Santa Barbara Plein Air Workshop

Amongst the many things I missed during pandemic times was the opportunity to attend art workshops and learn in person from other artists.

Simply being able to do that again was a major highlight of the Plein Air Watercolor Workshop that I attended in October of this year.

Santa Barbara, California served as home base for the five-day workshop. I quickly came to see why it’s referred to as the American Riviera.

The weather was superb and steady –  mid 20s C, sunny, with barely a breath of wind. The red tile roofs and the white stucco feel very Mediterranean. The place is very pedestrian friendly. Restaurants abound – great bakeries included!

American watercolor artist, Brenda Swenson, led the sessions. I’d previously taken a week-long studio class from Brenda and learned a great deal.

So I was excited about working en plein air under her instruction, and I wasn’t disappointed! Brenda is knowledgeable, well organized, and very available to her students. A winning combination!

We sketched at two iconic Santa Barbara locations, the Mission and the Courthouse. Both buildings are steeped in history.

The Santa Barbara Mission was originally built in 1786, and it was rebuilt and restored twice due to damage from earthquakes in 1812 and 1925.

The Courthouse is a Spanish Colonial Revival style building completed in 1929. It features a mural room whose walls are covered with murals depicting Santa Barbara’s rich cultural history.

We were also introduced to a series of buildings designed by local architect, Jeff Shelton.

Shelton’s buildings are quirky and fun – very reminiscent of the architecture of Barcelona’s Antoni Gaudi. Freewheeling shapes and forms, creative tiles and ironwork, with multicolored clay urns built into the walls. That makes for very interesting sketching opportunities.

As a special treat, Jackie Grandchamps from French Escapade (the group that sponsored the workshop) arranged for us to meet Shelton in person. We visited his Fig Avenue design studio where we heard firsthand about his approach to design. You can learn more about his work in his recently published book, The Fig District.

Through practice and feedback during the class, I learned more about the importance of identifying light and incorporating shadow in creating a strong painting. Those are skills I will continue to work on developing in the days ahead.