Water color workshop with Jeannie Vodden!

Jeanie with class.  Evelyn in Purple.

May 4, 5, 6th, were the days for a wonderful workshop in Alpine County.  Markleeville Art Gallery owner, Evelyn Yonkers brought to this area an amazingly talented teacher and artist, and also hosted the event in her home.  Things went so smoothly you couldn't say enough about the comfort, and the pleasant atmosphere we were all treated to!   Three full days of Demo's, and practise work , all well thought out in order to give us enough  experience of her  way of working to be able to ask questions. This is the hardest part I think, to get your mind around what it is the instructor wants to convey to you enough to formulate the right questions.   Jeanie had this well covered, with examples, and lessons that got us busy so we could experience it for ourselves.

This was one of the ladies' works,   Jeanie really helped her to get that first wash down.  Jeanie is a portrait painter in watercolor. (but  not only people)  Her work is luminescent, colorful, representational and just wonderful. Whenever help, or a demo was needed, she willingly did so, and talked you right thru it.  As you watched her paint is was as if she were magic - - - although plenty of thought and experience went into every stroke  or wash she made. To be that knowledgeable she had to have worked very hard in her life.

Here she is answering and explaining genously to some of our Carson Valley pastelist!!!   Yes, we do have some very good artists, and they also love watercolor, oils, drawing, and whatever.  Always learning!

This was a smaller demo of plums.  She often begins with a traid of colors, and in her first colorful wash she is also begining to build form with in her subject.  Then the next glazes add volume and depth.  As many glazes as she needs, letting it dry between glazes to insure clearity and transparencey without mud.  She does use the staining colors, and can show you how to do this with out being scared out of your wits!   Even in pastle, the thalo colors are so pure and staining it requires some knowledge to use them.  Oils are the same.

I really enjoyed this experiance.  It has been quite awhile since I tried to think in terms of watercolor!  It is a more difficult medium, and when done well is so beautiful.   Like pastels, tho, there are many different appoaches, stlyes and ways of working.  However, no matter the medium  a good amount of learning about color is very helpful!

If anyone is interested in the Markleeville art gallery, please  look at the website.  http://www.markleevilleartgallery.com/    Many local and even artists from around Lake Tahoe are represented here.  Its on Hwy 89 in California--Hwy 4 runs thru it as well.  Not quite the Gold Rush country on Hwy 49 but very close to that area.  We would like to see this become a bit of an art area, close to Hope Valley where many great out door workshops and artists come to paint. Plein-air paint out coming up in June, more later on this!

Also http://www.jeannievodden.com/   where you can see her amazing works and see her workshop schedule.