Online Class: Calla Lily in Positive/Negative Watercolor Technique

Inspired by the motif of the calla lily that appears in a variety of shapes and forms in Georgia O’Keeffe’s art, this intermediate class will explore capturing the sinuous beauty of the calla lily in transparent watercolor. Through a live demonstration, followed by guided instructions, you will learn to define the main positive shape by painting the background or the negative space around it. The visual concepts will be explained at the beginning of the class using O’Keeffe’s calla lily paintings as our inspiration point. In addition to photos of calla lilies provided before class, you may follow the flower used during the demonstration.

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This class is suitable for youth ages 12 and up. Children are welcome to participate alongside their adults.

Space is limited, reservations required.

This program will take place via the video conferencing app – ZOOM. Details for accessing the Zoom meeting will be with your receipt upon registering and again sent via email the day prior. Please register in advance in order to access the program. Note that all program times are in Mountain Time.

Online classes are not recorded. Online classes are offered only as a live and interactive experience.

Supplies needed for this class:

• A set of watercolor paints (tubes or half pan)
• Watercolor pad or block of Strathmore 400 series or any other brand in any size between 9” x 12” and 11” x 14”
• A regular 2 pencil (a.k.a. HB) and an eraser
• Round and Flat Watercolor brushes (synthetic ‘Taklon’ brushes work well): 3 to 4 Round brushes in the range of Size 8, 10, 12, 14; 1 Flat brush of 1⁄2” to 1” width
• Watercolor palette with multiple wells and a larger area to mix color. Plastic palettes work well.
• Q-tips and paper towel or pieces of cotton rag (cut-up pieces from a clean, used t-shirt works great)
• Masking tape if a watercolor pad is used instead of a watercolor block
• 2 to 3 empty glass jars or containers for holding water. Used yogurt containers or wide-mouth smaller glass jars work well.

About the Instructor 

Sudeshna Sengupta’s career as a teaching artist spans multiple decades, continents, and cultures that inform her pedagogy of decolonizing studio art. She received her Master of Fine Arts degree in 1985 from Visva-Bharati, an international university founded in India, by the humanist poet Tagore, the first non-European Nobel Laureate (1913). After teaching art and design at college level in New Delhi, Seattle, and California, she taught at NMSU-Alamogordo, where she established its first intaglio printmaking studio in 1995. Since moving to Santa Fe, she has been teaching courses in online studio art at the Santa Fe Community College. She also conducts workshops and short courses and presents lectures and community-based art events for various age groups with civic, cultural, and community organizations in the US and in India, often with a focus on multicultural and inter-cultural experiences that emphasize human, cultural, and environmental connectedness through creativity.  

This class is being offered on a sliding scale:

$10; minimal fee.

$20; covers the cost of the class.

$30; covers the cost of the class, plus a contribution to support educational programs.