Watercolors in the Wild—Sierra Forests

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 Art Supplies

• If you don’t already have all the materials on this list, just bring what you can. I will have some extra materials to share with everyone. 
• See my website for lots of detailed art supply recommendations. 
• Be sure your day pack will hold your art supplies, lunch, water, extra clothing layers, etc. 

Paper

• Three full-size sheets 140 lb. hot press and/or cold press watercolor paper. I like Arches, Fabriano, and Saunders best. 
• Before coming, cut or tear your sheets into six roughly equal pieces measuring 10 X 11 inches each. (One full-size sheet of 22 x 30 inch watercolor paper yields six 10 X 11-inch pieces.) We will not have the space or tools to do this on site, so be sure you do this before class!  

Brushes

• #10 (or bigger) and #6 round watercolor brushes
• Large Pentel water brush 
• Large flat (2 inches or so) cheap craft or house painting brush
• Additional brushes for ink (best to use different brushes from the ones you use for watercolors)
• Optional useful brushes: 1/4-inch angle shader, 1-inch flat watercolor brush, stiff bristle brush of any type, a script or rigger or liner brush, and any other brushes you like using

Ink & Paint

• Any type of black or brown ink 
• Folding palette with mixing space (4x9 inches is a good size—opens to 8x9)
• Fill your palette wells ahead of time with tube watercolor paints in the following recommended colors: 
  • 1. Quinacridone rose or pink
  • 2. Ultramarine blue
  • 3. Pthalo or manganese or cerulean blue
  • 4. Lemon yellow or cadmium yellow pale or hansa yellow light 
  • 5. Cadmium yellow deep 
  • 6. Sap green
  • 7. Chromium oxide green
  • 8. Any purple
  • 9. Any orange
  • 10. Burnt sienna and/or burnt umber
  • 11. Permanent white gouache (not watercolor, just bring the tube, don’t put into your palette)

Other

• One lightweight board, such as foam core, mat board, corrugated plastic, thin wood, etc., measuring about 12 X 12 inches, to hold your paper.
• Manilla file folder 
• Clips to fasten paper to your board
• No. 2 or HB drawing pencil
• Pencil sharpener
• Kneaded eraser
• Black felt tip pen (such as Pigma micron in size .01)
• Small ruler
• Pushpin
• Colored pencils: cream and/or a light grey 
• Eye dropper
• Zip lock or other bag for collecting leaves, twigs, etc.
• Small mixing containers to hold ink and paint
• Small spray bottle
• Rags or paper towels
• Small notebook or sketchbook or journal for notes and trying out ideas
• Sit-upon, folding stool, or whatever you need to paint outdoors comfortably (I like to bring a lightweight tarp to spread out on the ground and sit on an ensolite pad)

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!