My dear wife, Marilee surprised me with a set of cat's tongue brushes for my birthday back in April. These brushes are made by MEEDEN and the set included a number 12, 8 and 4. I have to say I haven’t enjoyed using new brushes like this for a long time!

I have been very content with my brushes for a long, long time. They are like old familiar friends. In fact, some are over 40 years old. I know how they will respond to my painting style and needs. This is something that you learn through time.  

What’s nice about all of these cat's tongue brushes is you can manipulate them in brushstrokes from large to small in a single brushstroke. The #12 brush is used for large washes. The #8 brush should be used for medium size areas. The #4 is excellent for finishing details. ​

Photos courtesy MEEDEN
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Here's the info:
• Squirrel Hair Oval Paint Brushes really holds a lot of water and pigment
• I have been using consistently for nearly three months and no hair has come out--not one!
• Cat's tongue shape is perfect for watercolors 
• Its unique point provides a good range of brush strokes and techniques to produce your work of art
• 3 Pieces set – Sizes: #4, #8, #12

I let all of my students experience these brushes during classes and workshops.  It's like taking a car out for a test drive. Surprisingly they are now recommending them to their artist friends.

I quite often t get asked about my brushes by my students. Some actually call my old brushes 'Popovich's magic paintbrushes!'  In my opinion, these are as close to magic as you can get. If you would like to purchase the MEEDEN Cat's Tongue Brush set CLICK HERE.

These are the perfect brush for any watercolorist.

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​THE DRIVE
My wife, Marilee and I enjoy the drive down to Nashville. When posable we take the less traveled route down Rt 41 through Attica and Rockville. It was sad to see so many fields hadn't been planting yet because of the incredible amount of rain this spring across the Midwest. What we did see was vast fields planted with golden hay and straw. The color palette was breathtaking. The golds, greens, and fluffy white clouds in a soft blue sky. If there was an ability to plein air painting while driving. 

WELCOME TO THE "LITTLE SMOKY MOUNTAINS"
Brown County, IN is a mecca for artists. Known as the Little Smoky Mountains Indiana's beautiful artistic hill country, The drive into Nashville never ceases to amaze me. According to WGN 9 TV in Chicago, Brown County has more artists per capita than anywhere else in the Midwest. Once you visit this area its easy to understand why artists are drawn to its beauty. The rolling hills, lush forests, and winding roads along with picturesque cottages make for a perfect canvas. ​

​HISTORIC
BROWN COUNTY ART GALLERY 
Here's a little history about the historic Brown County Art Gallery. The gallery has a rich history. The gallery was established in 1926 by the early members of an important regional art colony who began exploring rural southern Indiana in the 1890s. These early artists had been trained in the best art schools of Europe and America and were attracted to the rolling hills of Brown County because it offered both dramatic landscapes and interesting people to serve as subjects for their work.

DAY-1
I stated demonstrating right away working from my iPad. I begin with no pencil drawing on the paper but started painting the patterns of nature in an abstract manner. I talked about temperature value, color, and intensities of their paintings. I gave them an oversight on atmospheric perspective so they could create a good depth of field. We finish this painting in three steps as a paint-along. Through my years as a professional teaching of watercolor painter, I have found this technique works well with the student. They go through the process which helps the student retain what was created.

DAY-2
For the next two days, I instructed them on a multitude of things including composition, focal points and how to keep the eye moving.

We covered fall, winter, and summer scenes and how to handle the temperature changes through the seasons. This gives the watercolor painting a more pleasant, authentic look. 

IN CONCLUTION
People ask me why I like smaller classes and workshops. Well, having a small class or what I like to call mentoring workshops gives me an opportunity to focus on each individual student. Working with the student for one, two or four days allows me to gives me the exact insight on each student's individual needs in a concentrated manner. I enjoy teaching to truly see, overcome fears and find joy in painting. We all had a good time learned a lot and experimented a lot. 

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In May I was invited to hold a full-day workshop for the Lakeland Art League in Minocqua, Wisconsin. Spring had come late this year up north just like in the Chicagoland area. Normally the lilacs are just starting to come into bloom and the trees are budding out in the most beautiful tender green. This year the lilacs were a week behind and the hardwoods on our property at our log cabin were still bare. I could tell the members were excited to get out, shake off their cabin fever, and learn something new. 

​I first spent a little time lecturing on patterns of values and colors – looking for the abstract shapes first before picking up the brush. From there I asked them to gather around while I started a step-by-step painting demonstration in values and colors. Step #1 began with large bold washes working wet-into-wet allowing the watercolor simply to flow across the paper. This is the unique beauty of watercolor letting the colors mix on the paper. This is something that cannot be achieved in oils or pastels. I then let my students go back to there easels and recreate what I had first done.

​Step #2 I approached the painting by cutting out shapes of the foliage and smaller areas so that it would start defining the subject matter. 

Step #3, the final phase, I put in the tree trunks where they actually belonged according to the patterns that were previously painted. The students follow along really quite well. I thought they adapted to this process nicely.

​The afternoon demonstration was of Pioneer Creek. This lovely little piece of Heaven is nearby our log cabin. It's one of my favorite places to just study the colors and textures – enjoy the beauty of the Great Northwoods. For this painting, I had them do a drawing as a guide. Usually, the painting can be broken down in three steps, but for this demonstration, I broke it down into five steps because it’s easier for the students to follow along.

What never ceases to amaze me is how each student working with the same photo reference ends up with a little different painting. I always judge their painting in its own frame of reference never by the reference alone. 

​Everyone had a good time learned a lot and came out with two paintings. I raffled off one of the demos and the other was donated to Lakeland Art League for a charitable cause. 

Thank you LAL. hopefully, I will see you this fall.

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