Our story is painted in layers
Beechwood began with a small table by a sunny window and a stack of cold-press paper. We build a practice of clarity: fewer tools, deliberate strokes, and patience between washes.
- Founded
- 2016
- Workshops
- 240+
- Students
- 3,800+
- Cities
- 12
Mission
We teach watercolor as a mindful practice. Minimal tools, intentional technique, and steady repetition. The result: honest washes, controlled edges, and a language of granulation that feels natural, not forced.
Values
Patience
Let layers dry. Let ideas form. Rushing muddies the palette.
Clarity
Reduce to essentials—composition, value, and timing of water.
Care
We treat tools and people with respect, welcoming all levels.
Discovery
Experimentation encourages happy accidents and real learning.
Integrity
We say what we do and do what we say, in class and in code.
Sustainability
Local papers, non-toxic pigments, long-lived tools over trends.
Timeline
Beginnings
We hosted ten curious painters at a borrowed community space. The focus: one flat wash, one graded wash, and the discipline to stop before overworking.
- First syllabus drafts on cold-press scraps.
- Community gallery evening with ten works.
Words matter. Open the Glossary.
Understand terms like wash, edge, and granulation—the heart of how we teach.
Studio principles
Observe before painting
We look for value patterns and edges before a single drop hits the paper.
Water is a timer
Timing the sheen is everything: glossy, satin, matte—each window invites a different stroke.
Minimal palette
We rely on a tight selection of pigments to teach neutral mixing and granulation control.
Dry with intention
We pause, breathe, and let capillary action finish soft transitions without over-brushing.
