The Lanesboro Arts Juried Sales Gallery hosts artist Catherine Hearding for a demonstration of her watercolor painting from 1:00 – 4:00 PM on Saturday, November 26th. Come watch an artist at work, and find her work for sale on the Gallery walls. Always free and open to the public, gallery hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
As a landscape painter, the emphasis of Catherine Hearding’s watercolors is on the elements of color, shape, value and light, inviting the viewer to see the subject from a unique perspective. To accomplish this goal, she focuses on intimate views of the landscape. Many of her landscapes have a high horizon line, bringing more attention to the foreground and details that might otherwise be passed over. She also paints still lifes and floral scenes, both of which maintain her characteristic vibrancy and attention to detail.
She uses a three-step process for her paintings: save the whites and pour light values to tone the paper, add mid-tone large shapes, finish with dark values and smaller shapes for contrast and detail. Most of her paintings start with a poured under-painting of two or three colors over the entire sheet, letting these colors mix freely on the paper and creating wonderful color transitions across the page. Whites are saved before pouring, by using masking fluid or leaving areas dry. The poured wash represents the lightest values in the painting and insures that these colors will be there to add a glow to the finished piece. Each composition is painted as a whole, rather than focusing on sections of the painting separately. Colors used are chosen specifically for each painting and typically, only 3-4 colors are used in each painting, creating beautiful harmony and bright, clean color. See this process at work in our gallery on November 26th!
This demonstration is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. For more information visit www.lanesboroarts.org, call 507-467-2446 or email gallery@lanesboroarts.org. Handicapped accessible and free to the public, the exhibition gallery is located at 103 Parkway Avenue North in Lanesboro, MN.