Red Smock Studio is located inside the beautiful Old Orchard Gallery in Webster Groves, Missouri.
Why the name Red Smock Studio? The red smock in my memory represents joyful anticipation of creating. Rather than being tied to a particular location, the “red smock feeling” of clothing yourself in joyful anticipation can travel with you, no matter where you choose to paint.
My earliest memory of painting is at age 3, in pre-school. I distinctly remember holding out my arms so that the teacher could dress me in a bright red smock, which meant it was time to stand at the easel and paint - my favorite time of day!
The smell of the tempera paints, the feel of the brush dipping into the various containers of color, and the sound of the brush moving across the paper felt magical to me. These “magical scribbles” would make their way to the “gallery” (the refrigerator door at home), held there by magnets, until the next scribble was ready to take its place.
“Putting on the cloak” to get ready to paint was exciting. In some ways, I still enjoy mentally “dressing for the occasion”, when preparing to paint. This preparing can take various forms - putting on favorite music, pouring a cup of coffee or tea (and yes, I still dip a paintbrush into my coffee instead of the water container by mistake, but what the heck!), meditating, etc.
Red Smock Studio is a place where you can dip your brushes into paint and explore! I invite you to join me at the easel: I will be offering watercolor classes this fall. This class is for beginners who have little or no experience in watercolor. We will talk about various supplies and techniques. Please contact me for details.
