“Maybe the desire to make something beautiful is the piece of God that is inside each of us.” — Mary Oliver

Earlier this year, I gifted myself two plein air painting retreats - a 4-day workshop in Honolulu with Dan Marshall and a 3-day workshop in Yosemite with Robert Regis Dvorak. I haven’t been painting as much this year, so they were my attempts to pick up a brush and try to make something beautiful.

View of beach at Publics

Dan Marshall did a painting of me painting!

Dan encouraged us to use a specific set of colors, non-staining and soft, to create a dreamlike atmosphere/mood. The muted colors gave a sense of serenity and realism. I normally use pthalos which are very vibrant - staining blues and greens for the ocean/Hawaii seascape. Using a different color palette and mood felt a bit strange, as if I were not me but a different painter. (Note, I was also not Dan - he is so incredibly skilled!) It felt good to paint with boundaries and to do something uncomfortable, i.e., it felt good to be stretched and grow.

Here are a few tidbits I learned in Dan’s workshop.

Do three washes, from transparent to more opaque. (“Tea, coffee, milk.”) Use a natural hair brush for washes because real hair holds a lot of water. For detailing (“cream and butter”), use less or no water, and a synthetic brush which holds less water.
Paint at an angle of at least 45 degrees for the paint to flow down.
The further things are, the bluer they appear. For distance, cool on top (mountains), warm on bottom (closer to foliage).
Don’t make the ocean too dark, things are lighter/softer in the background.

At Heeia, it was sunny one minute, rain the next. The elements didn’t stop us but the wind and rain created for an interesting challenge. We were painting on the grassy knoll for about 30 minutes when it started pouring. We grabbed our equipment and materials and fled for shelter under the Heeia State Park Hale (cottage), and got cozy underneath the canopy. I tried to finish the painting on-site but the paper was too sopping wet to see what was left of it. Next time, I’ll stick to 120 lb paper instead of 90 lb paper.

In addition to Heeia, we painted at Magic Island and at Publics surf break. The workshop with Dan reminded me of the incredible beauty on this island and how worthwhile it is to try to capture it.

Robert Dvorak’s interpretation of Yosemite’s nature brought up different feelings and colors. He encouraged us to call forth and imagine colors, to play with our palette. I was familiar with Robert’s teachings, as I have several of his books and attended his Molokai workshop in 2019. In 2017, he was my first watercolor teacher and his teaching resonated with me so well because he showed me the connection between painting and life - the lessons and values of both are the same. Paint bold. Be bold.

Breathing in the fresh mountain air, I was filled with peace and awe. It was a privilege to be at Yosemite in the spring - the perfect time where winter snows were melting and gorgeous waterfalls were cascading down the cliffs. We painted non-stop from Friday to Sunday. What a luxury.

We painted the Bridal Veil Falls, Half Dome, and the Cascades near the historic Ahwahnee Hotel. Small field studies were done in a sketchbook before moving onto the larger paintings. Here are some Robert-isms:

Sit in a place that inspires you. Don’t just sit anywhere.
Use the largest brush you dare.
Composition is more important than color.
Don’t try to fix. Lay your colors down and let them dry.
Draw what you see, paint what you feel!

Robert ended the workshop with this poem he wrote. It exemplifies his teaching/living/painting philosophy:

Being an Artist of Life
We stand before a grand canvas: our life.
We prepare the colors of our thoughts--rich or poor, false or true.
We must be ready to feel the warm and cold hues of our emotions--our fear and joy, our love and sadness.
In our hands we hold the finest of brushes: time, the instrument which allows us to express our world of experience in each and every spontaneous stroke.
We visualize this grand canvas as we want it to be, and commit to painting our image with integrity.
Each shading and shape, each color and hue; each smudge, drip, slip, tone, shadow, and value will be determined by us.
We are responsible for each stroke of our brush.
And although others may misunderstand or criticize, if we stand for who we are and what we do, most will respect us and admire our courage.
And when this grand canvas, our life, is finished, may the world in some small or large way be a better place.
May those who have touched our canvas with their eyes and hearts, grow to know the joy and wonder of being an artist of life.
We paint each day,
That is the way!
by Robert Regis Dvorák

While I wish to paint more, I read Robert’s words and think that the when or what of my future paintings matters less than the desire to make something beautiful, whether it’s on or off paper. On paper - it will happen when it happens. Off paper - maybe I’m not fully healed or perfect with everyone, but if I can at times remember to act with kindness, courage and grace, be a portal instead of a mirror, for my community and my family… that’s beauty with an everlasting legacy.

Make something beautiful