About the Workshop

All too often, we rely on our images or nature to create our composition for us. We don’t spend enough time planning but want to get started painting or drawing. Then, after hours invested in our work, the image that we have created doesn’t effectively communicate our vision.

 “A work of art consists of two elements, the inner, and the outer.  The inner is the emotion in the soul of the artist; this emotion has the capacity to evoke a similar emotion in the observer. . . .Emotions are aroused and stirred by what is sensed. . . . .And again what is sensed is the bridge from the material [ the artist and his work] to the immaterial [the emotion of the soul of the observer]. . . . The inner element – i.e., emotion – must exist;  Otherwise the work of art is a sham.”  Wassily Kandinsky

Kathy Durdin’s approach to her work is inspired by this statement by Kandinsky.  Her objective is to engage the viewer in her painting.  Composition moves the viewer’s eye through the painting.  Use of lost and found edges challenges the viewer to complete the image.  Most importantly, the image must engage the viewer emotionally.  Otherwise, the painting is just the proverbial “sofa painting” – relevant because the colors match the sofa, but otherwise not engaging. 

The composition of our work is what makes our work interesting and effective. The viewer’s attention is held and wanders through our work as we want it to, rather than on to something else. Composition is more than just structure — it includes values, shapes, space, movement, dominance, edges, color, texture, unity, variation, etc. All need to be considered before one starts to paint. Otherwise, success is more a happy accident. With planning, we know where we are going and we are intentional about what we are doing.  In this workshop, Kathy will first provide an overview of the elements of composition, with some illustrations.  Also, she will provide you some tools that you can apply to your own work, to enhance your planning in the future and to evaluate your work. Kathy will also share ideas about what to include in a checklist to use to evaluate one’s work both before and after painting. Participants will bring their own work and as a group, review work agains these concepts. You might even be motivated to rework that prior painting, with much greater success!

Kathy Durdin

Kathy has exhibited across Florida, as well as nationally, from New York to California.  She is a signature member of Florida Watercolor Society, Southern Watercolor Society, Georgia Watercolor Society, Alabama Watercolor Society, Texas Watercolor Society, Louisiana Watercolor Society, Watercolor West and Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club. 

She has served as the President, Director of Operations and Treasurer of Florida Watercolor Society.  She is also Secretary Treasurer of Tampa Arts Alliance and President of Tampa Regional Artists.