Listen to the exhortation of the dawn.
Look to this day for it is life, the very life of life,
And in its brief course lie all the verities of your existence.
The glory of action, the bliss of hope, and the splendor of beauty.
For yesterday is but a dream and tomorrow is only a vision;
But today, well lived, makes every yesterday a dream of happiness,
And each tomorrow a vision of hope.
So look well therefore on this day.
And such is the salutation of the dawn.

Watercolor painting is easy when you learn it one step at a time. These two classes will provide a sequence of easy exercises designed to save you months of trial and error frustration. If you want to find a way to express your creativity in your off hours, painting watercolors will delight and challenge you for years to come. Capitalizing on the spontaneous characteristic of watercolor, the exercises in these classes have been selected to give you the confidence you will need to continue painting watercolors on your own.

During this one day of demonstrations and hands-on exercises you will learn the magic of spontaneous watercolor painting; paint small abstract watercolors for gifts or greeting cards; learn brush techniques for quickly painting various subjects, how to paint trees, small figures, skies, still life subjects, and waterfalls; lay a foundation of skills so that you can continue to paint with pleasure. No matter what your skill or background, both of these classes will have you painting watercolors and loving it in a matter of minutes.

"I very much enjoyed and appreciated your class (Spontaneous Watercolor) at Santa Rosa J.C. yesterday.  Your class was informative, stimulating and a great deal of fun.  I was impressed with how smoothly you worked with so many of us and took us through a great deal of material, all done with graceful manner and light touch, a smile and good humor.  This was impressive due to our rather large number and the tremendous amount of material you covered.  It truly was a six week course in one day and made easily grasped by your refined and finely tuned approach to the many aspects of watercolor - from paints themselves the quality and behavior of, to brushes and types, weights and characteristics of papers involved.  The exercises and notes you gave us were so well thought out, covering just about any aspect of painting we wished to pursue....Your watercolor class was tremendously illuminating and I very much enjoy the immediacy of the medium.  Thank you for such a wonderful class which was highlighted with your wisdom and philosophy."
S.L. Santa Rosa, CA
 

Learn the art of painting the figure in watercolor.  The class will be directed to the spontaneous representation of the male and female figure rather than an attempt at careful realistic representation.  There will be a strong emphasis on the use of white space and composition.  Color mixing from a limited palette, light, shade, and shadow, brush techniques, graded washes, foreshortening, facial details, lost and found edges, and proportion will be demonstrated.  Students will work from professional models.  No matter how much previous instruction you have had, this class will have you seeing and painting the figure in a new way.  This class is for you if you:  Have had some previous watercolor painting instruction.   Would like to learn some easy techniques for painting the figure quickly.   Want more confidence and skill painting figures.  Would like to be able to paint the figure in watercolor.  Want to paint the figure loose and free.

Learn to paint rich, colorful, personal paintings that come from your creative self. In this fast paced workshop you will free your spirit and nourish creative spirit. Through a series of easy exercises, you will discover many new and exciting techniques to apply when you paint watercolors.  You will learn to trust your ability to create without knowing the exact outcome.  Painting in watercolor is fun when you can find new opportunities for personal discovery, expression, and invention. You will enjoy the experience of new watercolor techniques in a relaxed environment for creative expression. You will learn to paint without expectations, connect with your imagination, paint deliberately, and use watercolors in new ways.

This class is for you if you would like to be able to draw, think that you don't have any drawing talent, never took the time to learn how, haven't drawn for years and would like to start again or would like to be able to teach drawing with style.

Drawing is easy when you learn it one step at a time. This class will provide a sequence of easy one minute exercises designed to give you the kind of success that would please anyone's mother. If you are a person who sits in front of a computer screen all day or if you just yearn to find a way to express your creativity on your off hours, here is a class that will teach you how to draw and enjoy it even with the busiest of schedules.

This series of short drawing exercises will insure pleasure and minimize disappointment. During this day, you will learn one minute drawing exercises, the greatest drawing secret in the world, drawing games for parties and picnics, how to sketch people in public places, drawing exercises for children and basic drawing techniques. This day of hands-on exercises is designed for fun. No matter what your skill or background, this class will have you drawing and loving it in a matter of minutes.

The class materials include The Pocket Drawing Book, by Robert Regis Dvorak, and The Artist's Drawing Pad 6 X 9 (a blank sketchbook) and other drawing materials.

"What fun.  You have wonderful "teacher energy" and a great way of making each person feel good about him/herself."
C.W., Kentfield, CA

Now you can draw without having to hide underneath the bed afterwards. You can draw without cold sweats, panic attacks, or feelings of imminent doom that may have plagued you before! The art of drawing is fun and easy to learn when you get beyond the fear of failure. When you join this easy unique drawing class, you will be in for some surprises. This enjoyable day should remove any drawing phobias you may have and open your creative expression for a life time of drawing pleasure.

Mr. Dvorak's book, Drawing Without Fear, outlines and illustrates the message in this workshop.
 

Want to learn to draw? To see? Or would you like to loosen up tight drawing habits? If you are a beginner, an artist, teacher, or a person who would like to explore new levels of your creativity, this workshop is for you. It is the perfect course for people who think that they have little talent for drawing, for they will discover that when they experience seeing, they can draw. You will learn: to draw from your experience, the greatest drawing secret in the world, to see without judgment, to draw quickly and effortlessly, the joy of relaxed concentration, and how to practice drawing for a lifetime of enjoyment.

This is a non-judgmental drawing workshop outlined in Mr. Dvorak's book, Experiential Drawing which is included in the course materials. Many of the exercises are innovative and unusual and others employ right brain methods. This is a unique drawing course.

"...thank you so much for your class.  I was the one in back that had never put pencil to paper .  I'm even sharing the drawing upside down picture exercises with a friend.  Yippee!...Many thanks!"
L.O., Santa Rosa, CA

This workshop is for you if you endeavor to understand yourself better, become more self-aware, and connect your inner and outer experience. Drawing offers unlimited opportunities for personal discovery, expression, and invention. This workshop only requires a willingness to direct your awareness and be attentive to your experience.

The purpose of the workshop is to guide you to experience new levels of conscious awareness through drawing. You will experience drawing as a meditation--a relaxed, conscious, and aware state--optimum for the enjoyment of drawing. You will practice seeing with unconditional regard, connecting with your object of attention--person, place, or thing-- drawing deliberately, dismantling fear, and drawing from your heart.

You will practice removing the barriers to your creative expression. Exercises will guide you to increased awareness, perception, and observation. You will learn to harmonize your inner and outer experience so that you can draw and create with total enjoyment. Those with no drawing skill as well as those who would like to move more deeply into their artistic processes are welcome.

Painting or drawing while traveling always makes the experience more rewarding, satisfying, and unforgettable. You will learn valuable short cuts on how to draw and paint landscape, architecture, and people while traveling, whether it be Asia, Africa, South or Central America, Europe, or North America. We will cover how to pack painting and drawing supplies, how to prepare yourself to sketch and paint each day, how to work large or small, how to be comfortable, relaxed, and uninterrupted, how to paint and draw on an airplane, in a restaurant, on the street, on a boat or cruise ship, how to draw in public--with and without an audience-- what to do about the sun , wind, and rain, how to simplify your material, how to draw rapidly to capture essence, and how to practice.

Mr. Dvorák will discuss and demonstrate his own personal methods of drawing and painting as well as his philosophy and attitude about the travel experience.

Mr. Dvorák has traveled to 64 countries sketching, painting and film-making.  He has exhibited his works in Italy, France, England, Japan, and the USA.

Selling art, your own or other artists', is easy when you know how. This workshop will cover prospecting for clients, developing rapport, what questions to ask, portfolios, slides, presentations, referrals, pre-planning sales meetings, emotions--how to use them--closing secrets, what words to use, artist's statements, pricing, and art gallery selling.

This is a comprehensive sales program oriented to the art dealer, an art representative, or an artist. Be prepared for an exciting, fun-filled day of lively lecture and in-class games. You will learn how to sell art to individual clients, collectors, and corporations. Mr. Dvorak will demonstrate what works and what doesn't work so that by the end of the training, you can begin selling--and prospering--immediately with confidence and self-assurance.

Robert Regis Dvorak, FAAR, a professional speaker on the subject of creative selling.  He is the author of the book, Selling Art 101.

Learn to paint rich, colorful, abstract paintings. In this creative workshop you will learn the most important criteria for any successful painting.  This could be the most valuable workshop you will ever take.  It will make you see all your painting endeavors as abstract compositions, full of energy, drama, light, and color.  Using a variety of creative watercolor techniques you will paint beautiful abstract paintings.  You will learn: how to create new ideas for paintings,  new watercolor painting techniques,  exciting ways to experiment with watercolor, a variety of composition secrets, techniques to create patterns and textures including masking, brush techniques, and alternatives to the brush, how to use color, gray, black, and opaque white, the correct use of sprays and spatters to create colorful textures. You will watch step-by-step painting demonstrations, try them, and come away from the class with many new ways to create your own watercolor paintings. Beginning students as well as those with previous watercolor instruction will find this class exciting and innovative.

Through a series of easy exercises you will discover yourself painting beautiful paintings by trusting your own ability to create. Painting in watercolor is easy when you seek opportunities for personal discovery, expression, and invention. You will learn and enjoy the experience watercolor painting in a relaxed environment for creative expression. You will practice, connecting with your imagination, painting deliberately.

See Biographical Information

November 14, CA Art Education Association, in Burlingame, CA, Drawing Without Fear, www.caea-arteducation.org

November 15, CA Art Education Association, in Burlingame, CA, Watercolor Fast and Free, www.caea-arteducation.org

November 22, College of Marin, Spontaneous Watercolor, 415.485.9305

December 5-7, OPEN STUDIO, Sanchez Art Center Studios, Pacifica, CA 650.359.1288

January 3-10, Kaluakoi Condominiums, Molokai, Hawaii, Watercolor and Drawing Workshop, 650.359.1288

More to come!

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