PAST WORKSHOPS
Shown in chronological order, by earliest date
Timeless Portraits with a Modern Twist
Date: In-Person, Saturday, October 21, 10 am to 3:30 pm
Place: Neilson Creative Centre, Etobicoke
TWS is very excited to announce an in-person workshop this October for its members featuring the renowned portrait artist, Luan Quach. Some of you already paint portraits, but many want to learn more about the process and how to do more portrait painting. This is your chance! A member of the Portrait Society of Canada and Vice President of IWS (International Watercolour Society) Canada, Luan will take us through his process for painting people’s faces through live demos and guidance.
About Luan Quach
Luan’s watercolour portraits are stunning in their detail yet with a transparent glow (see his work here.) His work is done both in realism and impressionism styles. In his own words, he aims to create, “Timeless portraits with a modern twist. ….Each portrait holds a life. Every portrait holds a lifetime of stories. My goal is to spark curiosity and imagination with each and every piece.” Luan’s career includes a career in engineering and robotics as well as painting, He now works full time on commissioned artwork, mentoring, exhibitions, and holding workshops.
Painting Pet Portraits in Watercolour: In Depth Methods, Tips, and Tricks
Date: Saturday, September 30, 2023 (10 am – 2:30 pm)
Place: Via Zoom meeting
We love our pets, whether the pet is an over-sized, goofy sheepdog, or a fussy Siamese cat with attitude. So, here’s an opportunity to paint a portrait of your favourite furry (or feathered) friend. Building off his presentation to the Toronto Watercolour Society at our September 13th meeting, Ian Wright will go deeper on presenting tips, tricks, and ways to improve your pet portraits and watercolour painting in general! Workshop includes exploring such materials as yupo, masking materials, inking and touch up techniques, sketching short cuts, and more.
About Ian Wright
Ian Wright is a professional watercolour artist with over 20 years’ experience. His vibrant and energetic watercolours include landscapes of familiar places that bring the viewer into the painting so they can experience the settings they know and love, in an impressionistic and vibrant tone. His pet portraits are unique and whimsical, capturing the personality of each animal as if they could jump right off the page. Ian currently serves as the President of IWS Canada. (The Canadian branch of the International Watercolour Society). Have a look at Ian’s beautiful watercolours online at www.ianwrightart.com
Floral Watercolour on Paper with Rae Andrews
Dates: May 14th and 15th, 2022
Place: Via Zoom meeting. The workshop will be made up of two interactive zoom sessions.
TWS is thrilled to have Rae Andrews as our last Zoom workshop Instructor of the season. Don’t miss this one. Rae is a lifelong painter of all genres in all mediums. Her floral and landscape paintings are particularly unique and beautiful.
Rae’s art is highly influenced by colour, movement and tonal drama. Although her methods appear spontaneous they are thoughtfully planned and she is always prepared to take full advantage of the wonderful, unpredictable opportunities each painting presents along the way. The results are stunning.
The subject of day one of this workshop is floral watercolour on paper. Day two’s subject is landscape watercolour on paper.
Rae has owned successful art schools and art galleries in her native Australia and in America. She has a popular YouTube channel and many followers around the world. She is a strong, experienced communicator who has delivered popular workshops in Europe, Australia and USA.
Have a look at Rae Andrews’ website www.raeandrews.com and YouTube channel.
Capturing the Land, Sea and Buildings of Cape Breton, NS. Watercolour on Paper – Chris Gorey
Dates: March 19th and 20th, 2022
Place: Via Zoom meeting. The workshop will be made up of two interactive zoom sessions.
Subject / Focus: TWS is thrilled to finally have Chris Gorey as our March Zoom workshop Instructor. Chris is a well known Nova Scotia watercolour and oil painter. Born in Marlboro, MA, Chris emigrated to Canada in 1975 and is now a Canadian citizen. He resides in Ingonish, Cape Breton, on the Cabot Trail, with his wife Lynn.
His paintings beautifully capture the light, atmosphere and character of the land, sea, buildings and people of Cape Breton.
He has exhibited and won numerous awards, in solo and group exhibitions, throughout the United States and Canada. Chris was honoured to be chosen to design both the 1981 and 1987 Canadian commemorative Silver Dollars. He is a signature member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour (CSPWC) and La Societe Canadienne de l’aquarelle (SCA). His paintings can be found in dozens of corporate, public and private collections including those of Anne Murray, The Nova Scotia Art Bank, Seneca College and Acadia University Art Galleries.
Chris is an excellent communicator and a delightful teacher, He has taught at Cape Breton University and extensively across Canada and the USA. He is a master at using value, colour and simplification to capture the essence of the variety in a scene within a balanced and unified work. Check out examples of his work at: www.goreygallery.ca
Acrylic and Watercolour Abstract Landscape on Paper – Susan Woolgar
Dates: February 26 and 27, 2022
Place: Via Zoom meeting. The workshop will be made up of two interactive zoom sessions.
Subject / Focus: Susan was born in Saskatoon and raised and educated in Calgary where she graduated from the Alberta College of Art. Susan draws her inspiration and influence from the variety and beauty of the Canadian landscape.
She is a master at using colour, value and composition to build beautiful abstract landscapes that are vibrant and exciting. Her paintings harmonize the essence and diversity of the natural elements – the rocks, trees, waters, sky – that make up Canadian landscape. Her award-winning work has been exhibited extensively in solo and group exhibitions in Western Canada.
In addition to creating her own work, Susan teaches extensively in Western Canada and in the USA. Although her paintings and teachings have been mainly focused on acrylic they include mixed media, watercolour, printmaking and pastel. Susan is a wonderful teacher with an engaging personality.
Check out examples of her work attached below and on her website: https://susanwoolgar.com
Watercolour Paintings with Atmosphere – Frank Eber
Dates: January 29th and 30th, 2022
Place: Via Zoom meeting. The workshop will be made up of two interactive zoom sessions.
Subject / Focus: Frank is a master at creating watercolour paintings with an atmosphere of mystery. Raised in Europe, he has painted extensively in Italy and France. He now lives and works in California. Frank is a signature member of the American Watercolor Society, the National Watercolor Society and other prestigious organizations. His rural farm scenes are particularly beautiful. Frank has vast experience as a juror and workshop instructor.
Check out his website at www.frankeber.com
Videos which feature some of his work:
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA) Featured Artist YouTube Video
YouTube video: “Artists in Studio“: Frank Eber, USA by DANIEL SMITH
Abstract Experimental Acrylic Painting on Paper – Jean Pederson
Dates: November 20th and 21st, 2021
Place: Via Zoom meeting. The workshop will be made up of two interactive zoom sessions.
Subject / Focus: Like Rex, Jean is a Calgary based painter. The subject for this workshop will be non-objective, abstract experimental acrylic painting on paper. Jean will explain abstract composition, colour, balance, layering, process and execution. Jean’s work has been exhibited worldwide and has been acquired by numerous corporate, public and private collections. Jean is an elected member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour, the American Watercolor Society and other prestigious organizations. She is the author of Expressive Portraits: Creative Methods for Painting People.
Check out her website at www.jeanpederson.com
Urban Landscape Workshop with Rex Beanland
Dates: October 23 and 24, 2021
Place: Via Zoom meeting. The workshop will be made up of two interactive zoom sessions.
Subject / Focus: Rex Beanland’s work shows all the best aspects of watercolour painting: looseness, atmosphere, simplification, storytelling, mystery. The theme for this workshop will be painting urban cityscapes. Rex will be painting a different image each day and will be interspersing the paint along with short mini lessons on how to paint specific components such as people, cars, atmosphere, etc. Rex has been painting in watercolour from an early age and has in recent years focused on urban landscapes. He is a master at capturing the energy, the people and injecting narrative. Among other affiliations Rex is member of Canadian Society Of Painters In Watercolour, Society Of Canadian Artists and Federation Of Canadian Artists.
Check out Rex’s website: rexbeanland.com
Peter John Reid Workshop – Canadian Acrylic Landscape on Paper
Dates: June 12 and June 13, 2021
Place: Via Zoom meeting made up of two interactive zoom sessions.
Subject / Focus: Just in time for summer painting, artist and instructor Peter John Reid, will lead an acrylic on paper workshop focused on our beautiful Ontario Landscape.
Peter is an amazing painter and a talented instructor. He is a master of colour and harmony. After graduating from OCAD he spent the first half of his career in the commercial art field in Toronto in order to raise a family, pay the bills and to get miles under his brush. All the while Peter was an avid painter in watercolour, oils and acrylics, as well as a sculptor. Peter moved to the Georgian Bay area and started a painting cooperative and workshop space called Studio XX.
In this workshop, Peter will paint on 300 lbs Arches using acrylic paint as watercolour (thinned to transparent with water) while still using the opaque and non-lifting capability of dried acrylic.
Peter has authored three books on acrylic painting and is an accomplished teacher. His work can be found in galleries and in private collections across Canada and internationally. You can check out Peter’s work and his books at www.peterjohnreid.com or on Instagram at #peterjohnreid.
View paintings from the June, 2021 Workshop
Shari Blaukopf Workshop – Urban Sketching in Ink & Watercolour
Dates: May 15 and May 16, 2021
Place: Via Zoom meeting made up of two interactive zoom sessions.
Subject / Focus: In this timely, springtime workshop, urban sketcher Shari Blaukopf will demonstrate the techniques she uses for location sketching. She’ll show some of her sketchbook work as well as materials she uses on location. Shari Blaukopf, CSPWC, is an amazing Montreal-based workshop instructor, watercolour painter and sketch blogger. You can follow her sketches on her blog at shariblaukopf.com or on Instagram @sharisketcher.
David McEown Workshop – Icebergs, Mountains and Glacial Reflections
Dates: March 20 and March 21, 2021
Place: Via Zoom meeting made up of two interactive zoom sessions.
Subject / Focus: Inspired by landscape themes this Zoom workshop will explore essential watercolour techniques and colour perception exercises that will provide participants with the ability to paint directly from nature. Students will learn to interpret and elevate sketches and photo reference into studio paintings with this spontaneous and flowing travel-friendly medium. David is a renowned and accomplished watercolour artist and instructor who has received many prestigious awards and medals and whose work has been featured in Artists Magazine, Canadian Geographic Travel, Watercolour Artist and many other publications.
Check out his work at: www.davidmceown.com or on Instagram at: @davidmceown
Read the March 2021 Workshop Write Up, includes art examples.
Brian McPhee Workshop – Painting Buildings with Value, Colour and Composition
Dates: February 20 and February 21, 2021
Place: Via Zoom meeting made up of two interactive zoom sessions.
Subject / Focus: A Direct Approach to Painting in Watercolour
Brian’s focus is teaching a simplified and direct approach to a painting with very little over-painting. Prior to starting the painting, Brian discussed planning out the big areas of light and dark in his compositions. Brian demonstrated how value is always his foundation and how “movement” or directional brush strokes help create a flow through the painting. View a selection of Brian McPhee’s work (acrylic and watercolour) at: www.13brokenhorses.com and on Instagram@13brokenhorses.
Read the February 2021 Workshop Write Up, includes art examples.
Joel Popadics Workshop – Creating Mood, Light & Atmosphere in Watercolours
Dates: January 23 and January 24, 2021
Place: Via Zoom meeting made up of two interactive zoom sessions.
Subject / Focus: Capturing the elusive “feeling of light and atmosphere” in watercolour landscapes. Both sessions included painting demonstrations. Joel provided numerous tips, observations and advice that will take your watercolours to the next level! Joel is Treasurer and Vice-President of the American Watercolor Society (AWS) and a Past-President of the New Jersey Watercolor Society. He’s been featured many times in American Artist, The Artist’s Magazine, Watercolor Artist, and Watercolor Magic Magazines. Visit his website at www.watercolorpop.com or www.patreon.com/joelpopadics
Read the January 2021 Workshop Write Up, includes art examples.
Nancy Newman Workshop – A Negative Floral
Dates: November 21 and November 22, 2020
Place: Via Zoom meeting made up of two interactive zoom session.
Subject / Focus: Create an abstracted floral watercolour by painting in the negative. The subject of your painting emerges by painting the negative space around objects. This is a mind-bending and creative process. Understanding this way of creating depth can be applied to any subject matter. In this structured workshop you will complete a short demonstration exercise to clarify the process of negative painting. Then you will learn how to develop, step by step, a negative floral painting on a loosely constructed background. The final product is unique and exciting. Nancy Newman is a long-time member, past President and currently a Director of TWS. She is a highly regarded teacher and award-winning artist. Nancy is a master of the negative painting process.
Read the November 2020 Workshop Write Up by George Eadie, includes art examples.