Jerry Ellis doesn’t frequently teach.
As a professional artist, Ellis dedicates most of his time to studio work, but for artCentral’s 25th birthday year he made an exception, teaching a three-day watercolor class at the Hyde House last weekend.
“I coerced him,” said artCentral director Sally Armstrong. “This is a very unusual privilege (for the students.)”
Fourteen students from the surrounding area completed three paintings as part of the class; one still life, a snow scene from Clinton Street in Carthage and a barn scene from west of Carthage. Students learned techniques of watercolor painting including emphasis on values and “placing the light first.”
“It’s harder than I thought it would be,” said student Ilene Bates. “I’m used to painting with oil and there’s such a difference in technique, it’s like I’m starting from scratch.”
While Ellis said he prefers working with students who have some background in watercolors, he described the class as a good environment for the students.
“They’ve done quite well,” he said. “Some of them have experience with water colors, some of them have been away from watercolors and are coming back.”
Armstrong said classes like Ellis’ and upcoming classes in pottery and colored pencil drawing help artCentral reach out to the area and get more people active in the art community.
“I’d say half of [these students] had never even been here before,” she said. “Then a lot of them joined. This is how we get people involved.”
