Experimental Catalyst Abstract Watercolors
Join Big Island artist, Patti Pease Johnson for the Experimental Watercolors workshop on Saturday, August 3rd, from 9am – 12:30pm at Volcano Art Center. Cost for the workshop is $75 and $70 for VAC Members plus a $15 supply fee. Beginner and intermediate artists are welcome.
Imagine glass being shattered. The random shapes and patterns are totally unpredictable. Now take these haphazard glass pieces and marry them with watercolors; then add your own playful attitude. This is Experimental Watercolors! Like music on paper, colors flow in delicate waves.
Each student will create three to five separate 8×8 inch watercolor paintings on cold press watercolor paper using pre-broken glass as a catalyst to spark creativity. Students will also be taught theories of good composition, along with color theory and color wheel use. Abstract qualities are the focus in this workshop using three – four paints right out of the tube with the glass. After the first drying and glass removal, each piece is brought to further expressiveness by using detailed watercolor techniques of washes, spatters, lifting, value gradations, dry brush and more.
When asked to describe the experience Patti explained, “You can’t help but wonder what is going to happen after your first piece of glass is put on watercolor paper. In painting, the more chances you take, the more you will stretch the limits of your understanding, and in turn the more you will grow as an artist.”
Patti Pease Johnson’s artwork can be found at galleries and shops across the State and in collections around the world.
Pen Sketching & Watercolor Washes with Patti Pease Johnson
Saturday, September 7, 2024, from 9 am – 12:30 pm at VAC Niaulani Campus in Volcano, Village.
Learn mixed media line and wash technique on 6 x 9” watercolor paper and create 2 paintings in the 3 ½ hour session. “It’s a great size for journal travel recording for lively illustrative looks,” says instructor Patti Pease Johnson. This workshop is a chance for beginners and intermediate students to experiment with simplified line exaggerations and painting outside the lines. All materials are supplied so it gives a person a chance to see if this is their creativity spark before investing in the materials.
“Simple line drawing for the outside of objects is what it’s about,” says Patti. “Make it a suggestion of the object. Draw and paint loosely. For example, no need to complete the leaf outside edge, have a closed petal on a flower, or a tree with full branches. White space is good, chant it when you begin painting,”
Your intuition and playful attitude are part of this journey. First is a discussion by looking at many samples and asking the question: is it about drawing vs. color? Students then practice the minimal drawing first on newsprint from looking at a simple still-life setup. Then it is redrawn on the watercolor paper, and outlined suggestively with the permanent black fine-tip pen. Students learn a pen hashing technique for the darkest darks and cast shadows; plus learn watercolor techniques of washes, blending, glazing, dry brush, and lift-off. A 4-page handout with a basic 10-step procedure lets you remember the steps.
Patti Pease Johnson has been a working artist for 27 years and a teacher of various mediums including two other watercolor techniques, soft pastel still life, and Plein air landscapes. Her workshops for painting on silk using liquid dye and wax resist. She has had artwork in numerous juried shows and has collectors in many parts of the world through gallery sales around the state of Hawaii.
The cost is $75/$70 for VAC members, plus $10 supply fee, and a $5 registration fee. For more information call (808) 967-8222.
