On location sketching Workshop in Edmonds on August 31

 Stretch your Sketching Skills with Panoramas

Class Date: August 31

9-12:30

An on location sketching and watercolor painting workshop

with Michele Cooper, Instructor 

Follow Michele’s simple lessons on how to draw and paint an exciting panoramic sketch in line and wash. Meet at ARTspot at 9:00. After a brief review of the art materials and the painting strategy, join Michele on location as she simplifies this complicated subject. You’ll start by finding and drawing your key landmarks so you know everything is in the right place.

FEATURES included in this on location workshop:

• Learn how to simplify your sketch and paint a panoramic format 
• Use continuous lines to draw lively sketches in ink
• Watercolor techniques for spontaneous effects
• Quick drills on how to draw and paint water, trees, sky, buildings

Get drawing tips on how to quickly establish an accurate composition, how to add notes of interest with pen, and how to pull your painting together with watercolor tinting.

Location: ARTspot & outdoor location TBA

Date: Saturday, August 31 rain or shine

Time: 9:00-12:30PDT

Tuition: $140

Register through ARTspot. Students can sign up via the website (ARTspot Edmonds | Art Supply Store ) in person or can call at 425-640-6408.

Materials:

Sketchbook: Particularly for this workshop as we are sketching panoramic views:

A sketchbook designed for multimedia. Takes ink, pencil, marker, and watercolor equally well.

Hardbound books help support your drawing while standing or sitting with it in your lap.

1. I like *Pentalic Aqua Journal 5" x 8", Watercolor OR
2. Handbook Journal Co. Artist Watercolor Sketchbook Journal, Pocket Panorama 3.5 x 8.25 Inches, 140lb CP
3. or Choose your own preferred paper and make an accordion or maze book.
4. Binder clips. To hold the pages open.

Choose from the options in the rest of the materials list here.

Please call ARTspot or contact me through Instagram or Facebook to let me know if you have any questions.

About the artist:

Michele Cooper was recently one of the guest artist instructors at Sketcher Fest Edmonds. She has been associated with USk Seattle since 2014 and was a Seattle 10×10 instructor for the tenth anniversary series of urban sketchers workshops. Michele has two new books on travel sketching as well as three sets of greeting cards. One set is especially about Edmonds. Drawing, painting and anything to do with art has always been Michele Cooper’s  passion. She loves sharing her discoveries and has taught adult watercolor workshops both internationally and locally from Anacortes to Seattle since 1979.

My Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/michelecooperart

My Facebook page 

https://www.facebook.com/ArtMicheleCooper

My Blog

https://www.michelecooper.blogspot.com

A clear view of the mountains

A few peaks viewed down the road from my PNW studio

It was a beautifully clear day with a view of the Cascade Mountain peaks near where I live. I sat in the car and sketched this today.
They don't call this the Evergreen State for nothing! What other temperate zone landscape has emerald foothills and green grass in the yard at the end of January?

Kawai Nui Marsh

Just before sunset

This is a beautiful natural marsh--the largest on Oahu at 800 acres.  As such, it is a protected Wildife Sanctuary, and that fact by itself deserves respect when visiting this site. There is a nice, somewhat lengthy, flat trail on the floodwater control levy. This levy, however, has no shade, so plan for an early morning walk, and bring water. There is no wheelchair access, no store or food access, no bathrooms, very limited parking. The marsh is a cultural and scientific historic treasure, and was considered a major sacred site by Hawaiians for centuries as a giver of Life--Was able to sustain thousands with fish, kalo-[taro]- and fowl during Hawaii's chiefdoms and later, monarchy period. WW11 marked an era of rapid change for the face of the windward area of Oahu, with the introduction of marine corp base Hawaii, and a change in economy. The marsh fell into disrepair, but in the last 20 years has seen several improvement programs that are helping return this natural area back to its healthy, productive state--fish, fowl and wildlife populations are slowly increasing in healthy numbers.-quote from tripadvisor

It took only a five minute drive down Oneawa and through a neighborhood to find this natural sanctuary. I saw people fishing, cycling, running and taking photos. There were quite a few bird varieties, including waterfowl. The moment the sun passed over the crest of the Koolau Mountains the still, glassy surface of the water became densely pocked with mosquiotos. 

He' Eia Kea Pier Fishing Dock

View from the indoor lunch counter at the General Store on the dock.

The four Cooper girls went on a fishing expedition yesterday. Well, we went to He' Eia Kea Pier fishing dock looking to find something to sketch.

At the general store, we had Kuahiwi Ranch hamburgers, meatloaf style patties cooked like you would at home with toasted bread instead of buns. My granddaughter, Leila, wanted fish and chips. Bryan, the cook of the day, said he would make some for her even though it wasn't on the menu.....and piled on the fries, too.

We watched tour groups come in and go out on huge double catamarans while we ate outdoors on picnic tables under the shade of the patio roof. A grandfather and his two grandchildren took a table, too, parking their child size fishnets and bucket. He said they never catch anything, but it's fun for the children to try fishing anyway and gives them a day out together.

I would come sketching here multiple times of the year if I lived on Oahu. There are so many views from which to choose; mountains, shorelines with volcanic cliffs, a marina busy with all types and sizes of serious fishing boats, tropical forests across the bay dotted with homes and hotels, people fishing off the dock, kayakers launching from the beach, and the lunch trade, too.

My 5-year old granddaughter and I sat inside (remember this for rainy days) and shared the lunch counter with a massive pair of binoculars, a half full ketchup squirter and a cork board with two photos of proud anglers. One picture was of a fellow who had a crab the size of a truck hubcap and the other some sort of giant eel-like thing which displayed two prominently sharp teeth.

Note: You may have seen the store and kitchen on Guy Fieri's show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on the Food Network.

Class demo Thursday

Waiting for the "last 5 strokes".

Here is the class demonstration from today's lesson. As I told my students, it's about 98% finished. The first time I confront a new subject I will work out an initial composition, then see where it takes me.  The reference photos are for inspiration but not to copy verbatim.  Usually, I will have made a value plan. Without a value plan, I am leaning on my experience. For a panoramic format like this I will use the steelyard type of composition. 

Balancing the composition: If you imagine visual interest as having weight, the trees have less "weight" than the buildings, so it takes a greater length of them as a counterbalance. I will need a small dark shape somewhere in the lower left quadrant to balance the large collection of buildings on the center/right. Its just like a lighter child who must sit further from the fulcrum of a see-saw to balance a heavier child. The fulcrum is seldom in the middle because most of the time artists are deliberately balancing a heavier mass with a lighter one. That is an artistic balance of unequal parts or asymmetrical balance.

Check back in a day or two for "the last five strokes". Feel free to write and tell me what you would have done.

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!

Anacortes Marina

I posted the compositional linework and beginning of this sketch yesterday. Moments after closing the sketchbook, I drove over to class #1 for the day, then on to class #2, my night class at Skagit Valley College.
I filled in the color while watching TV last night and here's the result!

Most of the rigging was left as the white of the paper.

This little Pentalic Aqua Journal is only 3"x5" closed, but 3"x10" open.

First Autumn View

Those who live on Camano Island or Stanwood will know where this is.

After teaching my Stanwood class, I took a little drive to an outlook that I know. There's a tidal estuary with stunning views no matter what the tide or weather. (Another of my goals is to fill this little Pentalic Aqua Sketchbook full of panoramic compositions.)

Sometimes you have to move a tree

Fidalgo Bay

Still at Seafarers' Memorial Park, but sitting in the cool shade of the sculpture, Lady of the Sea, I found this panorama for my new sketchbook. (More about the new sketchbook on Sunday.)

Getting started with line and establishing the distance

Finished Sketch