Nanaimo, Vancouver Island BC Painting Lessons
by Alison Watt I teach painting workshops primarily out of my studio on Protection Island, near Nanaimo B.C. Students enjoy the studio’s intimate setting, nestled in the garden of my waterfront home, as well as small class sizes (maximum 8). Weekend art classes in watercolour and acrylic are usually offered each spring and fall. A week long “Watercolour Immersion” summer class allows students to experience a more intense painting workshop. This winter (January to May) I will be offering ongoing classes out of studio space in the city of Nanaimo. Visit this space for updates on offerings.
"Thank you very much for creating a warm, encouraging environment, for teaching me so much in so short a time and for making me feel I can't wait to learn more, and have more fun!! and get better."
-Margaret Litch, Nanaimo, BC
PAINTING CLASSES
ADULT PAINTING LESSONS IN WATERCOLOUR AND ACRYLICS
SPRING 2012
SURFACING: An Acrylic Workshop
Sunday, February 19, Saturday, February 25, 10am-4pm
This spring, I’m introducing a new format for this popular class. Several people have expressed interest in learning how to work with plaster. Because this medium takes a few days to set up, I have split the class into a Sunday and the following Saturday.
On the first day (Sunday) we will explore collage and acrylic mediums and learn painting techniques to create rich surfaces. At the end of the day we will prepare a couple of plasters on wood cradles. The following Saturday students will return to work on the dried plasters.
A little more on surface:
One of the challenges of painting with acrylic is to avoid the flat “paint-by-number” look. The key is creating lively surfaces, which draw the eye closer, even when the passage is large (i.e. a sky, a wall). In this popular workshop (appropriate for both beginners and experienced painters) we will work on canvas with simple compositions (still life and abstract), creating interesting surfaces with layering and glazing, resist, and subtle colour transitions.
A little more on plaster:
What attracted me to plaster was the fact that it could be worked after it was dry, something that is difficult to do with acrylic mediums (as wonderful as they are!). Plaster can be sculpted as well as painted; the artist can embed things in it to create negative shapes or to reveal with sanding. The final surface is rich and lustrous, slightly cool to the touch, like ceramic. In short, I love this medium and am anxious to share it with students.
All materials provided. Cost: $200
Leaves, plaster by Eleanor North
PAINTING THE LARGE CANVAS
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, March 16,17,18, 10am-4pm
It is challenging to begin, let alone complete a large canvas! This three-day acrylic workshop is designed to help you get past the "I hate this painting" stage (which usually kicks in after about a day) when you might be tempted to start over or shove the painting in a closet. You will learn how to bring the canvas through several layers, working with colour, composition, and surface and surprise yourself by what you can achieve after three consecutive days on the same painting!
You may bring your own image as a starting point for the painting or work from ideas provided by workshop material. The aim is to stray from strict realism into the semi-abstract or abstract.
Students provide their own canvas (choose any dimension between 20x30 to 36x36).
Students may bring their own paint and mediums or have them provided for a materials fee of $60.
Cost: $250
*This class has a maximum of 5 students.
KEEPING AN ILLUSTRATED JOURNAL
Saturday, Sunday March 31, April 1, 10am-4pm
An illustrated journal is a wonderful way to keep a record of day-to-day life as well as travel. A quick illustration can capture a memory in a unique way. In this class we will go over materials (journals, watercolours, pencil crayon, pens), and techniques (basic watercolour and pen and ink). We will learn how to simplify a scene to make a quick sketch, using some basic rules of composition, as well as review specific techniques of landscape painting. Finally we will explore creative ideas to get started on your own illustrated journal. Paper, pencil crayons and pens provided. Each student will also receive a custom bound journal. Students can bring their own watercolours or pay a $10 materials fee for paint.
Cost: $170
THE WATERCOLOUR CLASS
YOU’VE ALWAYS PROMISED YOURSELF YOU’D TAKE
Saturday, Sunday, April 14,15, 10am-4pm
This class is designed for the beginner or painter with a little experience (and a lot of frustration) with watercolour. My goal is to make this medium less scary and MORE FUN! If you are interested in learning more about my approach to watercolour, see below, a letter I wrote to a student, which sums it up.
In this class we will explore the basic watercolour palette and mixes. We will learn techniques like wash, wet-in-wet, and glazing, and cover both the quick watercolour sketch (useful for studies or journal illustration) and the more finished studio painting. Watercolour paper provided. Students can bring their own artists quality paint or have paint provided for a $15 fee.
Cost: $160
Email Alison to register for courses, ask questions, or get on my mailing list.
A materials list, as well as directions for travelling to the island will be provided on registration.
This spring I will be teaching Botanical Painting at the
AT THE UBC BOTANICAL GARDEN
Saturday, Sunday, March 3, 4, 10am-4pm
I always enjoy this class, which takes place in the garden pavilion in the middle of he UBC Botanical Garden. The plant material is provided by the garden and it is always fun to see what they bring in from the beautiful and exotic collections.
The class begins with how to work up a sketch and then moves on to transferring it to watercolour paper and beginning the painting. We will review watercolour materials (brushes, paints, and paper) and basic techniques (mixing, glazing, wet-in-wet, masking). Special attention will be given to the concerns of plant painting (greens, whites, darks, stems, leaves, etc.).
check their website http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/courses
for details including cost.
TRANSPORTATION AND ACCOMMODATION ON PROTECTION ISLAND
A small foot passenger ferry leaves the Nanaimo boat basin near Cameron Island at ten after the hour and returns on the hour from Protection. The trip is 10 minutes and the cost is $9 return.
The nearby Dinghy Dock floating pub is a great place for dinner.
Paige Cottage: A lovely 2 bedroom cottage with cooking facilities, 10 minutes walk from Alison's Studio. See www.paigecottage.com
The Zen of Watercolour
I try to create a relaxed atmosphere in my classes, where I can sneak technique in while you have fun. My main aim is to get students comfortable with watercolour, so they can keep painting on their own. It's common to hear that watercolour is the most difficult medium. A lot of the "trick" with watercolour is getting the feel for it: how much water, how much paint, judging drying time. This is all stuff that comes with practice (and the more play, the better). I would say the thing about watercolour is that it is more capricious than the other media. It has a mind of its own and the real trick is learning the zen of watercolour: how to neither over control it, or let it run every which way.
Normally in my beginner watercolour classes we start with exploring how the water and paint work together, learning how to keep the paint vivid but transparent. We sample the palette and a few useful mixes. And then we practice some simple techniques, like washes, wet-in-wet, and glazing (still working on the building blocks). By the end of the first day we begin thinking about a painting, usually a simple landscape or a botanical subject. I don't usually take people through all the same painting, except in a loose way, to work through technique. I like to let people work on what they'd like to and concentrate on working on common techniques and doing demonstrations as we go.
One other point--as I mentioned above, watercolour can be used in different ways. A complex studio or plein air painting is a pretty advanced endeavor. But watercolour can also be used quick and fresh, over pencil sketches or with ink, say in a sketchbook. It's best to work towards formal paintings through smaller simpler work; much less frustrating and more fun. And, it's important not to expect too much of yourself too early on.
Let’s get started.