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Beginning/Intermediate Watercolor Painting with Ron Pratt _ Thursdays_ 9:00-11:30 _Sept 24th – Dec 3rd (no class on Nov 26th) Studio 1

Beginning/Intermediate

Watercolor Painting

Fall 2026

Ronald Pratt

 

Gateway, Painting Studio 1

 

The wonderful color palette nature offers us is one of the many reasons the fall is an inspiring time to paint.  Another reason is that it is the end of summer where the long, hot days are slowing down and making way for the cooler, shorter days of winter.  It is a calm between the seasons that allows us to sit back and reflect on life.  With that reflection comes the desire to be creative, that desire to paint!  It is one of the most creative times for me.

 

If you love painting in the fall season like I do why not come and join like-minded artists on Thursday Mornings for some fun painting in a relaxing social atmosphere.  The step by step demonstrations will show you how to bring out wonderful colors in your watercolor paintings and to capture that magical feel of the change of seasons known as autumn.   Subject matter will include autumn aspens, a holiday greeting card project, a still life and an abstract composition.

 

The Rossmoor Art Association is offering this watercolor painting class this fall at the Rossmoor Activities Center, Painting Studio 1 on Thursday Mornings from 9 am to 11:30 am.  This 10 week class will run from Sept 24th to Dec 3rd (no class on Nov 26th – Thanksgiving Day) at a cost of $170.  For Non-Rossmoor Residents the class fee is $190.  Priority will be given to Rossmoor Residents.  Suggested materials for students new to watercolor painting will be discussed at the first class.

 

To register go to the Rossmoor Art Association Website (www.rossmoorart.comm) and click on classes on the header bar.  Scroll down until you come to Beginning/Intermediate Watercolor Painting with Ron Pratt and follow the instructions to enroll.  The class maximum is 20 students due to space limitations so get your registration in to reserve your seat in class.

 

To see Ronald’s Watercolors go to www.ronaldpratt.com.  Please direct questions to Ronald at ronpratt14@gmail.com or call him at (510) 366-7740.  Further information on all RAA activities can be found at www.rossmoorart.com.

Ronald Pratt, Instructor

I’ve learned over the years that people aren’t so much interested in an artist’s technical skills as they are interested in what an artist has to say. They want to know how an artist sees things, their particular slant on life, their perspective, their vision. They want to know what an artist focuses on when looking at a subject. What is it an artist sees that is different than what the average person sees? What is that makes an artist different? As a watercolor painting instructor it is important for me to convey this fact to my students. I want them to know the first step in becoming an artist is to master the technical skills of watercolor painting. How do you mix your colors, handle the brushes, apply the paint to the paper, control washes, apply detail over the washes, etc. But I encourage them to not stop there. Once they have a semblance of control of these skills, it is time to start focusing on what they want to say as an artist. This is the important part! In this age of the rapid onslaught of technological developments, a simple phone app can turn your photograph into a drawing or painting. You can even select what medium in which you want your photograph to appear. Oil Painting? Pencil Drawing? Watercolor Painting? Impressionistic? Realistic? These are all available with the push of a button. The mere copying of a subject can now be done with your I-phone as well if not better than the artist. But artists can interpret things in their own unique way. They can create a stronger design, they can edit, deleting and adding to enhance their message, they can emphasize or de-emphasize areas in the composition. They can show their own perspective on things. They can show their own unique view. This takes the art of painting beyond the act of copying. So the main question I ask my students is “what are you trying to say?” I encourage them to ask this question of themselves before they start a painting and to keep asking this question throughout the painting process. In the end this is what separates one artist from another and what separates artists from copying machines. What is it that you have to say!!!