Hello
Welcome to the FLOAT-YOUR-PIGMENT Newsletter #111, Special Edition
I can't believe I have put out 111 newsletters.... it all started when I decided I wanted to keep my students informed on the week happenings and a calendar for when class was in session. I am
very pleased to see it had turned into a newsletter for all sorts of information. At one point I was going to stop writing it or do it once a month because I didn't have many people signed up. I asked a few people in my classes about what they thought of the newsletter and I received great reviews and they said they would really miss it. Since I always try to listen to my students I decided to keep it going. Now I have close to 400 subscribers and I have many that don't subscribe but have a
link to the archived newsletters where they can go to when they want to see any of my newsletters that I had put out. Here is that link if you ever want to see any of the past or present newsletters.
This newsletter is dedicated to my students past and present, and anybody that subscribe to this newsletter.
All these student
artists mean the world to me and I hope I can help you in anyway I can to become that artist you so desire. Today's newsletter is all about you!
Yes to Class this Thursday June 29th at the Civic Center Libertyville Yes to the NEW Class at The Antioch Fine Arts Foundation, July 29th 6:30 to 9:00pm Contact me for more info on this class at david@davidrbecker.comYes to Class at The Studio in McHenry on July 1st I have worked at teaching since 1982 and it all started with me asking my mentor and Boss (CEO/President) at the American Academy of Art, Irving Shapiro if I could teach at the school after I graduated. His reply was not exactly what I wanted to hear but it was the answer that made me the artist I am today. Irv told me go out in the real world and get an art related
job and at the same time I could substitute teach his classes when he was away doing workshop around the country. I took him up on that offer and it was the best advice I ever got.
It was Irving Shapiro and Robert Wade that gave me so many life and watercolor lessons, and I always swore I would do the same for my students if I had ever gotten a following of students. That time came many many years ago right after Irving Shapiro had gotten ill and quit teaching, at
that time he had given me his evening classes and around the same time Robert Wade also gave up teaching in the USA and he gave all his workshop referrals to me. These 2 men did so much for me in my teaching career and I always swore I would do the same for any student that wanted to learn the medium of watercolor.
Below I am showing just a small amount of the thousands of students I had taught and some I am still teaching.
My students mean the
world to me and I always tell every student that I have ever taught that if you need my help just ask and I will always answer you and try to help anyway I can.
Thank you goes out to every student that has ever taken a class or workshop from yours truly, I surely hope you learned from my lessons!
David
The artist's below are in no particular order, each artist has taken a class from me at one time or
another or is still taking my class. I am honored by each and every one of them.
Below you will see a recent painting and sometimes an early painting. Some will have a bio and some a listed website. Some I will also say a little something about them.
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Alison Finnegan Alison has probably been in my class the longest of any other student. She has become a close friend and really doesn't need to take my class as she has become an amazing painter. Alison now
travels some 50 miles on Saturdays to come take my class. Thank You Alison Gina had taken my class at The Palette and Chisel for many many years and was one of my
first students to change from watercolor to acrylics, using her acrylics like watercolor and finishing them off with heavy body acrylics. Below you will see and early work and a recent work. |
Cece has taken classes from me in McHenry and in Libertyville and has become an amazing artist.
Below you find 2 pieces of her fine art done a year apart. |
Judy is a master at pigment floating, one of the best!
Here is her Bio: After teaching art to children in public schools for 29 years, the time came for me to make some art myself, so I joined a David Becker class. Landscapes, (especially of Alaska, where I was born & raised)
florals (especially orchids) and most recently portraits, have challenged me for sure. I have learned so much, but much more still to learn. Most recently I am delighted to be using my art, along with other artists, to raise funds to help refugee kids. See our Facebook page entitled Painting Syria's Children: The Refugee Portrait Project. 100% of sales go to the charities helping kids in refugee camps. |
Louise is from my McHenry class and is one of the hardest working artists in class.
Her Bio: For much of Louise’s life, she has been drawn to art. While raising 3 sons and working as a librarian, she dabbled in drawing, sumi-e, and watercolors. It was only after she and her husband moved to
southeast Wisconsin that she began to take regular lessons with Nancy Newcomb at the Geneva Lakes Art Association. Currently she studies with David R. Becker, a talented and encouraging teacher.
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Susan is in my Libertyville class and has come so far and become such a great artist!
Her Bio: I have always been interested in art, but watercolor has been an adult passion. I have been painting watercolor for 10 years and I still can’t employ the effects that watercolor does so well; interpreting reality spontaneously. This full-sheet painting was fun to do but it is too structured. Oil or
acrylic paint would have done just as well.
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Maureen is in my Libertyville class and when she
is there she usually works her magic. |
Trish comes to us from Minnesota and she was a student at my Dillman's workshop. There is a BeckerClan from Minnesota that I love to go visit every spring in
Hopkins MN |
Judy takes my Libertyville class and just recently let the class come to Plein-air paint at her house, which was amazing. Judy has helped me in my class in so many ways that I can't thank her enough. |
One amazing lady and painter and also has the best honey in the state of Illinois her Bio: My hobby as a watercolor artist began with joining Lake Regions Watercolor Guild. The wonderful demonstrations, workshops, and friends gave me all the inspiration and knowledge to paint in this wonderful medium.
Classes with David Becker strengthen and motivate continued fun in my dream to work and paint more every day. |
Carol took classes from me in McHenry and I hear she now does some amazing acrylics. |
Katherine Weber's nature paintings feature plants and wildlife in watercolor and reflect her awareness of the beauty in the everyday natural world. Her intense nature observations are shown in her deeply felt works of art which combine an imaginative and fascinating painting style with whimsical charm.
Many of the paintings are on ecologically friendly paper made from stone called Terraskin onto which she pours paint, waiting for subjects to emerge and suggest themselves from the loose background. |
Born and raised in Chicago I graduated from Notre Dame High School in Niles, Illinois and attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago. At the Academy, I was fortunate for two years to study under the late Irving Shapiro AWS. His direction, patience and guidance instilled a love for the water media.
Leaving the Academy in the late 60's I was hired as an Art Apprentice at a downtown Chicago studio.
There I began to study technical illustration. Unfortunately, after a year and a half the studio, as did many, fell on hard times during a short-term recession which cost many artists their positions, including me.
I tried in vain to find another position in the field but was unsuccessful. On a dare, I tested for law enforcement in
the Chicago area. I discovered shortly that a career in law enforcement was infectious and resorted to giving up on art. I took the oath for the City of McHenry and after 32 years retired as Deputy Chief in 2006. Since that time, I remain in an administrative position in Law Enforcement.
Looking for that next career I was fortunate to meet David R. Becker at the Studio Art School in McHenry in 2011. Observing his technique, it had a
remarkable resemblance to that of Irving Shapiro. I discovered my suspicions were correct. He had graduated from the "Academy" as well and studied under Shapiro. As an instructor at the Studio in McHenry Dave challenged me to return to watercolor and the rest is recent history. See more of Gary's work HERE |
Beautiful work from one of my Libertyville students |
Loraine no longer needs to be a student because she has become an amazing artists. She asks me once in a while what I feel about a particular painting and usually I fall in love with the painting. Beautiful work. Loraine was in my P&C class. See more of her work HERE |
Diane was in my Santa Fe Expo workshop.
Bio: Watercolor Artist, Diane G. Simon Instructor - 9 years New to W/C - only painting about 12 years in this medium. Retired - living the good life in FL.
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Jane comes to my Libertyville class and usually never misses a demonstration or an event I do. Wonderful painter. |
Linda comes to my McHenry class but now her husband has taken her place since she has graduated into an amazing artist.
Her Bio: My interest in art began with my mom’s interest in art. She painted in oil, collected art and had a studio at home. In
high school I took advanced art classes. After that, art took a back seat until I stopped working, found art instructor, Jane E. Jones, NWS and studied under her for 15 years. She emphasized design and color theory in all of her classes. I especially enjoyed her experimental workshops and began creating non-objective art using acrylics and watercolor and sometimes collage. I worked for Jane for a year and learned a great deal about the business end of art.
I
moved from Dallas to McHenry with my husband 12 years ago. I love the community connection and small town feel here. I began taking watercolor classes from David Becker whose artwork I admire. I primarily paint landscapes and florals from my own photographs and my painting style has changed to realistic although I am learning to loosen up. Sounds familiar, I’ll bet.
My artwork has been accepted into the 2013 & 2016 Women’s Works Exhibit in Woodstock, the 2015 Vicinity Exhibit and the 2016 Watercolor Exhibition at the Norris Arts Center in St. Charles, and the 2013 & 2015 Winter Juried
Exhibit in Kenosha. I was also, selected to be an Emerging Artist in the 2013 Geneva Fine Arts Fair and received the Emerging Artist Honorable Mention award. |
Norma is an amazing artist and she is the only person that I will never let leave my McHenry class. She brings so much joy and love to every Saturday morning that I don't care if she doesn't need my help anymore, my students and I need her around!
Bio: I have been
painting my whole life in some shape or form. I didn’t take up watercolor till around 9 years ago . I have been enjoying the experience ever since. I have been taking classes from David R Becker for around 7-8 years. I have loved it... I always look forward to learn something new. |
Carol has taken my Dillman's workshop and is one of the ladies that comes with the group from Minnesota. Love these ladies! |
Eva in a student of my Libertyville class. Eva is an amazing artist and hopefully she will finish all the paintings she has started in my class:)
Bio: "30 years ago I found a book of watercolors by Zoltan Szabo and fell in love with the loose flowing
feeling of the paintings. That began my watercolor as a hobby passion. While I loved my career in tech and raising my kids, painting was one activity that seemed to get me in my flow, happy and losing track of time. I paint everything, but love painting landscapes of places, hopefully showing the feeling of the place."
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David has taken my workshop at Dillman's.
Bio: David Williams has been painting all of his life but has specialized in watercolors and water media since 2010.He says “There is a natural flow in
water media which adds to the naturalness and excitement in a painting”. His representational style emphasizes vivid colors, emotional content and storytelling over strict realism.He was a computer programmer for many years. Painting allows him to continue to be creative and be a problem solver. Dave is a member of the Madison Watercolor Society and the Madison Art Guild. His works have been shown at the Wusted Museum in Racine, MMOCA’s Gallery Night in Madison, the Beloit
Fine Arts Incubator, the Riverfront Arts Center in Stevens Point, the Monroe Arts Center, UW Hospital, Hatch Art House, Absolutely Art, Yahara Bay Distillery, and the UW-Madison Pyle Center. United Way of Dane County owns and displays one of his paintings in their main office in Madison. His images have been chosen for the Dane Arts calendar and for the Artful Crossings Initiative.
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Like Alison Finnegan, Cathy has been with me probably the second longest and become an a wonderful artist that has a style all her own. I have the pleasure of living very close to Cathy on Long Lake. It's great to have Cathy in my McHenry class and sometimes in my Libertyville
class. |
Joyce comes to my Libertyville class and she almost never misses a class. Her work has become so beautiful and has developed a wonderful style. The first painting was done many years ago and the second done recently. |
Maureen takes my McHenry class and is another one of my master pigment floaters. This lady can paint like nobodies business. you can see and buy her work HERE Below she has an early work and a recent work.
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Joni has been with me everywhere, from Lake Zurich workshop to McHenry to Libertyville and most recently to the Greek Islands. Joni has developed her own wonderful style and is producing some amazing works of art.
Artist Statement:
My interest in art comes from my
grandparents. They were always doing
some project with their grandkids, though it wasn’t until I was an adult that I
took an art class. I paint primarily in watercolor on 300lb cold press paper.
I love how the colors blend directly on the watercolor paper. You just put it
on the paper and let it work. I always have a camera with me and paint
from the pictures I have taken. I have a few pieces drawn up, pick one, put
some music on for inspiration, and start painting.
I like
to paint images that capture a time or place, “Places Remembered”.
Subjects that are calming and inviting that make you want to stay awhile;
an outdoor café, tropical beach, architecture. When selecting my subjects
I look for interesting light, color, texture, and detail. For me it’s like a
journal, telling a story of the places I have been and the people I have met. |
Kathy had been a staple in my class in McHenry until she moved away to Idaho and all of us in McHenry so miss her. Kathy has also taken my workshop in Santa Fe and is doing some amazing work! Bio: I am an alumni of
the David Becker "float your pigment" workshops currently living in Boise. Picked up a paint brush 7 years ago and have been buying paint and paper ever since.
Below you can see her 1st painting and then what she paints now. |
In closing, I certainly hope I didn't miss anybody that sent me their stuff. Thank you to everyone that
did send me their works. Thank you everyone that has subscribed to my newsletter, I so appreciate it.
Finally I want to thank everybody that has ever taken a class from me or who has learned from me in whatever way they could, like my videos or newsletter, I am so honored to get the opportunity to help you with your artistic endeavors.
Yours truly David
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Coming Soon, 3 new brushes added to BeckerArt Brushes Set.
More info to come in upcoming newsletters 1 1/4" Flat Series 020, #16 Round and a #4 Rigger Holbein Gold, Short Handle, Superior Synthetic Blend Watercolor Brushes. Made to my specifications, which were, The point of the 1 1/4" flat brush and the # 16 round had to come to a razor sharp point, along with a bounce back to straight action when
applying watercolor to paper. The # 4 Rigger had to be the perfect length, the perfect thickness, and the perfect point. Click Here to Purchase the 3 original BeckerArt Brushes
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For any other info please email me at
david@davidrbecker.com |
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