Iris, 2009, originally uploaded by ahtravis.
Demonstrations
The lesson was on items back lit; the medium watercolor, the subject onions, the place my studio. One obstacle for me in teaching is the “demonstration”. There is a palpable fear that this time I will bomb, create a horror instead of the fresh, fluid, colorful painting that is my aim.
There is no doubt that sometimes, in my view, I do fail. When a demonstration is not great chances are, the demonstrator is probably the only one to notice because even at worst the instructor usually paints a more appealing painting than the learners. More frequently, however, the adrenalin rush of fear leads to a beautiful painting, something truly special and your performance is something better than you expected. That happened to me at last Friday’s lesson.
The iris in the Catskill Mountains are in full bloom!
Note: Just in case the demonstration is less than desired, I am always sure to have many other examples of my painting visible so the less than desirable demonstration is not the only work to be seen.
bragg hollow studio 