March 2023, Newsletter
Click on the images for a larger view
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The above watercolor is a full sheet (22" x 30") demonstration painting from a LIVE ZOOM workshop last month on painting water.
Vision vs. Results II
If you have followed my newsletters over the years you have probably read my views on this topic "Vision vs. Results". It's a catchy title that I came up with after years of frustration with my paintings and hearing the frustrations from many of my students with their paintings. In fact, I think that literally every artist experiences this at some point in their lifetime of creating works of art. Quite simply, it refers to the vision that we have in our mind as we begin working on a painting. We can see it and it's magnificent. Now if we can just get it on paper or canvas the art world will be in awe of our incredible talent. Sound familiar?
I just described the "Vision" part of the equation. Now comes the reality of the "Results". This is where the vision starts breaking down and we are faced with the actual painting that is totally based on our skill level and experience as an artist. This is where the rubber hits the road. Suddenly what we had envisioned is not what we are able to execute exactly as we had planned. Maybe not at all as we had planned. Sometimes the watercolors run where you didn't want them to run, maybe it's getting a little muddy, maybe the composition is not as great as you had envisioned, maybe this piece is a little over your head, etc, and etc. Quite often in my watercolor workshops I will see students struggling with their paintings and eventually discarding them and starting over. When I ask them why they usually say "it's just not looking like it was supposed to" or something similar. So basically, it didn't live up to their vision, so in their mind, it was no good. This is a shame because on many occasions the piece they were working on was a beautiful painting that, in my opinion, had great potential. My opinion, however, did not matter because they were on a mission to paint what they had envisioned. I think it's a common problem that we have as artists. More often than not, we set the bar too high for ourselves, especially in light of our individual skill level. For example; I know how to paint a portrait but I would never consider myself qualified to teach others how to do it. I know my limitations and portraiture is not high on my list of things I do well. I have no doubt that with more training and lots of practice I could probably become a good portrait artist, but for the time being, it's something that I don't have the time or energy to torture myself trying to do. I can observe someone and envision how I would paint their portrait but I know full well that the result would be far removed from my vision.
So the bottom line is this. We all begin our paintings with a vision as to how we intend it to look when finished. That's part of what makes us an artist; we're all somewhat of a visionary. It's important to realize and accept that everything that we paint will be dependent on our skill level, and experience in painting that particular subject. It's also important to accept that the painting will most likely look, at the very least, a little different than your initial vision. I think that that's a good thing because it keeps us on our toes and makes us try harder. Creating a piece of art is not an exact science. It's a journey of discovery and tapping into the creative side of the brain. I can truthfully say that many of the paintings that I consider my best works did not turn out at all as I had envisioned them. That's when I had to get really creative and modify my plan to save the piece. So the next time that you are displeased with your painting because it falls short of your vision and expectations, before you discard the piece, dig a little deeper into your creative mind and ask yourself, "what can I do to save this painting?" Your initial vision no longer matters. Now it's all about what you have produced. But in all honesty; sometimes no matter how experienced you are or how deep you dig into your experience, a piece will just not turn out to be salvageable. That's OK because it helps us to better appreciate the ones that are.
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***PLEASE NOTE***
If you live in the U.S and would like to order from our website store, the quoted price of the item will now include the shipping costs rather than the shipping costs being added separately.
We regret that because of exceptionally high shipping fees we will only ship to the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. If you live in Canada or Mexico and would like to place an order, please email sterling@sterlingedwards.com
and we will get back to you with shipping, pricing, and payment instructions.
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Here's what I've been up to lately
February was a good month for us. I taught a three-day Live Zoom Workshop on painting water and another three-day Live Zoom Workshop on Painting Stylized Buildings. I also discussed a partnership with Artefacto where I would do a series of videos for international students. It's still in the works but looks promising. More to follow on that.
Diane and I also got away for a few days and spent some time in a rustic lodge the Blue Ridge Mountains with some good friends. We used to live in Hendersonville, NC in the mountains near Asheville. It's always a special treat to go back from time to time.
New Print Service
We are pleased to announce that we now have a new print on demand service thru FASO and are offering prints of some of my favorite paintings. Go to our website; www.sterlingedwards.com and click on
The images are printed on Premium Archival Matte Photo paper or canvas and come in a variety of sizes and prices. You can also choose to have the print custom framed and shipped directly to you.
Newsletter Archive
If you would like to see some of our past newsletters click on "Newsletter Archive" in the top tool bar of my website; www.sterlingedwards.com.
Gift Certificates
We have received several request for Gift Certificates recently so Diane and I have decided to offer Gift Certificates for $75.00 or $100.00 that can be redeemed for Videos, Live Classes, Art Supplies, and Paintings. The Gift Certificates can be purchased on our website; www.sterlingedwards.com under Art Supplies.
(Not redeemable for live, on location workshops)
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Upcoming Live Zoom Classes hosted from our studio
All my Live Zoom Classes and Workshops are designed to illustrate and explain a multitude of creative techniques. There will be plenty of painting time for each participant. I am available throughout the entire class to offer suggestions and/or critiques as you work on your paintings. As an added bonus, you will receive an unedited video of each class for future study.
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"Stylized sailboats with Watercolors"
March 23, 2023
Space is limited
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This is a four-hour LIVE ZOOM CLASS on painting stylized sailboats and waves. There will be a wide variety of creative watercolor techniques taught.
Each participant will receive a downloadable or streaming video of the class.
This class is for the Intermediate to Advanced Watercolor Artist.
$100
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"Acrylic Abstracts on Paper"
April 3, 5, 6, 2023
Space is limited
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This is a three-day watercolor LIVE ZOOM WORKSHOP that will cover various ways to paint Acrylic Abstracts on paper or canvas.
Day One: Abstract Expressionism
Day Two: A Stylized Abstraction of trees with lots of negative painting.
Day Three: An Abstracted Landscape with expressive brushwork.
There will be a lot of creative acrylic painting techniques explained and demonstrated in the workshop. Participants will receive a downloadable or streaming video of each day's class.
This workshop is for ALL SKILL LEVELS.
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"Watercolor Abstractions"
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May 22, 24, 26, 2023
Space is limited
If you've ever wanted to paint watercolor abstracts then this is the workshop that you won't want to miss. This will be a three-day watercolor workshop that will cover three different ways to approach abstract painting. There will be a multitude of creative techniques and discussions on finding abstract ideas and building a strong composition.
Day One: Abstract Expressionism
Day Two: Abstracting Structures
Day Three: A Picasso Style Abstract Still Life
The dates are May 22, 24, 26, 2023
From Noon til 4:00 PM U.S. Eastern Time.
This workshop is suitable for ALL SKILL LEVELS.
$300
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"Learning Negative Painting" |
June 1, 2023
Space is limited
This is a four-hour LIVE ZOOM CLASS on learning to use negative painting skills with watercolor. In this very informative class, Sterling Edwards will show you and explain an exercise that takes the mystery out of negative painting. He'll also paint a piece similar to this painting that really illustrates the added value negative painting skills can add to your paintings.
This class is intended for the intermediate to advanced watercolor artist.
$100.00
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Painting a Stylized Floral with Watercolors"
June 22, 2023
In this four-hour LIVE ZOOM CLASS Sterling Edwards will explain and demonstrate his techniques and process for painting a loose and stylized watercolor floral similar to this painting. You will see tons of creative watercolor techniques and a discussion on creating a strong composition.
This class is intended for the intermediate to advanced watercolor artist.
$100.00
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ARTIST WORKSHOPS
2023 Workshops
- March 9-12, 2023 Grifton, NC Watercolors From A to Z
This is a four-day watercolor workshop that will cover a wide variety of subjects and creative watercolor techniques. Contact; Judy Dye, 252-939-6121 ALL SKILL LEVELS
jadye@embarqmail.com
- April 17-21, 2023 Santa Fe, New Mexico. Creative and Expressive Designs with watercolors.
This is a five-day watercolor workshop that will focus on expressive and creative designs with watercolors. ALL SKILL LEVELS.
Contact; https://madelineartschool.com/workshops
- May 9-12, 2023 Lowell, Michigan...Watercolor from A to Z. All SKILL LEVELS
This workshop will focus on painting a wide variety of subjects with watercolor. You'll see landscapes, floral, stylized, and abstract. There will be techniques galore in this four-day class.
Contact; Kathy Bechtel, kbechtel@lifeprocesscenter.org
- June 12, 14, 16, 2023 Big Brush and Bold Color Watercolors LIVE ZOOM WORKSHOP hosted by Cheap Joe's.
This Live Zoom Workshop will focus on using big brushes to paint the majority of your painting and on creating different and exciting colors that make your work unique. A lot of creative techniques will be covered in the workshop.
Contact Edwina May, edwina@cheapjoes.com 1-800-227-2788
Now taking reservations
- August 21-24, 2023 Colonial Beach, Virginia, Creative and Expressive Watercolors.
There will be a lot of creative ideas and techniques in the exciting workshop. All designed to make your work stand out and command attention. ALL SKILL LEVELS
Contact Janice Jones, theartscenterofmontross@gmail.com
- September 13-16, 2023 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Watercolors from A to Z.
This watercolor workshop will cover a wide variety of subjects and a multitude of create watercolor techniques. Contact; Louise Hall
louise.hall@shaw.ca www.greatartworkshop.com ALL SKILL LEVELS
- October 4-6, 2023 Reno, Nevada...Stylized Interpretations with Watercolors.
This creative workshop will show you how to push design and color to create a unique and thought provoking visual statement. You'll learn a multitude of watercolor techniques and design principles.
Contact; Anita Watson, tarnished@sbcglobal.net ALL SKILL LEVELS
- Oct. 30, Nov 1&3, 2023...Big Brush Watercolor Landscapes, LIVE ZOOM WORKSHOP, hosted by Cheap Joe's
In this workshop you will see how to paint a watercolor landscape using mostly large brushes while keeping unnecessary details to a minimum. There will be a lot of creative techniques and subjects in this workshop.
Contact; Edwina May, edwina@cheapjoes.com, 1-800-227-2788
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15" x 22" Watercolor
This was a demonstration painting for my February Live Zoom Workshop on painting water.
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"Epee"
15" x 22" Watercolor
This expressionist painting has been used for several wine labels at Daveste' Vineyards in Troutman, NC.
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"Edify"
22" x 30" Watercolor
Abstract Expressionism
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This is a photo of Diane and me taken at one of the many North Carolina vineyards that we explore when we have the time.
Sometimes we just have to get back to nature and rough it a little.
A special thank you to Diane for all that you do to manage our business and keep things running smoothly. It's a full-time job and your attention to detail and professionalism is appreciated by all. I couldn't do this without you.
Spread the word
Please tell your art loving friends about our website and newsletter; word of mouth referrals are by far the best advertising. They can sign-up for the newsletter on our website; www.sterlingedwards.com . Thank you.
As always, we appreciate your support.
Art; it chooses us
Ponder this:
"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." Aristotle
(Scroll to the very bottom for one more painting)
15" x 11" monochromatic value study.
This study is an old tree in Buck's County, PA. It was behind a building where I did a watercolor workshop several years ago. I was told that the tree was over two hundred years old.
These small studies are where I work out my composition and values before I dive into a larger painting. They're fast and fun. I don't always do one before I began a painting but every time that I do it works to my advantage. I should also add that once you have completed a study such as this you really do not need the photograph you used as a reference. Everything has been worked out except for the colors. In fact, I often do not even refer to the photograph while painting the finished piece.
In doing this I can be much more creative with my colors than I might be if I am trying to copy the colors in the photograph. The freedom of having total artistic license with my color selection for the painting rather that merely trying to copy the colors in the photograph is refreshing. Usually I will paint these monochromatic studies using Sepia, Payne's Gray, or Green Blue.
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Sterling Edwards / Artist, LLC
230 Sunny Acres Drive
Lewisville, NC 27023
USA
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