Watercolors in the Wild—Sierra Forests
Dates: June 29-July 4, 2025
Instructor: Andie Thrams
Fee: $550.00 + meals and accommodations fees
Term: Summer 2025
Workshop Description
Painting with watercolors in wild places generates powerful alchemies for revealing nature’s beauty and complexity. It can also be overwhelming. This course provides clear in-depth instruction on the technologies and magical properties of watercolors, ink, and gouache, and how to use this knowledge to paint outdoors with ease and confidence. Sequential studies, inspired by summer forest flora, will demystify the watercolor process and deepen your creative ways. We’ll cover fundamentals such as paper choices and prep; types of paints, brushes, & supports; proper care of materials; effects of gum Arabic and ox gall; wet into wet & glazing techniques; painting in layers; plus binding, framing, & other finishing options for your work. We’ll also consider why we value wildness, and how our creative work has the power to connect us deeply to what is wild within, to the wilds surrounding us, to each other, and why this matters. You’ll create a collection of paintings for future reference and inspiration!
Instructor Bio
Sierra Nevada-based visual artist Andie Thrams creates paintings and artist’s books that explore biophilia and solastalgia in wildland forests. Merging the lineages of illuminated manuscripts and natural history field journals with a contemporary art and science awareness, her paintings weave botanical detail into layers of shape, color, and hand-lettered text to evoke the complex interconnections within ecosystems of the Greater West. Andie also shares creative processes, contemporary wildfire and forest ecology, and actionable steps to foster environmental stewardship through her community-based ForestSong project.
Workshop Details
Workshop Schedule
Please plan to arrive at the Sierra Nevada Field Campus well before dark and early enough Sunday afternoon to allow yourself plenty of time to settle into your campsite and come to dinner, served nightly at 6 pm. We’ll meet informally Sunday night during and immediately after dinner for orientation, Q&A, and a brief art supplies discussion. Please bring all your supplies for our first class, which will begin at 9 am Monday morning. Each morning, we’ll gather to discuss our plans for the day. We’ll be out in the field most days for varying amounts of time, walking local trails no more than a few miles from our cars over gentle terrain. We’ll return to camp each day to allow time to relax before dinner. We sometimes paint outdoors in the lovely evening light after dinner, and all are invited to join these optional meditative moments. Our course will end after lunch on Friday, by 2:00 p.m.
Workshop Supplies List
Required art materials and field gear
You can choose whether to focus on painting or sketching—or some combination—and bring materials that will work for that approach. You can also just bring everything in case you change your mind.
Essentials
Drawing and writing materials : Bring a selection of waterproof pens, soft and hard pencils, watercolor pencils and bottle of waterproof ink.
Brushes: Bring a varied selection, including a wide flat brush, a round or mop brush, a dagger or liner brush. Synthetic fibers are fine. If you’ll be mostly sketch journaling be sure to bring a waterbrush.
Paper: Sketch-journalers make sure you have a sketchbook you like to work in—something that will take watercolor washes.
Painters should bring at least 3 full-size sheets (22x30) of 140 lb, 100% cotton watercolor paper, with a rigid lightweight support (foamcore, plywood or plastic) at least 11.5x15.5.
Watercolor paint: Bring a plastic palette with wells pre-filled with from tubes (give them time to dry) or with ready-made pans or cakes. Get artist-quality paint.
Packing note: The campus elevation is nearly 5,000 ft and may be still chilly in early June. We’ll be spending most of our days at lower altitude locations where it will be warmer, but be prepared for cold nights with your warmest clothes and sleeping bags.
Lodging and Camping Supplies
CAMPING GEAR IF YOU ARE STAYING ON CAMPUS
- tent and sleeping pad (unless you are staying in our tent with a cot provided)
- warm sleeping bag
- pillow, toiletries, and towel
- flashlight and lantern
- alarm clock
FIELD GEAR FOR EVERYONE
- day pack
- sunscreen
- insect repellant
- water bottles
- plastic containers for packed lunches
- sense of humor
YOU MIGHT ALSO WANT TO BRING
- camera
- binoculars
- hand lens
- camp chair
CLOTHING
The weather in the Sierra Nevada can vary greatly, even in a single day. Be prepared for chilly temperatures at night, even below freezing early in the summer. Rain is a possibility any time, whether forecast or not. Variable weather clothing that can be layered is best: long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, warm sweater and jacket, t-shirt and shorts or skirt, sturdy shoes or hiking boots, sun hat, rain gear, and a warm hat or gloves for cold weather and/or night activities. And, if you come later in the season, bring your swimsuit for afternoon dips in the lakes!