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Watercolors have been in my life since I was a little girl. My dad was an amazing artist. He taught my sisters and me the joy of watercolors and it has stuck with me all through my life.

 

Plein Air watercolor painting lessons with my dad. I am on the left- 12 years old.

 

Thus, I can proudly say, “I am a life long addict of watercolors”. I am addicted to the transformation of paper into streaks of color that tantalize the optic nerves of our eyes. What? Okay, in real talk – Watercolors are lovely to look at and I can’t stop doing them.

 

I built the first 32 years of my art career on watercolors, winning awards, teaching all over the world, helping others find their joy in making colored water sing. Now, 50 years after I started studying watercolors in College, through the use of cyber space, I am creating classes in watercolors that can be taken anywhere in this wide and wonderful world, anytime of day or night. It is on your time, your schedule and where ever you turn on your computer, laptop, tablet or even your cell phone. The Internet has opened my opportunities to reach more people that are hungry to put their expressions down on paper through watercolors.

 

Over my 50-year adventure in this amazing medium, I have learned the ways that make it work and the “dead end” ways that frustrate artists when they try to use watercolors. This simple child like medium (didn’t we all do watercolors in grade school?) is actually powerful enough to bring you to your knees, if you don’t know it’s secret paths to successful paintings. This is what I am now teaching - how to have successful paintings in watercolors and I am teaching this in “cyber space”.

 

Two weeks ago, Howard Friedland, fabulous artist, terrific teacher and my wonderful husband) and I launched Jade Street Art Academy. It has been only 14 days and we already have uploaded 7 courses, some are free, some are mini classes and some are full blown classes with exercises. All of them are full of solid information. Each month we will be putting new classes onto our teaching site. Our goal is to have a fine art on-line academy with courses in watercolors, oils, drawing and pastels (the mediums in which we excel and have won awards. We both love teaching, so this is a WIN WIN for all of us.

 

Two weeks ago, I launched the first course on Jade Street Art Academy.  Starting with a solid foundation this course is titled, “Wet and Wonderful Washes for Watercolors” and the excitement started happening. Artists from all over the world started taking the lesson.

 

I am happy to announce that this past week, a second course was launched,

“Wet and Wild Washes for Watercolors”.

This course, still exploring the foundation of good watercolors, explores the powerful use of wet into wet washes, letting the watercolors breathe and tell their story. As I add courses the depth of knowledge will increase. Even experienced artists are enjoying going back to the foundation of the skill of watercolors.

Each course can be taken separately or in a series. Even if you have never held a watercolor brush, these courses will open the door for you.

 

Here is the Preview of the courses in watercolors

https://vimeo.com/206147105

 

Want to check out all the classes at Jade Street Art Academy? –

Click on the following link

http://jade-street-art-academy.teachable.com/courses

 

 

 

 

 

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OH MY GOSH! TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING! GASP!!

Here in Montana the only sign of spring is the note on our calendars. First Day of Spring.

While Montana lies dormant in whites, greys and browns, the rest of the country is completely aware of spring.  For them, it is literally popping up all over. My dear friend, Sunny, in California reports daily with photos of the Wisteria beautifully dangling over quaint doors, the scent of citrus fruit temptingly hanging on trees and flowers, oh yes, flowers all over the place! Sigh.

 

Our world here in Montana is currently cleansing its’ color palette, getting ready for the riotous colors of spring, summer and fall. Sure we don’t have the long growing periods like other parts of the country, but when our spring bursts on the scene, WE ARE READY!

 

Let me make an analogy to the fine art of tasting wine. When at a wine tasting, one sips a fine wine, then before tasting another, cleanses the palette. Thus, the next wine can be deeply appreciated and tasted to the fullest. By cleansing the palette, all of the wine connoisseur’s senses are reset for the next delight. Each wine can be deeply appreciated. Cleansing the palette is paramount to heightening the experience.

 

Same thing happens here in Montana, during the long winters, we cleanse our color palettes. Some places have flowers all year round, but not in Montana. Several years ago I realized that up north, it is different, we are fine connoisseurs of color. After a riotous autumn, our color senses are completely cleansed. Pure color disappears from the landscape. Snow sets in up here and our world turns to white, and shades of brown and grey. Even the stately pine trees seem to turn to a dark non-descript blackish green. For months, pure colors are gone and we only see these neutrals. The color palettes of our eyes are resting and resetting, getting ready for the burst of spring and summer. When our colors finally come, our senses are so ready; the colors knock us off our feet!

 

In 1993, I traveled down to Venezuela to help build a community center for a village. It was January and Montana was locked in 40 below zero. Arriving in Caracas, I was thrilled by the lush color everywhere. Venezuela sits on the Equator and has flowers all year round. For two weeks we worked side by side with the villagers, enjoying their company and drinking in the jungle sights and sounds. Then the community center was built, we flew home in one day.

 

Stepping off the plane in Bozeman, I was shocked by the lack of color, somehow I had not really been aware of the sharp difference until that moment, when less than 24 hours I had been bathed in a rainbow of colors. What struck me then and still amazes me, is how, up here in Montana, during the long winters, our color senses are given a rest to reset and really appreciate the color when it comes back to Montana.

 

Looking out today, our snow is almost all melted revealing brown and gray gardens, grasses, fields and mountains. The pine trees are dotted with water droplets of melting snow. (Oops, here comes a little snowflake.) So, no, it is not the end of our snow, there will be more snow, more melting, more snow, more melting… but each time it melts we are closer and closer to being splashed in the face with glorious color.

 

It’s coming, IT IS COMING! Hang on senses. Get your eyes ready!

 

 

 

Click here for more about my new teaching video

 

 

 

 

I just finished teaching a three day watercolor class in Littleton, Colorado. What a thrill to see my students grasp the concepts and let their brushes fly! Some of the artists I have known for several decades and some of them just became new friends. How blessed I am to have wonderful students all over the world!

Coming attractions! Howard Friedland and I are starting an online art academy! Soon you will be able to study with us any time and anywhere in the world! Priced for every budget as well as free classes! Let our lessons come to you, in your space and to fit your schedule! Stay tuned! Coming very soon!

Turkeys are amazing. Prehistoric looking birds with no feathers on their heads, they roam the countryside surviving on little seeds and bugs. Their legs are strong and their feathers shimmery. In April a young mother showed up in our neighborhood. Along with her were 7 pale little yellow balls of feathers with legs. Our neighborhood is nestled against the mountains just outside the forest of pines. We often have deer, elk, moose, quail, even an occasional mountain lion. But Turkeys, well that is very very unusual. This is the first time in over 30 years that anyone can remember a flock visiting our little community of 30 homes. 

 

All through the summer, they grew. Our little dogs and cats became friends with them and harmony ruled the roost. This winter we noticed the boys were looking quite a big larger than the girls. Our turkeys are growing up.The males are now fanning out with their glorious array of feathers, spinning and prancing for the ladies to take notice. Not sure any of them are quite ready to understand why they are fluffing up, but in the next few months, they will be pairing up and leaving the flock. Sigh. I love watching nature and I love having them all around us. 

 

Thank you turkeys for choosing our neighborhood to call home this year. 

 

Click here for more about my new teaching video