PREMIER WORKSHOPS
SAWG is excited to announce this coming year's Premier Workshops. We are planning to have all workshops held at St. Francis in the Foothills Celebration Center. Registration opens for members on July 15th at noon Pacific time. Nonmembers are welcome to register beginning September 1st if the classes are not filled.
Workshops Coming in 2022-2023
October 11-13, 2022 – Kath Macaulay “Pocket Sketching with Kath Macaulay”
November 15-18, 2022 – Tony Couch "Tony Couch Watercolor Workshop”
January 10-11 and 12-13, 2023 – Betsy Dillard Stroud “Mixed Magic”
February 14-17, 2023 – Robbie Laird “Flow and Form: Layered Watermedia Painting- The Synergy of Ebb and Flow Painting”
March 14-15 and 16-17, 2023 – Sarah Yeoman “Light and Atmosphere in Watercolor”
Masks are recommended but not required.
Workshop 1: Tuesday - Thursday, October 11-13, 2022
All workshop days will run from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
The tuition for 3-day workshop is $275 for SAWG members, and $375 for nonmembers
"Pocket Sketching with Kath Macaulay"
Class Levels - beginner to intermediate
Learn enough to play for a lifetime! This 3-day workshop on Pocket Sketching, Kath teaches the methods she has taught around the country, including several of the watercolor techniques of John Singer Sargent, famous for Pocket Sketching. The class will cover the basic skills of perspective, contrast, color, and focal point. Capture what you think you see in 25 minutes or less using a water-soluble pen, a 4 x 6-inch pad of paper and a small paint set. You’ll learn the perfect technique for travel journaling, hiking, biking, sauntering, sitting in a café or a boring lecture. Ideal to paint fearlessly in public with minimal equipment, total portability, speed, no interruptions, and no clean-up.
Workshop 2: Tuesday - Friday, November 15-18, 2022
All workshop days will run from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
The tuition for 4-day workshop is $395 for SAWG Members and $495 for nonmembers.
"Tony Couch Watercolor Workshop"
Class levels - advanced beginner to intermediate
Don’t miss this opportunity to study with a master. Tony Couch has been elected to membership in the American Watercolor Society, Academic Artists Association, Allied Artists of America, Hudson Valley Art Association, Salmagundi Club, Society of Marine Painters, Watercolor West, The Pittsburgh, Georgia, Southern, and Midwest watercolor societies as well as the Whiskey Painters of America. He is the author of over 6 books and 10 videos and is a much sought-after workshop watercolor instructor. His watercolor painting instruction articles have appeared in several publications worldwide, including Palette Talk, North Light, American Artist, Australian Artist, The Artist, and Watercolor Magic.
His book, “WATERCOLOR: You Can Do It!”, is in its 6th printing. In Tony’s four-day class you will learn basic and advanced techniques for achieving a wide variety of effects in a relaxed and delightful atmosphere. Tony will paint each morning and explain what he’s doing and why. Day 1 students have an option to paint or watch a slide lecture on the 8 Principles of Design. On Day 3 Tony offers an optional “beginners’ session” where he answers students’ questions and, if time permits, demonstrates how to paint rocks, puddles, trees and more.
Workshop 3A –Tuesday & Wednesday, January 10-11, 2023 - Watercolor
Workshop 3B – Thursday & Friday, January 12-13, 2023 - Acrylic
All workshop days will run from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
The tuition for each 2-day workshop is $225 for SAWG members, and $275 for nonmembers
"Mixed Magic"
Class Levels - intermediate to advanced
In this workshop you will explore design in creative ways, the many faces and facets of color, layering transparencies, as well as “Painting like Matisse”. We will pour, layer, and put transparent and opaques side by side. We will create an interesting self-portrait, or abstract, a provocative abstraction with black gesso and paint. Betsy’s emphasis, as she teaches, is to inspire you to try different ways of expression and to work on an idea for a series. We will have daily critiques and discussions. But, most of all we will unite as a class to paint, surely the greatest meditation, to learn from each other, and to have a wonderful time while creating!
Tuesday and Wednesday workshop will be using watercolor paints. Thursday and Friday workshop will be using acrylic paints.
Workshop 4 – Tuesday - Friday, February 14 - 17, 2023
All workshop days will run from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
The tuition for 4-day workshop is $395 for SAWG members, and $495 for nonmembers.
"Flow and Form: Layered Watermedia Painting- The Synergy of Ebb and Flow Painting"
All levels- Some experience with various materials recommended.
This 4-day workshop is based on Robbie’s inspiring premise about “Informed Intuitive” painting. Become more spontaneous without being out of control!
Working from your own sketchbooks, photos, and other resources, Robbie guides you through thoughtful exploration of a subject to first become informed. Students are then guided to make intuitive choices about technique and design, while painting. Painters will be encouraged to identify and capitalize on painting strengths and personal style.
There will be opportunities to experiment and learn layering techniques (Watercolors & Acrylics). Watercolor effects include addition of gouache & watercolor crayons and resists.
Acrylic techniques include textural mediums and iridescent paints for a variety of effects.
Open studio time is planned for afternoons. Participants work from their own photos, sketchbooks, and other resources. During this time Robbie will give individual assistance with mini critiques, instruction and demos as needed. Each painter will be encouraged to identify and capitalize on personal painting strengths and may use watercolor, acrylic, and a variety of mediums to create layered effects in their paintings. Realistic and abstract painting are encouraged.
Robbie has a reputation for encouraging painters to breakthrough to new levels of freedom and confidence in painting.
Workshop 5A –Tuesday & Wednesday, March 14-15, 2023
Workshop 5B – Thursday & Friday, March 16-17, 2023
All workshop days will run from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
The tuition for each 2-day workshop is $225 for SAWG members, and $275 for nonmembers
"Light and Atmosphere in Watercolor"
Class levels - advanced beginner to intermediate
Join us for a workshop with award winning artist Sarah Yeoman. We will explore the magic of the watercolor medium in a relaxed and entertaining atmosphere. Sarah will be presenting two 2-day sessions. Using the same techniques for each session, she will be instructing with different reference photos, so you may opt to enroll in both.
Beginning with a morning demonstration of an original artwork Sarah will lead you through the step-by-step process she uses to create paintings with strong colorful darks and shimmering lights no matter the choice of subject. We will learn to simplify the subject matter by creating value studies in pencil, marker or paint moving on to color studies and finally to a finished painting. Sarah will share her years of knowledge on materials, paint application, composition, life as an artist and "finding your light" in watercolor.