Shape Shifting: Abstracting the Western Landscape in Water Media

A painting rich with shapes, colors, and details, complete to the final brushstroke belies its beginnings in observation, sketching, composition, and ultimately washes of color that bring it to life. What I am saying is, watercolor painting ain’t easy; it requires both focus and unending enthusiasm for trial and error.

Whether abstract or representational, to paint, one needs to build on the fundamental building blocks of drawing, shape making, depicting light and shadow, and using color to evoke emotion. In this digital workshop we will do just that. We will discover strategies that will bring a poetic and inventive flavor to our works by searching out the underlying abstraction in nature.

Dale Laitinen paints the natural landscape because of its promise of an infinite portal to the imagination. His paintings marry the underlying design of nature with objective reality to go beyond the surface appearance of things. He works in both water media and oil, with subjects ranging from representational to abstract.

Dale has authored many articles and has been featured in several magazine and book publications. Blue shadow Country is the title of his self-published book, available at Blurb.com. In addition, he is featured in two videos, available through Creative Catalyst Productions.

Dale is a graduate in Fine Art from San Jose State in California. He is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society and Watercolor West. He travels widely teaching workshops and is a national art juror.