Workshop - "The Architecture of Light" | Watercolor w/ Thomas Schaller

Dates: Monday, July 6 - Tuesday, July 7, 2026 Time: 9:00am - 4:00pm Instructor: Thomas Schaller Skill Level Required: Intermediate to Advanced Description: “The Architecture of Light” The focus of my workshops is far less concerned with technical expertise and far more about inspiration and observation. Specifically, the focus is on finding and expressing ourselves with our unique personal artistic voice. A final painting is begun by the artist long before his or her brush ever touches the paper. As artists, we observe the world around us and are constantly – often subconsciously - forming paintings in our minds. And as artists, I believe it is our job - and our joy - to learn how to see the world in our own unique way; how to identify what it is that will result in the best possible paintings that only we could do; paintings that tell the stories only we wish to tell. The most important question we can try to answer as painters is; “What is your intent? What is it you wish to paint and why?” What is it about a subject that speaks to you? And how can you find a personal way of expression – your own unique voice – to communicate that to others? As an artist, it is “light” that is the constant narrative in my work. So when I am deciding on what it is I wish to paint, I concentrate less on specific objects – places or things – and more on the strength of a strong abstract value composition of darks and lights. A common phrase we often hear is: “Mother Nature is the best teacher.” While I agree that real world observation is a crucial skill for the artist, no less so are the lessons to be learned from memory, dreams, and pure invention. In my workshops, painting indoors or out, I demonstrate the fundamentals - and crucial importance - of identifying strong compositional subjects for the artist. No amount of technical expertise or finesse evident in a final painting can compensate for a composition lacking in the strength and clarity of a strong initial intent – a main idea - and a solid value organization. We will try to learn how to see the beautiful and infinite compositions all around us – and within us - in the most grand and most humble of scenes. Additionally, a theme of my workshops is duality – the dialogue between opposing forces that find resolution – or not – upon the paper’s surface. The vertical vs. the horizontal / the light vs. the dark / lost vs found edges / clarity vs. obscurity / warm tomes vs. cool tones / man-made elements vs the natural world, etc. We will explore some of the endlessly compelling compositional possibilities of this topic.

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