Day One: Jack Dorsey’s Watercolor Workshop

The first day of Jack Dorsey’s watercolor workshop is down. Since it was my day off I was able to attend it.

Dad shared a secret of using white opaque paint in watercolor that he had learned from his friend, and Master watercolorist, Mike Burns. I can’t share the secret, but honestly I can say I was surprised by it, and how it worked was pretty cool.

Dad asked the question “Why do we paint?” This question opened up a whole flurry of lessons, stories, further questions.

The workshop was full of dad’s ramblings, asides and stories. He talked about his artist friends being “iron sharpening iron.” He lectured on the fundamentals of art: the “golden mean”, values, basic elements of art such as line, color, texture. He talked about design, and explained perspective.

I tried to interpret what Dad was saying to the participants. But they all seemed to be enjoying themselves, and Dad’s lectures and stories and Dad himself, so I relaxed.

What was so cool for me was underneath it all Dad’s passion for art came out, his passion for seeing common things and portraying them in a unique way, his passion for the fundamentals of art and his passion to help people find their own artistic voice.

As I closed down the studio in the quiet of the afternoon I reflected on how these stories, lectures, fundamentals and lessons were all things that I had grown up with as a kid. They have shaped me into the artist I am today. It is so cool to see Dad sharing them with others!

Here’s a little snipped to wet your appetite.