Dawn Yoshimura Studio

Plein air sketch while driving along the Coromandel coast of North Island New Zealand early this year.

The scenery reminded me of the California Big Sur coastline but with its own magical clear light. California often jas a lot of salt crystals suspended in the air which makes oils and gouache paints or even casein ideal for the milky atmosphere. The Southern hemisphere seems clearer and so the intense colors of my QOR synthetic watercolors were the right choice to take along on my trip.

The two days along this stretch was a relaxing passage minus the crowds of trying to drive along highway 1 or up in Napa. We could and did stop wherever it seemed like a good view or time for fika and stay as long as wanted. There were a fair share of motor homes and lorries on the road with a few frustrated and frantic Kiwis trying to speed down and past us.

I'll be offering a beginning painting class this fall covering the basics of painting using gouache as the medium.

I've been using it more in the past few years, at first to keep my transparent watercolors fresh by challenging myself to paint with different media and interpret the color I see while out in plein air. But gouache has a beauty all its own. The velvety high color you get so effortlessly and the creamy consistency that dries to an eggshell finish is like painting with Gelato, so 😋 delicious. It is also much faster drying so making color studies out and doing multiple layers of transparent in the studio becomes more of a longer process from farm to table, so to speak.

Send me a DM with questions or to let me know you want to register. I will confirm with an email invite to the zoom and online classroom as well as material list and payment.

Registration is now open for my online Advanced Watercolor class. I've been teaching online since the start of the COVID pandemic and we have a nice supportive group. Open to Advanced students or those who have taken my beginning classes at least twice. All ages. I am also offering an online Beginning Painting class and an in-person Art Journal-Art Experience class for all levels if you are just getting started or need to get unstuck in your painting journey.

Send me a DM if you have questions.

Plein air watercolor sketch from car while on a 10 day road trip in January. We were on a 45 day journey starting after Thanksgiving last year until St. Knuts Day in January to celebrate my big bd. Still processing all the experiences. I filled almost 2 sketchbooks and took over 1000 photos on my phone.

Plein air sketching is the best meme creator to draw upon back home and in the studio. The act of making these sketches makes me slow down and focus on the sights, smells, touch, sound and emotions of the place. When I recall in prayerful meditation, or flip through my phone, the sketches help me travel back to that place and time.

I find direct observation of nature connects me to the time and space and can translate into studio work in a powerful and meaningful way that just looking at googled photos and reproducing it, however skillfully lacks something soulful.

I never travel without my sketchbook, even if it's just a day trip in the city.

Milford sound as we sailed the day in and around fjords in the South Island of New Zealand. It was cold and grey in the early morning so we had to take turns going in and out on deck, but it got progressively sunnier and warmer.

Dusky then Doubtful Sound were first and by the time we got to Milford sound it was sunny and almost warm.

There were waterfalls and endless layer upon layer of ridges.

When comparing my photo to this memory painting, I used more warmth in the lit edge on the right, but it felt right so I'm happier with the watercolor than the photo.

Decided to take an artist date and spend the evening watching the first Digital Live conference.