Medium of Your Choice – click the Materials List tab above for more info.
All Levels of Experience – New artists are welcome, but please email the instructor for preparatory exercises and to be sure you’ve got the right supplies and equipment.
*The first class meeting on Monday starts at the Sedona Arts Center in the Theatre Studio at 10 am, subsequent meeting times/locations will be announced by the instructor during class.
This workshop is aimed at helping painters refine their personal technique in watercolor, pastel, oils and acrylics. It will help you find your own voice and style without becoming anyone’s clone. This is an intensive class, with morning and afternoon on-site painting sessions and lunch-time discussions and demos. Classes are kept small so every student gets the attention they deserve. Because this workshop is targeted at small groups, Carol can work with painters of all levels.
We will cover:
Color theory
Accurate drawing
Composition
Mixing colors
Finding your own voice
Authentic brushwork
We stress painting protocols to get you to good results with the least amount of wasted time. That means focusing on drawing, brushwork, and accurate observation. You will learn to paint boldly, using fresh, clean color. You’ll learn to build commanding compositions, and to use hue, value and line to draw the eye through your paintings.
Carol Douglas paints and teaches in Rockport, Maine.
She has taught plein air painting in Maine, New Mexico, Florida, and New York. She teaches an annual workshop at Schoodic Institute in Acadia National Park, in the Pecos National Wilderness, and two watercolor plein air workshops annually aboard the historic schooner American Eagle. Her daily blog, Watch Me Paint, is ranked one of the Top 75 Art Blogs (number 7) by Feedspot.
Douglas studied with Nicki Orbach, Cornelia Foss, and Joseph Peller at the Art Students League of New York. Her passion is outdoors painting, particularly in wilderness areas. In 2016, Douglas traveled 10,000 miles across Alaska and Canada to paint in the northern backwoods. In 2020, she painted the glaciers of Patagonia. She has also painted in Scotland, Australia, and elsewhere.
Her work has been shown in galleries across the United States. Her work is represented in her own gallery in Rockport, ME.
Douglas is a former chair of New York Plein Air Painters.
Here’s a clothing packing list for a week of on-site painting. It was designed for all climates, all places, all people, and all situations. Obviously, you should tailor it to this specific workshop.
Supply lists are a moving target—they need constant updating as products and information change. If you have any questions, feel free to email me. The last thing I want is for you to spend a fortune on stuff you’ll never use again. I’ve had that happen to me, and I resented it.
If you have room in your kit, feel free to bring more than one medium. I’m happy to instruct in any of them.
This list has links to specific products. If you’re buying your supplies in a bricks-and-mortar store, please take it with you on your phone and refer to each item directly. Art supplies have many ‘look-alikes’ that can vary in color and quality—for example, I’ve linked to two different Masterson boxes, one for acrylics and gouache, and one for oils. I’ve linked to these exact products so that you don’t waste money on something that’s not quite right.
Students may register online or by calling the Sedona Arts Center’s Administrative Offices in the Art Barn, toll-free at 888-954-4442 or locally at 928-282-3809
Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express are accepted or student may pay with cash or check by registering in person during office hours at the Art Barn
In-Person and Online Workshops
Payment in full is due upon registration, or a payment plan can be put in place by the student upon check-out through Sezzle.
There is a $125 Cancellation Fee for any cancellations made before February 25, 2024. Remaining balance will be refunded.
There are no refunds after February 25, 2024.
If Sedona Arts Center cancels the workshop for any reason, all payments made will be refunded in full.
Note: If traveling to Sedona, we strongly urge students to purchase refundable airline tickets or travel insurance in case of workshop cancellation due to insufficient enrollment or other unforeseen changes. Sedona Arts Center is not responsible for non-refundable ticket purchases or lodging fees.
Important Message
The Sedona Arts Center is not responsible for providing make-up sessions or issuing refunds, credits, or transfers for courses missed as a result of illness, emergencies, or other events beyond our control. There are absolutely no refunds after the cut-off date for any reason, unless the Sedona Arts Center has to cancel the workshop, then all fees paid will be refunded in full.
Carol Durkee
I have found many new and needed ways of working in watercolors, specifically the prep work… I never had lessons that included these steps, only workshops that were demos, then you were on your own, then a time of critique. Found out ideas that should have been done before I painted. So now I feel I’m on a good new track.
David Blanchard
“Some teachers are good artists, and some artists are good teachers, but it is rare to find a good artist who is also a good teacher. Carol is one of them. She will teach you the fundamentals you need to know, which a lot of teachers gloss over without explanation, but she also takes you to the next level, wherever you are on the learning curve.
“She is not only a skilled practitioner, but is also knowledgeable about the more theoretical aspects, which she clearly and simply explains so you can to apply them to your own work. She knows the history of art, and can point out examples from well-known artists, both contemporary and past, that illustrate her points. She is very supportive and is quick to point out what is successful in your work, but doesn’t coddle or patronize, so you do get valuable constructive critiques of every piece, and continue to learn and grow.
“Her classes are well run, but also have a nice relaxed feeling that’s builds comradery among students. She provides good exercises for in- and out of class, based on her perception of the actual needs of the particular students in each group. She can work with you in oils, watercolors, or acrylics. I like to recommend her to my artists friends because I can do so with the confidence that they will not be disappointed. If you want a no-nonsense and practical artist-teacher who gives you what you need to improve your art, look no further.”
Carol Thiel
“This was the best painting instruction I have ever had. Carol’s advice in color mixing was particularly eye-opening. Her explanations are clear and easy to understand. She is very approachable and supportive. I would take this course again in a heartbeat.”
