Dawn Flores

I like how Dawn teaches painting, but what really makes it all work for me is the additional insights she brings.  I find her wisdom and understanding of the learning process, as well as her delight in it all, make me want to continue.  Her classes are a soft place to land, free from harsh judgments and criticisms…a place to explore.

Dawn Flores is an exceptional teacher, a great presence in the classroom.  She has wisdom, insight and experience; mixed with a sense of playfulness, a great attitude and sense of humor.  She is encouraging, yet critical, giving great advice to each student, based on their style and level of painting.

Dawn’s workshop was student driven and adjusted based on direction students wanted to go.  She went above and beyond color theory and was able to meet the needs of the wide diversity of students abilities.

Dawn's teaching methods are incredible.  Her patience is very much appreciated and her ability to let the student work through problems wonderful.

What an absolute delight and inspiration Dawn is.  I truly loved the watercolor classes I took from her, and learned more about color theory and planning an artwork than I ever imagined.  She's a superb artist with a gifted eye and hand, and with an enormous heart.

I really enjoyed Dawn’s workshop and appreciated her honest open style of teaching.  As a beginner, I learned a number of very helpful techniques.  She inspired me to take more classes and to take time to draw or paint each day.

I thought this class was exceptional.  Besides learning new watercolor techniques, upping my skills and turning out a couple of paintings I was proud to show my friends, Dawn set up an encouraging atmosphere for trying new things and taught us that frustrations and disappointments in creating art are as necessary to learning as our successful work.  She would periodically have us pause and reflect on how we were individually going about our painting, making sure that we were valuing our mistakes as well as our successes and that we were getting more skillful at not letting our fears get in the way of purposeful experimenting.  I think I learned as much about how I go about handling obstacles in life as I did about painting a picture.

Dawn’s class was fun, fast-paced and inspiring.  I’d been in a low productivity funk for months before taking it.  The day-long workshop with Dawn provided motivation and encouragement which has me back at work with my pencils, and looking forward to entering art contests again.

Dawn's classes are a joy.  As a teacher she has the ability to pull out the best in a group of people with varying levels of art experience.  She makes everyone feel welcome and valid no matter if they are a beginner, intermediate or experienced painter.  She sees to it that we learn from each other as well as adding comments that push us to challenge ourselves.  She appreciates that each of us has our own style of painting.  I enjoyed revisiting the mixing of color combinations, learning about watercolor papers and newer brands of watercolor paints.  She demonstrates using her own art works as a process for learning.  She helps us not only "see more" of the art elements within a painting, but encourages us to let loose and have fun with a theme.

Dawn is a joyful person who laughs a lot, which puts students at ease.  She appears to really enjoy life, her art and integrates her love of art with contemporary happenings in the community.  While working with each of the students individually in class she was a great listener to the students concerns and gave positive, constructive comments…Dawn appeared to have a great sense of timing— knowing when the class needed to just work on their own, versus when we needed an inspiration break with more information.  She also was very constructive when it came to critiques.  At the end of critiques, whether it be individually or as a class, I felt I knew the areas where I excelled and areas where I needed to improve.  She challenged us to go beyond our own average.

I found Dawn to be very personable and professional.  She presented demonstrations while sharing many techniques and her "little secrets" for success.  She was thorough, concise and knowledgeable about her subject.  She shared her art experiences in such a way that we all learned from them.  She took an interest in and connected to each student, on a personal and artistic level.  It was easy to see that she loved "her art" and encouraged each of us to pursue our passion.

Dawn's class was the first time I ever attempted watercolor.  Through her teaching methods, I was able to grasp the techniques needed to conceive, understand and create watercolors.  She taught me how to look at the details of a subject and transfer those details onto paper.  She also showed me how to blend colors to bring out images to reflect their true beauty.  Now watercolors are part of my life and I paint all the time.   I am in the process of being accepted in an Art League that exhibits their work throughout the area.  I am grateful to Dawn for helping me to focus on my talents.

Last year I decided to take up watercolor painting after a gap of more than forty years. Having retired from the business world, I had the time and wanted to renew my interest in creating art. So I jumped in by taking all three of Dawn's courses offered at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.  Starting with the Color Theory course, I learned useful color mixing techniques, color schemes and properties of watercolor paint. Through hands-on exercises, Dawn clearly explained the technical and practical aspects of color theory while also emphasizing creative expression.  A great learning experience, fun, not dry.  The semester long Watercolor Studio provided a combination of exercises and guidance that emphasized individual artistic expression. Dawn helped all of her students, whatever their level, find their way in creating art with watercolor. Insightful critiques, interesting ideas and a few challenges to push you along to the next level.  The weekend Crash Course in Watercolor was a excellent supplement to the studio course. It was intensive and stimulating. The format allows lots of interaction between students. Through Dawn's demonstrations and hands-on exercises I learned technique and built painting confidence.  Dawn's expertise in the medium and love of art in general makes for instruction that is both practical and inspirational. I don't think that I could have found a better way to get back into painting. I look forward to taking more classes with Dawn in the future.