K a y  S e a l e

 

September 5, 2024   10:00 - 2:00

 

​​​"Painting Pets in Watercolor"​

 

Watercolor Demonstration and Workshop 

 

Overview:​

 

     Kay will begin with a demo or two on painting ‘pet’ portraits. Her favorites have included dogs and cats, as well as horses, cows, goats, hamsters, and chickens. However, due to the time for this workshop she’ll stick to a traditional painting of a dog and/or a cat … with differing colors of eyes, noses and types of hair/fur.

 

 

     Next, we’ll break up our painting sessions into practicing singular elements of animals. We’ll spend a considerable amount of time working on eyes. Each element of the pet will be demonstrated, then each artist, using their own reference materials, will paint that element repeatedly until they feel confident.    I demo noses; you paint noses. I demo mouths; you do the same. Repeat for: Ears. Fur or hair. Once you are ready to move on you will pull it all together and paint your simple pet portrait. I will provide individual help as time permits throughout the workshop and sometime in the middle we will break for lunch.

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Watercolor Pet Demo - Materials List:

 

     ​I feel that a 2–4-hour painting session, as opposed to a 4 or 5-day workshop, shouldn’t drain your art budget. Bring your regular watercolor supplies you are comfortable working with, but please read the list for other things needed.(What I will be using is italicized in the descriptions to follow)

 

Watercolor Paper:

 

     Bring lots of scrap pieces for practicing individual elements … or the back side of an ‘under-the-bed’ painting. (I mostly use Arches 140# or 300# paper, cold or rough, in sheets, blocks or rolls)

 

More WC Paper:

 

     VERY IMPORTANT: Bring a sketch (or 2) of your pet on WC paper (9x12 or larger) … ready to paint after techniques of individual elements are practiced. Bring several enlarged, detailed reference photos of your pet. (My demo will probably be 11x14, but I often paint much larger!)  

 

Watercolor Paints:

 

     Bring paints you normally use. (My palette highlights a triad of quinac burnt orange, French ultramarine blue, quinac permanent rose [DaVinci] … along with yellow ochre, Payne’s gray, opera, orange chromium, quinac violet, veridian, etc.)

 

Brushes:

 

     Assortment you normally use.

 

Photos:

 

     Bring reference photos of your pet and large, detailed pictures of their eyes, ears, nose, fur, hair, etc. (see pdf for more information)​​

 

Masking Fluid:

 

For saving whites in pupils, whiskers, etc. You don’t need a lot; if you have none, find a friend who will share.​

 

The Usual:

 

Pencils, palette, water containers, paper towels, table-top easel if you use them, spray misting bottles, etc.

 

Optional:

 

One of my favorite granular paints is Daniel Smith’s Shadow Violet; it makes nice ‘whites’ of eyes as it granulates out from gray into bits of reds and blue-greens. I’ve done an entire portrait using this one tube of paint!

 

Other Options:

 

Watercolor pencils, crayons, and sticks (won’t be used in demo). Salt (creates texture around noses or in some fur). (I will bring some to share)

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Kay Seale - Bio:

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     Kay Seale’s Graphic Design degree enabled her to have a rewarding art career long before computers offered design programs with templates. This experience made her strong in layout, design, value and color; creating ‘fine art’ became intuitive. Her passion for life ... anything that breathes ... is a trademark of her work as seen through Kay’s illustrations of people, animals and landscapes. Travels across the USA and to Africa, Europe, Central & South America provide many resources.

 

     Kay has become established as an award-winning watercolor artist (including the first Western Federation of Watercolor Societies Award won by an Idaho artist). She has won Best of Show Awards and has received ‘Reject’ notices, too! Kay has been the enviable recipient of the Idaho Western Fair Purchase Award four times! She has taught workshops on painting eyes, and how to use Photoshop to help with layouts of paintings. In 2023 Kay researched, wrote, created and led an Art Camp to

complement her church’s purchased VBS (Vacation Bible Study) Sport’s Camp Program.

 

     As a 2014 cancer survivor, having a vision-robbing meningioma removed in 2018, and living with MS daily ... the exercising of her brain that creating art requires has preserved both mind and talent.

 

     Kay Seale’s art is collected corporately and privately in many states. She is a Distinguished Merit Member of the Idaho Watercolor Society (IWS) and is a Merit Member of the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies (WFWS).

 

     In 2020 Kay moved to Graham, Washington, to be near family and enjoy life with her husband and their two rescued canine companions. Missing the camaraderie she had with her painting friends in Idaho, Kay is pleased to have been ‘found’ by Celene while exhibiting at the 2023 Washington State Fair. She joined the South Hill Artists group in June and is excited to share her expertise and paint alongside this group of talented and fun creatives!

 

Kay Seale – Artist’s Creative Statement

 

     “A good subject matter, plus confident use of color, value, design and shape should invite a viewer to ‘step into’ the painting. Once in, I hope they desire to touch, feel, smell or wonder why .... If the painting elicits a response, that equates to success! I paint very realistically, yet aim to allow paint and water to collide spontaneously on paper and do their thing scientifically ... granulating, resisting and blending. I enjoy incorporating both loose areas and others that are tightly controlled.

 

     What do I hunger to paint? Anything that lives and breathes! Even if I am painting old relics in a field my goal is to paint them as if they were alive. ‘I begin a painting with the eyes; if they aren’t right ... if they aren’t full of life and light ... nothing can save it!’ From personal experience, I know this talent is a gift from God. I never want to take credit for creating paintings that move people, but I give credit right back to the Creator ... who moves me ... to create, and paint!’

   

     Finally, when I’m challenged by an artist’s block, what do I do? I paint my daughter, my grands, or my ... dogs! So here we are, right back at the beginning! See you in September!”