Birgit O'Connor and The World of Watercolor Painting

In this episode will be having a conversation about where your inspiration come from?

Have you ever thought of where you painting from in your body? Is it your head, your heart, your fingertips, wrist, arm, full body and what kind of experience is it for you?

What about commissions, do you enjoy doing them or is it a chore, and how can you move away from realism into something more painterly.

These are just some of the things that will be talking about in today's episode we're going to be talking

Today I will give you a glimpse inside my process as I discuss an article by Cherie Dawn Hass from Realism live and how my work has changed over the last decade. Click here to see the full online article

For online courses and workshops visit my website

Today we discuss backgrounds and ideas of how to approach them. More problem solving, what do is the masking sticks to paper and what about the magic eraser.

Wet into wet how to paint a fluffy cat, discussing paper, drying time.

Do you attach paper to a board?

Painting with one color, values, dampness of the paper.

Working on a full sheet painting

Discussing how to separate from the analytical mind into more of the creative mind

Why highlights make a difference

Review of handmade Indian paper

What about the judging process in shows

Where to get art supplies during the Covid shortage.

Before entering into a show, check the show prospectus

• Do you own the copyrights?
• Did you create the painting on your own without guidance or instruction?
• Entry fees range and are not refundable
• Digital images usually need to be at 300dpi (Check the show prospectus) 1200 - 2100 pixels at the largest side
• Free online tool to resize an image https://www.pixlr.com/editor/

Does your painting have

• Does it command attention and stand out with a strong composition?
• Different values, and a good use of color, and light,
• Are you painting with confidence?
• Is it unique, with impact?
• Will it grab the attention of the judge?
• Your strongest paintings will be with a something that you’re excited about.

Rejection:

• Try not to take it personally, it happens to all of us.
• Remember there are only so many paintings that can be accepted into a show.
• if a painting is rejected in one show it may be accepted or even win in another.

Standard size frames

5" x 7"

8" x 10"

11" x 14"

16" x 20"

20" x 24"

20" x 30"

24" x 36"

22" x 32"

30" x 40"

Call for entries Cafe https://www.callforentry.org/login/

Here are some societies that you can look into to enter shows:

Alabama

Watercolor Society of Alabama – http://wsalabama.org

Alaska

Alaska Watercolor Society – http://www.akws.org

Fairbanks Watercolor Society – http://www.fairbankswatercolor.org

Arizona

Arizona Watercolor Association – http://www.azwatercolor.com

Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild – http://www.watercolor-sawg.org

Northern Arizona Watercolor Society – http://www.naws-az.org

California

California Watercolor Society : http://www.californiawatercolor.org

National Watercolor Society – http://www.nationalwatercolorsociety.org

San Diego Watercolor Society – http://www.sdws.org

Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society – http://www.scvws.org

Watercolor Artists of Sonoma County – http://www.wascoart.org

Colorado

Colorado Watercolor Society http://www.coloradowatercolor.org/aboutcws/aboutcws.htm

Pikes Peak Watercolor Society – http://home.pcisys.net/~ppwsart

Western Colorado Watercolor Society – http://www.wcwatercolorsociety.com

Connecticut

Connecticut Watercolor Society – http://www.connecticutwatercolorsociety.org

Delaware:

Delaware Watercolor Society – http://www.delawarewatercolorsociety.org

Florida

Brevard Watercolor Society – http://www.brevardwatercolors.org

Central Florida Watercolor Society – http://www.centralfloridawatercolor.com

Florida Watercolor Society – http://www.floridawatercolor.org

Georgia

Georgia Watercolor Society – http://www.georgiawatercolorsociety.com

Hawaii

Hawaii Watercolor Society – http://www.hawaiiwatercolorsociety.org

Idaho

Idaho Watercolor Society – http://www.id-ws.org

Illinois

Illinois Watercolor Society – http://www.illinoiswatercolorsociety.org/

Transparent Watercolor Society of America – http://www.watercolors.org/

Indiana

Watercolor Society of Indiana – http://www.watercolorsocietyofindiana.org/

Iowa

Iowa Watercolor Society – http://www.iowawatercolorsociety.org

Kansas

Kansas Watercolor Society – http://www.kansaswatercolor.com/

Louisiana

Louisiana Watercolor Society – http://www.lwsart.org/

Maryland

Baltimore Watercolor Society – http://www.baltimorewatercolorsociety.org

Western Maryland Watercolor Society http://www.westernmarylandwatercolorsociety.org/

Massachusetts

New England Watercolor Society http://www.newenglandwatercolorsociety.org/index.html

Michigan...