"There seems to be a never-endinq quest to loosen up in watercolor.  I hear it from my students all the time. It’s easy to fall into the trap of putting too much into your paintings, and editing out the non-essential whether working from photo reference or painting on location is so important. Painting loosely doesn't just 'happen', it comes from gaining a comfort level with your skills and materials over time.  However, there are techniques that can speed up this process.

My workshop will focus on using value studies from the outset to identify the large shapes in a scene.  These large shapes provide the artist with opportunities for lost edges when painting in watercolor, which is essential if we are to take full advantage of the medium.  Too often the 'found edges', or details, take over the painter's thinking process, and the result is a tight watercolor. We will move on toward color paintings with a lot of individual help, and if time permits we will complete a painting together.  Demonstration paintings will be done by Andy every day to reinforce the day’s lessons.