Julie Cohn, nationally exhibited painter and longtime OPEN EXCHANGE lister, offers watercolor classes in her private studio. A teacher in the Bay Area for over 20 years, Julie has studied with numerous masters of the watercolor medium. See a gallery of her artwork and information about her teaching on her website. Julie is currently completing a watercolor instructional DVD that should be available soon and is geared for both beginning and more experienced watercolorists. Please see her listing in OPEN EXCHANGE's Arts & Crafts category for contact information.
As I am very attracted to music, dance and movement, I am drawn to the motion and magic of watercolor. In the way that I love anything improvisational, such as singing jazz music and inventing recipes, I am moved by the improvisational qualities of water and color as they meet and intertwine on paper. This wonderful art medium allows for some control, yet is always offering me the opportunity to become ever freer in technique and expression. The more I interact with watercolor, allowing the water to flow on paper, the more I trust that my true feelings are flowing out and my passion toward life is being expressed. When I choose a subject that inspires me, my ideal is to not to be tentative while blending the spontaneous watercolor with a passionate idea. The joining of these two, passion and water, brings me to a trance-like state where the world feels both peaceful and vital.
Anyone can learn how to paint in watercolor. Mistakes are easy to correct in this forgiving medium. Knowing both when and how to correct a mistake are equally important. Many of my students are drawn to watercolor because of the spontaneous flow of water and color on paper. The control and spontaneity of watercolor painting unites the heart's wishes with the mind's sense of order. Once students learn my watercolor method that explains how water, and water mixed with paint, flows on the brush, palette and paper, they feel that they can simultaneously control watercolor and allow it to flow freely on its own.
The key to getting good at any pursuit is practice. With every painting, I learn something new about technique, composition, and about myself. In a world full of much chaos, painting is often a very exhilarating and calming experience. For a short time I can find refuge from life's daily chores and obstacles. Although watercolor is a challenging medium, it keeps my mind and body alert. There is nothing better than feeling fully alive and passionate about color and the world around me, and expressing these feelings through a great art medium!