Trees of the West

Learn how to use drawing and water-based media to represent the many beautiful tree species of the western United States, including local beauties like Sitka spruces, Douglas firs, alders and cottonwoods. We will also look at high alpine species: mountain hemlocks, whitebark pines and subalpine firs. Larger landscape sketches and paintings will be created by situating some of these trees in their habitats. The workshop will employ many of the techniques in Molly's new book, Trees of the West: An Artist's Guide.

Molly teaches regularly for outdoor institutes like Yellowstone Forever and the North Cascades Institute. She has worked with students of all ages. Her mission is to connect them to nature and cultural history through hands-on art experiences. She has been working in watercolor for over 35 years, and has studied printmaking and etching for the last 13 years. Her teaching approach is to help students discover their own style; and she does this by offering many demonstrations and skill-building exercises where they can try out methods and then tailor them to their own work. She is the author of Colors of the West and Birds of the West.

• HB drawing pencil, artist erase (white Mars plastic) made by Staedtler

• Arches 140 lb. cold press watercolor paper, in single sheets 22 X 30 which you can cut to your preferred size. Also available in blocks 7 X 10 or 9 X 12. No Canson or Strathmore brand, just Arches or Fabriano 100% rag watercolor

• Sable or synthetic brushes, #4 and #6 round, 3/4" flat, 1/2" flat. Instructor prefers Da Vinci Maestro.

• Fine artist quality paints: Daniel Smith are favorites

• Required colors: a warm and cool hue of each of the primary colors, plus a few neutrals.

o Reds:

 Cool: permanent alizarin crimson

 Warm: pyrrol scarlet

o Blues:

 Cool: phthalo blue (green shade)

 Warm: phthalo blue (red shade), or ultramarine blue

o Yellows:

 Cool: hansa yellow light

 Warm: hansa yellow medium

o Violet:

 carbazole violet

o Browns and golds:

 quinacridone burnt orange, yellow ochre (or raw sienna)

• Other colors optional (and will be shared by instructor) cobalt blue, hansa yellow deep or new gamboge, perylene green, indanthrone blue

• Paint palettes: covered palette (available at Dick Blick), plus San Francisco Slant Palette

• Artists tape (a drafting tape that will not tear watercolor paper)

• Soft cotton rag, paper towels

• Pens: Waterproof fine point drawing pens like Pigma Micron or Staedtler

Optional

• Sea sponge

• Posca white pens

• Permanent markers

• Photocopies

• Paints not on the required list

• A variety of drawing tools