Anna Spielman may be most notably a painter, but her creative vision reaches into the realm of teaching as well. She devised a method of teaching watercolor that she calls “painting in paradise.” What inspired her to explore an alternate
Anna Spielman may be most notably a painter, but her creative vision reaches into the realm of teaching as well. She devised a method of teaching watercolor that she calls “painting in paradise.”
What inspired her to explore an alternate way of teaching art? “I’ve seen so many people teach art classes where they throw students into the deep-end without proper guidance.” What Spielman observed is that adults have “had the creativity beat out of them.”
To encourage confidence and creativity Spielman took a more playful approach. “I have them wet a piece of watercolor paper and then make an accidental splatter across it.” She then has them dry the page with a hair dryer and then trace an image like a fish or flower from a photograph around the splatter.
“We use the image in a photograph to draw in pencil over the accident. The splatter becomes the ‘accidental’ design within the drawing,” she said.
Spielman uses this technique for her own creative process as well.
As a Kaua‘i resident for 10 years, Spielman taught out of her home as well as at the Lihu‘e Marriot. She’s on a self-proclaimed “sabbatical” in Maui, but will return to Kaua‘i tomorrow as the featured artist at Aloha-n-Paradise art gallery. The gallery will host a morning with the artist, 9 a.m. to noon, so members of the community have the opportunity to preview her show. Spielman will be the featured artist for the month. The art gallery and coffee shop is located in Waimea Town next to the post office.
The following week, on Sept. 8, Aloha-n-Paradise will host a party for patrons, friends and art colleagues from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Most of the paintings in this show are acrylic on canvas or watercolor on paper. A classically trained artist with an art degree from the University of Texas, Spielman has lived in Hawai‘i since 1976. She’s had exhibitions in Kona, Volcano, Hilo, Honolulu and Kaua‘i.
“Kaua‘i has been the most supportive environment I’ve ever painted in,” Spielman said.
