Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Upcoming Workshops and Inspiring Artists

"The Basketmaker"
11" x 14"
Watercolor on Yupo Paper

I've just been doing some coordination activities for watermedia workshops as a member of the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society (SCVWS) Workshop Committee. I've done some bicycle education at local public schools. I haven't had much time to paint since Monday so I am posting a Myrna Wacknov challenge that I did about a year ago. We were challenged to feature one design element (line) and draw three colors out of a hat (cadmium yellow, pyrole orange, and permanent green). This is an experiment that took me out of my comfort level, something I need to do to grow as an artist. I took the source photo in a small town in the Dordogne area of France in 2007. This man was in his nineties and continued to work full-time making baskets. He looked amazingly vigorous.

Myrna will be giving a workshop for SCVWS on January 15 to 19, 2010, with a choice of attending the first three days or all five days. We have just a few open slots remaining if you would like to join the fun. Myrna is a wonderful instructor, amazingly creative, and both award-winning and featured in popular art magazines. You can visit her blog and her website to see her fabulous work. You can attend a free demo by Myrna on January 10, 2009, 1:30 to 4 p.m. at Hoover Historic Theater in San Jose.

I'm also helping with a Betsy Dillard Stroud workshop on October 19 to 23, 2009, with a free demo on October 18 at the same location and time. Betsy is very creative and experimental, an author of art books, featured in art magazines, and has won many awards. If you want to pull out all the stops and throw caution to the wind, join Betsy's workshop. We have a few openings.

To learn more about the workshops, fees, and how to register, check out Artist Workshops and the watercolor society pages.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

You are such a wonderful source of information. I need to check out these workshops and also this Yupo!

Mary Paquet said...

Hi, Sheila. My connections with the society helps. Yupo is really interesting -- you can't help but get a painterly result because of the resist.

Christiane Kingsley said...

Mary, I really like your Basketmaker and the effect you achieved on the Yupo.
How do you fix or seal the Yupo before framing?

I often visit Myrna's blog...what a great experience it would be to attend one of her workshops. You lucky lady.

Mary Paquet said...

Christiane, I have not used anything to seal before framing. I just frame the painting behind glass like other watercolors. I don't often paint on Yupo and I have framed just one ful sheet piece, but it seems to have held up fine for a few years. Now I wonder if there is a sealer that I don't know about.

I am very lucky to take a workshop from Myrna.

FitFoodieMegha said...

Hi Mary, You are much deserving for an award. I have one for you. Please come and collect you award from my blog.:)

Mary Paquet said...

Megha, you are one special person! Thanks for the award.

Anonymous said...

Hi Mary, Thanks for mentioning "Artist Workshops". Your "Basketmaker" is a neat, exciting image. After following your blog for a little while, I am seeing your style come through. Interesting work!

Mary Paquet said...

Peggy, thanks so much for the encouraging comments. I love Artists Network.