Barbara Tapp - Plein Air Watercolor
October 7-10, 2026
Sons of the Utah Pioneers, 3301 E Louise Ave, Millcreek, UT 84109
Non-Members - $400
UWS Members - $320*
*Be sure to enter discount code sent in UWS email when checking out to get member pricing.
What to Expect
Expect hands-on fun, supportive environment, and a mix of structured activities and open play. This is a space where painters can move, make, imagine, and grow.
Dates
October 7, 2026 - October 10, 2026
Time
9:00am - 4:00pm MDT
Location
3301 E Louise Ave, Millcreek, UT 84109
Workshop Overview - Notes from the Presenting Artist
We will spend the first day indoors with a presentation and discussing of all I consider when painting outdoors, concerning perspective, composition, shadows and values, working in pencil, black and white and color. Students will paint from provided reference photos.
The second day will be outdoors focusing on smaller scenes / stories within larger subjects where I will demonstrate and students will paint their own works.
Returning to the studio on the third day I will demonstrate different technical approaches in watercolor with a focus on drawing throughout a painting and how to complete a painting. Students will work from provided photographs or from our cell phones for reference.
The fourth day we will be outdoors painting looking for stories in larger landscapes with time to experiment and paint architecture in the landscape.
I am very excited to share my journey as an artist and look forward to being with you all.
Meet the Instructor
Barbara Tapp is an award-winning Australian-born watercolorist known for her vibrant plein air paintings of landscapes, seascapes, and urban environments. After a 38-year career as an architectural illustrator and travel-book illustrator, she turned her focus to watercolor, combining strong drawing and perspective skills with expressive, transparent washes. Her work reflects her curiosity about people, places, and the stories found in everyday surroundings.
Artist Statement
I love the transparency of watercolor and painting Plein Air is my passion. I am an observer of life searching for natural arrangements in nature or in manmade environments, this stems from a career as an architectural renderer.
My curiosity drives me.
I am a storyteller and every painting has an intent.