Watercolor Abstracts with Richard Hutman

Join Studio Artist in Residence Richard Hutman to unlock some of the rich potential waiting to be discovered in scrap paper, an eyedropper and watercolors. Here's a chance to leave your own mark - create a painting or pattern of colors of your own! Works will be collected and displayed at the Studio and in the culminating exhibition on 6/13. Use of scrap paper frees you to play with color and pattern with no restrictions. Selected watercolors, with permission, will be utilized as facing decoration for Hutman's Lost City project.

Ancient sites and cultures throughout the world have decorated their architecture with human figures, animals, battles, and geometric designs. Think of the tombs of Egypt, Persepolis in Persia, Palenque in the Yucatan, ancient ruins of Greece and Rome, and the Alhambra in Granada. Like them, Richard Hutman's Lost Cities are covered with a variety of decorations - from pencil drawings to photographs and paintings, many with bold colors and textures.

Short classes make parking a breeze! $1 for 2.5 hours at Structure 6, right around the corner.

Richard Hutman studied architecture at Cornell and urban design at Washington University in St. Louis. For years he grappled with complex projects like the Getty Center, and between building projects he travelled to distant lands in search of ancient cities. Drawing, painting and travel went hand in hand: discovering remote civilizations, sacred sites, hidden villages - and the people that inhabit them. On his way he used sketching and watercolor as a way to engrave these experiences in his memory. In 2010, his interests converged, catalyzed by a unique piece of folded paper - which he soon combined to create a modular sculpture, then added his surface designs to make a three-dimensional form evocative of his travels. As a paper artist, he searches for and creates Lost Cities of the imagination. Six variations, 40 works, and five Lost Cities later, the search continues!

Hutman will be working in the Studio from April 15 to June 15, 2015 on a new Lost City project inspired by the hidden corners of Santa Monica, and leading weekly workshops on the theme of 'A Search for Lost Cities.' Regardless of prior artistic experience, just bring your energy, imagination and curiosity to enjoy these workshops. Experience firsthand the elusive possibilities awaiting discovery in simple things - like a letter-size piece of paper. richardhutman.com

The 1450 Ocean Studio Artist Residency was created to introduce the public to artists and artisans working within and between the worlds of fine art and craft. Residents share their work with the public both informally and through workshops and master classes. To join the Artist Opportunity list and get occasional alerts about Residencies and other project and proposal calls for artists through the City of Santa Monica, or to view current calls, please visit the Cultural Affairs website.