Workshop description and student comments

[Susan Harrison-Tustain]

Susan Harrison-Tustain Workshop Description

How do we make our paintings 'speak' to our viewers? How do we gain that 'edge'? We all want to create paintings that remain in the viewer's memory long after they have left the presence of the painting. That is what Susan teaches. Susan's workshops focus on creating realism, a sensitivity and emotion enabling your paintings to captivate the viewers of the work. Perhaps even more importantly, Susan encourages and helps you to create paintings that make your own heart sing.

Susan's philosophy is to show you 'how' - and also to teach you to understand 'why'. Susan nurtures and extends each student with one-on-one time. Susan wants you to leave her workshop feeling that a whole new world of possibilities has opened up to you.


Susan's shares her knowledge and experience to help you create compelling paintings:

Susan's recipe:
Observe and interpret
Create an intelligent composition
Capture light, life and movement
Understand our pigments and mix clean, clear transparent hues that glow
Create luminous shadows that dance with color
Master moisture and tame washes
Create natural edges and soft blending using Susan's Priming Method
Mould form with color
Avoid the 'traps for young players'
Then finally, Susan will show you the icing on the cake:
How to bring it all together with Fine Tuning to create a painting that has a real 'presence'.

Susan loves to share everything she knows about watercolor. Her joy is to see her students grasp the teachings and fly!

[janno]

Hi all,
Thought some of you would be interested to hear about my recent workshop with Susan in New Zealand last month. It was simply the best workshop I've ever taken! The art group I belong to has organised at least 4 workshops per year for the last 9 years that I have been a member and not one has come anywhere near Susan's. Her material preparation was extensive and meticulous and her professional expertise, generosity and personal warmth was amazing. Susan extended all our boundaries with her individual attention and we all had such a great time together.
 
I'm still floating high with enthusiasm, as you can tell! The most wonderful gift that I have brought home from Susan's teaching is the boost to my confidence. I no longer feel like fish out of water because I love to paint this way, slowly, passionately caring about what I'm trying to evoke within my work, and yes, loving the detail! Even now, weeks later, when I mentioned in a mail about starting on my background, Susan immediately mailed me back extensive tips and techniques to try! It just doesn't get much better!

Thank you Susan, for caring so passionately about your students. 

[Mary Stewart]

Hi everyone,
After telling all my friends about my experience being at Susan's workshop in
Tauranga recently, I feel I can extend that by telling all of you as some really
special things happened to me. She opened up all my senses in every possible way an
artist can draw from. Not only is she a professional artist in the true sense of the
word but her ability to extend her knowledge has been an empowering experience as
she challenges qualities within I didn't even know I had. I liken it to giving
birth, creating a painting is not only hard work but also exciting, beautiful,
spiritual and most of all through that experience I've gained knowledge about myself
exposing my strengths and weaknesses. All good for the progress of art and life's
skills. Thank you Susan, I enjoyed your workshop so much and gained more out of it
than I ever could have envisaged. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone and everyone,
not only artists but to all of those who want to challenge themselves to discover
talent and insight they never knew existed.

Mary Stewart

[marylka]

Hi Mary& Janno
I agree with everything you have written.I was also there on the 7,8,9th March you have expressed my very thoughts, were we in the same class? What I have also found since the workshop, how to use water and pigment in the right amount I feel I have a lot of the control now it is an amazing discovery, knowing what Susan ment I thought I had it wright ,but I know now the difference.The moisture in the paper, the amount of water in the pigment ,having  both flow evenly and it is a powerful feeling,observation was another  the difference between looking and seeing.Practice is the key . I continue to have her guidence through watching and listening to her DVD,s as I paint.
Marylka.

[marylka]

Hi Susan,
I would love to see your rose study we did at the workshop completed at some stage.I know you will be busy with your up coming workshop
Regards
Marylka.

[Gina]

Hi Susan,

This comment is for you and I hope you are on the forum to read my many thanks to you for both your DVD's as well as your book.  I feel so much more comfortable with the control of water nad color on the paper, after so many years of trial and error.  It is totally amazing to watch as well as listen to your teachings.  I can't thank you enough for making my art experience so wide open and beautiful.  I can't wait
for your new DVD's and books.  I personally think that its wonderful to have the DVD as well as the workshop because I can enjoy the DVD over and over again.  You are amazing and I'm so thankful to you for sharing your technique with the world.  You are my newest blessing and I'm loving every moment of painting!  I will probable send you an email every so often to thank you because I'm just so grateful for all your inspiration!   

Thank You!!

Gina

[Heatherw]

Dear "Potential Workshop Attendee" and Susan,

I have struggled since the day I signed up for this site on how I would describe my experience with Susan and my other workshop attendees in Maine.  I knew I would gush, and I wanted to sound semi-normal.  Oh well, so much for that...

I felt it was magical, heart-lifting, eye-opening and just about surreal.  I know that sounds incredibly silly, but for me it is true.  It is just that when I read Susan's book I had an "Ah-ha!" moment, when I watched Susan's DVD's the feeling was cemented (I was a drugee and needed more!), and when I met Susan I felt amazingly comfortable to be me and learn.  Susan, your gracious, generous sharing of your learnings and passion was inspiring.   

All of your learnings and processes make sense.  You demonstrated the nuts and bolts of making any type of painting and why the process works the way it does.  So invaluable to understand the "why" which makes the "how" much simpler to grasp.

If you have an opportunity to attend one of Susan's workshops, don't waffle, don't hesitate, make your attendance happen.  It will be something you always remember, cherish and build upon in your future works.

Most sincerely,
Heather Wilson
heather.a.wilson@hotmail.com
Seattle, Washington
June 2 - 6, 2008 Workshop, Maine

[marylka]

Well said! you have caught the bug isn,t it wonderfull
Marylka

[txeaglechick]

   Hi Susan,

Thanks for a great experience at the Maine Workshop.  I am still smiling.  You gave me "new eyes" as I am looking and analyzing everything I see in a new way.  It was a priviledge to learn your techniques first hand and hear all the tips you throw in all day long.  You break down the information in a way we can all understand and apply to our own work.  Your passion for life comes through in your paintings.  Now my goal is to be able to choose subject matter that speaks a message as deeply as your work does.

Thank you for sharing all the knowledge that you have worked hard for over the past few years.  I know my work will be improved from having studied in your class.  On the flight home, I reread your book and am anxious to watch the DVDs again with new understanding.

One thing I really liked was the difficult subject matter of the rose.  It pushed me to work hard and analyze what I am seeing.  Hopefully I will have it finished before too long and the viewers will be able to reach out and touch the rose.  I am enjoying the journey.

It was a pleasure to meet you and hopefully we will meet again.

Johnnie Terry

[Donna]

Hi Susan:

It is Saturday, June 28th and I just got home from our trip to Maine, where I attended your workshop.  You gave us so much information, I can't wait to get "brush-in-hand" again.  You give 110% of yourself; I have never met anyone like you.  You literally have changed the way I will look at flowers, in fact the way I will look at life in general.  I can't remember the last time anyone touched my spirit the way that you have.  You are an amazing artist, not to mention the most lovely human being.  I shall never forget you and hope that we meet again. 

For anyone who gets the opportunity to take a workshop with Susan - DO IT!  She teaches totally from the heart and gives you as much knowledge as she possibly can.  You will never find a more giving, dedicated professional.  You will learn as much as you are able to comprehend.  She is totally hands on, and soooooo patient.

Thank you Susan, for the most amazing 5 days.

Love Donna

[Aquarelle]

Hello Susan!
Thank you  for coming to Maine and for sharing your wonderful talent and expertise ! You were so generous with your time and attention to all of us! I really was inspired by your positive encouragement and all the tips and techniques you so willingly presented. It was such a pleasure to be with you! I was amazed at your incredible commitment to painting and to teaching. I will always treasure the experience of meeting you and learning firsthand so much valuable information!
Thank you again for the wonderful workshop!
Best Wishes!
Elisabeth

[Susan Harrison-Tustain]

Thank you all so much for taking the time to write about your experiences on my workshops. It is very humbling to read - and very much appreciated. It is also incredibly rewarding to feel your excitment.

I love to teach all I know about watercolor and especially love to introduce everyone to a new way of 'seeing, observing and painting' in watercolor and oil.

My greatest joy is to watch you all 'soaring' and full of inspiration and passion. I love to throw open that window so you call all see your own potential and all of the possibilities that await you.

It is such a joy to have the opportunity to meet such genuine, passionate and like-minded people at every level of painting.

Thank you once again. I look forward to watching as your future paintings blossom.
Susan

[Becky Thomas]

I have never done this before, so I will give it a try.
I attended Susan's workshop in July 2009 in Bend, Oregon and I have been truly inspired by her teaching techniques.  She has a peaceful, calm teaching style and personality and this takes away the nervousness one can sometime feel when attending workshops.  She encourages us to try her methods and to not stick with what we have always done.  The goal for the workshops is not to complete the painting but to learn her methods so we can take the information with us and apply it to our own paintings and style. After all, when we go home we can no longer call on Susan as to how things are done.    I have been to workshops where it seems the main goal is to come home with a painting. Knowing this was not the aim at the start of the workshop, and that it is not a competition to see whose painting turns out the best took away any pressure and encouraged a learning environment.  I left the workshop excited, motivated, full of knowledge and prepared to try to move my paintings to a new level.
I highly recommend attending one of her workshops if you can.  I am grateful to Susan for all she shared with us as a class.  She puts a lot of devotion and hard work into the preparation of her workshops.

[Renee]

I was also blessed to have attended the July 2009 workshop in Bend OR. I could type in all that is in my heart but Becky has already said it all.
Meeting Susan and attending the workshop was for me a dream come true. I believe I have been taught by the best!

[Maylon]

I have just received Susans DVD`s and LOVE them. I am so jealous as there is no way I will ever make one of those seminars. The dvd`s have taught me a lot and I am thrilled with them. I will be watching them many times over. Susan Thanks