Abstracting the Landscape Tutor: Paul Riley 4-9th August 2019 “The most joyous thing about watercolour painting is its transparency and translucency – watercolour paint works by allowing light to pass through the particles of pigment, the colour reflecting from the white of the paper. The paper in fact should become your white paint, which is where your negative painting comes in and the magic begins!”
This course is designed to explore the process of abstracting from the figurative world of nature and to careful editing and composition to leave space for your watercolours to ‘breathe’.
The landscape tradition in watercolour has been long established. The methods and techniques are familiar to beginners and advanced alike. This course proposes a refreshing new way of tackling the much loved English and even International landscape. An exciting and adventurous new method of looking involves abstraction. To abstract needs a form of distillation a paring down to essentials whilst giving free range to individual expression. Many aspects of the process will be explored from the geometric to the passionate. Each individual will have the opportunity to discover their own interests from the simple to the complex relating to the environment in a new way that will excite beginners and provoke the advanced. Although there is an existing tradition in abstract painting it is not hidebound. Each individual has the opportunity to be themselves, all be it as rebels. Paul has been experimenting with ideas for a long time he will demonstrate many of the techniques and methods needed to loosen up the mind. Analysis of student work will be constant and sensitive to individual development. Dive in!
