Monday, June 9, 2025

busy busy busy!

 It's been busy around here as the Summer plein air season gears up and I'm also in the process of downsizing my household to prepare for moving to the Virgin Islands next year. So much to do! In the meantime, I'm thrilled to announce that my plein air workshop for Baltimore Watercolor Society will be open for registration soon! This workshop will take place on October 14th, at Cylburn Arboretum in Baltimore. Be sure to keep an eye on the Events Page of the BWS website for it, as my workshops for BWS always SELL OUT within hours of opening for registration! 

BWS plein air workshop

This workshop is for artists who want to excel at watercolor painting and take their paintings to a higher level. Annie Strack is passionate about teaching painting and will provide you with personalized instruction as she walks you through the essential techniques and the foundational concepts of plein air painting. Annie is known for her friendly teaching style, making classes both fun and informative. Learn how to mix colors, plan a composition, use values, manipulate the properties of pigments, use different types of brushes for effects, and more! All artists, whether they are new to watercolors or experienced painters, will benefit from watching Annie as she explains her techniques for creating spectacular paintings. Multiple watercolor techniques are covered, including glazing, washes, dry brush, masking, lifting, & more. Attendees will gain an understanding of the properties of different paints, learn how to successfully mix colors, and how to use values and color temperatures to enhance their compositions. learn how to break through the confusion of multiple elements in a scene, and how to plan a composition by eliminating distractions and focusing on shapes and values. Discover how to capture light and shadow, and how to create drama and interest in paintings. Watch and learn as each painting step and technique is explained and demonstrated with clarity that makes the lessons easy to absorb. 

Over my Shoulder, 16x12 watercolor

And in other news, I'm thrilled to announce that BOTH my entries - Over my Shoulder and Wait for me me, were juried into the 2025 Watercolor USA Honor Society Exhibition! These two paintings were shipped off today. 

Wait for Me, 14x20 watercolor

I'll be painting liv, en plein air, again at Winterthur on Saturday, June 21st, during their wine tour event. Be sure to come out to watch me paint and enjoy a glass of wine!

posted by Annie Strack @ 10:42 AM   0 Comments

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

It's June already!

 This year is going by in a flash and it's already June. I can hardly keep up! I participated in several plein air events this spring and had a little time to work in my garden. This is my painting from my most recent event at Winterthur. I will be painting live en plein air at Winterthur on June 21st. 

Winterthur in Spring, 9x12 watercolor

I painted this one in Delaware with the PWCS at Greenbank mill

Philip Farm, 9x12 watercolor

and this one was at Kuerner Farm in Chadds Ford, also with the PWCS. 

Kuerner Farm, 9x12 watercolor

Come paint with me in Florida! The Florida Keys Watercolor Society is hosting a 3-day workshop January 21, 22, and 23 in Marathon, Florida. 


In this workshop, artists will learn to add EXCITEMENT to seascapes! Learn to paint the transparency of the Caribbean waters and the warm light of the tropical beaches. Create a painting that is so inviting you'll feel that you can step right into it and get a suntan. This workshop is for artists who want to excel at watercolor painting and take their paintings to a higher level. Annie Strack is passionate about teaching painting and will provide you with personalized instruction as she walks you through the essential techniques and the foundational concepts of watercolor painting. Annie is known for her friendly teaching style, making classes both fun and informative. Learn how to mix colors, plan a composition, use values, manipulate the properties of pigments, use different types of brushes for effects, and more! This workshop will focus on painting water with figures in action. Students will learn how to paint movement in water and different types of skies, and reflections in water. This class will include demos, discussions, individual instruction and both personal and group critiques. Something for artists of every level! This is one of my coveted "Signature Seascape Workshops" that artists love, and it's going to fill up fast so don't wait!


oh, and I almost forgot! My cancer is now in REMISSION! I had my IV port removed last week! YAY!



posted by Annie Strack @ 8:42 PM   0 Comments

All images and content copyright Annie Strack 2025. Although I occasionally receive compensation for some posts, I always give my honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own.