For less than the cost of a movie ticket and popcorn, the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art (SLOMA) is holding a drop-in art class where anyone can learn the basics of watercolor painting.
Show up with $15 — or $12 for members — and SLOMA provides the space, material and instruction by professional art teacher Maryanne Nucci. The class is held every Saturday in February from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
“I’ll spend 30 minutes, 40 minutes demonstrating, talking about what we’re going to do,” Nucci said. “Then the rest is everybody goes to work. So it’s easy to get around to each student and spend time (with them).”
Nucci has taught watercolor painting at Cuesta College for 25 years, as well as various classes held at SLOMA. This is her first time teaching a drop-in class, but she said it’s a great idea.
“To commit to every Saturday in February is a big deal,” she said. “But to say, ‘Oh this Saturday I’m going to go and paint’ — it’s a great idea.”
Nucci said her lesson plan will be dependent on the students who attend the class — whether or not they are new to painting in general or just need feedback on their own pieces, and just how large the class is. She plans to go over the basics, like creating edges and mixing paints.
“It has this stigma of being really hard to work with — it’s not,” Nucci said. “I really love working in watercolor.”
The drop-in class format is something new to SLOMA. The program began last fall and has been going for several months as an experiment. Last January, the museum offered drop-in acrylic classes.
Gallery manager and registrar of SLOMA Wendy Walter said the nicest thing about the drop in classes is the fact that guests can attend just once with no commitment, or as many times as they like.
“It depends on what you want to get out of the class,” Walter said. “Whether it be beginners or someone who just wanted to get pointers.”
Cal Poly art professor and international portrait artist Tricia Reichert said she encourages people to take lessons in watercolor. She recently published a manual on observational watercolor painting titled “The Watercolor Journaling Handbook.” She said watercolor painting is a “very easy medium” that requires little in the way of supplies while at the same time being expressive and full of variety.
“Draw a little, paint a little, have sketch with a little bit of color or a full painting,” Reichert said. “It’s a great medium for painting outside, for journaling, for little tiny sketches of things that you love.”
Watercolor isn’t only an art form; it can be a form of therapy when an artist is stressed or frustrated. At least, that’s what artist and owner of the art supplies store Art Central Etty Pacifico believes.
“It’s cheaper than a shrink,” Pacifico said. “It’s extremely good therapy. Even (for) somebody with absolutely no artistic knowledge, understanding or even appreciation.”
Pacifico said she has put paper and materials down for her friends and offered them the words of encouragement: “Don’t think, just do.”
“It’s a wonderful way to express yourself and if you give yourself the freedom to do it, and don’t have any expectations of what it’s going to look like or what it’s going to feel like, it could be extremely cathartic,” she said.
Those who are more interested in watercolor artists living on the Central Coast can attend the grand opening of Art Central on Feb. 4, where the Central Coast Watercolor Society (CCWS) will display their works.
Cal Poly students can get the “Student Membership Package” at the lowest package price of $20 a year. Members get discounts on all classes, special invitations to shows and exhibitions and receive a monthly newsletter. Members can also display and sell their artwork at SLOMA, as well as join special interest groups like CCWS.