Summertime offers a variety of art workshops all over Texas and New Mexico. My friend and fellow artist, Dyan Newton was teaching at the Hill Country Arts Foundation in Ingram, Texas.
Dyan and I are both members of the West Texas Watercolor Society and I took one of her workshops several years ago. She is a talented instructor and I was excited to participate in another workshop with her. The added plus was that this workshop was going to be in the Texas Hill Country.
It was past time for another road trip and my two friends and I were ready for an art workshop, so this Hill Country trip would be just perfect. I wasn’t worried about getting lost in the Hill Country this time because I wasn’t the driver or navigator. No, I was happy to sit in the back seat and watch the scenery fly by!!!
When we arrived at the Art Foundation I was surprised to see that they had their very own Stonehenge set up.
Our birthdays are three weeks apart. The three of us, Renee, Suzan, and myself, decided we should do something really super special this year since 2 of us were celebrating our 70th birthdays. One of the many things that we have in common is a love of painting with watercolors. We reserved our spaces at the art workshop, gathered our painting supplies, and Renee reserved an Airbnb cabin in Ingram.
The cabin we stayed in is called Vista Royale. The view from the porch was so peaceful. Betty was or hostess and she has earned the title of Super Host. Betty referred to us as “watercolorists” which would lead us to a huge blessing. I will share that with you in the next post.
We would fix a cup of coffee or tea and it on the porch. My friends and marveled at the beautiful vista in front of us. We are all from west Texas where it is flat as can be. Our landscape at home is filled with gigantic wind turbines, pump jacks, and cactus, which by the way is one of Renee’s favorite things to paint. You can see her works of art HERE.
Renee is not only an artist, she was the trip navigator and event planner. She made sure we had time to settle into our rooms, eat lunch, and do a little shopping before the art workshop began. We unpacked and headed to Kerrville to do a bit of junk hunting and grocery shopping.
At the first resale shop that we stopped at, I was captivated by the pile of silver platters. That trivet with the yellow price tag was 50 cents. I have no idea why I didn’t purchase it to bring it home with me to add to my collection of silver platters. I justify my many collections with the idea that these are just models for future paintings.
“Silver Platters” is a poured watercolor that I painted several years ago. Yes, I should have brought that little trivet home with me. Oh well, maybe next time.
On a side note, I have finished recording and editing an online watercolor class. These lessons will NOT be anywhere near as complex as the “Silver Platters”.
It is called “WATERCOLOR FUN-damentals”. This is a self paced class using a limited palette. Enrollment for that course will start SOON. Be sure and check your emails. More details to come.
It is for BEGINNING watercolor students. I go over all the fundamentals with very detailed videos, in small bites. If you are interested in more details and the release date, be sure and subscribe to this blog.
Did you notice the title of this post? It is “Art Workshop and Retreat”?
What is a workshop?
A workshop is defined as a usually brief intensive educational program for a relatively small group of people that focuses especially on techniques and skills in a particular field.
The workshop was exactly that. We focused and worked.
What is a retreat?
To retreat is defined as an act of moving back or withdrawing.
The retreat part for us was time away for the familiar. It was a time that we set aside to sit on the porch and visit and talk about Jesus. We took the time to shop, eat, and go sightseeing. And we made time to go to the Empty Cross at Kerrville. That will be in another post.
Let the Workshop begin!
On the first day of the workshop, we mixed colors and learned new techniques. Dyan’s style and subject matter are different from ours. But one of the things I love about Dyan’s painting is the vibrant colors that are in her palette.
The workshop was actually work. All the attending students would gather around Dyan’s table and watch as she presented a short demonstration. Then we would return to our tables and hope that we could remember what she had just told us. After all, we were celebrating being 70 years old.
She showed us how to work in layers and mix our greens. On that note, I am like our instructor in that I rarely buy a tube of green paint. I like to mix my greens. I also encourage my watercolor students to mix their own greens. By the end of the day, we all learned some very beautiful and striking new color combinations.
It was a stretch but at the end of the first day, I was pretty happy with my results. Will I paint like Dyan? No! Do I want to paint like Dyan? No! She has her style and subject matter and I have mine! Did I learn something new? I always learn something new. It was a good day!!!
A Hill Country sunset was the perfect way to end the first day. The quiet and the stillness settled in on us as we sat on the porch, sipping tea, and watched the sunset. I could hear it and feel it…
“BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD” PSALM 46:10
The Hebrew definition is to stop striving, to let go, surrender.
’til next time,
Nathalie
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