In September/October 2015, I had the opportunity to lead a watercolour workshop in Portugal. A group of 12 artists met up in Lisbon for a few days of sketching and sight seeing ( we spent one evening at a wonderful old restaurant where we listened to traditional Portugese folk music called Fado, love it!) , then we flew to the Algarve, along the southern coast of Portugal to a small town called Olhao. My workshop took place at the art school there, called Art in the Algarve,  A wonderful old building with lots of character and colour and just a few blocks walk to the water. We stayed at the art school, in lovely rooms with red tiles and shutters,  were fed well and drank lots of local wine of course.  And we sketched and painted every day, around the harbour front with old boats and fishermen, the local shops with baskets and tiles and lots and lots of fresh fish, and back in the lovely studio at the art school. One evening we had a local girl who was a waitress at one of the Tapas restaurants come sit for us as a model. 

Portugal is a wonderful place, and we hope to return again and discover more of what it has to offer. This was my last workshop before I retired from teaching, bot a sad and exciting time in my life. I will now focus more on large paintings and seeing what I can discover in my art. Thanks to everyone who was part of my workshops that spanned over many years, here in Canada and in places abroad where we had fun, created lots of art, and made new friends. 
If you are interested in Art in the Algarve, you can find more on their website.
artinthealgarve.com
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The painting workshop in Tuscany was more than I could have asked for! A great group of people accompanied me and we had lots of time to paint, eat delicious local foods and drink Chianti at the Borgo Rapale. Each day we would have breakfast under the vine covered arbour, then head out into the village of Rapale to paint. Rapale, a 800 year old village, sits upon a hill and looks out over the rolling Tuscan landscapes filled with grapevines and olive trees. That famous Tuscan light did not disappoint. Then each evening we dined in the historic old wine cellar and drank copious amounts of the Cioli family Chianti. Owners Fortunato and Gisella treated us like family and we could not have asked for nicer hosts. 
Florence offered the Uffizi gallery, the Accademia, the Duomo, the Ponti Vechio and old streets filled with art and history and architecture. I visited the David in the Accamdia ( that is where the original sculpture is, the one in the open square in front of the Duomo is a replica) where I also saw the Three Slaves by Michelangelo and other amazing sculptures. Carl and I walked along the Ponti Vechio and chatted with a few of the local artists who were set up with their art trying to make a meager living. One such artist, a young fellow who worked in ink, was especially interesting. After he made a lovely small ink drawing for me. he offered me to sit in his chair and use his inks and make a drawing, which I did and traded with him. One of his dreams is to come to Canada and sit in the streets of Old Quebec City to sell his work. But his plan was to come in winter when Florence is not so busy...we had to break the news to him that Quebec City in winter may not be ideal for sitting outside and flogging his art! 
Next stop was San Gimignano, the Ancient Town of Towers.   We enjoyed 3 days there and sketched and painted each day in the square and down the old winding streets of the old town. It was a favourite of many of us in the workshop. 
We ended the 2 weeks in Rome. A city so full of history that it was difficult to take it all in. A visit to the Vatican Museum to see the Sistine Chapel ceiling by Michelangelo, sketching in front of the Colliseum, and searching out the small church of San Pietro in Vincola where Michelangelo's sculpture of Moses is located. Another very important goal off my wish list. 

Viewing the finished paintings after the first week.  

This week I refilled the colours in my watercolour travel palette, chose brushes, made a watercolour paper 'sandwich' of quarter sheet Arches and Moulin du Roy between 16x20 foamcore, an Arches block, a few extra tubes of paint and packed my backpack.  So I'm packed and ready to head to Tuscany on Friday. 
I will have 12 people with me in my workshop, and we will stay the first week at a wonderful place called Borgo Rapale, a small 800 year old village atop a scenic hill in Tuscany. Population 17 people ... so no tour buses there! We will immerse ourselves in painting for a week, be fed delicious food and drink Chianti wine made by the owners of Borgo Rapale, and paint the Tuscan landscape, the old historic buildings and homes, and maybe even a few of the old residents of the village. And Im told they will be harvesting the grapes while we are there so we will sit amongst the workers and paint them too. Fortunato, the owner of the place (who's family has lived there for over 400 years) tells me he has the document from Florence to show one of his ancestors was an assistant in the studio of Michelangelo...wow. I think we will be filled with creative inspiration everywhere we look!

Then after a week of painting in rural Tuscany, we head to Florence for 3 days of museums and cafe sketching...and more food and wine of course! 
Then its on to San Gimignano, and its towers. More sketching and exploring ancient Italy and all the wonderful side streets filled with character. And maybe a bit of shopping :)
We finish with 3 days in Rome... a perfect 2 weeks of art immersion in the place where art was born. 

When I'm standing in front of the sculpture of Moses, by Michelangelo, in the San Pietro in Vincoli church in Rome, I will finally get to apologize to the great artist for my very stupid! remark I made the first time I saw his work in Europe in 1970...I said: "This guy's not bad." OMG!  I was 20 years old and a bit full of myself as an artist! I decided if I ever meet Michelangelo in the outer universe of life, I had better make up for that remark! 

My next workshop will be Portugal in October 2015, on the south course of the Algarve. Anyone interested? Contact me directly if you are, its filling fast and Im just announcing it. 

I will post some pics when I have a chance from our painting in Tuscany. 
Ciao my friends!
Lin

This is one of my big watercolours in progress. It is of an old root (surprise surprise!) up at Singing Sands, in the Bruce Peninsula National Park here on the Bruce Peninsula. I started the painting with a drawing in HB pencil, then poured the first 5 colours. This established the light and glow I wanted. I used Burnt Sienna, French Ultramarine, Permanent Rose, Raw Sienna and Cerulean Blue (all Winsor Newton Artists Quality Watercolour). When this is totally dry, I started to paint with a brush in the traditional manner. Im working with a lot of negative shapes, in the background and rocks which start to establish the form and composition. And I am working in layers.
I established the path of light too, the tree and light cast on the rocks, so it is a strong compositional element. Also anchors the painting to the edges. Ive been careful in my original drawing to anchor lines to the edges in the 2/3 golden mean proportions. 
Now I am working on layers of texture on the rocks, using dry brush, sponge, spatter and even rubbing the paint with my fingers. Once the texture is there, I can develop the dark lines and markings on the rocks.   
Next comes more detail and texture in the tree and old root. 
Will post another photo when it progresses. 
I am planning on sending this painting to the International Watercolour Exhibit at the National Museum of Watercolour in Mexico City, Mexico for the fall exhibit there. I will be one of 6 Canadian artists from the CSPWC to participate. So have a deadline to work to! Until next time... Lin

Since I have been snowed in up here on the Bruce Peninsula for over a week, roads closed, blowing snow, no way to go anywhere, Ive been able to paint uninterrupted for days. Im currently working on a large 24x36 inch watercolour on canvas. 
To prime the canvas to make it accept the watercolour, I use an absorbent ground by Daniel Smith. It creates some texture too that I like. The ground must cure for 24 hours minimum to be effective. Some times I put multiple layers on with a stiff hoghair brush to create texture. 
This painting is of ristras, strings of peppers tied together, that we saw near Sedona Arizona. I liked the weird rusted wheel that was hanging with the ristras too.  Ive got the first few layers of watercolour applied now and am starting to add the calligraphy brush work that will add details in some areas.  Building lots of texture into the piece too by using dry brush and crosshatching with my brushes too. When the watercolour is finished, I will spray clear acrylic varnish over the painting, usually six layers letting each layer dry in between. This will give it a protective coating so it doesnt have to be framed under glass. It also punches out the colours so they are rich and vibrant. Sometimes before the varnish is sprayed on, the colours can looked a bit faded as they are soaked into the absorbent ground, but its always magic to see the colours revive under the acrylic spray. 
I will post a finished photo of the painting when its finished. 
Note: Daniel Smith absorbent ground can be applied to any surface - glass, canvas, stones, plastic, you name it - and it makes the surface accept watercolours. But every surface has to be sprayed with an acrylic varnish to protect it as the watercolour stays vulnerable to moisture or damage with out it. Ive used the absorbent ground I got from Curry's Art Supplies too which is still nice, but it takes several layers of the ground to make the surface workable. 
This is a good alternative for watercolourists who want to use gallery style canvas and not frame their works.  I hate working with acrylics so this is a good option for me. 
Will see how much longer this crazy snow storm lasts and how many more paintings I can get done while Im stuck here in my studio. Which is not a bad place to be storm stayed!

This week I was asked about using pen and ink under a watercolour. This is a method Ive used over the years that gives me much pleasure since I love to draw. I can get lost in the pen and ink for months.
This is a pic of the pen and ink drawing for Primordial Mound. I spent about 3 months working on it, on and off. I was asked if I could leave it as just the black and white image, but the final image was already in my mind and was in colour so after the drawing was done, I started to pour watercolour on it. Always a risk since the colours could turn to mud if not done properly. And that would mean 3 months of work down the drain! But I love complicated and challenging paintings.

Here is the piece after the first pour. Ive masked off the areas where I want the whites held for the water flowing over the falls. I use only artist quality transparent watercolour. 5 colours were used for the first pour: french ultramarine, cerulean, burnt sienna, permanent rose and raw sienna. If all 5 colours mix together you get a muddy grey that kills the light so I am careful not to let them all run into the same areas of the painting. By manipulating my paper ( Arches 300 lb cold pressed) I can funnel off the paint. I dont stretch the paper so it can move easily. After this step the painting has to dry thoroughly.

Further into the painting now... Ive removed the masking fluid and exposed the whites of the flowing water. I used 5 blues on the water: french ultramarine, cerulean, cobalt, winsor blue (pthalo) and turquoise. Some were poured on and some were applied traditionally with a brush.
Now I begin working on the old root and tree trunk with direct painting with my brush wet on dry. I make sure all layers are dry before putting on another layer.  I work on shadows and negative spaces.

At this stage Ive strengthened the cast shadows, worked on the tree roots and added a bit of colour to areas that need it. Now it's time to stand back and carefully work my way to the end, always checking at a distance if it's working.

The finished painting.  Primordial Mound, 22 x 30 in.

One comment I must make about using pen and ink under a watercolour, is that the drawing must stand on its own before you even add any colour. Otherwise you may get a weak under-drawing that cannot hold up to all the layers of paint. No point in using the pen and ink underneath at that point. I use this method when the subject gives me the rich textures and shapes that I can work with. Some paintings I do have only watercolour and no ink drawing beneath. All depends on what the subject is asking... let the work talk to you and it will tell you what it wants!

Palette for this painting:   All are winsor & newton artist quality watercolour unless stated otherwise.
French ultramarine , Cerulean , Winsor Blue, Cobalt , Turquoise ( D. Smith), Permanent Rose , Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna, Quinacridone Gold ( D. Smith).

Back from our painting journey to France and pleasantly exhausted. What a great time!
We had the opportunity to paint in various locations - Mont St Michel, Dinan, Hambye, Chateau d'Hambye, Honfleur, Giverny - all while enjoying some fantastic food and culture. I will post some of my sketches when I get them dowloaded... still a bit jet lagged.
We visited Monet's garden and home too, and saw his large studio where he painted his waterlily series. Then in Paris, we saw more of Monet's paintings at the Musee d'Orsay, along with other Impressionist works. The Musee d'Orsay is still one of my favourite art museums. This trip we also visited Musee Rodin, walked through the large gardens filled with his sculptures. Truly inspiring.
I'm missing the French food and wine, soo good! And I got to buy a few art supplies in Sennelier, where all the great artists have bought art supplies for almost 200 years. A treasure.
Also had a run-in with a pick pocket ( he didnt get anything) and traveled the Metro like an experienced Parisienne and walked around Paris in the rain. Now my head is full of ideas for new paintings to work on this winter.

The days are flying by as I get ready for my watercolour workshop in France. I have been researching Impressionists painters who painted in Normandy, the area we will be painting in. And interestingly, many non-French painters made the treck to Honfleur and the Normandy coastline to paint, drawn by the amazing light along it.
English watercolourist Turner, went to Normandy on a regular basis to paint the estuary light in Honfleur and the countryside around it. And there was a group of American painters who also frequented the area to paint. In fact, in Giverny, where Monet's famous house and gardens are situated, there is the American Foundation Museum which features art done by the visiting Americans over the years.
On this trip, we will spend the first week at a chateau near the western edge of Normandy in a small village called Hambye. We will have the entire chateau to ourselves ( amazing) and spend the days painting in and around the area. We will take a day trip to sketch at Mont St Michel ( pictured below) , the thousand year old fortress and abbey on the mont just off the coast. It is only accessible by foot and the tides cut access off several times a day. It's like stepping back in time to an era of monks, cobblestoned streets and Harry Potter! Ive been there once before, stayed overnight within its walls, and in the early morning while lying in bed I heard the same sounds of produce and supplies being brought in on old wooden carts over the cobblestones. The sounds must be the same as hundreds of years ago. No vehicles are allowed onto the mont. It also has the distinction of never having been taken in any war over 1000 years. When you see the slits in the ramparts where they poured boiling hot oil down on any attackers you understand why!
Another day we will travel to Dinan, a medieval town just over the border into Brittany France. Its old buildings and wonderful Norman architecture will make for some good painting.
In my next blog post, I will describe our second week in France. I am getting very excited about going!
Happy painting my friends.
Lin

As some of you already know, I am active with the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour, a fantastic group of very talented painters. I volunteered to set up their facebook page and have it now up and running. Check it out! It is named CSPWC / SCPA  and I think you can search it on the fb search line and become a friend. We will post lots of interesting information there about the group and any events and exhibits etc it will be having.
Already, one new event is the start of Canadian Watercolour Paint-Out, Paint-In Day. This will happen on Saturday Oct 26, 2013 this fall and all across Canada, painters will be getting together to go out doors and paint, or indoors and paint for those in cold climates or rain. I will be hosting a paint-out here  for anyone who wants to join me. We will meet at Santa Fe Gallery, 828 3rd ave east in Owen Sound, and then head out to sketch and paint. Bring a lunch with you and we can make a day of it. This is a free event. Might be a good day to catch some of the fall colours. Of course this is to celebrate watercolours but we wont turn you away if you bring any other medium :)
I am also encouraging other watercolourists in my CSPWC Central Ontario Region to get a group together and go painting too that day!
For me...first comes France though... oo la la!   :) 

Packing my art gear for France -
I will be heading off to France to lead a watercolour workshop in a few weeks and I am setting out my art gear to decide what to take. In the past, I have found packing light with my art gear is a good rule to follow. Lugging around cumbersome art bags and art gear takes the fun out of en plein air unless there are some cute French guys to carry my art gear for me  :)
I've posted a few photos of what I will take.
I will take a palette of 18 colours, put the tubes in a zip lock baggy and in my carry-on backpack ( in place of toothpaste and shampoo which I can buy in France). My brushes will also go in my back pack as well as a Arches wc block and some wc sandwiches. I divide a full sheet of Arches into smaller pieces ( 1/4 and 1/8 sheets), then sandwich them in an old cover from a wc block that I  have. Bulldog clip this together and I have my paper, a backer to clip a sheet to to paint, and a place to store my finished paintings safely.

My watercolour sandwich ready to go. I also made a mini sandwich held together by an elastic band.

Arches wc coiled pad, masking tape, stacking water containers, Arches wc block ( I work on 140 lb cold press paper), small film casette for a mini water container, my small Homee travel palette, a tea towel ( takes up less room than a roll of paper towels), moleskin sketch book.

Here is a selection of some of my travel palettes. A small travel half pan set by Van Gogh; my old Winsor & Newton wood travel set with a porcelain palette and half pans ( classic, I love it); my W&N tubes; if I want to have an extra small mini palette I use a couple of pill boxes; my Homee outdoor palette ( it is too large to take on a plane tho); and my new Homee palette which is 18 well and smaller. I will fill it with paint a week before I go and let the paint dry so it doesnt leak. If I need fresh colour while I'm in France I will have my tubes with me.
My palette of colours: ( All Winsor & Newton artist grade unless specified) Raw Sienna, New Gamboge, Winsor Yellow, Scarlet Lake, Winsor Orange, Alizarin Crimson, Permanent Rose, Cerulean Blue RS, Winsor Blue RS, French Ultramarine, Cobalt, Burnt Sienna, Vandyk brown, Indigo (Holbein), Winsor Green, Hookers Green ( Graham), Quinacridon Gold, and Turguoise (Graham).

This is my Yarka travel palette. I love the colours and that they stay moist but they are very irritating when I close the lid and they stick to the top cover. Think I will crazy glue the suckers down at some point! The palette lid can also be difficult to open sometimes. Very frustrating. I won't be taking it with me this time.

I'm careful on how I pack my brushes around, I dont like the heads to brush up and get messy. So I cut small sponges to fit the slots in my Art Bin, and cut slits in the sponges, the brushes slide into the slits and keep each one safely apart from each other. Snug as a bug.
I use my Art Bin to carry my pencils ( HB), erasers, pensil sharpener, small natural sponge, and my Pigma pens.
I use Sakura Pigma pens size 01 and 03, waterproof and archival ink for my sketches. Then I can put watercolour over top. If you use a brush tube (pictured at top) try to secure your brushes so they don't jossle around in the tube. It can make a mess out of the brush heads and break hairs.
For my carry on backpack, I put in my Art Bin with brushes etc, my tubes of paint in a ziplock bag, my arches wc block and my small wc sandwich, water containers, small water bottle EMPTY, masking tape, moleskin sketch book, and my personal stuff plus passport , money , camera etc.
My palette full of paint goes in a sealed plastic baggy and in my checked suitcase, along with my larger wc sandwiches, W&N Bristol wc easel and folding tripod stool. And a few clothes if Im lucky to have some room left!
So that's my travel art gear. I will also take my ipad mini. Keep you updated on the upcoming painting trip.