WATERCOLOR SKETCHES
WITH PAIGE QUINN-VASIC
FIVE WEDNESDAYS, SEPTEMBER 23 & 30, OCTOBER 7, 14, & 28, 6:00-8:30 PM
COST: $200-350, SLIDING SCALE
If you've ever felt overwhelmed trying to understand watercolor, or confused about how to make it cooperate, then this class will be informative and fun!
Both open and structured, this class has a lot of helpful demos and exercises that reveal the true nature of watercolor as a medium. Students will familiarize themselves with the primary color palette of their choice, learning color mixing, gradients, and shading down. Past students have said that this practice is so valuable when getting to know your tools! Each day will include a warm up exercise that asks students to practice drawing and loosening up in order to find their true style. You are certain to leave this series with a better foundation to feel confident when you play and create with watercolors! Within our structure, we will build that confidence working from memory and then work from life and observation. If you've struggled working from photos, let's take a different approach. The instructor works hard to understand the needs of her students and cater the progression of classes based on their curiosities and challenges.
The instructor will have some paint tubes to share small amounts of paint and paper you can buy by the sheet as you go, but do not rely on them to provide full palettes ready for students.
About the instructor: Paige Quinn-Vasic (she/her) is a local professional artist who is well-versed in many mediums such as oil painting, printmaking, ceramics, and sewing. She completed her bachelors in fine arts and art education at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, which drove her to explore an interdisciplinary practice. Her medium of choice in the last few years has been collage with painted paper, but recently got back into oil painting. Her practice tends to hop between mediums as she follows the whims of her creative inner child, exploring whimsy, peculiar curiosities, and confronting microaggressions. Since moving to Northampton in 2023, she has earned a LCC grant for her community project, Noho Art Club, around which she curated a group show in November 2025. Her focus lately has been teaching (kids and adults) creative classes and events, one recently being held at The Smith College Museum of Art. She has been exhibited in Jackson Junge Gallery in Chicago, Sip 413 in Florence, and The Northampton Center for the Arts. Paige is also in the 2026 Common Wealth Murals and Amp it Up! cohorts. You can see more of her work at www.paigesquinn.carrd.co or instagram.com/paigesquinn and instagram.com/nohoartclub on Instagram.
Materials list:
PAPER:
1 full sheet (22 x 30) hot press watercolor paper $10/sheet in class recommended
1 full sheet (22 x 30) rough watercolor paper $10/sheet in class recommended
Brands: Arches, Fabriano, Waterford, Whatman, Strathmore (budget)
A small (8 x 10”) spiral watercolor pad for testing
BOARD:
To hold 15 x 22 size paper so should be a few inches larger in both directions. Masonite is best, though corrugated cardboard and foam core will do in a pinch
PAINTS:
Please avoid cheap sets like Reeves, Maries, Sakura etc. They will create poor paintings. Tube paints only and please bring all the tubes to class. Stick to quality brands like Winsor Newton Cotman or Professional, Grumbacher Academy, Da Vinci, Holbein, Schminke, and Van Gogh. The catalogue stores/online like Dick Blick and Cheap Joe’s (American Journey) have their own brand which is very good and cheaper.
Colors: any white, any black, ultramarine blue, phthalo blue, alizarin crimson, cadmium red (or hue), cadmium yellow (or hue), yellow ochre. Additional colors if you want to add more are cadmium orange, dioxazine purple, lemon yellow, and permanent rose. Metallic and neon watercolor palettes are welcome, but they can be unhelpful when learning the basics.
BRUSHES:
Good brushes – a combo of synthetic and natural- are essential. Poor brushes lose many hairs and flatten out when used which will frustrate the painter. So stay away from cheap sets.
Sizes: Rounds # 4, 8, 12. Also, a Japanese Hake brush at least 1 ½” wide or any “wash brush.”
PALETTE:
Large rectangular palette around 10 x 14, like a John Pike palette, with wells for paint all around and large mixing area in the middle. Again, the online art companies sell their version of this palette for half the price of the other brands. Please don’t get the small round ones with a small area for mixing in the middle. They won't be suitable.
MISCELLANEOUS:
Small color wheel (available to borrow)
Blue painters tape (like masking tape) from hardware store
Liquid mask (sometimes called frisket) non-permanent
Masking fluid pen/art ruling pen (available to borrow and/or purchase)
Rubber cement pick-up (available to borrow and/or purchase)
White vinyl eraser
#2 pencil
Black fine permanent marker (micron is good)
2 Water containers (deli containers, big yogurt container)
Small portfolio to carry artwork home – not mandatory, but it could be rainy.