This workshop will emphasize design applications to all types of compositional formats and use watercolor and collage as basic techniques. Emphasis will be placed on the use of value contrasts, visual movement, limited palettes, temperature contrasts, space division, proportion and shapes as they apply to specific problems of design, and extension. Projects will be directed and demonstrated in a non-objective context and work will be non-objective. A constant reference will also be made to subject oriented applications of the learned design concepts. In this collage class we will work with fabrics, paper, cardboard, string and acrylic or watercolor to develop a unique surface texture.

About the artist:
Gerald Brommer is completely involved in art as an innovative watercolor, collage and acrylic painter, teacher, author and juror. He has written over 35 art books which are currently being used as resource material in art schools and colleges, as well as for instructional posters.  In his teaching, he emphasizes the importance of exploring new methods in order to broaden the artist’s range of visual expression. His paintings have been in more than 135 one-man shows, 200 group shows, and over 200 international exhibitions. He is represented in over 4,000 private collections in 37 states, five countries overseas and galleries from California to Florida, Bermuda and London England.

Fresh flowers in the studio will be the inspiration for this workshop. Janet will demonstrate various fun exercises geared to interpret flowers in a more loose and expressive manner. Discovering the unique nature of individual flowers and finding new colors will be highlighted.  Demonstrations, class instruction, individual assistance, and “show & tell” will weave throughout these three days, with an emphasis on letting the medium of watercolor lead students to new adventures in watercolor. Some goals include “keeping the whites”, avoiding mud, intuitive color and composition. If time permits, we will also cover flowers in landscape – a simple impressionistic approach. 

About the artist:
A signature member of American Watercolor Society, Florida Watercolor Society, and Member with Excellence of the South Carolina Watercolor Society, Janet Rogers is an award-winning artist for both her floral and portrait paintings. She is also a very popular instructor and demonstrator, and has taught watercolor workshops extensively throughout the United States and also in Europe.  Janet has had three DVD’s produced by Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff, Boone, NC – “Expressive Watercolor Portraits,”  “Expressive Watercolor Florals,” and newest – “Watercolor Rhythms with Figures,” She has also been featured in the book, “The One-Hour Watercolorist” by Patrick Seslar (North Light). Janet was also featured in the July/August 2009 issue of American Artist Magazine.

Artist statement:
“I love the qualities of watercolor – its fluid nature.  To me, the interaction of artist with the medium is like a dance – full of motion, feeling and expression.  I love to watch the painting develop and to discover new color and composition.  As a teacher, I would like to enable students to find their connections with watercolor in new and expressive ways.”      Janet Rogers, AWS

Learn new and exciting ways to paint and draw the nude figure that are easy, free flowing and fun. Bill has developed keys for unlocking creativity through drawing the figure and, in this class, will show you his system and methods. The emphasis is on using mixed media techniques with unusual materials and techniques to achieve a surprisingly artistic and pleasing result without being too overly technical. Drawing the figure is more fun and less difficult if you have got the right tools. Each student should bring the large Canson Biggie sketch pad (18” x 24”, 100 sheet) (no newsprint please!) and two Conté crayons. All other materials will be provided and/or available in the class. We will have fun using Creta “Aquastics,” Sennelier oil pastels, Creta “Aquabriques,”  “Art Chunkies,” Fabriano papers and other exciting materials which will be provided to the class by Savoir Faire, Art Materials Importers. Bill will demonstrate ways of drawing that will expand your artistic skills and enable you to achieve a higher expressive level. As you learn to draw the figure with courage, freshness and freedom, a world of new artistic possibilities will open up. We will work from a live model. In this class Bill will demonstrate and teach fascinating material from his new book “Expressive Figure Drawing” published by Watson-Guptill/Random House (coming December 14, 2010). See www.billbuchman.com for more info.
This class is suitable for all skill levels.

About the Artist:
Bill Buchman, an accomplished artist, art educator, and lecturer gives workshops on both the creative process and on figure drawing around the US and has made popular educational DVD’s on both of these subjects. His new book “Expressive Figure Drawing,” published by Watson-Guptill/Random House, will be coming out in late 2010.  He studied painting and drawing with renowned teacher Victor D’Amico at the Museum of Modern Arts Institute of Modern Art, East Hampton, NY and also with leading American figurative painter Fletcher Martin at the Albany Institute of Art, in Albany, NY. Bill attended Cornell University, School of Fine Arts and Boston University, School of Liberal Arts and has a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in music from the New England Conservatory of Music. Buchman’s brightly colored spontaneous abstractions and his expressive figure drawings may be seen in private and public collections in Denmark, Sweden, England and the US.  Discover Bill’s paintings, drawings, DVD’s and more at www.billbuchman.com.

My painting is grounded in realism but it goes beyond portraying the physical reality and seeks to communicate the emotional and spiritual beauty of God’s creation. Students who are seeking to paint a convincing representation will advance substantially in these five days, while those who wish to attain a higher degree of insight into their subjects will also be pleased. I paint and teach in a very straightforward traditional manner because I believe I can most honestly say what I want to with my brush and juicy watercolor paint. Workshop participants will learn about light and color and the way watercolor behaves. They will gain an understanding of painting upon which to build, instead of acquiring a collection of methods for applying paint. One day of my workshop is devoted to value, and one day is devoted to color. In both cases I try to make clear how the medium of watercolor with its unique transparency and range of color and value can make our vision of a landscape live on the paper. I also show where various pigments will create beauty and where using the same pigments will bring disaster. I devote one day of my workshops to reflections and the unique problems associated with painting boats and water subjects. This is an area where I am especially qualified and in many cases students have not been exposed to some of the concepts. If time permits I also cover the use of photography as both a way of gathering source material and also how to best photograph paintings for slide juries and other purposes.

About the Artist:
Steve Rogers was the National Watercolor Society Purchase Award Winner “Best of Show” in the 2006 NWS Annual Juried Exhibition. Steve’s paintings have won hundreds of awards in juried competitions including four awards in the American Watercolor Society Annual International Exhibitions where his paintings have been included, 9 of the last 13 years. He is a Signature Member of the American Watercolor Society and was an Ambassador/Director of AWS and is also a Signature Member of the National Watercolor Society. He was the National Invited Juror for the AWS Annual Exhibition and served on the jury of selection for 2007 and is the Chairman or the Jury of Awards for the 2010 AWS Exhibition. In addition, he has judged many other national, regional and state exhibitions. Steve’s work was  featured in the Winter 2007 issue of “American Artist’s Watercolor Magazine.” He is also a signature member of the Florida Watercolor Society, where he has won 15 awards including three for Second Place. Steve Rogers was born August 18, 1947 in New York City.  He attended Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois in 1969.  His father, Henry Rogers, was a commercial artist who would often paint at home when Steve was a child.  He studied in New York with artist Harold Stevenson who would go on to found the prestigious Stevenson Academy of Fine Arts, and later with legendary watercolor painter and instructor Robert E. Wood.  Steve has made a career of painting since 1975.  He lives with his wife Janet Rogers AWS. Steve traveled to Greece for the first time in 1992 to teach a watercolor workshop and has returned to Greece, Italy, France and Spain nearly every year since. These experiences have had a profound impact on the color, the sense of light and place, and overall direction of his painting. “God is light” I John 1:5. I paint the light, which is a reflection of God’s beauty, and it makes my work as an artist both joyful and rewarding.

During this workshop, you’ll discover the possibilities of Powertex and related products. You will be amazed with the versatility! What is Powertex? Powertex is an environmental friendly fabric hardener which can be used to create figures, texture on canvas, sculptures and even jewelry. We teach you how to create an elegant figurine by making a frame. When we have a nice figure we wrap it with a first layer of textile using the Powertex of your choice (terra cotta, lead or bronze). We finalize the creation by dressing it up.  You will learn how to transfer a blank canvas into a unique mixed medium. You’ll discover new techniques and the use of powder pigments and much more. You will learn how to sculpt a wonderful fish. We start by creating a beautiful shape and complete it with self hardened clay and our wonderful color pigments and colortrix. The classes are fun and very rewarding because you go home with your own masterpieces. Bring a half yard of cotton (nothing synthetic), plastic gloves, a scissors and a plastic jar (i.e.an empty yoghurt jar). The registration fee covers the other materials.

You will learn to make your three-dimensional work or create a free standing 3D piece. You will walk away with three completed pieces. All of the materials are supplied.