New Paintings and Plein Air Workshops!

It's been a busy Spring season for art, with workshops, demos, classes, and shows every week. I've conducted so many events that I can't post them all in one blog post, so here's just a small sampling of paintings from recent events. 

SS United States, 6x6 watercolor on panel $75.

The SS United States is an old derelict ocean liner on the riverfront in south Philadelphia. Every time I drive by, I stop and marvel at it's beauty. This 6x6 painting is mounted on panel and displayed in a floater frame. It is a bargain at $75, but there's a catch -- the painting is not available for sale until 10am Saturday, May 20, in my studio during the Chester County Studio Tour. So if you want it, you have to come and get it, and -- be first in line. But there will also be 4 other artists displaying and selling their paintings in my studio that day, so you can also find great deals on fabulous artworks by Jeanne Kirby Bruneau, Tom Dempsey, Karen Frattali, and Carrie Barcomb. The studio tour is Saturday and Sunday, so be sure to stop by! We'll have wine and nibbles, painting demos, door prizes, and great artwork! The studio is at 105 Kabob Lane, Kennett Square, PA.

Chilly, $195. 11x15 watercolor on 140# CP Stonehenge Aqua paper

 More great paper has arrived from the awesome folks at Legion Paper! They sent me a case of the 300# Stonehenge Aqua to try out and share with my students. I loved the 140# paper they sent earlier, and didn't think it could get any better -- then I tried the 300#, and it's twice as nice! This paper is bright white and holds up better than I thought was even possible. No buckling or warping at all, not even with the heavy wet washes I used to create these paintings of skies and seascapes. The bright white color of the paper keeps my colors vibrant, clean, and fresh.

Sunset, $95. 11x15 watercolor on 300# CP Stonehenge Aqua paper

 I taught watercolor workshops for the Art Educators of New Jersey and for the Baltimore Watercolor Society last month, and used the new Stonehenge Aqua paper and also gave away free samples to all my students in both of them. I haven't photographed all the paintings yet, so there's still a few more besides these!

Beach, $125. 11x15 watercolor on 140# CP Stonehenge Aqua paper

 Last weekend, I conducted a plein air painting demo for the Audubon Society during their grand re-opening of their museum. This is John James Audubon's house at his farm "Mill Grove," in Audubon, Pennsylvania. The house is a museum and has been closed for the last couple of years for renovations, but finally reopened last month. Tons of people came to watch my demo, and I had a wonderful time painting in perfect weather at a beautiful location!

Audubon House, $95. 9x12 watercolor on 140# Stonehenge Aqua paper

 The Audubon House plein air demo painting is on the new Stonehenge Aqua watercolor paper, which now comes in blocks! I absolutely love painting on blocks -- the pad of paper is gummed on two sides, which firmly holds the paper down flat while painting. The blocks are ideal for plein air painting, as it provide a stable support for the paper and makes it easy to place on the easel or carry around to painting locations. I've packed several of the blocks in my gear to take to Spain later this week for my plein air workshop. In fact, it's the only paper I'm taking, so I suppose we can say that the Stonehenge Aqua blocked paper is the Official Paper of the 2017 Annie Strack Plein Air Painting Workshop in Spain! I also found out that this workshop also sold out last month, so my long standing record of filling every workshop still remains unbroken!

New watercolor blocks of Stonehenge Aqua paper!

 Here's some of the art supplies I've packed for my plein air workshop in Spain -- in addition to the Stonehenge Aqua paper blocks, I'm also taking a sturdy easel and umbrella, spare glasses, value finder, and the usual paints and brushes. I always bring gifts to give to my students, and one of the items that this class will receive is small spiral bound sketch books that they can each fill with the scenes from places we visit and paint during our workshop, and keep as a wonderful memento of our trip!

Packing for plein air painting in Costa Brava, Spain!

I'm fixing to leave out for Spain now, and I'll catch up with more news when I get back. See ya then!

Art Tip: How to paint a Sunset

One of my most popular 1-day workshop subjects is "How to Paint Skies." I teach my students how to paint a variety of different atmospheric conditions in skies, such as different types of clouds, sunny weather, rainy skies, stormy skies, fog, etc. My students always enjoy painting sunsets, which are the most difficult because of the multiple colors introduced to the wash.

The most common mistake that watercolor painters make, is layering colors or letting the wrong colors mix on the paper, resulting in the odd colors. For instance, both yellow and blue can be found in the sky during a sunset, but if the yellow and blue are layered or mixed on the paper they will result in green -- a color that is not found in the sky.

(Sunset, 9x12 WC, $125)

The second biggest mistake artists make when painting sunsets, is not painting the colors in the order of the color spectrum. The colors in a sunset (or sunrise) follow the same spectrum order as the colors in a rainbow. The color closest to the Sun is yellow, the next color is orange, then red, with violet being the color that appears furthest from the light source. The sky might be dark blue or light blue depending on the position of the Sun. Values will also deepen as they get further from the light source, with the lightest value being the light source, itself.

The third mistake artists make, is not realizing that sunset colors only appear on clouds. The sky doesn't reflect the colors -- the colors are reflected on particles of water, which is why the colors appear on the clouds.

In this demonstration painting, I started by painting a wet-on-wet blue wash for the sky, and blotted out the edges of the clouds. Then, starting with the Sun's position in the center of the horizon, I used yellow ochre and worked my way outward using cadmium orange, permanent red, and dioxide violet. Some of the colors overlapped each other, which is fine because the overlapping colors are analogous so the order of the color spectrum is still maintained. A few more cloud layers were blotted out while the colors were still wet. To create the reflection in the water, I did the same thing but without the blotting, and I kept the water movement horizontal in appearance.

I teach this in workshops pretty often, so keep an eye out for a workshop near you!

Tips for using watercolor masking fluid

One of my favorite tools in my paint box is masking fluid, also known as liquid frisket. Masking fluid is a liquid rubber product that is used by watercolor painters as a water resist - in other words, it preserves the white of the paper and protects it from paint. These tips will help you use your masking fluid well and get the maximum benefits for your paintings.

1. Masking fluid that is old or contaminated will be difficult or even impossible to remove from paper. For best results use fresh fluid, and write the date on the bottle when it is first opened. Discard any unused products after one year, or sooner if the product has become difficult to remove from your paper or if it's colorant  has left a stain on your paper. Also, paper that is very old will have deteriorated sizing, and that, too, will affect how your masking fluid adheres. Always use fresh products for the best results. 

2. Never EVER shake bottles of masking fluid, it will incorporate air into the fluid which will shorten the shelf life of the product, and make it more difficult to use. Instead, gently swirl or stir the liquid until thoroughly mixed. Adding a pair of small glass beads, marbles, or steel ball bearings into the masking fluid’s jar will help you to mix the fluid easier.

3. To apply the fluid, use a brush that has plastic bristles. The kind that are often found in dollar stores in the children’s or toy section, and usually come in a package of a dozen or so for around a dollar. The stiff plastic bristles allow for maximum control, and can be trimmed with scissors to any needed shape. The plastic bristles do not absorb the fluid, making it easier to clean and reuse. 

4. Apply masking fluid generously. The thicker you apply it, the easier it will be to peel it off later. Thinly applied masking fluid will be difficult to remove.

5. Even with the plastic brushes, it is still best to rub a little liquid soap into the bristles before using them with masking fluid. The soap creates a barrier between the brush and fluid, and makes it easier to clean.

6. Make sure your paper is perfectly dry before applying or removing masking fluid. Never apply it to wet or damp paper, and never try to remove it from wet or damp paper.

7. If you spill or spatter masking fluid somewhere where you don’t want it (such as on your workbench, floor, or other areas of your painting), don’t try to wipe it up. You’ll only end up rubbing it into the surface, making it even more difficult to remove. Instead, let it dry completely and then peel it off.

8. Once you’ve applied the fluid to your paper, don’t leave it on for more than a week. The longer it’s there; the harder it will be to remove. Also, heat will harden masking fluid and make it more difficult to remove, so don’t leave your painting in a hot place or apply heat from a hair dryer while the masking fluid is on your paper.

9. When you’re ready to remove the masking fluid, use a rubber pick-up tool. This inexpensive square tool is made of crepe (aka: gum) rubber and will stick to the dried mask to pull it off your paper with little effort and no damage. 

10. Exposing your masking fluid to air, water, soap, and other contaminants will cause it to go bad faster, so the more you use it -- the faster your bottle of fluid will deteriorate. Decant your fluid into a smaller nail polish bottle to keep the large bottle fresh longer. The nail polish bottle already has mixing beads and a self storing plastic brush that never needs cleaning. It's also a perfect size for traveling. 

(Masking fluid decanted into a nail polish bottle)

This photo shows plastic brushes, steel ball bearings, masking fluid (aka: liquid frisket), and a rubber pick-up tool. To see how masking fluid is used, click here to see a step-by-step tutorial of one of my recent maritime paintings...

Watch this short video for more masking fluid tips!