Artist’s Biography – Randy Hale (CWS)
Denver, Colorado
Randy has had the good fortune of encouraging and promoting design throughout his storied career. He has been a practicing artist, illustrator, designer, and manufacturer of ideas for many years. Not only is he a product of California’s Art Center College of Design, but he’s had a long and successful career in sales and marketing. Working with clients provided Randy with a comfort-level in expressing ideas and explaining concepts so they are easy to comprehend.
Randy is in demand to jury shows of all mediums. Artists look forward to his critiques, finding them insightful and constructive.
Randy is also a seasoned watercolor workshop instructor. He teaches classes throughout Colorado and the west – in art centers, local universities and art associations. Randy has also organized international painting trips through his Painted Palette Tours, taking artists on painting holidays to Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary as well as locations throughout the American southwest.
Randy is a natural-born teacher. He maintains an easy dialogue with students while demonstrating a painting in front of a group. He is totally at ease explaining each step and decision as he paints and he is equally comfortable depicting all subjects, using landscapes, portraits, figures or abstracts to illustrate a point.
Randy encourages his students to create a story in which the viewer can participate. His mantra of “less is more” rallies painters to simplify, suggest or imply - letting water do most of the work to prevent compositions from becoming overcomplicated. By inspiring a viewer to imagine detail where none may actually exist, he entreats the viewer to engage in your painting as a full participant. And therein lies the magic of good painting!
Artist’s Statement – Randy Hale
About my work….
As a professional painter and instructor I have a keen appreciation for developing good compositional awareness. To build an effective painting, the foremost goal should be to keep the viewer’s attention. The painter should be a good storyteller. The message we deliver with our work ought to captivate, provide an element of mystery and hopefully provoke a bit of intrigue.
Watercolor is best served with splashy, spontaneous strokes. It yearns to be transparent and luminous. Fluidity is the hallmark of watercolor. But of equal importance is dramatic use of light and shadow. It provides definition, brings form to life, and creates an understated rhythm between the real and imagined.
Hopefully the subjects I choose to paint spark some recognition or familiarity within my audience which grabs their attention. By creating a bit of mystery, I leave room for each viewer’s own experience to color their interpretation and bring a reaction. The goal for all creative work Is to engage the viewer as an active participant allowing them wander, explore, and experience wonder within the boundaries of the composition.
Material & Supply List for Classes & Workshops--Suggested Supply List
As a watercolor painting instructor my goal is help you realize the best possible success in your journey to master the watercolor medium. I encourage you to have some of the following supplies (or similar) with you when you come to my workshops or class. I don’t expect anyone to go out and buy all new materials. If you already have watercolor supplies or a standard paint kit that you use regularly - by all means bring it with you. I am aware that many of you are already painting in watercolor and already have a good inventory of supplies. This supply list is simply my suggestion so you cover all your bases.
PAPER
I recommend several full sheets of 22x30 watercolor paper at minimum. These can be cut into quarter- sheets (11x15 each) or you can paint on half-sheets.
140# or 300# Rough or Cold Press. Suggested brands: Kilimanjaro, Fabriano Artistico, Arches/Canson
LIGHT WEIGHT BOARD
Look for something rigid, that won’t soak up water, and light weight. Try to find something or cut one down so it is about 1” (or so) larger than your paper. You will want to use this to clip or tape down watercolor paper
BRUSHES
Today watercolor brush makers have refined the ability to produce high quality synthetic bristled brushes that will hold adequate amount of water while still maintaining a nice sharp point or edge. You will want to have:
large flat brush, 1” to 2” wide Medium length rigger A few round brushes various sizes smaller flat, 1/2” to 3/4” wide Liner brush (fine bristle) Medium mop brush
SMALL MISTING SPRAY BOTTLE
Find one that produces a fine mist when you spritz it.
WATER CONTAINER
Something that you can rinse your brush in. Two are better (something about the size of a cottage cheese container)
LOW TACK ARTIST’S MASKING TAPE; KNEADED ERASER; SOFT LEADED PENCIL
Stay away from blue tape from home improvement stores
Pencil lead should be something along the lines of HB, 2B, or 3B. Finer or harder leads will score w/c paper
PALETTE
Try to use a palette that has enough individual wells to accommodate 18-24 pigments.
WATERCOLOR PIGMENTS - all professional artist’s brands are acceptable.Try to steer clear of student grades.
Look for WARM & COOL versions of each color. A palette should accommodate warm shades & cool shades.
WARM SHADES COOL SHADES
cool Yellow (lemon yellow) Cool Violet (Bluish, Ultramarine Violet)
warm Yellow (Indian yellow, Gamboge) Darkest Blues (Prussian, Royal)
Raw Siena Earthtone (warm) Warm Blue (Ultramarine)
Raw Umber Earthtone (cool) Cool Blue (Cobalt)
Orange Warm Warm Lt. Blue (Manganese) Burnt Siena Warm Earthtone (Quin. Burnt Orange) Cool Lt. Blue (Cerulean)
Burnt Umber Warm Earthtone Dk Green (cool) (Phtalo Blue/green shade)
Warm Red (pyrol, cadmium red) Dk Green (warm) (Sap green)
Cool Reds (Opera, Alizarin Crimson) Med Green (cool) (Hookers, Veridian)
Warm Violet (Quin. Violet, Mineral Violet, Manganese Violet) Med Green (warm) (Cad Grn Pale, Golden Green
Bonus: Neutral Tint (warm) or Paynes Grey (cool)