Several weeks ago I received a new product to test and review, the Viviva color sheets and sketch book. Although I'm still recovering from cancer treatments and haven't returned to a full working schedule, I still didn't find the time to test them until today. I'm so glad I did! I'm having a fabulous time, playing with the pigments and filling up sketchbook pages!
These new Viviva color sheets are perfect for traveling. They offer two palettes in book form, Original and Spring. The Spring includes a selection of metallic/iridescent colors. Each palette "book" contains 16 colors and includes a mixing area, yet it weighs almost nothing -- only a little more than an ounce -- which makes it an ideal choice for air travelers or just to keep in a pocket for painting anytime, anywhere.
I was amazed at how saturated the pigments are on these sheets, there is easily enough paint to fill several sketchbooks with paintings! The company claims that one book of 16 colors is equal to a set of 16 half pans, and from my experience that would appear to be correct. I can't imagine some of these pigment being so intense, and I suspect there may be dyes involved as well as pigments. Whatever the case, the paint is formulated to quickly reconstitute with water which makes it easy to use. These have become a new favorite of mine, and will go with me everywhere.
Paired with a small sketchbook (the 4x6 Viviva sketchbook is perfect!) and a water brush, it's everything I need for a day of colorful creativity. I highly recommend it!
The 4x6 Viviva sketchbook contains medium weight cold pressed paper and is perfect for water based media. The Viviva color sheet books fit nicely inside, making it a compact and very practical painting kit.
UPDATE!!
I'm going to be offering a special promotion of these in a few weeks, so be sure to check back!
Every summer I teach a semester of classes in my own studio in south east Pennsylvania. The curriculum is painting and drawing lessons that are completed in each session, and students can come for a day or a half day, and pay by the lesson -- instead of committing to a whole semester. When the students arrive I usually give them a choice of lessons, and let the day's class decide which lesson we will cover that day.
This week, our lesson was one about color theory, and each of them painted a couple of complementary paintings based on their own palette colors. Pigment properties are always part of every lesson, as is composition, perspective, drawing, etc.
My summer classes are sponsored by Hahnemuhle, who has generously provided my students and me with 12x16 blocks of their Cezanne watercolor paper. I've lost count of all the times that Hahnemuhle has sponsored my classes and workshop! They make amazing papers for artists, printers, and photographers, and the papers are so wonderful that it's hard for me to pick a preference! My students were totally thrilled to get a fresh new block of paper at the start of the class!
My demonstration paintings from this week's classes...
Plein Air Painting in Brittany with Sennelier! June 10 - 19, 2020! Postponed due to Covid-19!
New Dates! Due to overwhelming response, we have scheduled TWO tours! Both groups are SOLD OUT, however we can add your name to our waiting list in case a spot opens up!
June 8 - 17, 2022
and
June 22 - July 1, 2022
Registration is now open for my plein air painting workshop in Brittany, France, co-hosted by Sennelier! The first group sold out quickly and we are now taking reservations for the second group (ALL GROUPS ARE NOW SOLD-OUT)! We will paint the castles and chateaus, forests and parks, and the seaside villages and beaches of the northeast coast of Brittany.
We also have an exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime invitation to visit the Sennelier factories in Saint Brieuc, and the Raphael and Leonard brush factories, where we will be treated to hands-on demonstrations and given art supplies to use.
And, as the honored guests of Sennelier, we will be the featured artists at the annual Dinard Plein Air Festival! This annual plein air painting event encompasses the seaside resort of Dinard with it's picturesque squares and markets and breathtaking beaches.
UPDATE! I just found out that there will also be a Concours d'Elegance in Dinard during the plein air festival. Painting these beautiful automobiles will be a real treat for the artists!
When I was painting in Provence in few years ago, I ran into my old friend Yves-Marie Salanson, director of Sennelier. It was serendipitous, and Yves-Marie invited me to bring a group of artists to Brittany so they could visit his companies.
Yves-Marie of Sennelier with Annie Strack in Provence
Yves-Marie and I became friends many years ago in the early days of Twitter when I was working as a Contributing Editor and Columnist for Professional Artist Magazine, and I later helped him when he was developing his new formulas for the Sennelier watercolors. I tested and reviewed paint samples for him, and I introduced other artists to him to also work on the project with us.
It's been over a dozen years and we've been friends ever since, although we had never met in person until we ran into each other, quite by accident, while I was painting in Roussillon with my students in 2018. We made plans then and there, that I would soon bring a small group of artists to Brittany where his company is headquartered so he could show us around as his guests.
Well, we finally got it all organized, with help from Mathieu of Provence Art Experience -- Mathieu is the world's best when it comes to organizing trips for artists, and this is shaping up to be our greatest trip.
This trip is already half full (only ONE space remains in the second group!)so please don't wait to reserve your spot! (SOLD OUT, join our wait list). Because we are limited to a small number of guests on this trip, we are only able to accommodate artists in this group. We are not able to offer discounts to non-artists wishing to join us.
These groups are limited to just seven artists -- that's less than half the number of people you will find in any other tour group, which means that every person on our trip is pampered with individual attention. These small intimate groups allow us to be flexible and spontaneous with our itineraries so that each person gets more than just a tour - they get the freedom to create their own personalized adventure.
My tours are special, as I include lavish extravagances that all the other workshop artists simply can’t do because they just don’t have the resources or connections that I have. So, I only do one European tour per year, as it takes a great deal of time to plan and create these extraordinary travel experiences.
(Private concert by the Gypsy Kings on our veranda in Provence)
Lots of artists are now teaching workshops overseas, but my trips are so much more impressive than the standard, “copy and paste” itineraries that everyone else is offering. Other artists are all selling the same old cookie-cutter tours over and over again, and taking their groups to over-crowded tourist locations where hordes of artists are already staked out elbow to elbow as they all paint the exact same scene.
(Attending a wedding in the village square)
The artists who travel with me enjoy upgraded rooms in luxurious accommodations, gourmet meals prepared by award winning personal chefs, unique special events that are created exclusively for my groups, and no hidden fees or expenses (everything is included except for airfare!). Click HERE for tips on packing artist equipment and supplies for air travel.
My unique position as an Artist Ambassador for the world's most recognized brands of artist materials and my long history of working with art supply manufacturers and retailers means that my workshops are always sponsored by companies that produce fine artist materials and generously provide supplies to my participants.
This trip is superior to all others, and provide one of a kind VIP experiences that other artists can’t even begin to offer. I take my groups to see extraordinary sights and paint at breathtaking locations that other artists don’t even know about.
Our house in Brittany!
We've secured an entire castle just a short walk from the beach for our accommodations. More photos of our Brittany house are posted here, check it out! There are five days in between, when the the first group of artists leaves on June 17, and the second group of artists arrive on June 22. So, for a small daily rate, artists in group one can add a few days on to the end of their trip, and artists in group two can add a few days onto the start of their trip. Ask Mathieu for the details.
We have unrivaled entertainment on our tours as well, which can range from celebrity encounters, private concerts, personal tours of famous places, exclusive invitations to exciting events, and so much more.
Many artists return year after year to take my workshops, and as a result, space is extremely limited to new attendees. Reserve your place now while there is still space available.
To read my tips on packing light for this trip (or any plein air painting trip overseas!) click here.
Sign up at Provence Art Experience Tours, and be sure to follow this event on Facebook to keep up with the latest updates!
Here's a little something that I painted in my Zig Zag book from Hahnemuehle! I haven't painted in the big book (top) yet, but I did fill up the little book with a panoramic watercolor seascape.
The little book is tiny -- with each square being just 2 inches, for a total length of 20 inches. It's perfect for a panoramic painting like this! The small size also makes it a perfect little keepsake or a special gift. The paper is wonderful -- bright white with a cold pressed texture. Like all Hahnemuehle watercolor paper, it has a generous amount of sizing that makes it easy to lift paint or erase marks without damaging the paper. The hard cover is elegantly cloth bound and enclosed with a red elastic band.
I haven't yet decided what I want to paint in the larger Zig Zag book. Plus, the paper is double-sided, meaning that both sides can be used. So, I can also paint on the reverse side of this, as well! The possibilities are endless! This is a fun little book to take along on travels, as I can play out a panoramic scene or fill it with a series of vignettes to tell a story of a special trip or a memorable experience.
The book comes in a variety of sizes, all of which are perfectly suited for tucking in a pocket or bag for traveling artists. They make wonderful gifts, too! This item is fairly new on the market, and so far, I've only seen them for sale at Blick Art Supplies.
I've been working on the various watercolor papers from Hahnemuehle for over a year now, and I'm hooked. The quality is exceptional. I like my paper to have a generous amount of sizing, and all of the Hahnemuehle papers fit that bill. The paper is easy to work with as it is extremely durable and doesn't wear down to excessive erasing, lifting paint, or scrubbing. It releases masking fluid perfectly and tape is easily removed without tearing or lifting fibers. Colors remain vibrant, and don't sink in, bleed, or fade as they dry. I'm going to share some of the paper with my students in my upcoming Summer workshops -- see ya there!
I've just returned from teaching a plein air workshop in Provence, France, and I'm still jet-lagged. And, somewhat disappointed that no one brought me fresh croissants when I woke up this morning in Pennsylvania.
Mas de la Boheme in Arles, Provence, France.
Our trip was absolutely amazing. Our tour operator, Mathieu of Provence Art Experience took care of every every need and desire. We walked in the footsteps of the great French Impressionist painters, and painted the scenes and views that they made famous.
Ochre hills of Rousillon
Every day was a new adventure of painting, shopping, eating, and more.
painting the mountain behind Cezanne's studio, using the Cezanne watercolor paper from Hahnemuhle.
There was so much to see, and so much to do! I spent 10 days in Provence with my students, and could have spent 10 years.
the Roman amphitheater in Arles at night
We stayed at Mas de la Boheme, a beautiful 18th century guesthouse nestled in the countryside just outside of Arles. Turns out, the owner and his son were members of the famous band, Gipsy Kings...
And, to top it all off, I ran into Yves-marie from Sennelier while my group and I were painting in the streets of Rousillon. We weren't even going to paint in Rousillon that day. We went there in the morning to tour the ochre sites and shop in the local market, but we loved it so much we stayed to paint in the afternoon. Yves-marie lives on the other side of the country, and had just flown in for the day to visit the exhibit of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour. So it was pure serendipity that he just happened to walk by on the same street that I was painting, and recognized me. Although we have known each other for at least a decade, we had never actually met in person. Many years ago, I helped Yves-marie test and formulate the new line of watercolors for Sennelier, and we've been friends ever since.
Yves-marie Salanson of Sennelier and Annie Strack in Provence
So, I will be going back to France in 2020 to teach another plein air painting workshop with Provence Art Experience, and we will be collaborating with Sennelier to paint in the Brittany region so we can visit the factory and include Sennelier in our project.
I recently received a new paper to try out from Hahnemühle USA, the Harmony 140 lb. cold pressed block. The best way I know of to test new paper is to put it through all the paces -- heavy washes, lifting, masking fluid, and other forms of abuse that I inflict upon my paper in the course of creating a painting. Here's a step by step tutorial of my koi painting, and a review of the paper in the process.
The Harmony 140 lb CP watercolor block from Hahnemuehle.
Here's my drawing of koi with masking fluid protecting parts of the paper. I also outlined the koi with a thin line of masking fluid to allow me to work the background really wet and control the flow of water better. The masking fluid reserves the white of the paper, and the thin outline helps to keep my heavy wet washes from running out of control.
I used a variety of dark colors for the backgound, and a lot of palette mud, too. You can see from the puddles and sheen how wet the paper still is at this point. While the paper was still damp, I splashed a few drops of water onto it to create a few tiny spots of blooms.
Next I painted my lightest values on the fish, the yellow colors. Notice my background wash is still wet -- I used a lot of water!
Here I added my medium values to the koi, namely the orange and red colors -- cadmiums, vermillion, quinacrodone rose, violet, and a little sepia for the darks. Notice how light the background appears in this photo, compared to the previous photo? That's because it is now dry. I used a lot of water to create the background, and the more water you use, the lighter the watercolor paints will dry. Adding water to watercolor paint is akin to adding white paint to oils or acrylics -- it lightens the colors.
More dark values are added using ivory black, sepia, indigo, and violet to create form and roundness to the fish. The masking fluid comes off easily, revealing perfectly preserved paper on which I can now paint.
The koi have a freckled appearance to them, which I added with my darkest colors of ivory black. I scrubbed and lifted some areas that I had previously painted, to show some of the lighter patterns in the fish's colors.
And finally, this is my finished painting of the koi.
The Harmony paper from Hahnemuehle responded beautifully, and held up perfectly despite my abusive painting techniques. It naturally buckled under my heavy washes, but then dried flat. I really gave it a workout and didn't expect it to perform as well as it did, and I was pleasantly surprised that the paper far exceeded all of my expectations. The texture is quite nice, slightly toothy. The paper is surface sized and the amount of sizing appears to be quite generous, giving that the amount of water that I used and the lifting techniques all worked quite well. The color is soft white -- not overly bright, but no hint of any yellow or cream color.
This paper is new, and is currently available at Art Materials Online. It will be available at other retailers soon.
Keep up with all of Hahnemuehle latest products by following them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
How to make a quick and easy shelf for a watercolor easel!
Many watercolor artists paint flat -- using a table to paint upon rather than an easel. I prefer to use an easel, and I like a watercolor easel because it allows me to tip the painting flat when I'm laying in a wash, and tip it vertically for other techniques. The drawback to these easels is that there isn't anywhere to place a palette and other supplies-- so a table is still needed.
I came up with a new idea for an attachable easel shelf, that's simple and easy to make. And really inexpensive!
This is a wire closet shelf. It is 12 inches deep, and I cut it to 16 inches wide. I choose that size because it is the same size as a 12x16 block of watercolor paper, so it will be easy to pack it with my blocks when I'm traveling.
It is simply hung on the bracket screws on the easel's legs. The bracket screws are made to hold the canvas shelf (aka stabilizer shelf). My easel has two pairs of these brackets, and I hung my new shelf on the lower pair. My canvas shelf is right above it, on the other pair.
This photo shows how the shelf rests on the easel. I added a larger washer behind each of the screws to help hold it more securely, but it really didn't need it. The two parallel horizontal bars of the shelf are what is holding it flat against the legs, and keeping the surface of the shelf level. The vertical connectors between the horizontal bars are spaced 12 inches apart -- the perfect width for bracing against the screws.
Want to learn more? Watch this short video for the full details on how to make and attach this shelf! Not sure how to attach it with only one pair of bracket screws? Watch the video to see how it can be secured with a bungee, instead.
And here's another wire shelf. I found a small stack of these at the Habitat re-store, already cut to 16 inches wide and ready to hang. Best of all, they were priced at a buck a piece. Absolutely perfect.
I paint en plein air often and teach classes and workshops, and my new students often ask me what gear they need to come join me on these excursions. I first started painting outdoors back in the early eighties, when I worked as a State Game Warden in the Florida Everglades. Back then, I kept a small box with my painting supplies in the back of my truck so I could sketch and paint the landscape around me.
Later, when I lived in California I organized some artist friends to join me on weekends to paint the breathtaking scenery of the valleys and coastlines. Back then, we called it painting outside or paint outs -- "plein air" was not used as a noun until recent years.
The supplies I carry with me haven't changed much over the decades. Paint, brushes, and water are the essentials. I prefer pan watercolors and I keep a penknife, pencil, eraser, sandpaper, salt, and travel brushes with the folding palette. The travel brushes have self-storing handles that protect the brush when not in use. I like to use a watercolor easel such as this one, but when I was younger I would just sit on the ground and hold my painting on my lap as I worked.
I show a selection of water containers in this photo, and they all have one thing in common -- they collapse. The dog bowl holds enough water to paint a larger painting, or the smaller camping cup can can be tucked in a bag with a sketchbook to be handy for impromptu sessions. The red rectangle in this photo is a value finder. Looking through it helps artists to see values, and both in their subject and in their painting.
The right paper is a major component of painting. I like a small sketchbook such as this spiral bound one from Hahnemuehle for sketching on the go and small studies. For full size plein air paintings, I use 140 paper mounted in block form, such as this 12x16 block of Cezanne paper from Hahnemuehle.
All images and content copyright Annie Strack 2026.
Although I occasionally receive compensation for some posts, I always give my honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own.
