Learn to Paint

“I have found many new and needed ways of working in watercolors, specifically the prep work… I never had lessons that included these steps, only workshops that were demos, then you were on your own, then a time of critique. Found out ideas that should have been done before I painted. So now I feel I’m on a good new track.” (Carol Durkee, Waterville, ME)

“Carol’s in-depth teaching and mastery of traditional painting methods changed my life and empowered me to pursue my career goals as an artist. At a key moment in my artistic development, she offered me simple, structured, and systematic lessons. They began by building on the foundations of drawing, perspective, and composition. We practiced figure drawing, from 30 second gesture drawing to detailed graphite illustrations. As my skills grew, that transitioned into color theory, paint mixing, and brushwork. After many months of intense study, once my skills in drawing and oils were ready, we went out into the field to train and capture the essence of traditional plein air painting! 

“This style of pedagogy and one-to-one supportive coaching had never been accessible to me as a young art student before, and I don’t know anywhere else to find it.  The joy of painting with Carol is that she will paint alongside you, clearly and compassionately demonstrate the techniques and steps involved, give you space to work through the learning phases, and follow-up and support you when you have questions, or run into challenges in your composition.  She even taught me as a young art student of to properly stretch, size, and prime my own canvas, a rare skill to find these days amongst the average college bound art student.

“When I began as her student, she reviewed all my past artwork and paintings, and determined what we would need to focus on to help me develop a professional and competitive painting portfolio.  She showed me the rich and complex history of painting in oils; painting from life, and helped us to understand the context within which our modern work will live.  Most importantly, Carol, like any good teacher knew when to give space to a young painter like me, and allowed for the natural growth and development of a lifelong artistic expression.  In the end, after two years studying at the Douglas Studios, weekends, and after school, the portfolio I prepared was accepted by all seven of the art schools I applied to, and I received a sizable merit scholarship to attend the Rhode Island School of Design, the number one art school in the country.

“When I arrived and met my classmates and began in foundations year, I realized that very few of the incoming students had had an opportunity to receive this traditional type of art training that I had with Carol. That early school work demonstrated that my drawing and color theory skills were far ahead of the curve, and I was very well equipped to deliver quality projects and work, and receive strong grades and professor reviews.  Whenever anyone asks me  about why and how I became a professional painter, and so successful at a young age, in the New York City art world  I always tell them the incredible story  of a master painter named Carol Douglas, who showed me a thing or two and then cut me loose with a paint brush and palette.” (Matthew Menzies, New York, NY)