Watercolor Conversations with Cara Brown
The observations and thoughts of a watercolorist and mentor/teacher to others who are, as she is, devoted to this painting medium. Join Cara for her stories of life and art-making, the intersection inbetween and the wisdom she discovers along the way.
Episodes
45 episodes
Taking another look at color
We started this series with color. Now, with several episodes of painting experience behind us, we come back to it — and it looks different from here.This episode draws from my second color workshop - where we limit the paints we work wi...
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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11:33
Lost and Found in the Details
My antidote for overwhelm. If when faced with a complicated section of a painting, you've thought: how on earth am I going to paint this? — this episode is for you. It's the other half of the Making it Real pair of wo...
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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11:43
3D in a 2D world - making your subjects pop
This episode is one half of the Making it Real workshops from Watercolor Basics and Beyond. Creating volume — when it seems like you could reach out and actually grab the subjects of a painting. In order to do so, we...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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13:57
Painting a fuzzy background
Besides "the light," a characteristic of my paintings are my out-of-focus backgrounds. I'm asked often how to make this happen. I this episode I share my thoughts - about working with the paint and brushes to make distinct sha...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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12:47
Painting the effects of light
The illusion of light in our paintings is a magical thing. Using just contrast between dark and light - and the subtleties of relative shades between, we can create a world. In this episode, the forth in our series, hear how i...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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13:52
Shape Shade Color - Giving your inner critic a job
In this next stop we head inside - our brains and our perception. Our brains are brilliant shortcut machines — and when we're painting, that can get completely in the way. This episode is about how we see — or rather, how we can learn to ...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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12:35
It's still ALL about the water!
This is the second episode in this series - all about the water. Watercolor isn't watercolor without water — and yet it's the water that trips most of us up. In this episode I share three principles I keep coming back to, what I think of ...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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17:20
Getting intimate with color
We begin with color — not as a set of rules, but as a relationship. I don't teach color theory, I teach color practice. I can think of no better way to start - especially if you are starting from scratch, than what I share her...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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19:27
A new series of episodes - a walk through my teaching!
I made something for you! My first intentional series of Watercolor Conversation episodes. They are a visit to the ideas and information I share in my regular workshops. Teaching from me - right here - for you to take on the g...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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7:08
Mameen - A poem that calls us forth
I take a bit of a departure in this episode. I share my thoughts about a poem called "Mameen" by David Whyte. When I first read it, this poem reflected for me the remarkable life of my friend Vicki - Dr. Victoria Bentley - and the c...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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16:29
What comes of a promise and putting myself in learning mode
I share the outcome of this past summer's 92 Days of Watercolor and a project I embarked upon to paint more loosely. I was inspired by a long-ago painting that came back to me. The idea came to me that I could paint eleven more pain...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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9:52
Left and Right Brain - who's in charge?
In this episode I share how I find continued value in the way Iain McGilchrist's book The Master and His Emissary reframed my understanding of our left and right brains - not only as it applies to our creative process and working with ...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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17:23
Blessings to bolster the courage to make YOUR art
In this - a little bit longer episode - I share the story behind writing my interpretation of The Beatitudes - eight ancient teachings - for those of us who dare to create. My wish is to support us in creating with our singular visi...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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24:03
Composition - putting it together
Here's an art-making-oriented episode - a practical one. I'm sharing my thoughts on how it is that I decide the form of my paintings - my process of composing a painting. I don't follow rules, I don't even think too much. I...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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14:35
Today is Easter Saturday - Republished
Doing all this myself, this was bound to happen. A big silent space ended up right in the middle. It's now fixed. I'm sharing this one again, with a short intro and update on an interaction I had with the mailman that I...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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14:27
What brings us alive
We get crucial life-fuel from what lights us up. I am here to say that doing what brings us alive is worth the effort to carve out time for. This episode was inspired by a recent experience where I felt this kind of energy - and it ...
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Season 2
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14:29
Starting at the beginning - with paint!
I get really practical in this episode. I share with you the very best way to start out your watercolor experience - as well a great exercise if you've been painting forever and what is in all those tubes is still somewhat a mystery.<...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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15:29
I just don't know
A recording I made in the swirl of uncertainty that so many of us humans are feeling at this time. Speaking for myself - I'm compelled to know - to understand, to be able to predict what will happen. It's a comfort. I...
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12:55
Imaginal Cells
I just discovered a recording I made - and then in the swirl of my life this past summer, I completely forgotten about. It was late one night and I was in the car with the dog, while waiting at the emergency. I was prompted to share it he...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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12:38
Painting in the Present Moment
Recorded early one morning while on vacation at the end of a supercharged summer, sitting on the shores of Lake Tahoe. A rare moment of solitude on vacation, shared with you, including reflections on my experience of committing to paint e...
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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13:20
The power of commitment
A short-ish episode to update you on how my 92 Days of Watercolor are going, amidst a life that suddenly became very full of everything else besides art. While recording the previous episode I was inspired to spontaneously make a c...
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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7:50
Commitment and Creative Confidence
In this episode I share some fresh thoughts about something that I was left wondering about at the time I was writing my online journal every week. Something came to me early one morning that I jumped out of bed to share. It...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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10:43
Trusting your own rhythm
Another episode exploring the challenge of time and attention for our creative work in our lives. I take the "both-and" point of view in debates. We do need to corral ourselves to get to our studios, *and* there are natural rhythms ...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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13:43