Bring the face and figure to life with the transparency and immediacy of watercolor. This extremely expressive media can also be highly controlled. We work from life as well as photographic sources in this deceivingly direct paint medium. With daily demonstrations and a series of simple and accessible studio exercises, students develop skills controlling resoluble colors, reserving and pulling back highlights and maintaining brilliant and delicate tones that are unique to water-based media. We focus on capturing the essence of the portrait and figure through taking time to look and record what we see.

Observe nature with fresh eyes, letting time slow to examine the wild world closely. Investigate nature firsthand, using magnifying loupes to inspect subjects, contemplating life, growth, decay, and regeneration. Using the natural world as source material, we read, discuss, observe, and embark on a painting journey. The emphasis of this workshop is thinking about painting as process and movement rather than fixed form, depicting nature with paint without needing to reproduce observations in a literal way. Melding abstraction and representation, students discover and produce depth, allowing an image to float to the surface. We learn to develop form, mix color, and consider composition, all inspired by what we see around us.

In this 5-day exploratory workshop, we start from the basics of water-based screen printing, then work our way up to more advanced and increasingly experimental techniques. Exciting methods—such as analog processes including reduction with screen filler, and digital processes using photo emulsion—are introduced and demonstrated with plenty of studio time to print. Students also experiment with watercolor monoprinting and even graphite prints. Throughout the week, we discuss tips and techniques that students can use to keep printing at home with minimal setup and equipment.