San Diego Watercolor Society

Abstract Acrylic Painting and Collage

Instructor:  Robert Burridge

Creative tearing and paint splashing starts off this all new “Loosen Up Workshop.”  Also you will learn how to begin a new fresh body of work with your own artistic voice and point of view.  Think “artist retreat,” producing a body of work, a series of paintings or your conceptual solo show.

 Robert Burridge, along with his famous daily handouts, demos and lectures, helps and guides you to paint the way you have always wanted to paint.

 Daily, you can expect warmup paint sketching, brief painting and lecture demos, constructive critiques and plenty of time to work on personal projects.  Come prepared to paint your stuff!

Recommended experience level:  all levels 

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Non Members Fee: $640.00 Members Fee: $600.00

This workshop takes place on:

Workshop Full!  Wait List Only!  Contact workshops@sdws.org

Painting Water Subjects

Instructor:  Drew Bandish

Watercolor painting methods are particularly well suited to the subject of water in its many moods and colors. In this lesson set, we will focus on developing effective symbols for such characteristic watery effects as:

-very calm and reflective surfaces, as in lakes, ponds and puddles, including their surroundings.

-water with some motion, as in harbors with boats moving about and their many shattered reflections. 

-splash and spray, as in surf and waterfalls, sprinklers and other. 

-clear and refractive, as in a vase of flowers or clear, shallow shoreline areas or dew drops.


All skill levels welcome!

You can do it.

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Non Members Fee: $185.00 Members Fee: $165.00

This workshop takes place on:

One spot available.  

Plein Air - From Sketchbook to Studio - How to keep spontaneity alive.

Instructor:  Iain Stewart

Together we will cover all aspects of how I work to keep my paintings lively and gestural. It’s quite easy to get bogged down in detail and for me the perfect tool is the sketchbook. We will work both in our books and on traditional watercolor paper covering a range of subject matter and scenes. I believe that a workshop without the worry of success typically leads just there. Learn how to let go of the fear of ruining a painting and work with new found freedom. Iain will share the secrets of drawing with confidence, painting quickly, and breaking a painting down into understandable steps that you can repeat on you own. There are no gimmicks, no tricks, just dive in and let the water go where it may. 

Sketchbook to Studio - a roadmap for finding you in your work. 

Recommended experience level:  all levels

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Non Members Fee: $540.00 Members Fee: $500.00

This workshop takes place on:

Tracing Paper Treasures

Instructor:  Julie Anderson

Learn to design and use value plans to turn your photo references and/or figure drawings into exciting paintings full of texture.  Using photo references, gridding up drawings, applying tracing paper to watercolor paper backing, and use of color schemes will be covered.

All skill levels starting from advanced beginner 

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Non Members Fee: $185.00 Members Fee: $165.00

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Bridges/Urban Landscapes

Instructor:  Antonio Masi

Antonio Masi is the president of the American Watercolor Society and International renowned painter. The goal of this workshop is to show the untapped power of watercolor. The focus will be on how to approach this medium from a contemporary point of view, powerful, emotional and delicate, not the traditional transparent way it is looked upon. Antonio applies watercolor in a thick and juicy manner, giving his subjects a startling boldness. Learn how attention to details and unusual perspective make for poetic, moody works with strong textural qualities. 

Recommended experience level:  all levels

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Non Members Fee: $490.00 Members Fee: $450.00

This workshop takes place on:

Memorable Landscapes

Instructor:  Jami Wright

Create visually exciting watercolor landscapes using your favorite photos as reference. Emphasis will be on simplification, composition, value adjustments, atmospheric perspective and defining your focus with higher contrast and detail. Supply options for painting while traveling will also be covered. 

Recommended experience level: Advanced Beginner and higher levels 

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Non Members Fee: $185.00 Members Fee: $165.00

This workshop takes place on:

Figurative impressionist

Instructor:  Ted Nuttall

Learn about drawing, the value and essentials of a good drawing, with the focus being on painting. His goal is to create, in an atmosphere that’s both creative and supportive providing specific and memorable information you can take home and use in your work. 

Recommended experience level:  all levels

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Non Members Fee: $640.00 Members Fee: $600.00

This workshop takes place on:

Vibrant Abstracts On Yupo Paper

Instructor:  Wanda Honeycutt

It’s official! Painting on Yupo paper is an amazing experience!  

Can it be challenging? …. YES!

Can you learn tricks to tame it, while still allowing it to do it’s wonderful, colorful magic? …. YES!

Wanda will teach you her secrets of painting with watercolor on Yupo paper. This workshop will focus on non-representational abstracts. These techniques can also be used to enhance your own representational art, adding dimensionality and interest.   

You will complete this class with more ideas and tools for expressing your unique self through ART, using techniques that have allowed Wanda to create award winning paintings.

From Wanda: Many people have said things to me like:  I love your abstracts but I just can’t do them myself…….I wish I could.

This class will give you the structure you need to succeed and the freedom to create your own unique paintings.  

All skill levels welcome!

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Non Members Fee: $185.00 Members Fee: $165.00

This workshop takes place on:

Landscapes/ Light

Instructor:  Don Andrews

Learning to paint with watercolor should be fun! Don’s Landscape Workshop is geared specifically for artists eager to paint and study in a no-stress studio environment.

Each day, Don will address a major visual concern; light, color, granulation, organizing nature and utilizing negative space are just a few subjects to be covered.

Don’s class isn’t geared to any specific level of achievement; rather artists at all levels will benefit from a more personal understanding of the painting possibilities available in the exciting world of landscape painting.  This workshop will be packed with demonstrations, discussions, individual help and personal and group critiques.

Recommended experience level:  all levels

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Non Members Fee: $490.00 Members Fee: $450.00

This workshop takes place on:

Matting/Framing For Gallery Exhibition - Saturday

Instructors Susan Hewitt and Denise Tverdoch

In this workshop you will learn the basics of matting and framing for gallery exhibitions using the SDWS mat cutter or your own. We will cover multiple mounting techniques including floating, multiple mat openings for diptychs and triptychs, and the secret to perfectly aligned double mats. You will also learn about wholesale suppliers.

All levels welcome.

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Non Members Fee: $120.00 Members Fee: $100.00

This workshop takes place on:

Matting/Framing For Gallery Exhibition - Sunday

Instructors Susan Hewitt and Denise Tverdoch

In this workshop you will learn the basics of matting and framing for gallery exhibitions using the SDWS mat cutter or your own. We will cover multiple mounting techniques including floating, multiple mat openings for diptychs and triptychs, and the secret to perfectly aligned double mats. You will also learn about wholesale suppliers.

All levels welcome.

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Non Members Fee: $120.00 Members Fee: $100.00

This workshop takes place on:

Beyond Technique: Finding Individual Expression

Instructor:  Frank Eber

The workshop will:

• Continue in the tradition of the 20th Century California Barbizon movement (“intimate works, painted with a limited palette; softly expressive, suggestive rather than detailed”)
• Focus on emotional responses to nature
• Encourage the individual artist’s expression while balancing the forces at play in creation of a painting.
• Topics will include design and composition, color and lighting, positives and negatives, simplification of shape, and atmospheric effects. The techniques you will learn in Frank’s workshop transcend the watercolor medium. 

 Small class settings only. Please sign up early!

All Levels Welcome

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Non Members Fee: $490.00 Members Fee: $450.00

This workshop takes place on:

Creating Watercolor Abstracts

Instructor:  Kathleen Scoggin

This workshop will focus on where to find inspiration and how to develop your own abstract style.  Design and composition will be explored as part of the process.  Step by step instructions will be given for a no fail abstract with lots of WOW FACTOR.  We will explore different ways of applying the watercolor medium.  We will also use mixed mediums to achieve new and varied effects.

All skill levels welcome!

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Non Members Fee: $185.00 Members Fee: $165.00

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Experimental/Aggressive Textures/Unusual Mediums

Instructor:  Jan Sitts  

By combining aggressive textures and unusual mediums with various “Raw” materials the end result in mixed media abstraction painting is the creative accomplishment.  This method presents the magnetism that is abstraction in mixed media painting.  Many techniques, materials, compositions and above all, emotions play off of each other when creating the piece.  The adventure is not knowing where you are going with it until you get there!  You will become enlightened as you journey through this process.

The workshop is loaded with information that can be useful applied to any painting.

Recommended experience level:  all levels

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Non Members Fee: $490.00 Members Fee: $450.00

This workshop takes place on:

Bold Big Brush Painting

Instructor:  Craig Anderson

Spend a few days learning how to be a more confident artist creating loose watercolors and have fun while doing it.  The workshop will include what defines a painting and the steps involved to go from concept to completion.

We will use markers to create a value sketch as a foundation and guide for your final painting.

All skill levels

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Non Members Fee: $185.00 Members Fee: $165.00

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Impressions of Built, Natural, & Imagined Worlds

Instructor:  Michael Reardon

In this 4-day workshop we will emphasize fundamental techniques in order to strengthen your skills in watercolor landscape painting. Fundamentals covered will include: creating a strong composition, evoking a sense of light through the use of values, and manipulating color for its full expressive effect. While Michael will demonstrate his painting style and the use of colors in his palette, he will encourage people to develop their personal style and approach to watercolor. 

A demonstration will start each day, followed by individual painting with careful guidance. A review of the day’s work concludes each day. We will also explore ways to work with photo references so that they help, not dictate, your final painting.

Recommended experience level:  all levels with watercolor recommended

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Non Members Fee: $490.00 Members Fee: $450.00

This workshop takes place on:

The JOY of Yupo!

Instructor:  Carol Thomason

Discover the JOY of using polypropylene Yupo! Carol will demonstrate and talk about how—and why—she creates her Lines of Communication painting series using mixed watermedia and layers of fluid acrylic…now all on Yupo!  Paint with abandon!  Do it all on Yupo! 

All levels welcome!

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Non Members Fee: $185.00 Members Fee: $165.00

This workshop takes place on:

Portriature/ Figurative & Still Life

Instructor:  Matthew Bird

With a focus on strong light and deep value to create intense and dramatic paintings, this four-day workshop will include daily watercolor demonstrations illustrating Matthew's technique and giving insight into his methods and philosophies. Students will follow along with daily demonstrations on the same subject moving toward a complete or near-complete painting. Painters with more experience can work from their own photographs with individual guidance, or work from the material provided. 

Whether you are a beginning student looking for an introduction to figure work,or a more advanced painter looking to refine your understanding of light, colorand value, this class will be a great opportunity to take your understanding to a higher level.

Topics include:

• The importance of design, value and composition
• Painting the translucency of skin
• Properties of color and the physics of light
• Handling complex textures such as hair and fabric
• Special attention will be given to the unique properties of light and shadow, edges and color
• Plus tips on working with your model, avoiding mistakes and marketing your work 

Recommended experience level:  all levels

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Non Members Fee: $490.00 Members Fee: $450.00

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Landscapes/Flowers/ Foliage

Instructor:  Carol Carpenter

Class will include daily exercises and demonstrations on initial drawing, composition and placement, as well as examples of related techniques. 

 Demonstrations of edges, layering, and methods to retain the white of the paper will be given. And a display of steps to arrive at a finish will be provided to follow.

 We will also focus on how to pick which details to include or exclude, how to add that bit of mystery into your work. There will be individual instruction for each student throughout the class. Please bring the materials you have and if you need suggestions about additional materials please refer to the supply list posted online. Carol will provide a watercolor paper workbook.Be sure to bring any references or photos you may want to use.

Recommended experience level:  all levels

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Non Members Fee: $390.00 Members Fee: $300.00

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Developing a Style

Instructor:  Gordon Bashant

In this workshop you will work on color along with ideas for and distortion of “subjects.” The emphasis will be on finding your unique style. This class will help newer painters get off on the right track and inspire experienced painters to find new ways to look at a blank piece of paper.

All Levels Welcome

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Non Members Fee: $185.00 Members Fee: $165.00

This workshop takes place on: