David Smith online at VWS in November 2020

David Smith - Nostalgia

David Smith will be be giving an online demonstration to VWS members via Zoom on November 13, 14 & 15, 2020 from 9:00am to 12:00 pm. Members on our email list will receive a link via email.

David Smith

David enjoys the challenge of working in harmony with a fluid medium.  By providing the proper environment, surrendering some control, and working with the medium, the most beautiful results oftentimes occur naturally.  To keep the paintings from getting too precise, and instead, to convey a feeling of aliveness, David utilizes a number of techniques such as working wet into wet, glazing, pouring, spattering, and spraying.  These techniques not only keep the painting fresh, but produce exciting interminglings and textures effortlessly.

David’s favorite subjects tend to be found in nature and he loves to travel abroad as well as explore state and national parks for inspiration.  Depicting a subject in great light, capitalizing on the contrast developed by light and shadow, while showcasing the assortment of jewels that happen naturally through the fluid medium keeps David eager to paint his next creation.

David has studied under numerous instructors in the states and in China.  He has displayed his work in galleries and museums across the United States and his work has been awarded at the state and national level.  David has received Signature Membership with the American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society, and others.

Visit David on his website.

We hope you and your family members are safe during this pandemic.

Lian Quan Zhen’s Demo on March 11, 2021

Dear Friends,

Due to ongoing concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, Lian Quan Zhen’s visit to VWS in March 2021. He will be demonstrating in our monthly member meeting, Thursday, March 11, 2021. There will be a meet & greet from 6:30 to 7:00 pm, followed by meeting and demonstration at 7:00.

Members free. Non-members $5.

He will also teach a 3-day workshop via zoom, March 20, 21, and 22, 2020, (Saturday through Monday) from 9-4.

 

Andy Evansen visits VWS in February

Andy Evansen will be demonstrating in our monthly member meeting, Thursday, February 13, 2020. There will be a meet & greet from 6:30 to 7:00 pm, followed by meeting and demonstration at 7:00 at:

San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center
18312 Oxnard Street
Tarzana, CA 91356
Click here for directions from your location.

Members free. Non-members $5.

Andy will also teach a 3-day workshop, Friday-Sunday, February 14-16, from 9-4.

About the Artist:

Signature Member of AWS, PAPA, RRWS, TWSA

Andy Evansen’s interest in art started in childhood, as he can’t recall a time when he wasn’t drawing. He began painting watercolors in the mid 1990s as a change of pace from his career as a medical illustrator. Choosing a ‘style’ was not difficult, as Andy was always inspired by the watercolor paintings of British artists Trevor Chamberlain, David Curtis, Ed Seago and Edward Wesson, among others.

He found himself attempting to capture the landscape with the same economy of brushstroke, taking advantage of the luminosity of watercolors done in just a few washes. In addition, he was impressed with the way those artists seemed to capture everyday scenes in such a way that revealed a hidden beauty, subjects that many would simply pass by.

His work gained recognition after winning an international watercolor competition through American Artist magazine, appearing on their cover in 2005. He’s been featured in numerous other publications since, and has become a sought-after workshop instructor who paints and teaches internationally. He became a signature member of the prestigious Plein Air Painters of America (PAPA) in 2012 and served as their President from 2015-2017.  His paintings have won numerous awards, including the Bronze and High Winds Medals from the American Watercolor Society, and he was their demonstration artist for the 2018 Exhibition.  His love of painting on location also led to him being a featured presenter at the 2014 and 2016 Plein Air Conventions and inclusion in the 2017 Qingdao International Masters Watercolor Plein Air Event.

Julie Crouch visits VWS in January

Julie Crouch
Julie Crouch

Julie Crouch will be demonstrating in our monthly member meeting, Thursday, January 9, 2020. There will be a meet & greet from 6:30 to 7:00 pm, followed by meeting and demonstration at 7:00 at:

San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center
18312 Oxnard Street
Tarzana, CA 91356
Click here for directions from your location.

Members free. Non-members $5.

Julie will also teach a 1-day workshop, Sunday, January 19, from 9-4.

 

Joseph Stoddard visits VWS in May

Joseph Stoddard will be demonstrating in our monthly member meeting, Thursday, May 9, 2019. There will be a meet & greet from 6:30 to 7:00 pm, followed by meeting and demonstration at 7:00 at:

San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center
18312 Oxnard Street
Tarzana, CA 91356
Click here for directions from your location.

Members free. Non-members $5.

Joseph will also teach a 2-day workshop, Saturday-Sunday,May 11-12, from 9-4.

About the Artist:

Joseph Stoddard is a partner at SKA Design (an environmental graphics design office) located in South Pasadena. He paints in the evenings and on weekends and lives in Pasadena.

He has produced paintings for a number of Pasadena events, including the Bungalow Heaven Annual Tour, the Colorado Street Bridge Party, the Pasadena Showcase House of Design, the California Art Club Artists for Architecture Painting Project, the Pasadena Symphony and the Pasadena Pops Orchestra. His work was recently featured in the latest issue of The Art of Watercolor, a French art magazine as well as Studios magazine, and Watercolor Artist magazine. His studio was featured in The Man Cave Book.

His books include Expressive Painting, Pasadena Sketchbook, Expressive Color, and Watercolor Postcards Kit.

Visit Joseph on his website.

Cathy Quiel visits VWS in April

Cathy Quiel will be demonstrating in our monthly member meeting, Thursday, April 11, 2019. There will be a meet & greet from 6:30 to 7:00 pm, followed by meeting and demonstration at 7:00 at:

San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center
18312 Oxnard Street
Tarzana, CA 91356
Click here for directions from your location.

Members free. Non-members $5.

Cathy will also teach a 1-day workshop, Friday, April 12, 2019, from 9-4.

About the Artist:

Cathy Quiel, internationally renowned watercolorist, captures her images through a vivid application of pigment. Her paintings are represented internationally in corporate and private collections.

She has been a guest lecturer at the Riverside Art Museum and the Muckenthaler Museum in conjunction with the National Watercolor Society and Watercolor West.

Her work has been published and featured in numerous art books and publications including The Best of Watercolor III, The Artistic Touch Volumes 1, 2, 3 & 4 and North Light Publications Confident Color and The New Creative Artist. In addition her work has been featured in The American Artist, Artist and Montecito Magazines and selected for the catalog cover image for the Antioch University, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.

Although California based, Cathy Quiel’s talents are not restricted to the West Coast where she teaches through Santa Barbara City College, Schott Center. She has taught workshops in France, Italy, Malta, Mexico, the Caribbean, Bermuda, Greece and Alaska.

Cathy is known to her students as an enthusiastic instructor with a true love of sharing her subject matter. Her relaxing warmth and good humor, combined with informative and organized teaching skills, have won Cathy her student’s respect and friendship.

Visit Cathy on her website.

Jan Godachy visits VWS in May 2018

Jan Godachy joins us in May to demonstrate in our monthly meeting and to offer a one-day workshop.

Meeting and workshops are held at:
San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center
18312 Oxnard Street
Tarzana, CA 91356
Click here for directions from your location.


About Jan Godachy:

I am a self-taught artist, practicing watercolor for almost 20 years. By that I mean no formal art school, however I’ve taken lots of workshops and see a lifetime of learning with this media. I worked for Qantas Airways & Singapore Airlines for 30 years, which enabled me to take great photos of the places I’ve been.

Once they outsourced me I became the Gallery Manager at the National Watercolor Society in San Pedro for six years. I had the privilege of viewing and meeting some of the top watercolorists in the world.

I now teach watercolor on Mondays and Thursdays for the City of El Segundo’s Recreation Department and have come to find that I love teaching.

I’ve won numerous awards on a local level in Pacific Art Guild, El Segundo Art Association, Torrance Art Guild, and the South Bay Watercolor Society, (including two Best of Show). I am currently the “Artist of the Year” for Four years in a row at the Pacific Art Guild. On a national level: I’ve been accepted into juried shows; CA-101, Torrance Art Museum, the Museum of San Luis Obispo, the City of Los Angeles Bridge gallery, the National Watercolor Society and Watercolor West.

I paint atmospheric, representational style and plan all my vacations centered around learning plein air and taking workshops from master watercolor artists. Watercolor keeps me humble.

Visit Jan Godachy’s website.

Meeting Information:

Jan will be demonstrating in our monthly member meeting, Thursday, May 10, 2018. There will be a meet & greet from 6:30 to 7:00 pm, followed by meeting and demonstration at 7:00.


Workshop information:
Date: Saturday, May 19, 2018
Time: 9am – 4pm
Place: San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center
18312 Oxnard Street
Tarzana, CA 91356
Click here for directions from your location.
Cost: $60 members, $80 non-members

To check availability, send email to Selina Cheng.

Helene Jukoff demonstrates and teaches in April

This month Helene Jukoff will be demonstrating in our monthly meeting and offering a one-day workshop.

Meeting and workshops are held at:
San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center
18312 Oxnard Street
Tarzana, CA 91356
Click here for directions from your location.


About Helene Jukoff:
Although I drew and painted all through my childhood my actual art education began when I was accepted to New York’s High School of Music and Art and continued at Queens College where I majored in Education and minored in Art. I graduated magna cum laude with Honors. My family moved to California in 1956 where I took lessons from LAUSD’s Burnham Pearlman who advocated exploring many different approaches to painting. I also took private lessons with many local teachers. I received my California State Teaching Credential(for life) in 1967 and taught Adult Art at L.A. schools for 38 years. I work and teach in all mediums and styles and encourage my students to be open to different aspects of expression. I have written two handbooks- one on oils the other on watercolor. My full color book “Pathways to Creativity”which explores various ways to produce original work was accepted by the LAUSD for use in the Art curriculum. Having traveled to over 50 countries has exposed me to the endless possibilities of subject matter and style choices.

Check out Helene’s book on Amazon.

Meeting Information:

Helene will be demonstrating in our monthly member meeting, Thursday, April 12, 2018. There will be a meet & greet from 6:30 to 7:00 pm, followed by meeting and demonstration at 7:00.


Workshop information:
Date: Sunday, April 15
Time: 9am – 4pm
Place: San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center
18312 Oxnard Street
Tarzana, CA 91356
Click here for directions from your location.
Cost: $60 members, $80 non-members

To check availability, send email to Selina Cheng.

Brenda Swenson Visits VWS in March 2018

March’s guest artist is Brenda Swenson!

Brenda Swenson
Brenda Swenson

Meeting date: Thursday, March 8, 2018, 7-9 pm (Meet & greet @ 6:30 pm)
Workshop date: Fri-Sun, March 16-18, 2018. 9am – 4pm

This month we welcome Brenda Swenson to Valley Watercolor Society. Brenda will be demonstrating in our monthly meeting, and offering a three-day workshop.

Meeting and workshops are held at:
San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center
18312 Oxnard Street
Tarzana, CA 91356
Click here for directions from your location.

Castle Green

About Brenda Swenson:
Brenda Swenson is the artist author of two books, Keeping a Watercolor Sketchbook (Finalist, Award of Excellence) and Steps to Success in Watercolor. Her artwork has been featured in Splash 11, 12, 14 & 19, Artistic Touch 4, Creative Freedom, Watercolor Artist, Watercolor Magazine, Watercolor Highlights, Wheels of Time, Plein Air Magazine and numerous other publications.  She has two instructional DVD’s on painting and sketching techniques. Brenda has achieved signature status in WW, NWWS, and SDWS. An active participant in the arts community she has served on the board of directors for the National Watercolor Society and Watercolor West. She is in demand to demonstrate and teach her painting techniques to groups nationwide and abroad.

Visit Brenda’s website.

Meeting Information:

Brenda Swenson will be demonstrating in our monthly member meeting, Thursday, March 8, 2018. There will be a meet & greet from 6:30 to 7:00 pm, followed by meeting and demonstration at 7:00.

Workshop information:
Date: Fri-Sun, March 16, 17, & 18
Time: 9am – 4pm
Place: San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center
18312 Oxnard Street
Tarzana, CA 91356
Click here for directions from your location.
Cost: $180 members, $240 non-members

To check availability, send email to Selina Cheng.

Keiko Tanabe visits VWS in February 2018

This month we welcome Keiko Tanabe to Valley Watercolor Society. Keiko will be demonstrating in our monthly meeting, Thursday, February 8, 2018, 7pm to 9 pm (meet & greet at 6:30 pm). Meeting is free to members, $5 for non-members.

She will also be offering a two-day workshop Friday and  Saturday, February 9-10, from 9am to 4pm. Cost is $160 for members, $200 for non-members. Contact Selina at selinachengart@aol.com to check availability.

Meeting and workshops are held at:
San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center
18312 Oxnard Street
Tarzana, CA 91356
Click here for directions from your location.

Fish Market Hakodate-Hokkaido-I

Keiko was born in Kyoto, Japan and currently lives in San Diego, California, U.S.A.  She embarked on a professional art career as a watercolor painter in 2005 after working in international relations and marketing.  Since then, her work has earned many awards and recognitions on national and international level.  Her work appears in private and corporate collections in many countries.  Her work was also featured in numerous art publications.  She is also a sought-after workshop instructor, teaching watercolor courses both in the U.S. and abroad since 2011.  She has successfully completed close to 200 workshops and live demonstrations.  She is currently a member of National Watercolor Society (signature), American Watercolor Society, North American Watercolor Artists and American Impressionist Society.

Joe Cibere visits VWS in January for a demo and workshop

This month we welcome Joe Cibere to Valley Watercolor Society. Joe will be demonstrating in our monthly meeting on Thursday, January 11, 2018, and offering a two-day workshop on Saturday & Sunday, January 20-21, 2018.

Meeting and workshops are held at:
San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center
18312 Oxnard Street
Tarzana, CA 91356
Click here for directions from your location.

About Joe Cibere:

Joe Cibere is signature member of the National Watercolor Society and his painting style demonstrates his love of nature and wilderness. His”abstract realism” paintings integrate strong design and balance with a sense of illusion and have appeared in “Watercolor Magazine” and in the International Artists book “The Watercolor Sky and Cloud Techniques of 23 International Artists”. His work is also part of both corporate and private collections. His studio is at Studio Channel Islands, Room R4 in Old Town Camarillo, CA.

Visit Joe’s website.

Meeting & Demo Information:

Joe Cibere will be demonstrating in our monthly member meeting, Thursday, January 11, 2018. There will be a meet & greet and potluck from 6:30 to 7:00 pm, followed by meeting and demonstration at 7:00. ($5 for non-members)

PLEASE NOTE THAT JANUARY 11TH’S MEETING IS A POTLUCK!

Bring a favorite main dish or salad or cheese platter or dessert or whatever you wish.

Workshop information:
Date: Saturday & Sunday, January 20 & 21, 2018
Time: 9am – 4pm
Place: San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center
18312 Oxnard Street
Tarzana, CA 91356
Click here for directions from your location.
Cost: $120 members, $160 non-members

To register, send email to Selina Cheng.

November 2017 Guest Artist: Louisa McHugh

This month we welcome Louisa McHugh to Valley Watercolor Society. Louisa will be demonstrating in our monthly meeting, and offering a one-day workshop.

Meeting and workshops are held at:
San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center
18312 Oxnard Street
Tarzana, CA 91356
Click here for directions from your location.

About Louisa McHugh:
“My journey began when I started college at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. It was there I first studied watercolor… After just the first year, though, I fell into the common misconception that art is not a job, so, I wandered off in search of a more technical career that would be more likely to generate a stable income. In 2005 I graduated from Columbia College in Chicago with a degree in Cinematography. I came out to CA shortly after graduating, and, got into the union as a camera assistant. After a very brief stint in the film business, I decided to return to my roots as a painter. I took a class at Otis, and soon my style began to really develop. I toiled away on my own and studied magazines as I experimented with different methods and techniques. Soon I was winning awards and receiving significant recognition. My work is figurative and, now, is moving away from being so laden with detail. I’m concentrating on developing a looser, more expressive style with an emphasis on the human form.”

Visit Lousa McHugh’s website.


Meeting Information:

Louisa McHugh will be demonstrating in our monthly member meeting, Thursday, November 9, 2017. There will be a meet & greet from 6:30 to 7:00 pm, followed by meeting and demonstration at 7:00.

Add to your calendar: iCalendar  •  Google Calendar  •  Outlook  •  Outlook Online

Workshop information:
Date: Sunday, November 12, 2017
Time: 9am – 4pm
Place: San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center
18312 Oxnard Street
Tarzana, CA 91356
Click here for directions from your location.
Cost: $60 members, $80 non-members

To register, send email to Selina Cheng.

Add workshop to your calendar:  iCalendar  •  Google Calendar  •  Outlook  •  Outlook Online

 

 

October 2017 Meeting & Workshop Announcement

The next meeting of the Valley Watercolor Society is coming up Thursday evening, October 12, 2017, at 7 PM.

We meet at:
San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center
18312 Oxnard St Tarzana 91356 CA
Click here for driving directions from your location.

Meetings are free for members, $5 for guests.
Click here to see our full meeting schedule.

This month we are excited to welcome Debbie Abshear to give a demo in our monthly meeting on Thursday, Oct 12, and to host a workshop for us on Friday, Oct 13, from 9am to 4pm.

Debbie Abshear en plein air

Debbie Abshear is a watercolor artist specializing in Plein Air landscapes. She has exhibited at the Santa Paula Museum of Art, California State University of Dominguez Hills and for the past three years, at the Watercolor West Exhibition held at the Brea Gallery.

Debbie earned her Signature Membership in the Watercolor West organization in 2014. Debbie was recently honored to be included in the Northlight Publishers book, ‘Splash 15’, featuring the best 100 watercolor artists.

Debbie has been a Governing Board Member of the National Watercolor Society for the past 6 years. She holds membership in the American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society, Watercolor West, South Bay Watercolor Society, and the Pacific Art Guild.

Debbie teaches a weekly beginning and intermediate watercolor class to adults in El Segundo, California.

In 2014, 2015, and 2016 Debbie painted extended Plein Air trips to Calico, Valley of Fire, Zion National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Manzanar and has participated in Plein Air competitions in Mendocino, California. She regularly paints Plein air in and around her home in Southern California as well as daily studio painting.

Debbie recently exhibited paintings, and sketchbooks at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton. This National Watercolor Society invitational exhibition features plein air artists work from around the world.

Debbie is well known for her accordion sketchbooks which feature value studies of the landscape. Many a time she will arrive on site with a group of artists who all ask to see her most recent sketchbook.

We hope you will join us Thursday evening, Oct 12, for Debbie’s demo!

To inquire about attending Debbie’s workshop on Friday, October 13, 2017, from 9am to 4 pm, email selinacheng@valleywatercolorsociety.org. Cost is $60 for members, $80 for non-members. Workshops are also held at SVFACC (directions).

Click here to visit Debbie on the web.

Check out our full workshop schedule here.

See you there!

Some of Debbie Abshear’s paintings

September Meeting Announcement

OUR NEW SEASON BEGINS Thursday evening, September 14, 2017, at 7 PM. We meet at at the the San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center, 18312 Oxnard St Tarzana 91356 California.

We are really excited to welcome the brilliant watercolorist Carol Carter as our speaker and demonstrator. Carol is an established St. Louis painter with a MFA from Washington University, St. Louis. She is one of the most interesting artists working primarily in large-scale watercolors today. Her precise control of washes and transparent color harmonies make her watercolors some of the most unusual contemporary works in the medium. Carter’s work is known for its washes, which she charges with additional water and pigment to produce her trademark wash blossoms. The remarkable aspect of this technique is its riskiness: the movement of blossoms is very difficult to anticipate or control, yet Carter uses them sculpturally, in the highlights or shadows on figures or objects, where the blossom must contour and shade exactly or the three dimensional illusion will be spoiled. Carter accents these soft water effects by placing them in a very strong composition.

Carol Carter has exhibited extensively both regionally and nationally, including many one-person exhibitions and numerous invitational and group exhibitions. She has been published in countless magazines and books internationally including the cover of International Artist. She teaches workshops all over the world, and we are fortunate to offer her 3 day workshop from Fri-Sun, Sept 15 , 16 & 17, 2017, 9 am-4pm.

See you at the meeting!

Carol Carter Workshop Sep 15-16, 2017

Our first workshop for the 2017-2018 membership year features Carol Carter.

Carol Carter with Swimmer

Carol grew up in Florida and finds inspiration for her painting in water as an environment for human activity, depicting the nude swimmer, sugar cane fields, egrets, muck, cane cutting, sugar farming in her work, using vibrant saturated color in both watercolor and acrylic.

Join us September 15, 16, & 17 as Carol offers a tutorial each day. Each day’s class will consist of a demonstration, instruction, painting time, and informal critique. We will be painting floral, still life, and animal or waterscape.

The workshop will be held at:

San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center
18312 Oxnard Street
Tarzana, CA 91356

Cost: $240/member, $300/non-member

To enroll, contact Selina Cheng, workshop administrator, at: (insert email)

Visit Carol’s website at: http://www.carol-carter.com