Dale L Popovich IWS watercolors and art teacher blog

My Personal Library: My Mentor, Irving Shapiro AWS – Master Watercolor Video

7/27/2019

Mr. Irving Shapiro AWS (1927-1994) commanded respect with his elegant, gracious style. We both were fortunate to learn from and work for this remarkable man. Our experience came to only a few and we are grateful to have had him as inspiration, mentor and friend.

Inter-Relationships of Drawing & Painting by Irving Shapiro – DVD
The Creative Crafts television series, produced between 1973 and 1991 hosted an interview of Mr. Shapiro in 1980, with two 27 minute demonstrations. While a lucky find turned up the videos on www.ebay.com, they are also available at www.artvideo.com. Check them out and gain some insight into this influential 20th-century artist and teacher.

“You must begin with a concept, not just content or subject matter of a painting before your brush touches the paper. You must determine not only what story you want to tell, but how, why and with what visual qualities.”

– Irving Shapiro, AWS (1927-1994) The American Academy of Art Chicago
Past Director and President

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Thank you Peninsula School of Art for hosting my 4-Day Watercolor Workshop

7/17/2019

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I was invited back this year for a four-day watercolor workshop at Peninsula School of Arts. This year I walked the students through The Wonders of Nature. Each student was given photographs of different scenes from Northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The scenes included winter, spring, summer, and fall.

The concentration of this workshop was on large patterns of value and color also taking note of the temperature and textures of the scene. All of the paintings were done with no drawing on the paper. I wanted them to concentrate on the values first and the colors and temperatures While they created the patterns of light and dark. This allowed them to have an emphasis on the handling of the watercolor, how it flowed, how it dried and the patterns which come from not only a wet on wet handling but, wet and dry paper.

We completed a total of 10 paintings during the workshop. We covered trees, water, snow and textures that lie within. Each day we did two paint-a-long paintings from start to finish. On the last day in the afternoon, we did three small cloud studies. Everyone had a wonderful time.

All in all, I was incredibly impressed with this group of artists. The passion, enthusiasm, and the improvement in such a short time really moved me. The fact that these four women created ten paintings I think surprised them. Like I am always saying I want to teach people how to truly see. I hope they feel I did.

I suggested some of my favorite supplies and books at the workshop. I like let my students experience new and different materials -- they are so expensive and I feel it's my responsibility as an art teacher to share. I let my students take the cat's tongue brushes for a test-drive, try the Indigo paper, and QoR paints. Here are my go-to materials and books:
SUPPLIES

MEEDEN Cat's Tongue Brush Set
I ndigo Artpapers Handmade Watercolor Paper (you can only find it online at Blick's)
QoR Watercolor Paints (Here a link to my supply list page with my recommendations. You will find a direct link to QoR Paints.)

BOOKS

John Carlson's Guide of Landscape Painting. Amazon offers this book for the Kindle, hardbound (expensive!), softbound, and spiral bound. Once in a while I can find the book in a used book store or antique shop. Here's an hour long blogpost from Artists Helping Artists produced by Leslie Saeta titled Why Every Artist Needs to Read Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting
Put Your Paintings in Perspective. Robert J Krajecki is a friend and co-teacher at the Palette & Chisel in Chicago. As I mentioned in my class this is an easy to understand book on perspective. Bob offers a vast understanding of 1, 2, and 3 point perspective.

It wasn't all work. On the third day Karen, who lives in Fish Creek invited the group for some wine, snacks and local artisan cheeses. Karen and her husband Joe have a beautiful, inviting home. They have a lovely piece of property and Karen has quite a green thumb! It was great getting to know everyone, their friends and husbands.

While I was working my wonderful wife, Marilee traveled from one small town to another stopping in at antique shops, art galleries and looking for the perfect cup of Door County coffee which are abundant throughout the peninsula. One of my students, Karen gave Marilee a list of places to visit and where to find the perfect cherry pie. Below is some of her iPhone photo album of her travels. Click on the image and view each business web site.

Marilee went on a hiking trip at The Clearing, Jens Jensen’s Sanctuary. The Clearing is located at the far northern point of Door County and is a folk school which means there are no grades just the pleasure of learning. Needless to say, she had a great time!

This man's resume is quite impressive:
• Chicago Parks including superintendent of the 200 acre Humboldt Park in 1895. His design work for the city can be seen at Lincoln Park, Douglas Park, and Columbus Park.
• Jensen played a role in building support for the preservation of part of the Indiana Dunes sand dune ecosystem.
• His designs have a deep connection to the Midwestern landscape. To read more about this amazing man Click Here.

THE CLEARINGS MISSION STATEMENT
The Mission of The Clearing is to provide diverse educational experiences in the folk school tradition, in a setting of quiet forests, meadows and water. The Clearing is a place where adults who share an interest in nature, arts or humanities can learn, reflect and wonder.

This is in keeping with the goals of Jens Jensen, founder of The Clearing, who loved it as a special place where one could feel kinship with the earth and reassess one’s life.

Wild Tomato Pizza offered a fabulous fire roasted pizza!

LURE offers a perch dinner on Thursday nights. Some of the best we have ever had!

In the evening after the workshop, we visited a different restaurant each evening. Wild Tomato featuring a fire-roasted pizza with the best Wisconsin mozzarella cheese, and the Lure served up an amazing perch fish fry and Door County cherry cobbler. Along with fabulous sites of Door County, we experienced one of the best shows of a sunset over the bay at where else Sunset Beach.

I also want to mention the staff at the Peninsula School of Art was very accommodating and wonderfully kind people. Thank you again, Elysia Michaelsen, Director of Education and Tori Daubner, Registrar.

*AFFILIATE DISCLOSURES
Amazon: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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FREE OFFER: Sign up for my four-day Peninsula School of Art Mentoring Watercolor Workshop and get a free online course

7/1/2019

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Updated July 1, 2019
That's right when you sign-up for my mentoring workshop you can continue your watercolor studies in the comfort of your own studio. You will receive a code the first day of class to log in to Towering Winds Academy of Fine Art online school. This way you can continue your learning with me. This course is yours FREE as long as the school is around. And if you have questions or want to share your work with me I'm always there for you.

Wet-into-Wet Watercolor: $50.00 Value

CLICK HERE TO REVIEW COURSE

4-Day Mentoring Watercolor Workshop
in Door County, WI

Concept
The Northwoods of Wisconsin is a painter’s paradise. Explore the beauty of nature as you conquer the medium of transparent watercolor and gain a deeper understanding of its unique properties, techniques, and tools.
Experience
Step-by-step instruction will lead you through the creation of a series of paintings. How to block in a painting, interpret color, value, and temperatures, use different watercolor-specific processes, and create sound compositions will be emphasized. Dale will provide individualized feedback throughout each exercise and painting. Photo references of various types of landscapes will be supplied by the instructor.

JuLY 10-13• 9 AM-4 PM daily
Painting Nature's Wonders
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Peninsula School of Art
3900 Co Rd F
Fish Creek, WI 54212, USA
920.868.3455

Step by step. Walk away with more.

Here's a three minute video where I fill you in on my 2-day workshop

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My Personal Library: My Mentor, Irving Shapiro AWS – Master Watercolor Video

Thank you Peninsula School of Art for hosting my 4-Day Watercolor Workshop

FREE OFFER: Sign up for my four-day Peninsula School of Art Mentoring Watercolor Workshop and get a free online course

Wet-into-Wet Watercolor: $50.00 Value

Step by step. Walk away with more.