One of my paintings from the workshop

Nationally-known watercolorist Janet Rogers served as judge for this year’s Iowa Watercolor Society (IWS) Annual Exhibition, and I attended one of the workshops she taught in conjunction with the IWS annual meeting. I have been teaching and drawing from a live model for a couple of years and felt I was ready to learn more from a master figure painter like Janet. I immediately felt a kinship between her painting style and mine.

Her teaching style also felt akin to how I teach my classes. We started with drawing. Then a first wash, and let it dry; second wash, and let it dry; then finish off the painting. The drying is important to achieve a layering effect — you can’t get too impatient! I enjoyed learning from Janet, and the camaraderie of seeing my painting friends.

During the watercolor workshop at La Poste,
a renovated 1914 former post office
building in Perry, Iowa

Workshop participants with
our artwork in front of La Poste
(Janet Rogers is at the railing at right)