Watercolor in the Berkshires

Watercolor Studies 

by Liana Yarckin

Irena Roman with students' work

Norman Rockwell Studio

Charming courtyard of a house at the NR Museum site

It has been a whirlwind of summer!  There are so many things that have happened that I have not had a chance to blog about.

Love the Internet.  One day when I was perusing in the blogger world, clicking and clicking away from one blog to another's, discovering artists and gorgeous work new to me, I found a "flyer" for an Irena Roman workshop.  The three paintings on the flyer grabbed my attention and it took me a while before I could turn my attention to the text on the flyer because the images were just so gorgeous.  Without making the story too long, it was coincidental that the workshop was in Stockbridge, Massachusetts one week before I was scheduled to be in Massachusetts for a family visit.  After changing flights, finding a place to stay AND a day camp for my 5 year old in the area, it was set that I could be so lucky to participate in this workshop.  I had no idea that I was also going to discover the charming Berkshires.

The week turned out to be a fantastic adventure for my son and I.  It worked out perfectly that there was an art camp just 6 minutes away for my son from the Norman Rockwell Museum where Irena Roman's workshop was.  We each spent the day learning and creating.  After our classes, I would pick up my son and we would drive through the gentle mountains on roads lined with tall pine trees and charming New England style homes with the loveliest gardens.  We escaped the triple digit temperatures of Texas and thoroughly enjoyed walking around in charming small towns and dining al fresco in need of a sweatshirt.  Lenox and Great Barrington were my favorite.

Both my son and I made friends with locals in our classes who were completely welcoming and helpful.  To show how small the area is, we would run into our new friends at the local art shop and even at the Zucchini Festival that we just happen to fall upon.

Irena is a wonderful and thorough teacher.  I learned so much in Irena's class.  I think I am closer to getting my darks dark.  Now I just have to figure out how to apply the techniques I learned to my subjects that I like to paint.  Hopefully, I will have some work that I am happy to post soon.  

To see more pics of the Berkshires and the work I did in the workshop, see my Berkshire photo album.

oh, p.s. is anyone participating in Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days challenge?  I signed up.  Hopefully, I will be able to keep up.