5 days of watercolor at the SFSU Sierra Nevada Field School

I first heard of Andie Thrams from a friend (who also happens to be an incredible artist, Courtney Cerruti). A bunch of us took a workshop with Andie at the Tilden Park botanical garden in Berkeley and I knew I wanted to learn more from her. Then a few months ago I saw that she would be teaching watercolors up in the Sierras and I started figuring out how to get myself there as well as to get baby care coverage for 5 whole days!! (many many thanks to my amazing husband and parents!!!)

The whole experience was awesome, from camping out on the SFSU field campus, eating hot meals in the canteen, having class at a different site each day in the Gold Lakes Basin area… No Instagram, no cell reception, no internet at all. No distraction. I’d wake up at 6am, get some coffee, start painting outside my tent and take a deep breath. I’m feeling a bit of culture shock now being back in the Bay Area suburbs that I call home. Each day focused on a different theme or technique. Day 1 – color, day 2 – line, day 3 – composition and so on. Here are some of the work and play that I produced. I cannot say enough good things about the people I met (the other classes happening concurrently included mycology and bird identification by song), the organizers, and of course our lovely instructor Andie.

color studies: leaves, soil/bark, flowers

leavesglaze — study of leaves, color, and glazing (with quinacridone gold), drawing in veins with a cream color pencil

study of line, practice the motions of mark making with pine needles — study of line, practice the motions of mark making of pine needles

wet into wet play, a good way to start background blurry colors (this feels a little bob ross to me, but oh well), I’d build on top of this over a few days

setting up in a field of mule's ears — setting up in a field of mule’s ears

before deciding what to focus on, talking a little walk around, sketching and quick color study can help me decide where to settle in — before deciding what to focus on, we’d take a little walk around, sketching and quick color study helped me decide where to settle in

this plant is appropriately called paint brush

fell in love with wispy plants and grasses

baby hands — back at home, my studio helper assists with photography

brilliant pink penstemon and rock at Fraizer Falls — brilliant pink penstemon and rocks at Frazier Falls

lichen - exemplifies lots of techniques, wet into wet, dry brush details layered on top, gouache details, glazing... — lichen, instructed step by step by Andie Thrams – exemplifies lots of techniques, wet into wet, dry brush details layered on top, gouache details, glazing…

rockflowers2 — flowers and rocks, detail

Evening painting at camp, 3x3 grid suggested by Andie. I like this because you can see the light fading over time, from green to blue — Evening painting at camp, 3×3 grid suggested by Andie. I like this because you can see the light fading over time, from green to blue

painting site for the day — painting site for one of the days…I didn’t want it to end.

Lots more studies and paintings done, lots in progress, I would love to return again next year.