Bridging Abstraction and Realism
Workshop description:
Left to Right: Reference Photo, Secret Garden, Desert Bloom
Alexis knows that at the core, the heart, of every one of her realistic watercolors, is an abstract design. That design is the foundation of every painting, essential for its success. So – every one of her paintings, even if it looks realistic, is also abstract!
And then every so often, she creates a painting that is entirely abstract, with no identifiable imagery in it. This process is different from her realistic process, but as with realism, requires a strong foundation of design, along with intuitive decision making. Two very different ways of working, with two very different results!
In this workshop, Alexis will share a huge amount of information about INTERPRETING source photos, not copying them, to create unique realistic paintings. Regarding abstract painting, she will share lots of ideas with you as to how to design and paint abstracts that are compelling and engaging. She will lead you to trust and rely upon your INTUITION, and help you to better understand and utilize good DESIGN … for BOTH ways of painting!
Alexis will create two demo paintings for you, one realistic, and one abstract. She will use the same source photo for both. It will be fascinating to see how she uses lines, shapes, values, colors, and textures from one photo … to create two very different paintings!
Here is a short video about the workshop.
Bio:
Alexis believes in the power of design so strongly that she gave up her decades-long devotion to plein air painting to devote herself to studio work, where she could take more time to design her very best paintings! Teaching is one of the most important things she does. She loves to share her passion for art by guiding others to reach their creative goals, and she teaches with enthusiasm, commitment, passion, humor, and kindness. She has taught watercolor for over two decades, from California to the Caribbean. She has seamlessly adapted her classes to the Zoom platform and believes that her online workshops are as good as, and in many ways better, than in person classes. Honored as one of Watercolor Artist Magazine’s “Ones to Watch,” she is a signature member of the American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society, Watercolor Honor Society, Transparent Watercolor Society of America, and others. Her paintings reside in collections throughout the country and overseas, and they can be found in galleries from the Mid-Atlantic to the Virgin Islands. For more information, visit her website.
Dates: April 7, 2027 to April 9, 2027
Times: 10:00AM Eastern to 3:00 PM Eastern
Cost: $200
Minimum class size: 12 students
Maximum class size: 20 students
