NEXT MEETING:

Demo Artist Dan Mondloch – Landscape in Watercolor

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20 – Meeting at 7pm

Skating Center, 2661 Civic Center Dr, Roseville, MN

Dan Mondloch will do a value study and landscape painting from beginning to end in an approach similar to how he paints outdoors, using primarily transparent watercolor with the possibility of adding some gouache. Some key concepts will include confident brushstrokes, expressive color, simplifying complex subjects, and the order or sequence of painting a watercolor.

Dan is an award winning third-generation painter. His first interest in painting was in the 9th grade. While driving with his dad he mentioned he’d like to try painting. The next morning he woke to the kitchen table covered with everything he could ever possibly need to paint a picture.  He’s been featured in Plein Air Today and Southwest Art. Recent honors include the Architecture Award at Laguna Plein Air and Best of Show at Grand Marais Plein Air. He lives in Cold Spring, MN with his wife Mallory, sons Jack and Drew, and plein air painting canine bud, Ruby.

“Every time I open my palette, the smell of paint takes me back to being a kid and painting with my dad in his garage studio. I would watch with fascination as he transformed a blank piece of paper into something incredible— a whole new dimension.  In those moments, I came face to face with a world of imagination and potential.  At once, anything and everything was possible. It was like playing with magic and I was instantly hooked.  Nearly 30 years later, the allure lives on.

While I am proficient in oils and acrylics, the character and fluidity of watercolor will always hold a special significance for me. Regardless of the materials, however, I seek to distill my subjects to their essence—a truth that is hard to put into words—but instantly recognizable for its charm.  Artists and viewers immediately know it when they see it. I try to keep it simple.  Less is often more, and leaving a bit to the viewer’s imagination makes for a more engaging piece.

An adage says it well: “The eye not told what to see, sees more.” For me, painting starts with conscientious planning and elimination of non-essential details, which results in a clearer roadmap to follow and more enjoyment during the creative process.Recalling what drew me to painting as a kid, I remember that it was fascinating and fun.  Although I’m a bit more structured in my process today, I maintain that if I plan with my mind I can paint with my heart. What a privilege it is to be a painter!”          -Dan Mondloch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LAST MEETING:

Four Demos and a Paint-In

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020

Our January program was a unique combination of four consecutive brief demos by some of our members followed by hands-on experience after the break.

The first presentation was by Frank Zeller who explained the principles of good composition, showing examples and rough sketches using horizon lines, verticals and the rule of thirds as applied to a reference photo. His advice is “to look for the vertical.” No two intervals between the verticals can be the same. He used the example of fenceposts, variety of color, size and spacing. He also recommended outlining the negative spaces “to see if it works.”  For further information on these topics, he recommended a book by Charles Sovek and youtube videos by Tim Wilmot.  Frank’s hands-on table included reference photos for practicing composition.

Art Weeks showed examples of watercolor techniques: wet on wet, drybrush, flat brush, lifting, paper choice.  His table had various paper choices and the opportunity to practice techniques on various papers.

Heidi Nelson gave a brief discussion about brushwork and glazing. She showed three stages of painting a pear – first using a blue for the shadows, adjusting values as she painted around the highlights. Once that layer was dry she glazed with yellows and reds to complete the painted pear.  Each participant had a chance to practice.

Susan Fryer Voigt showed some of her recent work in which she used a “mother color’”of sienna throughout the painting, then blended that color with several varieties of blues to get the wonderful resulting grays. Her participants had a chance to use watercolor sticks from Daniel Smith and also Holbein silver and gold paints.