Cheng-Khee Chee Workshop ~ Day 2 ~ Koi

"Koi"
Watercolor 1/2 sheet
15" x 22"

This was painted using the saturated wet technique, wetting the 140 lb. Fabriano paper front and back, laying in the background colors and then finding the koi. This week I'm in a 5 day workshop with master watercolorist, Cheng-Khee Chee from Duluth Minnesota. His work is influenced by the East-West experiences and tradition. His creative process is strongly influenced by Taoist philosophy - finding the most natural and effortless way to express the essence of a specific subject that he has deep feelings. His wife, Sing Bee, helped me mix up my colors for a special palette in muffin tins similar to the one below that Chee was using. It's fun and a little intimidating and the 20 plus members are working hard. I'll post a slide show of images later. The first day was using the traditional watercolor technique and I painted a rooster but later for that also.

Donna Zagotta Workshop ~ "My Peeps: Port Bolivar" ~ Gouache Figurative Painting

"My Peeps: Port Bolivar Bathing Beauties"
8x10 Watercolor and Gouache on #115 Crescent watercolor board hot press

Donna Zagotta Workshop "Size has nothing to do with quality".

OK, I know it's wild but I couldn't resist. I had this photograph of some of the Canvas by Canvas members when we took a road trip south and ended up at a Port Bolivar beach front cottage before the hurricane. One from the above group has commented "I'm so glad you can't tell who we are". I will tell you privately IF you have to know. I guess hearing all about the Fauves and the wild beasts and wild colors got to me. Read HERE about the Les Fauves and I might add the photo of Madame Matisse on the right with the green line down the center of her nose is one of my favorite paintings. I was fairly traditional in the previous post in the Donna Zagotta workshop with "The La Cima Chef" but once we got to arbitary color, line and texture I lost all control with the pattern embellishment and decorating and put the reference material under the table.
Here's Donna trying to remind us to use our "L shaped croppers" to help with our composition. I won't forget that one because the words sound a little naughty. She advised to gather more information than you'll ever want or use so you'll have it ready when you plug the subject into the design. By that put everything in the drawing on the reference material and during the painting process you can mass shapes and create but if you want to use an element from the reference it's there to use or move around or delete. I love it, love it that Donna says it's OK to trace the photo. Hear that Myrna way out in California. (I had a tracing ready and Myrna made me draw it at her workshop but we're still friends.) I also pronounce her name Wacknov just the way it sounds to a Texan and got corrected by Donna. I just never figured I had that much time left to spend all that time trying to draw it when Photoshop Elements 7 does such a good line drawing of the photo. Maybe I'll post how later if others are interested and if I can ever draw like Charles Reid I'll put up the software, but Donna is to the opinion you're also teaching yourself to draw by tracing. Love that concept. That is another reason I keep an art journal is to practice drawing in it.
"My Peeps" is expressing how I feel about my friends and I could have made a copy of the shapes and colors but I chose to be expressive, creative, a little Fauve. Most of the comments from my friends were "We like the chef better." I'm OK with that. We're still friends.
On a later post I will post more on the painting process and how we actually began our painting.

Donna's DVD
Donna recently finished filming a DVD for Creative Catalyst Productions, which will be released later this summer. There will be a "pre-sale" discount a few weeks prior to the release. Click HERE to see a short video clip from the DVD and I can't wait for this one.

Canvas by Canvas
Our collaborative group of 8 paint and travel together. Back when we were 11, Veria TV Channel filmed us painting at the Upstairs Gallery. I received an email from one of the girls today that tonight on DISH Network, on Channel 9575 7:00 pm our "The Art of Living" will be presented again. It first aired December 25, 2007. I don't have DISH network so won't be able to verify that but you can try if you're interested or watch for a rerun. We do have a Veria store in the Arlington TX Highlands Mall area. Our section is very short so don't leave for a drink of water if you get to watch it. The segment talks about the healing effects of art. I think they need to film us painting at their new store.

Here are the photos from some of the activities and student work at the workshop. Enjoy and mouse over for captions.

Nancy Standlee
a Texas Daily Painter &
member of Canvas by Canvas
Texas Collaborative Artists

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ARLINGTON TEXAS ~ ARTIST NANCY STANDLEE ~ DAILY PAINTER ~
CONTEMPORARY ~ WATERCOLOR ~ ACRYLIC ~ COLLAGE ~ GOUACHE
ABSTRACT ~ EXPRESSIONIST ~ ART FOR SALE ~ FIGURATIVE