Awash on the Web: Irish artist Dermot Cavanagh harnesses the web to offer painting courses at home
Belfast, Northern Ireland, December 3rd, 2007 - ‘Awash on the Web’ (
www.awashontheweb.com) is new learn-to-paint portal that offers step-by-step video tutorials on how to paint with water colors. The site was launched to art-lovers at the recent Arts & Materials Live Exhibition in the UK.
For its creator, Dermot Cavanagh, who is from County Tyrone, Awash on the Web is a spin-out from his hugely successful BBC TV program, ‘Awash with Color’, in which he taught a host of celebrities like boxing superstar Barry McGuigan, singer Brian Kennedy and country and western star George Hamilton IV.
“Awash on the Web came about through a desire to offer more people the opportunity to learn how to paint. I offer one-to-one tuition and painting holiday courses – but with the web site people who love Ireland and love painting can learn in their own homes. With the high penetration of broadband across the world now, I knew the internet could extend our reach. Thanks to support from the Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment here in Northern Ireland (see
www.crea8ivity.com) I was able to bring this idea online. And we can hardly believe the massive volume of interest the site is attracting already.”
“The site offers true interactivity to painting enthusiasts everywhere. It allows the user to take part in a series of water color workshops and tutorials, lets them pause and rewind and work through those very same paintings featured on the TV series at their own leisure, as well as download sketches from which to paint.”
Within the first suite of site tutorials, Dermot is filmed showcasing the classic beauty of local landscapes such as Peatlands Park and the Argory in his home county, Tyrone and Cong in Co Mayo – the very place that John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara were filmed for the movie The Quiet Man.
Dermot walks the user from initial sketching to applying the finishing touches, including all the finer detail which up to now would only have been available through a personal painting workshop with him. The site offers the user the opportunity to learn how to sketch, paint skies, master trees and foliage and create depth.
Awash on the Web is aimed at artists of all ages and abilities – acting as an easy to follow introduction to the water color medium but also includes tips and tricks for the more advanced painter.
Awash on the Web will be available on a free trial basis from launch date until 31 March 2008. Subscription prices start at £12.99 per month for 5 hours of painting tuition, along with access to the complete 74 episodes of ‘Awash with Color’ and a social community of other painters where users can share tips, recommend locations to paint and even display their own works of art.
