Longtimers Productions
and
The Monterey County Office of Education
present
Life In The Arts
Watercolor Painting at the Carmel Mission
with Rollin Pickford
Learn how to do watercolors at the Carmel Mission with Rollin Pickford. Hear stories from local historian, Linda Yamane on the life of the Ohlone Indians during the early days of the California Missions!
LIVE AND INTERACTIVE! REGISTER Wednesday, September 15th, at 10:30 AM
Is there a watercolorist or a storyteller in your classroom?
(Repeated on Sunday, September 19th at 6:00 PM & Wednesday, September 22nd at 10:30 AM)
There is a life in the arts, and now your students will be able to watch a professional artist at work from the television studios of KMST-TV Studios in Salinas.
Guests include Rollin Pickford, a local watercolorist who has been creating watercolors on the Monterey Peninsula for over thirty years. Together, with television
personality and series host Maia Carroll, they will introduce your students to watercolors on location at Carmel Mission.
¥ Learn techniques in basic watercoloring
¥ Learn how one watercolorist is inspired by nature
¥ Learn how to keep art alive in your life through teaching
¥ Learn by viewing an Artist at work in plein air.
Local Ohlone historian, Linda Yamane describes what life was like inside the Carmel Mission for the Ohlone Indians. Linda also sings original Ohlone songs which she learned from recordings on wax cylinders which were recorded in 1902 by the last surviving members of the Ohlone tribe.
BACKGROUND:
All forms of creation begin with an idea. This initial idea when filtered through different forms of medium whether it is
sculpture, oil painting or cartooning can provide a new understanding of ourselves and the world around us. This is an important
objective for artists and is especially critical for those working in a visual and emotional medium. Meeting the artists that live
within our own community and viewing their work is important today if not vital for the young artist. The arts are in danger
today and it is for this reason that students need to be provided with rich life experiences. It is after all, the artists whose skills
are being developed today, who will be making an impact on the arts of tomorrow.
PROGRAM GUEST
Rollin Pickford always knew he wanted to be an artist. He has been painting the California landscape
for over sixty years. He spent his early years drawing, cartooning and painting, and studied art at Stanford
University (B.A. 1931). It was at Stanford and in the rural areas of the San Joaquin Valley that he first enjoyed
painting landscapes outdoors in the hills, fields, and orchards. Later he painted nearly every summer on the
Monterey Peninsula, where the ocean and shore became his motif.
Dividing his time between his home in Fresno and the Central Coast, he is devoted to painting the
diverse landscapes of California. Nearly every day of the year, outdoors, in all kinds of weather, he works
assiduously to capture the light and atmosphere of a place. As he paints, sitting among dune grasses or
crouched behind sea-sprayed rocks, he experiments tirelessly with watercolor. His paintings are never
entirely literal nor are they purely non-objective. In each one, the watery feel of his medium is present. One of
his goals has been to record the beauty of rural California, to preserve its pristine treasures before it is completely
developed and paved over. He is fond of saying, "Painting is a means of communication, independent of
language, which allows me to share vital experiences with others. I try to use nature as a metaphor for human values."
SUGGESTED READING LIST:
BOOKS
SARGENT'S WATERCOLORS
by Donelson Hoopes
JOHN MARIN
by Cleve Gray
CEZANNE WATERCOLORS
by John Coplans
SPLASH I AND SPLASH II
by Greg Albert et al
MAGAZINES
WATERCOLOR
published quarterly by American Artist Magazine
AMERICAN ARTIST
Go to your library to look for the work of these artists:
ANDREW WYETH
PAUL CEZANNE
VINCENT VAN GOGH
WINSLOW HOMER
JOHN SINGER SARGENT
JOHN MARIN
JAPANESE AND CHINESE WATERCOLORISTS
FOCUS QUESTIONS
After you watch the program, respond to these questions, either in a group discussion or written paper:
Have students orally describe every detail of the landscape they see outside (or one in their minds.)
1) California is developing quickly and more people move here every day. Why is painting the natural landscape of California important?
2) What can we learn from older artists?
3) What can we learn by visiting an art museum or reading a book about an artist?
FOLLOW-UP CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
Have students try a watercolor landscape painting, either by working outdoors and painting what they see, or by imagining a
familiar or invented landscapes they like. Tell students to use their creative imagination to change sizes, colors, and positions of
things, or even leave things out. Support them in trying to capture the light, atmosphere, and feeling of the place rather than to paint it exactly how it looks. Landscape artists always interpret and edit nature.
CAREER CORNER
School to Work Transition
The service sector offers a myriad of career opportunities for people with a variety of talents, skills and abilities. Here are some
examples. Pick one thatinterests you and explore it as a career possibility. What does the person do on a daily basis? What
educationalbackground and work experience is necessary? Whereis the work done? What are the rewards? You may be surprised
by what you find!
Current career information can be found on the Internet as well as at your school Career Center. You may want to interview a
member of the community that is currently working in one of these professions.
Graphic Design (Production Artist, Designer, Art Director)
Web Site Design
Illustrator
Photography
Digital Imaging
Advertising
Publishing
Animation
Marketing
BASIC WATERCOLOR TECHNIQUES:
TO EXPERIMENT AND EXPLORE
Materials:
MEDIUM-SIZE WATERCOLOR BRUSHES (#8 OR #10),
one per student
PALETTE OF WATERCOLORS
WATERCOLOR PAPER (SULFITE PAPER CAN BE USED INSTEAD),
CUPS FOR WATER
PAPER TOWELS OR TISSUE FOR BLOTTING
LESSON PLAN:
Our objective is to give students an opportunity to explore watercolors in plein air by just viewing the watercolor techniques of
Rollin Pickford. We will keep the Carmel Mission on screen for students to draw the Carmel Mission as Rollin paints it on location.
Carmel Mission by Rollin Pickford
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