Paint the Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest

Paint the Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest is the next watercolor class I will be teaching in Seattle at the Daniel Smith Classroom.
Working from an assortment of high resolution digital photos taken over the past 3-4 years in Mt Rainier National Park and the Cascade foothills this class will focus on close-up views of individual flowers as well as natural groupings or clusters of wildflowers as they can be found in the meadows or along the trails.
Seating is limited to 14 painters. There are still a few seats left so if you want to join us for a fun day of painting wildflowers call my studio @ 253-859-1111 asap.
Where: Seattle Daniel Smith Classroom
What: Paint the Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest in Watercolor
Who: Susie Short, watercolor teacher --- All skill levels welcome
When: August 18, 2008 10:00 am - 3:30 pm
Cost: $55 paid in advance

Basic Watercolor Supplies -- Supply List emiled upon request.
For More information visit my website www.susieshort.net/2008-local-classes.html
or contact me (Susie) susie@susieshort.net

From my sketchbook - Plein Air Sketches

These are the sketches I painted sitting in my van while the fog rolled by. Even though the day was chilly and the air was damp, being up there....close to the top of the world... was a pleasure.
They say the mountain creates its own weather. For what ever reason it just needed to be behind the blanket of fog that Friday.
Whenever I look at these little 6x8 sketches I'll remember ... I was there.
Sigh............ so much to paint so little time!
SUSIE

Sunday - Plein Air on Mt Rainier 080308

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What a difference a day makes! The previous twenty-four hours were filled with a fog that rolled in and out of our base camp at Sunrise. On Sunday the sun was shining and the sky was the most beautiful azure blue you have ever seen!

We had a wonderful view of the mountain and the wildflowers. My nose and cheeks got a little pink during my 2 hour demo. Sunscreen was definitely a must on this day! As you can see we all were able to make the most of of afternoon. It always amazes me that even though we were all looking at the same mountain and foreground we all came up with really different paintings of the same view. After we painted for a while several of us took to the trails to see how many more wildflowers we could find to photograph for future paintings.

2008 will go down in our books as one of the best years for painting the wildflowers en plein air.

My thanks to the fourteen painters who made my trip to the mountain a pleasurable treat.
It's my hope that you will join me again next year to see what "the mountain" has for us in 2009.
Until next time....keep those brushes wet!

SUSIE
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Plein Air Paint Out @ Mt Rainier National Park - August 1-2-3, 2008

This past weekend, (August 1-2-3, 2008) fourteen fellow watercolor artists joined me to take advantage of the limited opportunity to visit and paint Mount Rainier's meadows of wildflowers, which usually flourish in late July and early August. Fortunately, our scheduled dates to paint "en Plein Air" at Sunrise Visitor's Center was a good choice and the blooms were near peak for our visit. It was reported that the long winter season of 2008 with it's heavy snowfall has been trying to fool Mother Nature. And we all understood when the park ranger explains, "the plants won’t bloom until the snow melts away and the sun shines. "
The best news is that even though the bloom season for many of the flowers was delayed by the lingering snowfall most of the wildflowers were all blooming at once and creating a spectacular display for us to capture on paper! Oh, what a colorful sight to behold! Soft hues of blue and bright yellow, crisp magenta and pale lavender, creamy white and luscious greens made up the perfect wildflower palette.

Mt Rainier was playing a game of hide and seek with us as far as the weather was concerned. On Friday a blanket of thick fog that never lifted to give us a glimpse of "the mountain" from our base at Sunrise located at 6,400 ft. The day of fog was cold and wet with intermittent rain showers. I was able to take advantage of the many wildflower photo opportunities I found at the lower elevations along the drive up to Sunrise. (And I got some great photos of the trees through the fog too.)

These photos were taken on Friday, August 1, 2008 - I was the only painter in our group that made it to the mountain to paint this day. I took many photos and painted two sketches in my field sketch book.

More to come............SUSIE

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Saturday, started out foggy. As seven artists gathered for a "meet and greet" we wondered if we would even get a glimpse of Mt Rainier. We could however see the glorious wildflowers on the meadow in the opposite direction. While I was painting the demo of the wildflower meadow that extended to a rugged peak, the clouds parted and the mountain in all its glory allowed us to say hello. For the next 3 hours we had off and on quick glimpses of Little Tahoma and Mt Rainier's glaciers. Our focus of the wildflower meadow yielded a handsome array of watercolor paintings.

The beauty of the snowcapped mountain known as Mt Rainier is complemented by the park's famous wildflowers that bloom in the meadows on its slopes after the snow has melted in mid-summer. We were there to paint both the mountain and the meadow's wildflowers!

Read my next post about Sunday's Plein Air Painting...

SUSIE

Our artist pal Joe is missing from the photo. Joe did arrived in time to see some sunshine. We accused him of bringing the waves of fog that came with a drastic drop in temperature and millions of tiny water droplets. Most of us called it a day by 4:00 pm.

Report on Sea & Shore Workshop

Well, it was sink or swim for 14 students at this two day event!

I'm pleased to report that everyone survived the day with their heads and paper above the water!
Day one: As planned we worked on studies of waves in action learning to recognize just what they do as they roll into shore. It was fun to see all the splatter and splashing of the brushstrokes create "recognizable" wave shapes. After a short lunch break the class started on a small (7.5 x 11)study of Arch Cape. The study included rock formations often referred to as Haystack Rocks, wet sand with reflections and the ripples of the ocean waves washing ashore. Before we knew it the day was gone and it was time to quit.

Day two: Nine of the fourteen artists returned for the second day of painting. By the end of the second day each student had a seascape painting to hang on their wall.It always amazes me how we can all use the same photo to paint the same subject and yet each painting is very personally unique.As is usually the case during a workshop I started my demo painting but did not get it finished. After spending most of the afternoon coaching and offering advise my painting is still a work in progress.
I will post it when I have time to add some finishing touches.
Thanks again to all of the artists who participated! It really was fun.

Until next time, keep those brushes wet!
SUSIE

Seattle DEMO & Bellevue Class

This was a busy week!
On Saturday July 12th the Seattle Daniel Smith Store had standing room only for the morning demo on painting the Sea & Shore. One of the things I love about doing demonstrations is the interaction with the other artists in the room. They were very responsive and interested in learning how I painted the different types of waves featured in the watercolor paintings on display.
The afternoon demonstration repeated some wave information but also included some tips for painting rocks and wet sand. It was fun to show everyone how the new Surf and Sand Triad works for painting the beach and the ocean water.

REMINDER: There are still a couple of seats left in the two day workshop Painting the Sea & Shore Watercolor Workshop July 27 -28 at the Seattle Daniel Smith Store. Call 206-223-9599 to register. It is sure to be a fun two days!
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On Tuesday July 15 I taught a Sea and Shore class in Bellevue. After a morning of practicing how to paint waves, the afternoon was dedicated to executing a painting with water and rocks and wet sand with reflections. Everyone in the class had a successful painting to take home and frame. I'd like to say thanks to the Bellevue staff for making our day so enjoyable!

There will be more one classes in both Seattle and Bellevue this summer and into the fall.
Watch my blog and my calendar for updates and more information!

Until next time.... Keep those brushes wet!
SUSIE

Sea and Shore Watercolor Demo and Workshop

You are all invited to come see my FREE demo at the Seattle Daniel Smith Store this coming Saturday (July 12th, 2008) at 11:00 and 1:45 pm

I'm offering a one day class on painting the techniques used for painting seascapes in watercolor at the Bellevue Daniel Smith Classroom. Register with me (Susie) for this one. To sign-up online using PayPal click here or you may register by completing the mail form found at the same link.

Check the Daniel Smith Store Blog for a preview based on the blog report of my first Sea & Shore demo on June 21st. (Thanks Debbie!) And I'd also like to thank the fine group of Wet Canvas artists who came to the demo...it was nice to me you'll and I hope you will come to more of my watercolor events!

Plus I'll be conducting a two day Sea & Shore Watercolor Workshop on July 27th and 28th in the Seattle Daniel Smith Store. This fun two-day workshop is packed full of information for the intermediate to advanced watercolorist.

• Day One: I'll start by showing many of the elements that make a successful seascape painting. Students will learn how to create the forms of waves, breakers, rocks, sea foam, and wet sand. I'll will discuss and demonstrate the importance of color, sunlight, atmosphere, and composition. Practice exercises will help you build a foundation using these forms, and also help plan your composition before actually starting a painting.
• Day Two: We'll begin with a brief demo following with a review of painting techniques covered on day one. You will then start your seascape painting while I'm there to offer individual instruction and encouragement helping you effectively paint the sea and shore.
  Photo references will be available for use and purchase or you may wish to bring your own photos to work from.
• Cost: $75 per day
• Time:11 AM to 4:00 PM

Don't forget my FREE demo at the Seattle Daniel Smith Store this coming Saturday (July 12th, 2008) at 11:00 and 1:45 pm

See you there! Keep those brushes wet!

SUSIE