This month I was able to attend a workshop with David Taylor in Santa Barbara, California. I had been looking forward to this for a long time and I wasn't disappointed. Meeting David and watching him paint was such a treat. David painted two demos a day for the 5-day workshop and each piece captures the feel of Santa Barbara. And I must say Santa Barbara looked stunning, every building perfectly adding to the ambiance. I found David's way of teaching to be very helpful and he was so generous to us with his time and expertise.
Our first morning was a little overcast and we were on the beach, painting two different views following David's demos, morning and afternoon. Painting on the beach was a new experience for me and trying to paint two pieces a day is a push. On Tuesday we met at the marina and David painted two gorgeous demo pieces. But for me, boats and water, I need more practice on those two subjects! I won't finish the two pieces I started. We were up in the tower at the landmark courthouse building on Wednesday. We painted street views Thursday and Friday. Thursday, late evening, we were lucky to have the opportunity to watch David paint a night scene. Wow, so interesting to see how he went about it.
I hope I will be able to take another workshop from David sometime. The week was a valuable experience and I look forward to applying what I learned. It's difficult to paint something wonderful in a workshop, but here are three of my pieces and some fun photos...
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| 8 x 10" Watercolor, Santa Barbara Mission on the hill |
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| Santa Barbara courthouse tower where we painted |
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| Our first day, setting up - Leadbetter Beach |
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| 8 x 10" Watercolor |
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| David painting in the courthouse tower |
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| 8 x 10" Watercolor |
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| The nocturne |
