Acacia Winters
Acacia Winters
701-610-3592
acaciaphotographymn@gmail.com
Facebook @Acacia’s Art Duh + Photography and
Instagram @acaciasartduh
Acacia lives in Thief River Falls and offers a Visual Art Residency with a focus on observation
Acacia with students
Acacia Winters is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist working in watercolor, gouache, acrylic, oil, pen, and digital mediums. Her favorite and most practiced medium is watercolor and gouache, which she works in daily. She grew her skills through dedicated practice beginning in 2022, and believes that being self-taught is a genuine strength that means she understands the process of learning from the very beginning.
Acacia lives in Thief River Falls and draws inspiration from the natural world. She has spent a lifetime exploring by hiking, camping, and traveling across the United States. Her work centers on pines, water, rocks, and the quiet details of northern landscapes, and is intentionally joyful, designed to pull people into the same wonder she feels when she is outside paying close attention. She is also a photographer, and photography informs the way she teaches others to observe before they paint.
Acacia has taught painting workshops in Thief River Falls and is passionate about building creative community. Her teaching philosophy is simple: anyone can paint, the natural world is full of inspiration, and you do not have to be good at something to start.
Original art by Acacia Winters
“Art has always been the place I go to find joy. I want students to know that place starts right outside the door — all you have to do is notice it. Art is something you grow into, not something you arrive with. Every student who walk into a residency leaves knowing they are capable of making something beautiful.”
Acacia Winters working with a student
Observation Based Painting Residency
Objective Students will develop observational skills by studying rocks through touch and sight, learn to break complex shapes into manageable forms, explore light and shadow through timed drawing, and apply basic watercolor and gouache techniques to create a finished original painting.
Final Project A finished 5”x7” watercolor and gouache painting of a rock stack, built from their own observation and sketches. Students will share their work with the class, reflecting briefly on their inspiration and process. With permission, pieces will be displayed in the space as a mini gallery, wax sealed and returned to the artist after the show.
Multi-session 4 Session Format
Ages: 10+
Time/Duration: ~45–60 min per session
Session 1: Slow looking
Introduce the project and the idea of observation as an art skill.
Students spend 20 min handling rocks — sorting, stacking, feeling weight and texture, asking questions about what they notice.
Stack a final arrangement and photograph it, or choose a live reference setup to use across sessions.
First quick sketch (5 min) — shapes only, no pressure. Introduce the idea of breaking complex things into simple forms.
Session 2: Drawing & time study
Review reference photos or live setups. Brief warmup sketch.
Divide paper into 4 squares. Timed drawings: 5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes each.
Discuss what changed with more time — detail, shading, confidence. Introduce light source and how it affects shadow on rounded shapes.
Students circle their favorite sketch to use as a painting reference next session.
Session 3: Paint techniques & underpainting
Demo: watercolor basics (wet-on-wet, washes, transparency) and gouache basics (opacity, layering over dry watercolor, small details).
Students transfer their chosen sketch to a 5×7 piece of paper using graphite paper, or redraw freehand.
Apply a light watercolor wash or background layer. Discuss why we start light.
Begin first gouache layers on the rocks. Pieces dry overnight.
Session 4: Finish & share
Continue painting — add detail, refine shadows and highlights, develop background if desired.
Finishing touches with fine gouache details or watercolor glazes.
Gallery share: each student briefly talks about their inspiration and one thing they noticed or learned.
Pieces go home, or instructor collects, wax seals, and returns or mails within a few days.
Supplies for 12–15 students (max 20)
Rocks, 3–5 per student (45–100 rocks total, variety of sizes and shapes)
Watercolor paint, 1 set per 2 students (8–10 sets)
Gouache paint, 1 set per 2 students (8–10 sets)
Watercolor paper 5”x7,” 2–3 sheets per student (40–60 sheets)
Larger sketch paper, 2–3 sheets per student (40–60 sheets) plus 20–30 extra sheets for early finishers
Graphite paper, 1 sheet per student (20 sheets)
Pencils, 1–2 per student (20–40 pencils)
Erasers, 1 per student (20 erasers)
Paintbrushes, 2–3 per student in a variety of sizes (40–60 brushes)
Water cups, 1 per student (20 cups)
Paper towels, 1 roll per 4–5 students (4–5 rolls)
Wax seal kit and wax, 1 per instructor for finishing
Extra 5”x7”watercolor paper, 20–30 sheets for early finishers
