Yesterday I drove to Vermont in the pouring rain for a 5 day watercolor workshop with Charles Reid. It is not easy to get to Vermont from Maine because there are no roads that go east/west. So 4 1/2 hours after leaving Portland I was in beautiful bucolic Manchester, Vermont. Bing Crosby was right when he said in the movie "White Christmas" "Vermont is so Vermonty".
Day 1—Charles spent the morning demonstrating his amazing drawing techniques by sketching the model's head in profile, 3/4 view and front view so we can understand proportion. He then went over his palette, brushes and color blending technique. He was trained as an oil painter so his watercolor style is based on oil painting techniques. 
Charles finished the morning by painting the model (above). 
I painted the same model in the afternoon and managed to paint two other versions by the time we wrapped up for the day. 
Before class started we were all milling around and woman came up to me and asked if I was Jennifer and I fessed up that yes I was. She introduced herself as Annelien Beukenkamp. I was so taken back and then completely thrilled to meet another blogger, fellow New Englander and great watercolorist whose blog I like to visit—she does great flowers and roosters! She had read that I was taking this workshop from a comment I left on Drawing Tel Aviv. How cool is that!
This is Annelien's painting of the model from today.I'm tired from my first workshop day and jet-lag that is still an issue. I am still waking up at 2 am and tending to have trouble getting back to sleep. Good thing there is Red Bull!
20 comments:
Thank you, Jennifer for this post! Seeing the different styles within the parameters of the instruction is really interesting!! Lovely interpretations all!!!
Jennifer, what a delight! This is just fascinating...and what a lovely man Charles Reid is. I'm envious!
I loved seeing your workshop model and three paintings - by 3 different artists. Please share as much as you can from the workshop.
How inspiring and fun this must be for you! Thanks for posting the three paintings/different artists, all fantastic.
Nice work Jennifer. It's interesting to see all the different interpretations. Have fun!
Oh,wow!
I so love Charles Reid's work - it was coming across a book of his that made me want to start painting. It is lovely to know that you are enjoying his class and I am looking forward to more posts about it. (The nearest I am ever likely to get to a Charles Reid workshop!) Your portrait is super.
You're going to have a great week with Charles! I took his workshop that was earlier this month and had a blast! I did a post on each day of the workshop too. Looking forward to seeing what else you guys do during the workshop!
I am so jealous!! I bet that workshop was AMAZING!!
Oh, wow, I'm jealous but what a great opportunity to study with him. Love your portraits. Beautiful color and gestural quality. Keep reporting on your workshop.
WOW what an opportunity and to be surrounded with such talent - thanks for posting, I hope you post it all!!! Fabulous first day.
What a wonderfully small world we live in!!! Awesome firsts!
Great post-Charles Reid is one of my favorites! Enjoy!
Five days with Charles Reid AND you get to hang with a fellow blogger? Great way to hit the states running, Jennifer!
I'm jealous too!!!! WOW, Charles Reid - lucky you! Thanks for sharing the pic of the model as well as the paintings/interpretations! They're wonderful! And isn't Annelein delightful? I recently enjoyed a drive up to VT (from CT) for *her* workshop. Looking forward to hearing more about the Reid workshop... thanks for sharing!
So happy to see more of your glorious work! Looks like a great workshop. All the different photos so interesting. But I think you are the best!!! And capable of giving your own workshops!
Joan Gillman Smith
Hello Jennifer, I'm new to your blog and have admired Charles Reid's work for a long time. Love your portrait you did from class! I think it is better than Reids. I have never been to his workshop, but he is on my list. I am going to Alvaro Castagnet's workshop in September and looking forward to that.
Oh wow! These are great--I love your painting of the model; the face is so beautiful. And I have been a big fan of Annelein's for some time; I'd like to take a class with her!
BTW it's been my experience that people often don't do their best work in workshops, but, from everything I've seen of people's work in his workshops, that's not true of a Charles Reid--he seems to bring out everyone's best!
Thanks for the description... of the workshop and Reid's methodology. His paintings have always appealed to me... and I'll definitely try to get to one. Your results are, as always, inspiring and beautiful.
Oh, wow--how cool to see Annelein here, too. This is fabulous!
I, of course, a newcomer to this blog, but the author does not agree
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