Early in my watercolor career I read a book called Watercolor! You Can Do It by Tony Couch. I still rate it as one of the best books out there for beginners but sadly it is no longer in print though copies are still avilable from Tony (http://www.tonycouch.com). I have long wanted to take a workshop with him and so early March found me on two flights from Denver to San Luis Obispo, CA, then by car to Cambria, halfway betweeen LA and San Francisco. Tony Couch has taught a workshop in Cambria for about twenty years and some of those present were attending for the up to the tenth time. Cambria itself is a pleasant tourist town full of galleries and restaurants that lies just off Route 1, between the San Luis Mountains and the ocean.
I went a day early to allow time for delays, to reconnoitre the workshop venue and to explore the area. After heavy rain on the day of my arrival my "spare" day dawned sunny so I took a drive over the mountains to Paso Robles. A stunningly beautiful landscape tinged with mist greeted me and I stopped off here and there to photograph possible future painting material. I passed deep green valleys, hillsides dotted with rock formations and many wineries, all of which were closed, it being a Sunday out-of-season. The week prior to leaving I had completed a watercolor of the Arch at the Mission of San Miguel with one of my student's, working from her photograph, and, in one of those odd coincidences, the Mission lay just north of Paso Robles. I was able to visit the Mission and see the arch for real. You can see my painting on the Home
page.
Driving north from San Miguel I planned to cross the mountains on a back road, re-join the coast road, then to visit Hearst Castle, the home of the publishing millionaire William Randolph Hearst. It turned out that the road I selected crossed a military base so I got thoroughly vetted by a tough-looking non-com who was clearly suspicious of my British accent and lack of the rental agrteement for the car which I had left at the hotel. Anyway, he let me through cautioning me to stay on the road, a caution I did not need for fear of ending up on some shooting range. I took the narrow, torturous single-lane that wound up and down over the mountains; there were many rock falls on the road due to the heavy rains the area had experienced and precipitous drops at the roadside. Perhaps it was significant that I saw not one other car on the road.
Finally, relieved, I dropped down to Route 1 and turned south along the coast. There was just time to take a tour of the sumptuous castle that needs to be seen to be believed.
A little before kickoff time, I took my painting gear to the alotted room to find that most of my colleagues had already claimed their painting spots and their seats for the demonstrations. There were about 35 painters in the class. Bonnie Couch, Tony's wife who was organizing the workshop, had recommended that I take binoculars, which I did. At first I felt self-conscious using them but sitting toward the back during the demonstrations I was, nevertheless, able to see not only every deft brushstroke but also the moisture state of the paint and paper. I heartily recommend anyone attending demonstrations to do this however foolish you feel.
Tony would begin each day with a three-hour, full-sheet, demonstration. On the first afternoon, he lectured on the eight principles of design while the remaining afternoons of the week were taken up by our own painting efforts. Tony critiqued the finished work at the end of each day with an emphasis on value patterns. When I'm at a workshop I try to use the instructor's technique rather than my own. In any event, I am a slow painter so it was a challenge for me to complete even a quarter sheet (all I could take in my luggage) in the three hours or so available. Tony proved to be a live-wire with his pragmatic approach to painting and southern wit (although he is a Yankee by birth). He reminded me very much of the actor Robert Duval but taller. I found it a salutory lesson in endurance that, at 81, he would stand all morning for the
demonstrations and yet again to critique the 20 or 30 completed paintings each day.
Typical hotel conference room set up for 35 participants, two to an 8' table. Chairs around the demo area at the front. Couch paints a full sheet vertical so everyone can see but at the back binoculars are a big advantage.
Tony Couch
Tony's simple painting tools. Brushes mostly flats with one or two small rounds for detail. Flats ranging up to 2" in width. Most painting is done with the biggest brush possible.
A simple, vacuum-formed, plastic palette with a limited range of hues.
Tony uses large sketches, worked up to a detailed level, as source material
A small value sketch defines his chosen value pattern and center of interest
The painting is begun by thoroughly wetting the paper on both sides. The surface tension of the water holds the paper in place on the board without tape. The working surface is then dries with a damp sponge or a cloth.
Beginning the demo. Note the paper is buckled but not a problem working vertically. The buckles can be eased out by peeling back the paper and re-wetting underneath. After applying a red and orange underpainting, a cool blue is added to the sky.
Half complete. As the paper dries, clips at the corners prevent curling. Strong pigment on the damp paper gives soft edges and blending of color without loss of control.
Not much water in the palette. Strong color results that does not run out of control, facilitating painting on a vertical surface.
The completed demo. Tony chooses to paint on a sheet in the Golden Ratio proportion, 1:1.618. Single click the image for a closer look.
