Rachel Collins, Watercolor Artist

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Late Summer 2026 Workshops​

 

Intimate Landscapes 

(For watercolor painters with some experience)

Saturday-Sunday, August 29-30, 2026​​​​

Not all landscape painting involves grand vistas.  Indeed, it is often by portraying smaller bits of nature that artists can bring attention, interest and meaning to things often overlooked that have a beauty all their own. Students will develop their artistic eyes as well as watercolor skills as they create paintings that give a starring role to subjects less frequently in the limelight. 

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Jumpstart in Watercolor 

(For beginners and anyone wanting a refresher)

Saturday-Sunday, September 19-20, 2026​​​​

This “total immersion” in watercolor will give students a chance to explore some of the many possibilities of the medium.  It can serve as a basic introduction to watercolor, a refresher for someone who hasn’t painted for a while, and as a preparation and confidence-builder for students intending a longer-term study of the medium.  No previous experience in watercolor is assumed, although very basic drawing skills are helpful.  This workshop will also be offered on Jan. 9-10, 2027.

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2026  Fall Term Classes 

Watercolor for the Joy of It

Tuesday evenings, 7:00 - 9:30 pm

9 classes - first class is Sept. 22, 2026 ​

Brush in hand, paper and paint at the ready, you will begin an exploration of the techniques and tools of expression in this ever-surprising medium. This class starts with the basics of the interaction of water and pigment and uses this as the foundation for a variety of painting projects, which build from the simple to the more complex. We will cover techniques specific to watercolor, like wet-in-wet painting, using the white of the paper and taking advantage of the medium’s transparency, as well as some of the many aspects of making a successful painting, no matter what the medium. Total beginners are welcome to join, as are students who perhaps have had a class or two but don't yet feel well-grounded in the basics. In addition, people returning to the medium after a hiatus of months or years find that the careful structure of the class give them a solid review that gets them back up to speed.

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Class sessions will include demos and explanations, but painting by students is emphasized. There will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions. Painting outside class is encouraged, with recognition that sometimes this is not possible!   During the class term, students will have access to the variety of visual resources used in each class which they can review as needed.

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Students will need to acquire supplies for this class; a supply list can be found here. If you have questions about any aspect of the class, please contact Rachel at rbcollinsart@yahoo.com. This class will be taught in the winter and spring terms as well. 

 

Beyond the Basics:

Growing Your Watercolor Vocabulary 

​Wednesday mornings 9:30 am - 12:30 pm 

Wednesday evenings 7:00 - 9:30 pm 

9 classes - first class is Sept. 23, 2026

Students with a solid grounding in watercolor fundamentals will expand their expressive potential through different approaches to the medium, honing their craft, developing a stronger sense of design and composition, and thereby gaining greater confidence in working with their paints, brushes and paper.  Classes will include exposure to work by a wide variety of contemporary watercolorists, instructor demonstration, and a lot of opportunity to paint and be inspired by the experience of everyone in the class! During the class term, students will have access to the variety of visual resources used in each class which they can review as needed. 

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Students will probably already own many of the supplies needed, so should bring them to the first class. A supply list is available here for anyone wanting to be sure to have at least a basic minimum. Students should plan to work on professional quality 100% cotton watercolor paper, preferably Arches or Saunders Waterford. If you have questions about any aspect of the class, please contact Rachel at rbcollinsart@yahoo.com.  This class will be repeated in spring term in mornings only. Class content varies from term to term.

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​Intermediate/Advanced Workshops planned for late 2026 and 2027

For further information about the workshops listed below, please contact Rachel  at rbcollinsart@yahoo.com 

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From Black & White to Extraordinary Color

Saturday-Sunday, December 5-6, 2026

Break free from everyday conventional color and enter the realm of more exciting and evocative color in this 2-day workshop. Using black and white photo references as a starting point for your composition, you will develop effective and sometimes surprising color combinations to use as you paint. For watercolor painters with some experience who want to grow their “color vocabulary”.

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June 12-13, 2027: Know Your Watercolor Palette

Late August 2027: A Closer Look in Watercolor

 

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