Exploring Contemporary Watercolour with Jo Dalgetty (AAECW426)

A workshop for anyone eager to discover the exciting potential of contemporary watercolour – embracing experimentation, overcoming fear, and enjoying the creative journey.

Introducing technical approaches and processes on tools, paper and paint designed to expand your expressive possibilities. We’ll explore the work of artists who use watercolour in innovative ways, and experiment with a range of techniques.
Each day includes time for shared inspiration, playful exercises, and hands-on exploration of new methods, followed by a focused period to develop your own painting.

This is a supportive and exploratory workshop that encourages curiosity, confidence, and creativity. It’s ideal for beginners and for artists with some painting experience who want to expand their approach to watercolour.

Materials to bring:
• Watercolour paints of your choice: a set with a range of colours from tubes or blocks (pans). Both tube colours and pans are good, just personal preference.
• Watercolour brushes of your choice: at least 2 different size brushes e.g. a ‘round’ brush and a ‘mop’ or ‘flat’ brush for washes. Recommend: Da Vinci Casaneo watercolour brushes are synthetic fibre brushes with great fluid-holding capacity but less expensive than natural hair brushes. The Da Vinci Cosmotop Spin range is also good. See https://www.gordonharris.co.nz/blog/85-which-brushfor-what-colour, but hold off spending good money. Over the course you will learn what you like, and can then spend.
• Painter’s tape: delicate (purple coloured tape).
• Watercolour paper: 300gsm paper (Hahnemühle Britannia matte is a good, inexpensive choice) postcard size (A6), A5 and A4. We’ll use the postcard size and A5 for exercises and experimentation, and the larger size for more composed work. So plenty of the smaller sizes. Bring plenty of paper!
• Palette: needs to be able to hold water, your paint set may have one.
• Notebook and pen, pencil
• Old shirt or apron

Materials can be pre-purchased from Queenstown Art Supplies: queenstownartsupplies.co.nz

This list is a general guide only. The majority (not necessarily all) of these materials may be used as students progress.