The "Pouring Juicy Watercolors" workshop will be offered to beginning, intermediate and advanced artists from May 1-3, 2020 at Plaza Artist Materials, 633 Middleton St. in downtown Nashville. Sessions will occur from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday.
The artist/instructor will show attendees how to create mixed-media works of art by pouring watercolor pigments without brushes and applying collage materials. The course is structured to serve artists at all skill levels, from the very raw beginner to the most advanced. McDaniel will close each session with individual critiques.
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| "Sunflower Elegance," a mixed-media watercolor painting by Gail McDaniel |
"Artists will blend realism and abstraction to create works of art within works of art," said McDaniel, who now teaches and paints near Griffin, Georgia, south of Atlanta. "It will be a rare opportunity to explore a different approach."
Because space is limited to 20 participants, reservations are required. Tuition is $195 for all three days of training. Attendees are eligible to receive a 30 percent discount on the purchase of art supplies from Plaza Artist Materials. For more information or to register, contact the artist by phone at (678) 603-1502 or send an inquiry to gail@gailmcdanielart.com.
McDaniel explained that poured watercolor paintings are achieved by using only the three primary colors. As one pours, transparent veils of watercolor pigments flow to produce glowing paintings, resulting in an exciting "finale." The paints seem to have minds of their own. As the primary triad mixes on the white paper, the paints create luminous, secondary colors that capture light.
Students will incorporate collage (called "stitching" in France) to create under-paintings that appeal to the viewer's sense of sight and touch.
"The watercolor pouring and collaging techniques offer exciting textures and edge qualities," McDaniel noted. "My students will learn how to interpret a subject working across and outside the lines. "
McDaniel is an acclaimed watercolorist who, by invitation, has served as an associate member and demonstrating artist/instructor for the prestigious Winsor & Newton Creative Artist Network of London. She was commissioned to create four program covers for Griffin (Ga.) Choral Arts' 10th anniversary concert season. Before moving to Georgia, McDaniel spent more than 20 years working as a professional watercolorist and art instructor in Nashville and Brentwood, Tennessee. During that time, she taught more than 1,600 students in classes and workshops around the world. A number of her former students have developed into professional artists with exhibitions and commissions of their own.
"Like me, others love the look of watercolor paintings and want to learn the medium," said the artist, who painted the invitation cover for "A Little Night of Music" starring country superstar LeAnn Rimes. "Many come for the change of pace and the new, wonderful, relaxing challenge it brings. The intermediate and advanced students come to me to grow in the medium."
McDaniel will demonstrate the techniques, shortcuts and concepts that she has developed or learned by doing, reading or studying with others. She plans to show her students everything she knows, holding nothing back. Her goal is to inspire them without making them feel overwhelmed.
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| Award-winning artist/instructor Gail McDaniel |
During her career, McDaniel has trained artists from 36 different states (including Alaska and Hawaii), the District of Columbia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Guatemala, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines and South Korea. She has taught 11 workshops at historic Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, a landmark where the late Georgia O’Keefe lived and painted. She also served as a member of the arts faculty of Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art.
"Gail can get more color out of watercolor than you can imagine," said Bev Silsby, an artist/student in Albuquerque, New Mexico, who helped host McDaniel for a similar workshop in 2005. "She is literal, impressionist and abstract."
In 2002, she and her husband, Ken, launched the "Students and Friends of Gail McDaniel Awards", raising almost $90,000 for Middle Tennessee public schools by staging January "Chase Away the Blahs" parties. The fundraising effort earned Gail and Ken a nomination in the "volunteer innovator" category of the 2009 Mary Catherine Strobel Award. In 2012, the artist was named the PENCIL Foundation's "Volunteer of the Year." The Tennessee State Senate honored participants and attendees of the fundraiser with a special proclamation in January 2007.
Before leaving Tennessee, she received an award for "Excellence in Community Service" in 2010 from the Travelers Rest Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was inducted into the Cave City, Kentucky, Hall of Fame in 2011 and named to the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels in 1970 as one of "Kentucky's ambassadors of good will and fellowship around the world."
In 2001, she was invited by directors of the "Art in Provence" program to conduct an eight-day watercolor workshop in Dieulefit, France. She also has taught in Central America, South America and Canada. She studied under 38 noted art instructors to help build her reputation as one of the South's top artists/instructors. -- even accepting a commission to paint a family landmark for former Kentucky Gov. Louie B. Nunn.
Gail McDaniel's artwork was featured on the program covers of four major concerts in 2016-17 performed by The Griffin (Georgia) Choral Arts group. The choir, which is led by Artistic Director Dr. Stephen J. Mulder, is celebrating its 13th anniversary season.
Individuals can learn more about the artist/instructor and view her artwork at http://www.GailMcDanielArt.com and follow her at http://www.Facebook.com/GailMcDanielArt and http://www.Twitter.com/GailMcDanielArt.
