk past my car stops for a moment to compliment my work. He says his wife enjoys painting watercolors, too. He wears a face covering and keeps about 10 feet away. I have had my mask on while we talked and put it in my pocket in case I feel the need to wear it again.

I'm parked in a good spot, a safe distance from most passersby.

It's so nice to see the smiles on the faces of my online students, safe and comfortable at home, yet together here with me at the park.

I have detailed knowledge of all my favorite spots for summer outdoor painting. I have decades of experience in painting on location and teaching watercolors.

I'm going through dozens of practice runs on how to set up my filming and broadcast equipment for live interaction. So far, so good. Except once in a while the internet gremlins show up with a new glitch. Still, it's pretty close to being there face to face.

PS. I'm still training my assistant, but if you hear snoring from under a distant tree, it's NOT the internet gremlins.

Here are my 3 little ATCs from our location at Langus Park. We are collecting these for each of our summer workshops. At the end of the series, we'll have a swap among those who attended.