Join Annelein Beukenkamp at Horsford Gardens and Nursery in Charlotte, VT, to paint among their peonies. Gather to paint en plein air to capture color and the beauty of blossoms with pigments on paper. The day starts with a demonstration describing Annelein’s approach to watercolors and her numerous techniques and tips. Pack your lunch and paint in a relaxed setting with individual attention and a “show and tell” at the end of the day. Contact Annelein to register: click here.

Please join us for the artists’ reception for the Spring Members’ Show, Spring Release!
“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” — Thomas Merton
Please bring a refreshment, savory finger food, or dessert to share. Everyone is welcome!

Business meeting, lunch, and demo with participatory component at the Lake Morey Inn, Fairlee, Vermont

9:30 am - 10:00 am - Catching up and coffee

10:00 am - 12:00 pm - Business Meeting

Includes announcements, presentation and approval of 2024 budget, elections for Board positions, discussion of exhibitions, discussion of program opportunities

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm - Buffet lunch

1:00 pm - 3:30 pm - Watercolor demo by John Dimick

The Lake Morey Inn is a delightful location for plein air painting. Bring your supplies and enjoy!

Cost is $35

The demonstration will concentrate on urban or town architectural landscapes. John will demonstrate how to work from reference photos to create a reasonably accurate drawing on the watercolor paper used in the painting. He will show how he uses tracing paper to create a value study from a black and white reference photo and will use this study to paint a grisaille underpainting on my watercolor paper. Then John will demonstrate how he uses a splash and spatter and bloom technique to create some interesting background for the painting before beginning to paint with the various colors of the piece. The goal of the day will be to create a painting that is more interesting than the original photo and to have some fun.

Sign Up Here

The Gallery at Mad River Valley Arts is hosting an opening reception for the Vermont Watercolor Society awards show in the gallery located at 5031 Main Street, Waitsfield, VT (802)-496-6682.   The President of the VWS will present the awards at the opening reception and the public is welcome.

The Gallery is open to the public Wednesdays-Saturdays 1:00-5:00 or by appointment.  The exhibition will be up October 23rd through December 16th, 2022.

The VWS Fall Meeting will be held on Sunday, September 25, 2022 at The Middlebury Inn from 10:00am-3:00pm.  A buffet lunch will be provided and we will have a painting demo from VWS' own Robert O’Brien.

From O’Brien’s website:  "I have been painting in the watercolor medium for over forty years. One of my main objectives in watercolor painting is to create light through the use of shadow. In painting ordinary images, I find a fascinating interplay between the two. The transparency of the medium helps in bringing shadows alive while allowing the light to glow." 

Register for the meeting here: https://form.jotform.com/222055236817151

Sunday, April 24th Via Zoom

More information will be sent prior to the meeting regarding registration for a Zoom link

Watercolor framing without glass!  

In the demo Lynn will go over the different ways you can mount your finished watercolor paintings onto a board or mount blank paper onto a board to paint on. Once your paper is mounted she will then show how to spray varnish and seal your paintings so you do not have to frame behind glass.
Lynn Pratt, is a signature member of VWS, AWS, NEWS

Painting & Demo by Alexis Lavine

As a dedicated and determined transparent watercolor painter, I concentrated on “plein air” painting for many years. Recently, however, I have become more of a studio painter, so I can take more time to design and craft my paintings.  This enables me to create the most impact in my work, and communicate with my viewers as effectively as possible.  To my great delight, I have discovered a new fascination with the clothed human figure, and have been focusing on telling stories, through the use of grouping, cropping, and placement of the figures within my picture plane. My painting subjects now include landscapes, florals, still lifes, as well as my figurative works.
My watercolor paintings appear to be realistic … but they are thoughtfully conceived, strategically designed, and carefully drawn around abstract shapes, values, colors, movement, and positive and negative spaces.  I believe that my approach gives my work a more contemporary feel, and results in paintings which convey my personal reaction to my subject, not merely the visual facts.
Education is tremendously important.  I earned two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree in Medical Illustration, before embarking on my path as a painter.  I continue to study art whenever possible, and I also teach painting and drawing classes and workshops.   I love to speak about art, share my experience and knowledge, and help my students achieve greater success.  Since the pandemic began, I have switched to online teaching and think that it is a tremendous way to teach and to learn!
   Recently honored as “One to Watch” by Watercolor Artist Magazine, I am also a signature member of several professional associations, most notably the National Watercolor Society, Watercolor USA Honor Society, and Transparent Watercolor Society of America.  My paintings can be found in galleries from the Mid-Atlantic region and south to the Virgin Islands.
I am looking forward to meeting the members of the Vermont Watercolor Society soon, and sharing my love of watercolor via a demo filled with info and inspiration!
www.alexislavineartist.com
 

VWS FALL BUSINESS MEETING

& DEMO by Don Andrews

The 2021 VWS Fall Business and Demo meeting will be held via Zoom on Sunday, October 24th. After the business meeting there will be a demo by Don Andrews.
Don is a nationally known watercolor artist and workshop instructor. He is a graduate of Ringling School of Art in Sarasota, Florida and a resident of Bastrop, Texas.
Don is an active member and past board director of the American Watercolor Society. His paintings have received numerous awards in national watercolor competitions, including three awards from the American Watercolor Society.
Don has conducted painting workshops throughout the United States, and Europe for over 35 years. He is the author of three books, and twelve videos on painting in watercolor and is featured in the Watson Guptill publication"Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Watercolor"; and has had numerous feature articles published in the Watercolor issue of American Artist Magazine.
Registration and links will be available closer to the date.

Spring Member Event
May 23, 1:00pm to 4:30pm

The meeting will be held using an online video conference on ZOOM! Last Fall’s Zoom membership meeting was a great success, with participants commenting that they enjoyed being able to watch the painting demonstration up close. And some members painted along in their studios and kitchens as they watched.

At the Spring Event, we will have a presentation by Susan Shear, an Art Industry Consultant.  She will discuss such matters as how to move your painting from a hobby to a livelihood and how to use the internet to promote your art.  Afterwards, we will have a painting demonstration by Rick Surowizc.

There is no fee for this year's meeting!  All you have to do is RSVP at this link.  Once you register, you will receive an email with the Zoom video conference info.

Thank you all!  We look forward to seeing you online this year!

Brief Agenda

1:00 pm – Susan Shear, Art Industry Professional, Presentation on Taking your art to the next level.

2:30 – Artist’s Demonstration by Rick Surowiz