Water Lilies in Watercolor with Dani Knoph

Water Lilies in Watercolor with Dani Knoph

Class | Available

Intermediate, 16+
6/4/2026-6/5/2026
10:00 AM-3:00 PM EDT on Th Fri
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$185.00
Member Discount Available

Water Lilies in Watercolor with Dani Knoph

Class | Available

If lily pads make you want to pick up a paintbrush, this is the workshop for you! Through guided practice, this 2-day watercolor workshop is designed to help you build the skills and confidence to paint semi-abstract, elegant waterscapes. Working in a friendly and encouraging studio space, you’ll experiment with techniques to interpret lily pads, flowers and water—all inspired by Northern Michigan. Build knowledge and skills through a series of demonstrations and guided exercises. Day one we’ll discuss style by observing the works of accomplished watercolor artists, techniques for loosely drawn compositions, and laying down washes. You’ll learn about native Michigan lily pads and create a postcard study from a photograph. You’ll practice techniques for masking and layering. On day two you’ll draw a larger composition and practice techniques to bring your own rendition of water lilies to life.

Intermediate Level, ages 16+

**Recommended supplies: Participants are welcome to bring their own watercolor materials to work with, however all materials will be provided.

·       Watercolor paper, size 9? x 12? or 11? x 15?

·       Tubes of watercolor paint: For a full array of colors, a good place to start is by purchasing one 5ml tube of each: Winsor yellow, yellow ochre, Chinese or titanium white, cadmium red, phthalo blue, viridian green (**Two high-quality brands are Winsor & Newton and Grumbacher)

Knoph Davis, Dani
Dani Knoph Davis

Dani Knoph Davis is a wildlife artist based in Northern Michigan. 

Making time to be in nature and learn about Michigan wildlife inspires Dani’s work. Her detailed watercolor illustrations are an expression of reverence for wildlife and ecology. Growing up in Michigan, Dani cherished time on the lake, looking for bass and turtles, observing tiny clams and snails making marks in the sand, and searching for Monarch caterpillars in the meadows. After attending the School of Art & Design at the University of Michigan, Dani relocated to Seattle. Inspired by historical artists of natural history, such as Maria Sibylla Merian, she began learning the process of layering transparent watercolor washes after graduating art school in 2009. She illustrated and sold her first collection of Pacific Northwest salmon paintings at Urban Hardwoods in Seattle in 2012. 

In the summer of 2012, Dani felt like a salmon, and so she returned to the place where she was born, Michigan. She launched her art studio in 2017 and calls Northern Michigan 'Home'. She continues to develop a large collection of Michigan wildlife illustrations including trout, turtles, butterflies, birds, flowers, and trees. Prints of her wildlife illustrations can be found at specialty shops and galleries in Michigan.

Dani received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Michigan and studied painting at the Glasgow School of Art.