Practice, Practice, Practice….

Something I have learned from teaching is how important it is to just put in the time with paintbrush in hand. You can follow painting videos, read books, watch demos to your heart’s content, but the students whose work progresses fastest are those who put in the time actually painting! It doesn’t matter whether you good paintings or less successful paintings… the time spent putting brush to paper really pays off. There is no way to really describe a technique without practicing it…. feeling the physical feedback of the brush, the receptivity of the paper, and the difference in results depending on the conditions at the moment. Don’t wait until you feel inspired or have the absolutely right photo to paint from. Paint the ordinary things in front of you.

So, while my regular classes were going to finish up at the end of November to give me time to launch Watercolor 101 and develop new content for my January/February 8-week session, I am going to offer a special 2-session “Watercolor Critique Clinic” to respond to students who really want some structure to insure they continue to paint over the break.

These sessions will not have specific lessons or demos, but will allow students to share their work and get feedback…. much like the last hour of my ongoing classes. They will last from 60 to 90 minutes depending on how much students have to share. Of course I will have alll my cameras set up and do “mini-demos” to respond to questions and issues that come up in student’s works.

Do you like the idea? Let me know. Click this link to sign up.