Our next Watermill online interactive painting session takes us to the American Southwest with our watercolour tutor Randy Hale.
He says: “Nothing identifies the American Southwest quite as well as towering sandstone buttes! Late afternoon sun sets them all ablaze in golden light. Detail all but disappears within the deep dark shadows. The entire landscape finds its shape and form from the contrast of long shadows falling across glowing rock faces.â€
Randy will show you how to paint soft pastel skies, big washes across rock surfaces, and when to lay down dark shadows once the paper dries. Foreground vegetation becomes a mere suggestion when he combines rich wet colours with a series of tricks that repel and bloom, creating beautiful textures.
The session is on Thursday 3 March at 5pm Central European Time.*
*Please note that this session is at a slightly different time from our normal ones, to enable more of our American guests to join us ‘live.’ The time is 5 pm – Italy, 4 pm – UK & Ireland, 11 am – East Coast USA, 10 am – Central Time USA, 9 am – Mountain Time USA, 8 am – Pacific Coast Time USA.)
Randy says: “We’ll do this painting in a number of stages. In each step I’ll show you how to lay down a wash, or execute necessary brushstrokes, then give you time to actually do it. Over the course of three hours or so, you’ll not only end up with a finished painting but also have the information to create another similar set up!â€
You will be sent links to Randy’s reference photo, practice painting and list of recommended materials as soon as you register for the session.
To register for this online session please just click here.
Unlike many online painting tutors, Randy will not expect you to ‘look over his shoulder’ for a long demonstration, and perhaps be allowed to ask the odd question or two. No, you will be painting along at more or less the same time, trying out the watercolour techniques that Randy shows you, step-by-step. He will demonstrate some basic techniques for only a few minutes before you start painting the same subject at home. Then, after you’ve been given a little time to catch up, Randy will move onto the next part of the process. Lois Breckon from The Watermill at Posara will be on hand during the session to feed your questions. The session will last about three hours. And, remember, if you find that Randy paints just a little too fast for you, you can watch the video later (the video link will be sent to you within 48 hours of the end of the session).
When you register for the session, you will be asked for a donation. Some people ask how much this should be. It is up to you, but we do suggest a minimum donation of £20 GBP (English pounds). Our Zoom painting demonstrations do take quite a bit of time in preparation and administration and your support is very much appreciated. With your generosity we can plan and run further sessions and, more importantly, provide a regular meeting place for creativity, camaraderie and fun. We hope that you enjoy the international, online painting community that we have created.
Once you have registered you will be provided with two links. The first is the Zoom link for you to join the session. Please note that the start time is 5pm European time, that is, 4pm (UK time, GMT). Please check the precise starting time in your own time zone compared with Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
The second link is where you will find the photograph that you will paint, a line drawing, Randy’s practice painting and a list of equipment and colours for your palette. If you would like to paint along with Randy, remember that he works fast and you should have your own line drawing ready before we start.
After the event, you are invited to add your painting to the private gallery, where you will be able to view the same scene uploaded by your fellow painters on Zoom. Randy will kindly add a few comments to all those who share their painting. In addition, we will send you a link to a video that will enable to you revisit Randy’s step-by-step teaching.
When you have painted with Randy online, why not join him for real at the Watermill in Tuscany Italy this Summer? We would love to welcome you to the Watermill. You can find more details of Randy’s week-long course, from Saturday 11 June to Saturday, 18 June 2022, by clicking here.
This is Randy’s watercolour of the walled garden at the mill…..
Randy is from Colorado in United States and, as well as his workshops in the USA, he has taken painting groups all over the world. After a successful business career, he returned to his first love, watercolour painting. (He was taught by James Green, a founder member of the California School of Watercolor.) But Randy’s true passion proved to be to be in sharing his knowledge: enjoying the excitement of travel with fellow painters, helping them to create expressive paintings to enrich their experience.
One of his students said: “He knows his stuff and he knows how to teach! Best watercolor instructor I have ever had!â€