Education – A streamable video demonstration with Poppy Balser, CSPWC

Painting Rocks and Spray
An ONLINE streaming video watercolour demonstration

CSPWC Members and Associates $20, Non-members $25

Video available from October 1 to November 30, 2022

Learn to paint rocks and spray in watercolour from Poppy Balser.

Poppy has spent her lifetime living near the sea and studying the appearance of the water and seashore. Her extensive plein air practice has given her a deep understanding of how to paint the ocean in watercolour. This is your chance to learn from her experience.

Poppy has recorded this demonstration in a way that you can paint along, pausing the video when you need more time. She demonstrates painting both wet and dry rocks, explaining how she creates a sense of the 3D solidity and form of the seacoast. While painting seaspray, she demonstrates how to create a variety of soft and broken edges to show spray in a way that leaves her painting looking fresh and like the water is in motion. Poppy provides the reference image as well as her drawing for you to download and study from.

Register here:

Skills you will practice while completing this exercise:

  • how to plan a watercolour painting by starting with a value study in shades of grey
  • how to create soft edges in watercolour
  • how to reserve white areas in your painting
  • how to let watercolour paint work for you to imply the texture and form of spray
  • convincing colour mixing to portray water and rocks
  • how to imply the movement of foam using soft edges
  • how to use colour and value to give your painting both depth and a sense of form

Watch this trailer for the video to see what you will learn:

After purchasing your ticket, you will receive a confirmation email. After midnight on September 30th you will receive an email containing the link and password you’ll need to watch Poppy’s video demo on her website.  The email will come from the CSPWC education committee.

Please note that the video will only be accessible using the password, and only between the dates of October 1 and November 30, 2022. You can watch the video as often as you like during that period. The video is not available for download. 

For questions about this event, or if you are a CSWPC member and have not received the promo code to apply for the discount, please email education@cspwc.ca

Connecting with other watercolour painters:
Painters who do paint along with the video or are otherwise inspired by Poppy’s video are encouraged to post their work on our CSPWC Workshop Facebook Group for support and encouragement from other participants.

Supply List:
Please click HERE to download the list of supplies Poppy will be using during the Rocks and Spray demonstration.

About Poppy Balser

Poppy Balser is a plein air painter who specialises in painting the ocean. She brings her extensive outdoor experience into the studio to share how she paints seascapes. She describes her design decisions and colour choices throughout the demonstration. Her proficiency with painting the seacoast is based on years of painting on location on the shores of the Bay of Fundy.

Why should you sign up for this exercise?

Poppy Balser is a clear communicator and skilled instructor. She is eager to help watercolour artists make progress in their painting practice. She brings the skills she uses to create her award winning paintings to this video exercise.

Poppy has been published in both Watercolour Artist and Plein Air magazines and has served as faculty at the Plein Air Convention and Expo. Her work has been recognized with awards from Open Water, the Bermuda Plein Air Festival, the Plein Air Salon and the BoldBrush Painting Competition.

an artist holding a paintbrush

See more samples of Poppy Balser’s seascapes