What a great week of Painting by the Pond 2016!

Painting by the Pond 2016 on a beautiful toasty summer day
If you’ve ever taken- or taught an art workshop before you know that you come away renewed and inspired by the others in the group, whether you are an experienced painter or it is your first time working with a new medium.

Not all fish! Carolyn painting a still life at Painting by the Pond 2016
As the instructor, I appreciate the challenge of working with a diverse group. How can I help each person take their work to a new level? How can I keep them engaged in what they are doing, moving through frustration or even boredom when they are at a point in their piece that may not be working in the way that they would like?

Plein Air painter Joan Supplee on her second painting of the week
As a painter, these are the same questions I bring to my own studio practice and sharing my tips and developing new strategies working with others is something that I find helps me when I return to my own work.

Lots of options- for Jerry Hodge, Painting by the Pond is drawing in my cool studio!
Looking at the work that came out of 5 mornings of Painting by the Pond was exciting and gratifying to everyone.

Final group discussion at Painting by the Pond 2016. Admiring Kay Shorah’s painting on the easel done primarily with a squeegee!
I also learned that one of our painters, high school student Kyra Struzik took a blue ribbon prize earlier this week for her Water Lily- her first oil painting ever, at the Cecil County Fair in Maryland!

Kyra working on her award winning Lily painting

Side by side Bobbi Levitt’s ptg. on left, Kyra Struzik on right. Bobbi’s been painting for years, this is Kyra’s first oil painting which took first prize at the Cecil County Fair in MD earlier this week! You go girl(s)!