INSTRUCTORS, past and present
PAMELA RHODES
Pamela has taught drawing, portrait and watercolor classes for individuals, corporations and non-profits. She directs workshops in Italy, Mexico, and the States. There’s a 50’ marine-life mural in the Yucatan, several seascape murals next to the Sea of Cortez and numerous works around the world. Starting as a technical illustrator for Grumman Aerospace, now her art emphasizes portraits of people, places and our prized possessions (homes, businesses and automobiles).
The Academy offers her signature class "Learning to Draw So You Can Paint" in San Francisco, the Yucatan, and as an essential part of the Tuscany art workshop each autumn. Three-part, online workshops include “Drawing”, “Basic Watercolor” and “Portraits”. She has organized numerous educational seminars for artists, collaborating with California Lawyers for the Arts, the San Francisco Women Arts and Options Recovery Services.
She’s a patient and prepared instructor. She is committed to having each of us see all that surrounds us and then drawing, painting, and personally depicting those treasures we see. She believes that the skill of seeing, really seeing, combined with practice, results in the wondrous expression of our own personal vision.
IAN SIDAWAY
Born in Tamworth Staffordshire into a family of miners and clay workers, Ian studied graphic design and worked in advertising. He began to paint in the early 1970’s, working as a carpenter, builder and gardener in order to make a living. Throughout the 1980’s and 90’s, he painted commissioned portraits and illustrated books on art technique. He has written and produced his own books, with 32 titles to date.
He contributes to numerous magazines on art technique and is a sought after consultant. Ian is an elected member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colour. He taught several autumn, ARTroads painting workshops in Poppi, near Florence, Italy. Texture, tone and temperment were lasting lessons. His current work concentrates on the landscape in the UK and abroad. Water colour (the British spelling) is the medium that he now favors. iansidawaystudio.blogspot.co.uk
MIKE ROONEY
Known for his motto of “a painting a day”, Mike brings his enormous energy into his plein air paintings. He says, ”I love to go outside and paint in bright sunlight; the way it acts when it hits objects. One day it’s a boat in a marina. The next, it’s an urban street scene with people and cars.”
Mike shows at numerous galleries from Maine to Florida. He’s well-known for his instructional videos , and his instructor role at the “Art of the Carolina’s” workshop each year.
He teaches group classes and workshops in the US currently and has taught in Cuba and Italy . Mike offers private classes while in he’s in Key West, Florida each winter and New England in summers.
In Tuscany, we learned a lot from Mike about traveling with supplies and then Mike taught us how to just get out there and paint! https://mikerooneystudios.blogspot.com/
MICHAEL REARDON
Michael Reardon uses watercolor to record just what he sees. An architect and award-winning architectural illustrator, he’s a master of observation. He is a signature member of the American Watercolor Society, the National Watercolor Society, Watercolor West, and the California Watercolor Association.
Michael is also the author of “Watercolor Techniques: Painting Light and Color in Landscapes and Cityscapes” and numerous articles on watercolor technique. His work is exhibited nationally and internationally.
In Tuscany, his constructive critiques were the most valuable part of the workshop. His work has garnered many awards, too numerous to list here, but listed here: www.mreardon.com
RICHARD ROBINSON
Originally a graphic designer, Richard started painting full time in 2001. He is well known in New Zealand for his landscape paintings with much of his work residing now in private and corporate collections worldwide. Richard has been featured in several international arts magazines and was the opening speaker for the world’s largest plein air painting convention ever held in America.
He travels the world teaching and painting. Richard lives in and draws most of his inspiration from New Zealand.
His ARTroads Tuscany workshop instruction highlighted the Notan technique, (derived from Japanese words "no" meaning thin or watery and "tan" for heavy or thick). Richard repeatedly illustrated this interplay of light and dark values in his demonstrations and on-site paintings, emphasizing the relationship between positive and negative spaces. His plein air painting workshop introduced all of us students to the challenges and rewards of painting outdoors.
Richard is a popular and valued teacher offering instruction through in-person workshops, on line videos and through his teaching website www.mypaintingclub.com.
