Hazel Soan Workshop
Like many of us, before I knew that Hazel Soan was to be our international guest artist, I already owned several of her books.
At first glance one might ask how relevant giraffes, elephants, and lions are to New Zealand painters; as Pete James said there
aren't many left in Aotearoa. It took about thirty seconds in her class to realise that what is being painted is almost irrelevant.
We don’t paint a lion, she says; we paint a painting that may or may not be inspired by the subject.
I was privileged to be in her three day workshop in Cambridge, and others have reviewed her classes. My special privilege was to be
her guide and helper. Over the days I spent with her I came to know an extraordinary woman. I described her as ‘singular’ when I
introduced her for her demonstration in Blenheim. We discussed that word later and I stand by it (with her approval!) One definition
is this: ‘If something is extraordinary, remarkable, or one of a kind, you can say it is singular.’ She is certainly these things.
She is a consummate artist, utterly committed to her art. She is also remarkable; she is intensely fascinated by the world and has
seemingly endless energy to explore it. We spent at least an hour on the top of Mt Victoria in Wellington studying lenticular clouds.
We spent over two hours on the south coast of Wellington as she exclaimed about the light and the beauty.
Hazel’s version of singular is of her being single minded about her art. She is passionate about painting, her enthusiasm is
highly contagious. She helped me to see the world in a different way, not just as an artist but as a human being delighting in light and beauty.
by Jan Pryor
The First Two Day Marlborough Workshop
On 30 April, 18 students gathered at the Marlborough Art Society for a workshop with renowned artist Hazel Soan, many of us grasping well-read copies of her books.
Over the next 2 days, Hazel shared her extensive knowledge of the properties of the colours in her palette,
explaining how each one might capture light or move across the page. She taught us that limiting the colours
can create harmonious, yet impactful images. Hazel’s focus was on capturing movement and light rather than
replicating the detail and colour of an image.
Using this knowledge and a limited palette of 3 or 4 colours per painting, she guided us through 6 works,
demonstrating the techniques of wet-on-wet painting. She strongly encouraged us to ‘trust the watercolours.’
The result was that each student learned to capture the spirit of the subject. Of note was an image of a horse race.
Despite the complex source photo, each of us was able to create a painting displaying the vibrancy, excitement
and movement of the race.
Thank you, Hazel, for generously sharing your techniques and knowledge. I have been energised and inspired by this workshop.
The lessons I learned will certainly influence my own creations, particularly the focus on limiting my palette and capturing movement.
Thank you also to the members of the committee for organising and hosting this workshop.
by Birdie Atkins
Inspired by the Light and Hazel!
Combine world famous artist and teacher Hazel Soan with Kiwi watercolourists eager to improve their
skills, and voilà… 2 days of immersive learning and fun! Renowned for her African animal paintings,
it was fitting that our first exercise was to capture a moving elephant with a palette of just 2
colours – transparent violet and transparent yellow - colours rarely used in my normal palette! It was
mesmerizing to watch Hazel’s skilful brushwork followed by the magic of the colours subtly merging,
creating beautiful mixes and tones by themselves.
The other subjects covered were a backlit streetscape, people walking from a bird’s eye view,
a beach scene and oranges then grapes handled quite differently.
Some of Hazel’s key points which resonated with me: Trust the watercolour! Let the colours do the work!
Choose limited colours, get to know them: translucent/opaque. Minimal palette. Make sure your brush and
water are clean. Tone is exceptionally important- get that right and you’re away! The importance of
light and shade. Remember … you’re making a watercolour NOT an elephant.
Throughout the workshop Hazel enthused us with her knowledge, teaching us to learn the specific qualities
of different paints, how to construct a balanced composition, techniques to create the feeling of movement
and varied ways to use brush strokes. It was an extremely well-organised and varied workshop. Hazel brims
with enthusiasm and unlimited energy and shares this and her mastery with great charm.
by Dana Jackson
