Fall 2022 Virtual (Zoom) Workshop with Glenn Blue! The link to the Registration Form has been posted.
2022-10-18 09:30 - 2022-10-20 16:00 UTC | On Zoom
Glen Blue will be our teaching artist for the Fall 2022 Virtual (on Zoom) Workshop.
You can review and print the Registration Form here:
Glenn Blue Workshop Registration Form
Location: Your home via ZOOM
Dates: Tuesday, October 18th – Thursday, October 20th
Time: 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
Lunch: 12:30 pm – 1 pm
Fee: Members $250; Non-Members $300
About the Artist: Glenn Blue
Glenn Blue learned art at a very early age. By his teenage years he was selling paintings professionally. Through the years, Glenn has trained in fine arts and shown in countless local, regional, and international shows. He has travelled Europe painting and collecting art and has taken classes from countless artists including, Joseph Zbukvic, Alvaro Castagnet, Nita Engle, David Taylor, Gregg Allen, Tony Couch.
Glenn captures the artistic impression and atmosphere of his subjects. His paintings are representative without being photographic. He showcases the flow and glow of watercolor.
A Note on Glenn Blue’s Process:
Glenn’s approach is to demonstrate techniques that participants can practice in the workshop, and later apply to their own work. He describes the techniques as “tricks” he uses to create features such as water, reflection, shadows, fog, sky and trees. He is known for his ability to put a glow on a stream or creek.
While Glenn will probably not complete a painting from beginning to end (or expect participants to), he may combine several techniques to illustrate how they could be used together in a finished painting.
Regarding photo references, participants may wish to have landscape images on hand, particularly with water features, snow and water, and interesting skies with weather effects. He specifically mentioned the example of a creek with a zigzag, to get the shape right.

October 20, 2022 Meeting and Demonstration by our Fall Workshop Artist, Glenn Blue
2022-10-20 19:00 - 21:00 | On Zoom
Here is the Zoom Link for our October Members Meeting and Demonstration.
Topic: NFWS Members’ Meeting and Demonstration by Glenn Blue
Time: Oct 20, 2022 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88280891961?pwd=[REDACTED]
After a brief Members Meeting, our Fall Workshop Artist Glenn Blue who hails from the Philadelphia area will demonstrate his glowing watercolor technique.
Glenn E. Blue grew up in a family of artists in the suburbs of Philadelphia. His parents were art teachers for numerous schools districts and adult classes, so he learned art at a very early age. By his teenage years Glenn was selling paintings professionally. Over the following thirty plus years, Glenn has trained in fine arts and shown in countless local, regional, and international shows. Glenn has travelled to numerous places in Europe painting and collecting art. He has taken classes from Joseph Zbukvic, Alvaro Castagnet, Nita Engle, David Taylor, Gregg Allen, Tony Couch and others.
Glenn has given lectures to artist groups and other college classes. He has been a judge of some local art exhibitions and is always happy to talk art with others.
Glenn has painted loose glowing representational watercolors on his many plein air painting trips. He has painted in Venice, Sienna, Pienza, Tuscany, Rome, Florence, Bellagio, Cinque Terra, Portofino, Naples, Salzburg and Innsbruck Austria, Prague in the Czech Republic and many places throughout the United States.
His works have been shown in several galleries and he has been the subject of many newspaper articles. Glenn currently has paintings on display in his own gallery space at the Marketview Arts Center, York PA and in the Chadds Ford Gallery, in Chadds Ford PA.
Glenn captures the artistic impression and atmosphere of his subjects. His paintings are representative without being photographic. He showcases the flow and glow of watercolor.

November Zoom Members Meeting and Demonstration by Gord Jones
2022-11-17 19:00 - 21:00 | On Zoom
A Zoom Event, Thursday, November 17, 2022, 7 – 9 pm.
After a brief Members Meeting we will welcome Gord Jones from Algonquin Highlands in Ontario, Canada. (We will send a link to this Zoom event to all members on the Monday before the event.) Join us for an evening of inspiration.
You can see Gord’s demonstration, as recorded, on our Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society YouTube Channel!

Gord is a watercolour artist residing in the Algonquin Highlands where he has his studio, White Pine Studio. He and his family moved from Stoney Creek after cottaging in Hali- burton for 25 years.
Gord is an elected member of the Canadian Society of Painters of Watercolour and the Society of Canadian Artists. He is also a member of the ECOAA, IWS, Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society, Haliburton Arts Council, and The Rail’s End Gallery in Haliburton. He has participated in the Studio Tour – Haliburton Highlands for the past 3 years.
Gord has been drawing and painting for over 35 years. After experiencing many different mediums such as oils, acrylics, even egg tempera, he always returned to his greatest love – transparent watercolour. He is inspired by the surrounding landscape. The scenery in Haliburton has been a great source of inspiration for most of his paintings. His approach is to interpret the essence of his chosen subject rather than producing detailed likenesses of actual places. Watercolour allows Gord to transfer the light and shadow that he photo- graphs in real life to the painting. With a fluidity of colours, Gord combines impressionistic strokes and semi-abstract techniques to elicit memories of place and time in his transpar- ent watercolour landscapes. He paints mainly landscapes, cityscapes, and industrial scenes.
Gord teaches watercolour painting in his studio and at The Haliburton School of Art & De- sign. He also does workshops for art groups throughout Ontario.
www.watercoloursbygordjones.com

Skip Lawrence Zoom Workshop for NFWS!
2023-01-10 09:30 - 2023-01-12 15:30 | On Zoom
Finding Your Own Voice, Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society 3 Day Virtual (Zoom) Watermedia Workshop. Click on this link for the Details and the Registration Form:
Skip Lawrence Finding Your Own Voice Workshop

Members Meeting and Demonstration by Graham Berry, Thursday, January 19th at 4 pm.
2023-01-19 16:00 - 18:00 | On Zoom
After a brief Members’ Meeting NFWS will be treated to a demonstration by British Watercolor Artist Graham Berry
Graham Berry Artist statement.
“My paintings are inspired by the effect of light and shadow on our environment, creating dynamic shapes and colours, I especially enjoy painting people going about their everyday lives and I hope to inspire you to see future paintings everywhere you look.
In this demo I will show you how I simplify scenes, to see things just as shapes and colours, eliminate unnecessarydetail and take the fear out of painting people.Share with you my passion for watercolour painting and to pass on the knowledge and skills gained from over 40 years as a professional Illustrator and Artist. At the end of the 2 hour demo i will have a completed paintingthat will inspire you and give you confidence to put people in your own paintings.
Happy painting.”

About me.
I studied Graphic Design at Blackpool College of Art, and later studied Illustration at Wimbledon College of Art. After graduating in 1971 I was employed as the Illustrator at a small design studio in Soho, London and has gone on to have a very successful illustration career.
I’ve had to move with the times and all my commercial illustration is now done digitally. It was this fact and the downturn in the economy in 2010 that allowed me time to concentrate on watercolour painting. I’ve only recently began to consider myself a painter, although I’ve drawn and painted most days for the past 40+ years it was as an illustrator, any painting I did in my spare time was done to promote my illustration career. It as only been since my illustration work was now 100% digital that I could see myself as a fine artist. So I only consider I started my career as a painter 5 or 6 years ago. I finally retired from illustration in early 2017 and now concentrate fully on painting and teaching. I have recently had a studio built in my garden, from where I will teach workshops to small group of students ( 4 max ), there will be lots of one to one tuition.
My paintings are inspired by the effect of light and shadow on our environment, creating dynamic shapes and colours, I especially enjoy painting people going about their everyday lives. My experience working as an Illustrator has refined my drawing ability that is the foundation to my work, I believe the ability to draw is fundamental to my painting. I’m always on the look out for images that will make interesting paintings, I try to take my camera with me at all times just in case I see something that appeals. At other times I will go to a specific place or event with the intention of getting material for painting, usually I will do a number of paintings from those photos or sketches, at the moment most of my paintings are studio based.
After years working as an illustrator, with the restrictions of working to a brief, it feels great to be painting for myself and when a painting is not going as I would like I now have the freedom to rip it up and start afresh. Somedays you feel you’ll never paint anything decent but you’ve just got to work through it, every painting you produce adds to your knowledge of what works or doesn’t work. Painting with watercolour is never easy and every painting provides a fresh challenge, it’s a very exciting medium to work with and when a painting turns out as you would like it’s very satisfying.
Over the last couple of years I have given demos and workshops to various Art Groups in the UK and in the summers of 2015 & 2016 I taught a 3 day workshops in the South of France for Rochemaure Aquarelle.
In the spring of 2017 I together with my wife Pauline embarked on a watercolour workshop tour of the USA & Canada. I taught 9 workshops in 9 weeks, three 2 day, five 3 day and one 4 day, a total of 25 days, a lot of preparation! The workshop tour began in Illinois and then on to Texas, South Carolina, Arkansas, Maryland, Edmonton ( Canada ), California and finally Panama City, Florida.
It was not all work and we did manage to visit some iconic destinations, Dallas, Memphis, New York and San Francisco, it really was a brilliant experience, so much so that we are planning a return workshop tour in 2019!

Board of Directors and Committee Volunteers Meeting on Zoom
2023-01-27 17:00 - 18:30 | On Zoom

Members February 16, 2023 Zoom Meeting and Demonstration by Tom Francesconi at 4 pm!
2023-02-16 16:00 - 18:00 | On Zoom
Following a brief Members Meeting we will have the pleasure of a demonstration by Illinois watercolor artist Tom Francesconi. This will be a Zoom event, held at 4 pm on Thursday, February 16th. A Zoom link will be sent by email to all NFWS Members on the Monday before the Thursday evening Meeting.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT
My paintings are a visual statement of my love for life. Yet, it is not only the world around me with which I am put in touch, but also the world inside of me. As an artist, I have chosen to express myself through the language of paint. Stirred emotions are the essential beginnings of that language. It is my hope that my paintings will echo that emotional response and the viewer will share in my spirited statements.
Tom Francesconi, aws, nws, twsa (master)
Tom Francesconi studied watercolor at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. His paintings have been exhibited in many national exhibitions, which include the American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society and the 2015 Shenzhen, China International Biennial Exhibition. In 2020, Tom’s painting was selected for inclusion in the NWS: 100 Years Exhibition. He has earned signature membership in numerous watercolor societies, including the American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society, Watercolor West, Rocky Mountain National Watermedia and the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, of which he has been honored with ‘Master’ status. Tom has served as president of the Transparent Watercolor Society of America. Currently, Tom is the executive director of the Illinois Watercolor Society.His work has been published in eight books on American Watercolor. Tom has written articles for Watercolor Artist, Watercolor Magic and Watercolor magazines.
Tom’s paintings have received many awards in regional and national exhibitions, including the 1st Place Award at the 2011 Watercolor West Exhibition, 3rd Place Awards at the 2019 Houston International Watermedia Exhibition and the 2019 Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibition. Tom received an Honorable Mention Award for his painting, “Unleashed”, published in The Best of Watercolor: Winners From the 22nd Annual Splash Competition, June 2021. Tom received the Gordon and Mildred Memorial Award at the 2023 Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors.
Tom’s paintings are held in the corporate collections of Inland Real Estate Corporation, Oakbrook, IL, CNA Insurance Company, Chicago, IL, Paige Bus Enterprises, Chicago, IL and Morgan Stanley Financial Services Company, Chicago, IL and in many private collections throughout the United States. Along with his weekly classes in Chicago, Tom has conducted watercolor workshops throughout the United States, Canada, France, Italy and Croatia.
www.tomfrancesconi.com

End of Submission Period for NFWS Spring 2023 Open Watercolor Exhibition
2023-02-26 23:30 - 2023-02-27 00:00
The Submission Period ends at midnight (11:59 pm) on Sunday, February 26, 2023. Here is a link to the Prospectus:
Prospectus for the Spring 2023 Open Watercolor Exhibition
Here is a link to the Call for Work Page where you can make your submission.
Call for Work Page

Members Meeting and Demonstration by Andy Evansen! Oh Boy!!
2023-03-16 16:00 - 18:00 | On Zoom
Following a brief Members Meeting we will have the pleasure of a demonstration by immensely popular Minnesota watercolor artist Andy Evansen.
This will be a Zoom event, held at 4 pm on Thursday, March 16th. A Zoom link will be sent by email to all NFWS Members on the Monday before the Thursday evening Meeting.
Andy Evansen’s interest in art started in childhood, and he can’t recall a time when he wasn’t drawing. Once he began painting, he found himself attempting to capture the landscape with an economy of brushstroke evident in the work of the British watercolor artists he admired. 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.
“When I decided to begin painting 30 years ago, there was never any question in my mind what medium I would choose. Watercolor has always fascinated me; the effects of pigment and water mixing on the paper are so unique and challenging and the results so beautiful. It is also the perfect medium for capturing those fleeting moments and light effects when working on location.”
He has been featured in many publications and is 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. In 2022 he was selected as the only international member of England’s Pure Watercolour Society.
His paintings have won numerous awards, including the Bronze and High Winds Medals from the American Watercolor Society in New York.
“While learning, I painted strictly from photographs and am glad I took that route. Watercolor is challenging, as it relies on timely washes that can be affected by the weather and a large amount of confidence due to its unforgiving nature. I now paint ‘en plein air’ as well, which has reinforced my efforts toward choosing strong, simple subjects and working quickly to capture the essence of the scene.”
His love of painting on location also led to him being included in the 2017 Qingdao International Masters Watercolor Plein Air Event.
You can view his work at www.EvansenArtStudio.com.

Board of Directors and Volunteers Meeting
2023-04-20 17:30 - 19:00 | Amherst Community Church, 77 Washington Hwy, Buffalo, 14226, United States
There will be sandwich-type dinner provided by our gracious president! We meet in the meeting room above the community space.

April 20, 2023 In Person Members Meeting and Demonstration. Central New York watermedia artist Judith K. Hand will be our demonstrating artist.
2023-04-20 19:00 - 21:00 | Amherst Community Church, 77 Washington Hwy, Buffalo, 14226, United States
After a brief Members Meeting, we will have our first in person demonstration of 2023! Our visiting artist will be the watermedia artist Judith K. Hand from Central New York. We will meet in the community hall at Amherst Community Church, 77 Washington Hwy, Amherst, NY. Plenty of parking in the rear of the facility; driveway on the left. Entrance in the back.

Judith’s degree is in Art Education, and she has taught art in public and private schools in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New York. She has also taught workshops at Cazenovia College, The Everson Museum, The Schweinfurth Memorial Art Gallery and for numerous art guilds in the Syracuse area.
Watercolor is her first love; although she devotes a large portion of her creative time to drawing and has made occasional forays into acrylics, printmaking and collage.
Her subject matter and style are eclectic ranging from representational to abstract and geometric. More recently, she has been enjoying the challenges of combining abstraction of natural forms with geometric shapes – especially in the series of paintings she entitles “Fractured Flora.”
Judith agrees with the painter, Delacroix, that “The first merit of a painting is to be a feast for the eye.” and that is what she hopes to achieve in her work.
We will be together again, and what a treat to host Judith Hand!
Come and enjoy!

NFWS Spring 2023 Open Watercolor Exhibition
2023-05-03 12:00 - 2023-05-27 16:00 | Carnegie Art Center, 240 Goundry Street, North Tonawanda, NY, 14120, United States
May 3 – 27, 2023

Daneen Kane’s “Apple Blossom
Carnegie Art Center, 240 Goundry Street, North Tonawanda, NY 14120
Awards Reception, Thursday, May 25th, 6 – 8 pm
www.carnegieartcentr.org, (716) 694-4400

Mary Whyte's In Person Presentation and Monthly Members Meeting
2023-05-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Amherst Community Church, 77 Washington Hwy, Buffalo, 14226, United States
The Three Keys to Creating Your Best Work
Join Mary Whyte for an inspirational presentation as she discusses her work and what she has learned to be the three keys to producing your best work ever.

A very special event for our monthly members meeting!

Mary Whyte Workshop The Best of Portrait and Figure in Watercolor
2023-05-19 09:00 - 2023-05-21 16:00 | Marienthal Country Inn, 5107 Langford Road, Eden, NY, 14057, United States
We hope everyone who took part in the workshop left exhausted and inspired, and from what we hear that is the case!. Here are some photos from Michele Patti Kasimor and Jennifer koury.

This in-person workshop was held in the spacious sanctuary of the lovely Marienthal Inn, nestled in the rolling picturesque hills of Western New York. For those wishing to stay overnight, the inn offers comfort- able accomodations. Breakfast was included with booking. Stay is separate from the workshop fee. Gourmet deli- cacies – No need to travel. Niagara Falls or Letchworth Park, the Grand Canyon of the East, are 55 minutes driving.
The Best of Portrait and Figure in Watercolor with Mary Whyte will cover all aspects of drawing the figure, mixing flesh tones with watercolor pigments, getting a likeness, creating dynamic compositions, correcting mistakes and creating paintings with emotions. Mary’s round table discussion includes tips on marketing your work with a personal Q and A time, including framing applications.

NFWS Workshop Marienthal Country Inn
5107 Langford Road North Collins, NY 14111
716 – 337 – 0160 marienthalcountryinn.com
May 19 – May 21, 2023
9:00 AM – 4 PM
NFWS Members $750 (US Funds) Nonmembers $800 (US Funds)
Email questions to Jennifer: jennifer@jenniferKouryart.com

Awards Reception, NFWS Spring 2023 Open Watercolor Exhibition
2023-05-25 18:00 - 20:00 | Carnegie Art Center, 240 Goundry Street, North Tonawanda, NY, 14120, United States
Awards Reception: 6 – 8 pm, Thursday, May 25, 2023
Carnegie Art Center

Daneen Kane’s watercolor, Apple Blossom

June Show Your Art Show!
2023-06-15 18:00 - 21:00 | Amherst Community Church, 77 Washington Hwy, Buffalo, 14226, United States
June Members Meeting.
SHOW YOUR ART SHOW! In person at Amherst Community Church
With Comments by Rita Argen Auerbach and Sally Treanor
6:00 pm, JUNE 15, 2023. Pizza at 6:00, Art Show at 7:00
Bring one painting, matted or framed and ready to share.
Book Swap, 6:00-9:00 at Show Your Art Show. Lots of art books available.Pick up some new books and pass on the books that you no longer need.
Also, last call for paper at the meetings. NFWS will no longer purchase paper for resale. Grab your paper while it lasts.

Submission Period, Fall 2023 Members Watermedia Exhibition
2023-07-01 00:00 - 2023-08-14 23:30
NFWS Fall 2023 Members Watermedia Exhibition
October 4 – November 8, 2023
Project 308 Gallery
308 Oliver Street
North Tonawanda, New York 14120
The submission period opens on July 1, 2023, and closes at midnight on Monday, August 14, 2023. Submissions for our Fall 2023 Members Watermedia Exhibition will be juried and judged by Stanley Kurth our NFWS Fall 2023 Workshop Artist. Entering Artists will be notified as to Stanley Kurth’s selections by September 3, 2023.
A link to The Prospectus will be posted on the Call for Work page on July 1, 2023. Submit your work there, on the Call for Work page, following the instructions in the Prospectus. The Prospectus and a link to the Call for Work page will be emailed to all NFWS Members on July 1, 2023!

September 2023 Demonstration by Kathy Armstrong!
2023-09-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Amherst Community Church, 77 Washington Hwy, Buffalo, 14226, United States
Announcing our September 2023 Season Opening in person demonstration by Rochester, NY artist, and NFWS Signature Member, Kathy Armstrong!
Her demonstration will follow a short NFWS Members Meeting where we will all be caught up to date on the events of the summer, and hear about the year to come.

Kathy Armstrong says that of all the media she paints in, watercolor is her favorite because its transparent nature makes it possible to achieve a luminosity that isn’t possible with other mediums. In addition to her studio painting
Kathy enjoys plein air painting in oil, and some of her largest paintings have been done in acrylic. Kathy teaches watercolor classes both in-person and virtually throughout the year.
After a long career as a graphic designer in Wisconsin and Colorado, Kathy returned to her native upstate New York in 2013, moving to Rochester in late 2017. She is a Signature member of the Philadelphia Water Color Society, Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society and the Rochester Art Club and paints outdoors with the Greater Rochester Plein Air Painters. Her work has been juried into international, national and regional shows. Armstrong has been juried into the Memorial Art Gallery’s Rochester/Finger Lakes Exhibition three consecutive times, winning the Alice E. Koret Award in 2019. She is one of the founding members of Pittsford Fine Art gallery at 4 Main Street in Pittsford, NY.
“When light touches the world it immediately brings it to life. It shapes and illuminates everything in its path. Trying to capture that light is the driving force behind my love of painting,” says Kathy.
To see her work or for class information please visit her website at kathyarmstrongfineart.com.

NFWS Fall 2023 Members Watermedia Exhibition
2023-10-04 15:00 - 2023-11-08 18:00 | Project 308 Gallery, 308 Oliver St., N. Tonawanda, NY, 14120, United States
48 paintings selected for this exhibition by Fall Workshop Artist Stan Kurth from 100 submitted.
October 4 – November, 2023 at Project 308 Gallery, 308 Oliver Street, North Tonawanda, NY 14120.
Gallery hours Wednesdays 3-6 pm. Additional dates and times TBA

Fall Workshop, "Intuitive Painting with Gouache and Watercolor" with Stan Kurth
2023-10-11 09:30 - 2023-10-14 16:00 | Kenan Center, 433 Locust Street, Lockport, NY, 14094, United States
Dates: Wednesday October 11 to Saturday October 14, 2023
Location: Taylor Theater Meeting Room at The Kenan Center in Lockport, NY (behind Kenan House – accessible ramp)
433 Locust Street Lockport, NY 14094
Time: 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
Lunch: 12:15 – 1:00 pm (Bring lunch or order daily through the workshop)
Fee: Members: $350 Non-Members: $390
Stan Kurth Workshop Registration Brochure

Workshop Description:
The aim is to teach all levels of students to paint intuitively, starting without preconceived notions or outcome. There will be no preliminary planning or drawing. Process will dictate direction as students use watercolor and gouache to implement elements and principles of design. Painting will start with random marks, then color is added using a mixture of watercolor and gouache to create a library of design elements. The instructor will offer regular comments and evaluate work in progress regarding relationships between design elements and principles. It is entirely possible finished work may be representational, but the goal is work which is compositionally pleasing and aligned with each artist’s personal aesthetic.
General Plan: The instructor will demonstrate every day of the workshop, usually first thing in the morning. The rest of the day will be spent with students as they work on that day’s assignment (based on the morning demonstration). On the first day of the workshop after introductions, Stan will give an overview on the elements and principles of design, then an explanation of intuitive painting as he sees it. On the last day of the workshop critique time will be allotted in the afternoon based on the number of students in the class.
About the artist:
Artist and workshop instructor, Stan Kurth, has drawn and painted most of his life. An aunt, who was an artist and art instructor, influenced him even before he began school. Stan lives with the conviction of “fear not” and that same attitude permeates not just his life, but his art. His focus and dedication to his work have earned him signature member status in several watercolor societies including the National Watercolor Society, San Diego Watercolor Society and the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies – Master. He currently lives in Arizona.
“My paintings are expressions of my life experience, everything which has touched and moved me along a path to the latest work. If the work fails to speak visually, no amount of esoteric rhetoric here will change it. Painting is a discipline which requires practice, passion, devotion, focus and a steadfast spirit of pursuing something which will never be attained.”
See Stan’s website: https://stankurth.com for more images.

October 12, 2023 In Person Members' Meeting and Demonstration by Stan Kurth, our Fall Workshop Artist
2023-10-12 19:00 - 21:00 | Amherst Community Church, 77 Washington Hwy, Buffalo, 14226, United States
After a brief Members Meeting, we will have the pleasure of a demonstration by our Fall Workshop Artist, Stanley Kurth. Take note that this event is not being held on the Third Thursday but the Second Thursday of October! We will meet in the community hall at Amherst Community Church, 77 Washington Hwy, Amherst, NY. Plenty of parking and entrance in the rear of the facility. the driveway is on the left.

About the artist:
Artist and workshop instructor, Stan Kurth, has drawn and painted most of his life. An aunt, who was an artist and art instructor, influenced him even before he began school. Stan lives with the conviction of “fear not” and that same attitude permeates not just his life, but his art. His focus and dedication to his work have earned him signature member status in several watercolor societies including the National Watercolor Society, San Diego Watercolor Society and the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies – Master. He currently lives in Arizona.
“My paintings are expressions of my life experience, everything which has touched and moved me along a path to the latest work. If the work fails to speak visually, no amount of esoteric rhetoric here will change it. Painting is a discipline which requires practice, passion, devotion, focus and a steadfast spirit of pursuing something which will never be attained.”
See Stan’s website: https://stankurth.com for more images.

Reception and Awards Ceremony, Fall 2023 Members Watermedia Exhibition
2023-10-15 12:00 - 15:00 | Project 308 Gallery, 308 Oliver St., N. Tonawanda, NY, 14120, United States
Reception and Awards Ceremony: Sunday, October 15, 12 – 3 pm

November 16th Members Meeting and Demonstration by Lana Privitera, on Zoom, 4 - 6 pm
2023-11-16 16:00 - 18:00 | On Zoom
Following a brief Members Meeting we will have the pleasure of a demonstration by the awesome Hudson Valley watercolor artist Lana Privitera.
This will be a Zoom event, held at 4 pm on Thursday, November 16th. A Zoom link will be sent by email to all NFWS Members on the Monday before the Thursday afternoon Meeting.

Artist’s Statement:
The world needs more positivity these days. We artists can help to make people happier. We are the un-licensed therapists of this world. We can create art that simply pleases the eye and make people smile, or create art that make viewers go back in time, to memories of less chaotic times in their lives; or perhaps we can create art that carries its viewers to a peaceful place they have always dreamed of. Each artist has the potential to fulfill a need in someone’s else mind.

Originally from Spain, Lana Privitera graduated in 1983 from the Fine Arts School of Zaragoza, where she majored in Fashion Design and Art History. After working in Advertising for a few years, she moved to the USA in the early 1990s.
Mrs. Privitera is known nowadays for her colorful and highly realistic watercolor Still Lifes.
In recent years, her paintings have gathered a long list of top awards both in National and International art competitions. Her works have traveled to Invitationals in Greece, Italy, Spain, Russia, Canada, The Netherlands, and a few others.
Her work has also been featured in diverse prestigious publications, both in the USA and abroad. Most recently in the “Best of watercolor” series: “Splash 21”, “Splash 22” and “Splash 24”. As well as in the “Watercolor Artist Magazine”, “Plein Air Magazine”, “L’art de L’Acquarelle Magazine, and “Pratique des Arts Magazine”
She is a Signature Member of several leading Art Societies in the USA, including the American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society, Transparent Watercolor Society, Watercolor USA Honor Society and the Northeast Watercolor Society.
Mrs. Privitera has been an art instructor for over 15 years and offers Workshops and Demos online and in person in the USA and across the World.
For more info on her workshops, or to see more of her artwork, please visit her website:
www.Lanaprivitera.com
https://www.facebook.com/Privitera.Lana/ Instagram: @lanaprivitera.

January 18, 2024 Members Meeting and Demonstration by Rick Surowicz, all on Zoom!
2024-01-18 16:00 - 19:00 | On Zoom
Following a brief Members Meeting we will have the pleasure of a demonstration by the popular watercolor artist and teacher Rick Surowicz, from Medina, Ohio.
This will be a Zoom event, held at 4 pm on Thursday, January 18th. A Zoom link will be sent by email to all NFWS Members on the Monday before the Thursday afternoon Meeting.

Artist Biography
Rick Surowicz, a painter currently living in Medina, Ohio, discovered how much he enjoyed the challenges of transparent watercolor in 1992. His paintings have been juried into exhibitions of the American Watercolor Society, Transparent Watercolor Society of America, Louisiana Watercolor Society, Georgia Watercolor Society, and Splash 21. Watercolor Artist Magazine did an eight-page feature article on his work in their 2021 Summer edition. His YouTube channel has over 65,000 subscribers with over 4.8 million views. Rick is a signature member of the Ohio Watercolor Society, and a current Trustee. He keeps busy with his online instruction.
Artist Statement
To look where others don’t look, to see what others don’t see, to say without saying inspires and challenges me as an artist. I look through underbrush to see the river, I see beyond the flower to behold the foliage, and suggest the tree by painting the woods. I seek to portray that which is not obvious. It’s not my intent to replicate but to interpret through the elements and principles of design. I enjoy the beauty of transparent watercolor and continue to learn and evolve with every painting, with every brushstroke.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_RHSK_GEIoVTF-QNKDRvgA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rsurowiczart
Website: https://rsurowiczart.com/

February 15, 2024 Members Meeting and Demonstration by Michael Holter, all on Zoom!
2024-02-15 16:00 - 18:00 | On Zoom
Following a brief Members Meeting we will have the pleasure of a demonstration by the popular watercolor artist and teacher Michael Holter, from Plano, Texas!
This will be a Zoom event, held at 4 pm on Thursday, February 15th. A Zoom link will be sent by email to all NFWS Members on the Monday before the Thursday afternoon Meeting.
MICHAEL HOLTER
https://www.michaelholter.com/
Michael Holter is known for his dynamic watercolor portraits, landscapes, and workshops. After a successful career inart education, advertisingdesign and creative leadership, Michael began focusing more seriously on his painting in 2011. Michael is a signature member of numerous national watercolor societies. His work is widely published and he has received numerous national and international awards. He has released four DVDs from Creative Catalyst Productions: 7 Steps to Landscape Painting in Watercolor, 7 Steps to Portraits in Watercolor, Watercolor Landscapes from Photos and Paint the Town. Although Michael has been painting most of his life, his work experience spans a wide range of creativity, from high school art teacher, advertising creative director and businessman. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Art Education and an MA in Visual Communication.
Michael says, “My work is impressionistic. I like to represent people or places and allow the painting to evolve from the recognizable. The challenge is to balance the care needed to make the representation interesting… and perhaps believable, with the freedom, looseness and painterly quality that makes a painting so expressive.”

March 21st Members Meeting and Demonstration on Zoom by Alexis Lavine.
2024-03-21 16:00 - 18:00 | On Zoom
Following a brief Members Meeting we will have the pleasure of a demonstration by award winning North Carolina artist and teacher Alexis Lavine. /We will email links to this zoom event to all members on the Monday before March 21st.

Here is Alex’s statement about her work:
Making art is an essential and defining part of who I am and how I live. I see so much that intrigues me, and I am endlessly challenged to paint what I see and how I feel.
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.
I was a passionate “plein air” painter for many years. Recently, I have been working more in my studio, where I can slow down my brush and take more time to design and craft my paintings with the utmost of care, to create the most impact in my work and communicate with my viewers as effectively as possible. 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.
Education is tremendously important. I earned two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree, 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.
I am a signature member of the National Watercolor Society, Watercolor Honor Society, Transparent Watercolor Society of America, Watercolor West, North East Watercolor Society, and Southern Watercolor Society. Recently honored as “One to Watch” by Watercolor Artist Magazine, my paintings have been published in Splash, The Artistic Touch, The Best of Watercolor, Watercolor Artist, and The New Palette. Creative Art Press has published a five-DVD instructional series, called “Creative Watercolor Painting Using Photos” featuring my watercolor demos. My work can be found in galleries in the mid-Atlantic and Southern states, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. You can see many of my paintings and learn more about my art and my teaching by visiting my web site.
To contact Alexis directly: alexislavineartist@gmail.com 336.684.2578 (cell) www.alexislavineartist.com www.facebook.com/alexislavineartist

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April 18th Members Meeting and Demonstration by Shelley Prior!
2024-04-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Amherst Community Church, 77 Washington Hwy, Buffalo, 14226, United States
After a brief Members Meeting catching us up on the Spring’s Events, Exhibition, etc., we will have the pleasure of a demonstration by Burlington, Ontario artist and art instructor Shelley Prior!

Shelley is a full-time artist and art instructor. She has written that her watercolour painting style has evolved into a highly realistic style covering a variety of subjects which may include birds & wildlife, nature, portraits, floral, still life & landscape. Subjects with reflective qualities like glass and metal are especially intriguing to me. “I’m a very active instructor teaching regular classes as well as travelling to teach workshops throughout Ontario, Canada and occasionally in the US which I’ve done for about 30 years. Although I paint in acrylic and oil as well, my main medium is watercolour.”
Artist Statement:
I love the transparency and luminosity of watercolour. It’s something that is unique to only watercolour. Every subject presents new challenges and pushes me to try new techniques and different methods. Many years of experimentation (and yes, lots of failures) have taught me to use quality materials and plan ahead in my painting, as watercolours are less forgiving than other mediums. Every success is a real triumph though and I love to share what I’ve learned with other painters.
Light is a crucial element in almost everything I paint. For me, it’s the life of the painting. I always strive to have interesting lighting in my work and try to create it through the application of subtle glazes and deep rich shadows.

Spring 2024 Workshop with Richard Stephens
2024-05-14 09:00 - 2024-05-17 16:00 | Castiglia Art Center, 21 South Grove ST, East Aurora, NY, 14052, United States
Our NFWS SPRING 2024 WATERCOLOR WORKSHOP was
Lighten up, Loosen Up with Richard Stephens!
May 14 – 17, 2024 at the Castiglia Art Center at the Historic Roycroft Campus, 21 South Grove Street, East Aurora, NY.
Richard was as promised – an awesome, inspiring, person and artist. This workshop was terrific! Here are a few photos. As we collect more from the participants, we will post them here.

May 16th In Person Members Meeting and Demonstration by our Spring Workshop Artist, Richard Stephens.
2024-05-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Amherst Community Church, 77 Washington Hwy, Buffalo, 14226, United States
After a brief Members Meeting catching us up on the Spring’s Events, Exhibition, etc., we will have the pleasure of a demonstration by this spring’s NFWS Workshop Artist, Richard Stephens.

• Richard Stephens has enjoyed a successful 45 yearcareer as a freelance commercial artist/graphicdesigner in the advertising/marketing industry.• For 20 years Richard has been teaching work-shops around the country and serving as jurorfor numerous watercolor competitions & shows.• In 2005 “Watercolor Magic Magazine” namedRichard one of the top 10 emerging watercoloristin the country in their annual “Ones to Watch” issue.
“It is the quest for the excitement, that rush,understood only by other artists that have beenblessed (or cursed) with the experience, thatgives me reason to continue in the elusiveprocess of making art. ‘Making Art’ certainlymeans producing my own work. But it alsomeans sharing with my students my knowledge,experience and passion for watercolor. I love toteach. I have discovered that through teaching,more than any other endeavor, I continue to learn.”

Awards Reception for the NFWS 2024 Spring Members Exhibition
2024-05-18 12:00 - 14:00 | Artists Group Gallery, One Linwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY, 14209, United States
WNYAG is hosting this year’s NFWS Members Exhibition from May 18 through June 21, 2024. The Awards Reception will be Saturday, May 18 from 12 noon to 2 pm. The Awards Juror is Richard Stephens NFWS’ Spring Workshop Artist. The exhibition includes 42 transparent watercolor paintings from NFWS Members, an awesome display of Members’ talents and creativity, and their joy in showing their works to the arts community on the whole.
This image has been selected for the program. It is Matin by Geraldine Meday.

This is the postcard featuring Janet Ide’s painting Lisianthus.
