We recently sat down for a lively conversation with the incredibly talented watercolor artist Jan Guarino. During our discussion, Jan shared insights into her artistic endeavors, teaching philosophy, and the upcoming fall painting workshop set against the picturesque backdrop of Verona and Lake Garda.
How did you start teaching?
I started a greeting card company and needed artwork, so I returned to my painting. I began taking classes and found they didn’t give me what I needed as a student. I was first asked to do art demos, and the Art League of Long Island asked me to teach a class. I didn’t think I was a teacher, but they did, so I started teaching. It was an opportunity to structure the class and teach what I initially needed but didn’t get. That teaching methodology forms everything I do. I didn’t think I was a teacher until I discovered I was. Opportunities presented themselves, and I said yes.
What is your teaching philosophy?
I looked for what I needed as a student and included that in my classes. I take a lot of workshops from big-name artists, and my growth (from classes) becomes my student’s growth. While learning painting and teaching techniques in a workshop, I observe how students receive information. I learned from observing how painting and teaching techniques work and found that my growth helps my students grow.
What do you love about teaching?
I love teaching. I call my classes “Fearless Watercolor” because I find everyone is afraid of watercolors. I love having people explore this beautiful medium, have the unexpected happen, and think, that’s okay. I’m really easy about it and help them not to worry and embrace the unexpected. It’s so fun for me to teach that way.
Why are you excited about working with Il Chiostro?
Il Chiostro always finds fabulous places to stay, and the staff to guide us are all-encompassing and so available. They care and show us magical spots to sit and paint. They take such good care of us, which does precisely what Il Chiostro promises: freeing the teacher to teach. I’ve done a workshop where I was the one responsible for everything. It’s so stressful. Working with Il Chiostro takes the stress away. I just have to show up and do what I love to do. They make it easy. The guides are excellent every time, it’s fun and joyful.
What do you hope students get out of the class?
There is a fear of watercolor and a secondary fear of plain air, so breaking down the two is an exciting process. It’s two excellent opportunities to immerse yourself in art, narrow down everything you see around you, and find the sweet spot to paint. It’s all okay.
What are you looking forward to most during the trip to Italy?
I love going to places I’ve never been. It’s an unexpected opportunity to turn a corner and see an unbelievable view. It’s the teaching and gaining the photographs to hold onto the memories. It’s painting with people I love and people I don’t know. It’s exploring a new place in the world, new food and wine, and new gelato flavors.
Anything else you’d like me to highlight?
People get caught up on the equipment to bring. I always find a spot to paint where we don’t have to bring a lot of supplies. Maybe we can use a watercolor journal or a smaller pad. We scale down everything and focus on the enjoyment of this view right in front of us.
In September, Jan will host a Fearless Watercolor workshop in Verona and Lake Garda. From the romance of Romeo & Juliet’s fabled Verona to the lakes district of northeastern Italy, join Jan as she instructs and paints within this varied landscape – medieval towns, a Roman colosseum, bustling piazzas, lakefronts, harbors, sailboat marinas! We will guide attendees through fabulous excursions to local sites to paint, eat, spritz, and visit villages to shop, all with plenty of time to paint each morning and during every excursion. This workshop has now passed.
We look forward to working with Jan again on new and inspiring writing workshops in Italy.
Jan Guarino teaches FEARLESS WATERCOLORS weekly on-line to students locally, nationally and internationally, weekly in-person at the Huntington Arts Council, with workshops at The Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, at the Landgrove Inn in Vermont, and the Palm Beach Watercolor Society in Florida.
As a watercolorist, Jan longs to embrace all the wonderful things this medium has to offer, blossoms, drips, unexpected things that happen – lost edges, movement of pigment that make watercolors so scare. As a teacher Jan wants to share this passion of watercolor techniques, theories and joy with all of her students, hoping that they find enjoyment in interpreting their world with color by embracing the unexpected and be fearless.
Jan has exhibited at the Heckscher Museum, the William Reis Gallery, the Huntington Arts Council, the Long Island Museum, the Art League of Long Island, The Art Guild and is a permanent artist at The Firelyfly Gallery in Northport, NY.
She’s a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology and had a 45 year career in graphic design. Recently retired from that, she looks forward to focusing entirely on painting and teaching.