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My August 2019 “Negative Painting, Simplified” workshop was attended by five watercolor artists with a wide range of experience and backgrounds. Whether they had been painting for 37 years or 37 days, they all had at least two things in common: a love for watercolor and a desire to learn something new!

Negative painting is a difficult concept to master in that it is contrary to the way we naturally see things. This two-day workshop was designed to provide plenty of group and individual instruction as well as enough painting time for skill development. I believe each student enjoyed the experience and came away with a good practical understanding of the technique.  I always ask my students to fill out a little feedback questionnaire at the end of the day(s).  Some of the "What did you like about today's workshop?" feedback I received from my students this week included:

  "Wow!  What a fun two days!  Thank you so much!!"

"Your workshop was excellent! I really appreciate your time for demos, questions, attention to our individual needs, and critiques. That makes the time so personal and educational. I look forward to practicing the new techniques and taking another class."

"...clear demos of techniques and individual suggestions to apply them. Most importantly, I got what I had hoped to get: steps for painting negatively and a little success in doing the process. I now have something to practice and to build on. Your handout nicely summarized it all."

As you can see from the photos, the artists achieved great results!

Of course, there's also the "How might I improve my classes in the future?" category. The participants' answers to this question provide me with valuable information. I consider every response carefully, as I am constantly looking for ways to improve the workshop experience for my students. 

It is my pleasure to share my love for watercolor painting with the like-minded! Thank you, class, for attending my workshop!

Paint. Love. Repeat.