John Carollo’s distinctive and flowing approach to watercolor and silk technique has been considered unusual by many viewers, especially those who have found the medium itself to be extremely challenging and unforgiving of a misplaced brush stroke. Calling on his experience as an improvisational theater performer, John presents lively and entertaining workshops and demonstrations which gives insight into how he creates his effects and encourages participants to conquer their fears and let the paint flow freely.
Workshops and demonstrations can be tailored to a variety of age and skill ranges, and John’s goal is for every participant to leave feeling they have expanded the range of possibilites of their own work.
John’s Collaborating with Watercolor series of workshops helps students overcome their fears of what can sometimes be considered a daunting medium, and is an excellent one-day class to host at art schools, museums and art centers.
The theme of the workshop was inspired by how often John hears comments from people about how “hard,” “unforgiving,” and “frustrating” the medium can be, cleverly summed up in the famous response to a question by Impressionist artist Edgar Degas:
…when asked by a woman what kind of watercolors she should buy her son, his reply was that she would be safer buying the child a revolver.
Following the lead of the flowing paint, an approach John uses extensively in his distinctive Controlled Chaos painting style, can be freeing, therapeutic, and a lot of fun. Students will be encouraged to try new techniques and develop their own through trial and error which may open possibilities they may not have previously considered. The goal of the end result is a true collaboration between artist and independently minded paint, with each sharing the responsibility of the journey to create an interesting, and often unexpected, final product.
A sampling of the positive feedback John has received from the workshop is below:
“I enjoyed your workshop on Sunday and would register for another workshop or class with you at Crealde. Your artwork is wonderful and your teaching very kind and supportive.”
“Thank your so much for teaching the class and for all of the helpful info. from it! I learned a lot and had more fun than I expected to. I’ve been incorporating some of what I learned in my own watercolor practice and I’m really happy with the results. It’s definitely different than I would have done before.”
“This was great. Thank you so much! What an incredibly challenging day.“
“I showed the painting I did in your workshop to my watercolor classes and they thought it was amazing! Thank you again for sharing your techniques!”
John’s next scheduled workshop, “Collaborating with Watercolor: The Human Figure” is scheduled for March 6, 2027 at the Crealde School of Art in Winter Park, FL This one-day class will focus on a collaborative approach to the medium, where both artist and paint share control to help unlock unique atmospheric and transparency effects. Students will then apply the approach to creating expressive impressions of one of the most interesting of subjects – the human figure.Through demonstrations and discussion, students will discover the surprising, therapeutic results they can achieve by letting the flow of the paint take the lead. This page will be updated with a registration link when it is available.
Contact John for more information on scheduling an appearance or workshop for your group or venue.
