After a short business meeting, introduction of guests, and refreshments, we regrouped to watch Anne Abgott demonstrate her watercolor techniques. Anne was the instructor for our fall workshop. She started by showing some of her beautiful artwork and explaining that she does all her watercolor painting by what she calls “mingling” her paint, that is, she drops all the colors on dry paper and allows them to mingle or join together as they flow. Anne works on 300-lb paper, saying she has better luck with it and it is more forgiving than less thick paper. She keeps her paint juicy, and keeps repeating the colors throughout the painting. She emphasizes that the paints are mingling, not mixing on her paper. She also had some quotes for us to remember, specifically how much detail to paint, “If you can’t see it, don’t paint it.” She said to ask ourselves “Where is the reflective color coming from?” She said to change the colors to enhance the painting. To use our own photographs. That “The camera was a tool for the artist years ago; the computer is a tool for us now.” Anne is now using Adobe Photoshop to manipulate her photographs and then paint them. She said that this has sparked a new interest in her artwork for her.
Anne drops color into painting
Anne finishes a painting
Anne shows some details
Getting a close look