Service Description

The Rocks class… but not as you know it. I’ve been teaching miniature rocks so far. I want to expand it to include all the possibilities of watercolour itself. The blending, the bleeding, the blooming, the smearing, the scumbling, the stippling, the quasi-marbling, the dotting, the splattering, the sponging, the salting, the subtle shades, the wet-in-wet, the washing… watercolour can be difficult but in fact is a very versatile medium. Seems appropriate for the end of the year - a playful course exploring the unknown. Have no expectations and don’t try to make art, just play and see what comes out of it. Be open to a bit of abstraction and a bit of form. Rocks are a great subject for this. This is where miniature painting meets the edge of Chinese painting and expression comes in (edges are the best). Next year we’ll start off slow and methodical with a bit of kind structure, rigour and form again. Eventually in the future I would love you to be able to marry this spontaneity with the deep methods of miniature painting to create masterworks. For now though, let’s unleash this creativity and celebrate the year’s end by just having fun with colour and form. You’ll need cold-pressed paper as well as the usual hot-pressed paper for this class. I also recommend the Old Goat brushes for playing hard with many flexible techniques. Otherwise all materials are broadly the same as for miniature painting - watercolour is its cousin - bring any experimental water based media, equipment and mindset that you like!