Friday, February 22, 2013

Am I An Abstract Impressionist At Heart?

Funny, tonight I discovered posts that people were making on this blog site.  I guess I didn't quite know how to get to the section where I could read the posts.  I thank everyone (including Peggy, who has commented quite a bit) for their opinions and I apologize for not replying.  I had no idea how to find the comment area and was befuddled, wondering if anyone was reading this!  Now you know how primitive my computer skills are and that I'm not a natural at figuring these things out.

The last few days have been great ones in discovering some new things about myself and my work.

I've had the week off from teaching (exhausted, folks, really exhausted) and I've been able to feed the introvert in me by painting like a mad woman.  I'm seeking more and more to discover the abstract within the realistic.  I'm abstracting shapes more and more, along with those beautiful colors. 

"Buzz on Fifth Avenue," 2012 Rockies West National Exhibition
I also figured out today that I've made Signature Membership in the Rockies West Watercolor Society. I'm accumulating a nice number of national signature memberships across the country and I'm really proud of all the hard work I've done to gain this notoriety.  Generally, most watercolor societies that present national and international exhibits require an artist to be accepted in three exhibits within a 10 year time frame.  This is really, really hard to do.  There are often 600 - 800 entries for each exhibit, and - generally - only around 80 or 90 paintings will be selected by the judge.  So, I'm really proud of my consistent and hard work in being recognized.  I have earned the following Signature Memberships:  the Southern Watercolor Society (1/2 the country), the Virginia Watercolor Society, the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society, the Baltimore Watercolor Soiciety,  the Potomac Valley Watercolor Society ( a local organization), and now the Rockies West.  I am SO thrilled!

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

REHOBOTH BEACH, DELAWARE: workshop in May at the Rehoboth Art League



I’ll be teaching a one day workshop in watercolor painting in Rehoboth, Delaware, coming up in May…here’s the information below...

And, I’ll be posting updates on the painting seen here as it progresses…I'm painting my favorite subjects here, glass, reflections and light.

Watercolor Bootcamp
Beginner & Intermediate
Saturday, May 4, 2013
10 am until 4 pm
Rehoboth Art League
12 Dodds Lane
Rehoboth DE 19971
Contact: Kim Klabe
educator@rehobothartleague.org
302-227-8408
FAX: 302-227-4121


Sunday, February 10, 2013

Italian Street Scene (c) Catherine Hillis

Learn new watercolor techniques with professional watercolor artist Catherine Hillis, an instructor who will guide you along in your painting with a nurturing spirit.  Take Watercolor Bootcamp No 2 at Artist's Network University online.  The four week session begins on Tuesday, February 26, 2013.

http://www.artistsnetworkuniversity.com/courses/watercoor-bootcamp-level-2

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Italian Street Scenes

Yup.  I'll be teaching a workshop at Lake Garda, Italy during late September of 2013.  I love to go to Italy so that I can take great pictures and paint them during the rest of the year.  Here's "An Italian Street Scene."
For information about the plein aire painting and sketching workshop in Italy, please see my website at www.catherinehillis.com or www.ilchiostro.com. 

Friday, February 1, 2013

Texturing Techniques in Watercolor Painting: Add Some "Oomph" to Your Work


I want to thank Diane Raitt for taking pictures of my weekly class in Leesburg.  During last Thursday's class, I  reviewed some of the many texturing techniques a painter can utilize in watercolor painting.  While I enjoy introducing traditional watercolor painting to students, I realize that there are times when a painter needs to employ something different to their work, and sometimes additional texturing can add depth.

There are more texturing techniques than I'm able to list here tonite....and perhaps YOU can think of some of your own.  We watercolorists are an adventurous bunch and we are always trying to push the edge by finding some new way to express ourselves in our medium.  Here are some of the techniques we spoke about in classes this week:  lifting on dry and wet paper, sponging, splattering with toothbrush, wire screen and/or paintbrush, positive and negative stenciling, salt, alcohol, saran wrap, scratching with a variety of implements, watercolor pencils, caran d'arche, sand, sandpaper, masking fluid, mylar stamping, and fan brushes.

I'm including a picture here of one of my texturing charts, along with a photo of students watching the demonstration....