Watercolor Artist launched the Creativity Workshop in the October 2007 issue of the magazine and our readers responded with a flurry of submissions that demonstrate the benefits of bringing a little levity and imagination into the painting process. Since then, we've hosted a series of well-known watercolor artists who have inspired artists to simplify, bring creativity into their portraits and experiment with new processes and products and much more.
Not only do we publish a selection of reader-submitted paintings on our website, but we also reward the artists behind our favorite submissions with fabulous prizes. The response has been phenomenal. Watermedia arists across the country have answered the call with gorgeous watermedia paintings of every style and approach.
While many of these artists work on the activities alone in their studios, we're also hearing many reports of artists working in groups. Sheila Hill of Windsor, Ontario, for example, wrote to us regarding her adventures with the Creativity Workshop: "On June 30th, my watercolor art class of 24 eager students tried the Creativity Workshop, highlighting the use of teabags in watercolor art," she says. See photographs of Hill's students in action below.
If you'd like to share your painting group's adventure with the Creativity Workshop, send us an e-mail at wcamag@fwmedia.com.
Below you'll find links to the latest Creativity Workshop Activities, an archive of past installments and links to galleries of Creativity Workshop-inspired work. Find out how and where to send your paintings at the very bottom. Happy painting!
Pat San Soucie's "Pour It On" invites readers to create interesting shapes and textures with poured color, tissue paper and other tricks. Read the excerpt here. The deadline for entry is December 15, 2009.
M.E. "Mike" Bailey's "Play It Again" challenges you to find liberation in painting in a series. Read an excerpt of the column here. Check back for the results soon!
Eric Wiegardt's "Got Rhythm?" argues that freedom from the literal and the introduction of rhythmic patterns to compositions are the keys to making a composition really sing. Read an excerpt of the column here.
Nicholas Simmons' "Beyond the Ordinary" encourages readers to explore the creative possibilities in their work by introducing Photoshop to the composition process. Click here to read an excerpt from the column. And click here to see the winners.
Joyce Gabiou's "Beyond the Brush" invites readers to introduce elements of collage to watercolor paintings. Click here to read the column and click here to see the winners!
Chica Brunsvold's "Hide and Seek" challenges readers to allow images to emerge from within their paintings. Click here to read an excerpt of the column. And click here to see the winners.
Bev Jozwiak's "Best of Both Worlds" encourages readers to go from dark and dramatic to light and loose in the same painting. Click here to read an excerpt of the column. And click here to see the winners.
Kathleen Maling's "Off-Road" challenges readers to take their work off-road. Click here to read an excerpt of the column. And click here to see the winners.
Kathy Collins' "Speedy Delivery" challenges readers to find a fresh new look in just one sitting. Click here to read an excerpt of the column. And click here to see the winners.
Wendy Hill's "Background Check" challenges readers to loosen up with a spontaneous background. Click here to read an excerpt of the column and here to see the winners of this contest.
Nancy Collins' "Process Experiment" challenges readers to try a new painting process or a new surface, and she demonstrates the burnishing technique that opened a world of possibilities for her as an artist. Click here to read an excerpt of the column and here to see the winners of the contest.
Melissa Adkison's "Secret to More Creative Portraits" challenges readers to experiment with elements of storytelling in their portraiture and she explores the creative possibilities of painting with gouache. Click here to read an excerpt of the column and here to see a gallery of reader responses.
Cathy Johnson's "Simplify, Simplify" challenges readers to harness the creative power of simplification by focusing on the basics. Click here to download a free pdf of the column and click here to see a gallery of reader responses.
Nita Leland's "Get Real but Not Too Real" challenges readers to bring imagination and invention into the painting process. Click here to see a gallery of reader responses.
To enter your Creativity Workshop Activity responses, send a JPEG image (with a resolution of 72 dpi) of your painting to us today. E-mail wcamag@fwpubs.com or send a disc to Watercolor Artist, Creativity Workshop, 4700 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati OH 45236.
