Meditative Watercolor

Discover peace through the fluid rhythm of watercolor. Learn calming, foundational techniques, soft color blending, and intentional brushwork with professional artist Ronna Fujisawa. Each multi-week session offers a deeply relaxing, contemplative studio experience perfect for all skill levels, from absolute beginners to practicing painters. All premium painting materials are included in the tuition fee.

Class Times: 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. on Tuesdays
Tuition per Session: Resident $88 / Non-Resident $132 (Materials included)

Session 1: Skies & Reflections

Immerse yourself in the calming behavior of water and pigment. This three-week session focuses on the classic wet-on-wet watercolor technique, teaching you how to control moisture levels on your paper to paint soft, bleeding gradients. Watch vibrant colors blend seamlessly on the page as you capture the atmospheric light, morning mists, and dramatic Pacific Northwest sunsets mirrored perfectly across still coastal and river waters.

Topics Covered:

• Mastering fluid wet-on-wet washes for seamless, luminous sky gradients
• Understanding color relationships to paint realistic, glowing PNW twilight palettes
• Techniques for rendering soft, undulating reflections and water ripples

Dates: Tuesdays, 9/15, 9/22, & 9/29
Event Code: 34838

Session 2: Rustic Barns

Explore the quiet charm of regional history and changing seasons. In this block, you will gently merge technical drafting with expressive, meditative painting. Learn accessible approaches to linear perspective to structure historic rural architecture, alongside specialized dry-brush and lifting techniques to depict the tactile textures of weathered wood, stone, and historic autumn landscapes fading into gold.

Topics Covered:

• Simplified structural perspective and linear drafting layouts for buildings
• Creating realistic textures like rough-hewn wood grain, rust, and seasonal foliage
• Using tonal contrast, light, and shadow to ground structures naturally within a landscape

Dates: Tuesdays, 10/13, 10/20, & 10/27
Event Code: 34839

Session 3: Trees & Mountains

Find your focus by capturing the majestic scale of the Cascades. This final fall session guides you through strategic brushwork to construct depth and atmosphere. You will practice loading and angling your brush to easily paint dense, misty evergreen forests, layered alpine ridgelines, and towering mountain peaks. Discover how leaving intentional white space can beautifully represent high-altitude snowfields and low-hanging mountain fog.

Topics Covered:

• Strategic brushwork patterns for painting realistic pine, fir, and hemlock silhouettes
• Creating atmospheric perspective (the illusion of distance) through soft, layered color values
• Using paper preservation and precise edge control to render alpine snow and shadows

Dates: Tuesdays, 11/17, 11/24, & 12/1
Event Code: 34840

About the Instructor:
Ronna Fujisawa is a watercolor and mixed-media artist, art educator, and outdoor enthusiast based in Portland, Oregon. She earned her MFA in Applied Craft and Design from Oregon College of Art and Craft / Pacific Northwest College of Art, and a BFA in Painting from Miami University. Her work often reflects a quiet, contemplative energy, with sensitive explorations of landscape, birds, and natural forms. 

Visit her website: Salty Water Art — https://saltywaterart.com/ 
Instagram: @saltywaterart

Past Classes Archive

The following previous topics from this season are now complete. Please contact the program desk to be placed on an interest list for future repeats of these themes.

Painting Pacific Northwest Birds

An intimate, three-week foundational watercolor session held in April 2026. Students explored the delicate anatomy, fine feather details, and distinct characters of local avian species. Instructor Ronna Fujisawa guided participants through balancing realistic proportions, choosing rich color palettes, and using intentional, single-stroke brushwork to bring local wildlife to life on paper without overworking the medium.