Tag Archives: Transparent Watercolor

September 2023 Demonstration by Kathy Armstrong!

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.

The awards for our 2023 Open Watercolor Exhibition were announced last evening, May 25, at the Award Celebration at the Carnegie!

You can see them all and read Mary Whyte’s comments on our page Spring 2023 Award Winners . It was a lovely evening, reconnecting with many NFWS Members and friends. Congratulations one and all! 

The Exhibition’s last day is today, May 26, 2023! Hope you can make it to the Carnegie Art Center, 240 Goundry Street, N. Tonawanda, NY, today, open from 12 – 4 today, Friday. 

Members Meeting and Demonstration by Andy Evansen! Oh Boy!!

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. 

 

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, 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 afternoon Meeting.

Here is a link to the event page for Tom Francesconi’s 4 pm demonstration:

February 16th Members Meeting and Demonstration by Tom Francesconi

Mary Whyte Workshop The Best of Portrait and Figure in Watercolor

 

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

 

 

Members February 16, 2023 Zoom Meeting and Demonstration by Tom Francesconi at 4 pm!

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 

 

 

Members Meeting and Demonstration by Graham Berry, Thursday, January 19th at 4 pm.

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!