November 2022 Newsletter

Click on the images for a larger view

"Run Off", 14" x 22" Watercolor

This is a watercolor demonstration painting that I recently painted for the Central Coast Watercolor Society workshop in Nipomo, California.

Plan your work and work your plan
Yes, most of the time I hate old sayings too but this one I have to agree with. I am not going to lie and tell you that I go the extra mile and plan all of my paintings, but I'll admit that even when I don't, I should. It's not difficult and it can be enjoyable. Since I work almost exclusively from photographs, I often find it necessary to modify my composition or rearrange and even delete things that are in the photograph that are not necessary in the actual painting. The small studies that I do only take a few minutes and are basically a filtered plan of what I have decided to use as the design of my painting. It is where I work out my composition and decide where to place my strongest dark values and where to leave some white paper which will be my brightest bright, usually in the area of the center of interest. Sometimes I will do these studies using small brushes and Payne's Grey or Sepia and other times I will use a black watercolor pencil. The watercolor pencil is quicker and easier.

The photograph at the top of this Newsletter is a watercolor painting of a small waterfall near Denver, Colorado. It was a relatively quick demonstration painting for a workshop. The actual photograph that I used as a reference for the painting is below on the left. To the right is a small, 5"x 7" quick sketch of my final design and composition. The watercolor pencil sketch was completed in less than ten minutes after which I used a #12 round brush and water to soften some of the edges and do some shading on the drawing. The shading gave me a visual sense of where the mid-tones were to be located and how they would play out against the areas of white and the dark values.

Typically I only use photographs as an idea for a painting as opposed to trying to copy the photograph exactly. This allows me to modify the design to my liking and change the size and placement of shapes and values. For example; I changed the shapes of the boulders and narrowed the width of the waterfall. I also wanted to show more of the forest behind the rocks and suggest that it was a sunny day by adding highlights on the rocks. These were not major changes but they seemed to work well. I never want to be a slave to a photograph but I never want to be a slave to my preliminary study either. It's simply an outline to guide me in the right direction when I begin the actual painting. As the painting progresses, I can still make modifications if necessary.

One modification that had to be dealt with is the dimensions of my watercolor paper compared to the dimensions of my small study. Since I was painting this subject on a half sheet (15"x22") piece of paper it was necessary to make my composition a little wider to fit the paper once I began my initial sketch on the watercolor paper. The watercolor paper was much wider than the width of the study. I'm not talking in terms of inches but rather the height to width ratio. This forced me to extend the length of the rushing water and add more rocks. It was a simple modification that didn't affect the overall composition of the painting. I should also point out that once I began the actual painting, I put the photograph aside. This gave me total artistic license to use whatever colors I chose without being influenced by the local colors in the photograph.

Another advantage of doing these small studies is that I can easily paint the same scene over and over using my study as a reference instead of the photograph. Each painting will be unique if I merely use different colors each time. Like I said; I should do this more often.

Here's what I've been up to lately

October was a busy month. I taught a four-day watercolor workshop for the Central Coast Watercolor Society in Nipomo, California. We had a wonderful group and had fun working hard.

I also taught a five-day Watercolor Workshop in Boone, NC for Cheap Joe's. We had a packed house and really got down to the nuts and bolts of watercolors. The workshop was titled "Watercolor from A to Z". We painted landscapes, seascapes, floral, stylized and Abstract Expressionism. It was a busy but fun time with students from coast to coast attending.

Of Special Interest

I recently received a copy of a new book written by Parisa Diba whom I met at one of my workshops in California a few years ago. She is a wonderful artist and has written a fantastic book titled, "Seascape Watercolors with the One-Wash Technique". I'm proud to have one of her beautiful paintings in my private collection.
I am also very proud and honored to have been asked to write the Foreword for her new book.

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.


We now have a NEW Companion Website:


For several years we have received numerous requests that we offer prints of some of my paintings. To accommodate these requests we designed a new website that is a companion to our current site.

This new site allows us to offer a large selection of prints of my paintings and even some prints of my photography. Yes, unknown to most, I'm also a photographer. There are also two galleries that feature original watercolors and original acrylic abstracts on paper that are available.

Another great feature of this new site is that you can choose from a variety of sizes and surfaces that you would like for your prints. We hope that you will check it out and be as excited about it as we are.

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)
Upcoming Live Zoom Classes hosted by us from my 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.


"Acrylic Abstracts on Paper"
November 12 & 13, 2022
Noon til 4:00pm Eastern Time


This is a two-day LIVE ZOOM WORKSHOP on painting Acrylic Abstracts on gessoed watercolor paper. You'll learn effective ways to design an abstract painting and a multitude of creative techniques to produce an eye catching and dynamic abstract painting that will capture the viewers attention.

Even if you have never attempted to paint an abstract piece of art you'll find this workshop very enlightening and useful. It is by far the most liberating style of painting that I have ever done.

This workshop is for ALL SKILL LEVELS

$200
"A Maine Waterfront"

December 6, 2022...Noon til 4:00pm Eastern.
This is a four-hour LIVE ZOOM WORKSHOP on painting old wooden buildings with watercolors.

There will be a wide variety of creative watercolor techniques in this workshop including negative painting, layering shapes, working with large brushes, creating exciting textures, saving whites, building a strong composition, and much more.

This workshop is for the Intermediate to Advanced Watercolor Artist.

$100
ARTIST WORKSHOPS
***Please Read***

We are currently booking 2024 workshops. If you would like to schedule a workshop for your group in 2024 please contact us soon so we can send you the information that you will need to make an informed decision. Email us via the Contact Page on our website and request a workshop information packet. https://www.sterlingedwards.com/contact

When you write, be sure and tell us the name of the group that you represent and where you are located.

All spots are filled on a first come, first served basis.
If you want more information about any of the workshops below, get in touch with the Contact Person for that particular workshop. He or she can answer questions about the workshop price, lodging, airports, etc.


2023 Workshops


  • January 9, 11, 13, 2023 LIVE ZOOM WORKSHOP sponsored by Cheap Joe's.
This is a three-day watercolor virtual workshop on painting Expressive and Creative Watercolors (Stylized and Abstract)
Contact; edwina@cheapjoes.com
1-800-227-2788


  • 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 My, edwina@cheapjoes.com 1-800-227-2788

  • July 10-13, 2023 Rockland, Maine. Creative and Expressive Watercolors.
This four-day workshop will focus on creative expressive and dynamic abstracted watercolor paintings. ALL SKILL LEVELS.
Contact; Lyn Donnavon at cmartworkshops@gmail.com
www.cmaworkshops.com

  • 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

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
"Fortune Cookies"

30" x 22"

Stylized Watercolor
"Grasping"

22" x 30"

Stylized Watercolor



"Charismatic"

30" x 22" Watercolor

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:

"Painting is a means of self-enlightenment"

John Olsen

(Scroll to the very bottom for one more painting)


15" x 11" monochromatic Sepia value study.

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 will 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. Sometimes I will paint these monochromatic studies using Sepia.




Sterling Edwards / Artist, LLC
230 Sunny Acres Drive
Lewisville, NC 27023
USA


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