Plein Air Painting Workshop in Pennsylvania

 September proved to be the perfect time to teach a plein air workshop in Pennsylvania! The weather was mild with temps in the 70's and the sky was clear when my students and I gathered at the Community Arts Center in Wallingford, Pennsylvania. The location was perfect, as well. I chose a spot under the canopy of trees where my students could take advantage of the shade and the picnic tables, and had a wonderful view of several compositional subjects to from which to choose.

My students, working hard on their watercolor plein air paintings. 

My demo painting from my plein air workshop.

  The tower that I chose to use for the subject of my workshop is not "made up" -- it's an actual folly in the garden of the Art Center, as you can see in this photo!

 Al of my students use Value Finders. Here, Carol is looking at me to see if I have any values...

 More photos of my workshop students working on their paintings...

My next class at this location begins in January. Be sure to follow my updates to get the latest info.

All of my students worked on these 12x16 blocks of "Cezanne" watercolor paper provided by Hahnemuehle. I love when companies send products to me to try, and I love it even more when they send products to all of my students! I love the paper, and my students all got to try it out for themselves and experience the nice texture, outstanding brightness, and perfect sizing of this paper first-hand. Thank you, Hahnemuehle!

New Workshop just added! Plein Air painting in Watercolor!

New workshop just added! I'm teaching a 1-day plein air watercolor workshop at the Community Arts Center in Wallingford in September! This workshop is already starting to fill up, so sign up now if you want to get in before it's too late.

Students will learn how to break through the confusion of choosing a plein air painting subject, and learn how to plan a landscape composition by eliminating distractions and focusing on their subjects. They will learn how to capture light and shadow in their paintings, and how to see the landscape in simplified shapes of colors and values. They will learn how to mix colors with a limited palette, and depict a variety of perspective techniques to create depth and dimension in paintings. Students will learn how to sketch quick value studies, and add buildings, architectural elements, and gestural figures to the landscape to create drama and interest in their paintings. A variety of techniques will be demonstrated, and students will receive lots of hands on individual instruction and critique.

• This workshop takes place outdoors, so please bring a folding chair.
• Rain date will be September 19.

Instructor -- Annie Strack
Annie Strack has earned Signature Membership in 9 artist societies including the International Society of Marine Painters, and she is an Official Authorized Artist for the U.S. Coast Guard. Her paintings are exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the world and have been featured in over 20 solo shows. She is the author of the art instruction video Painting Seascapes in Watercolor which is broadcast on television stations worldwide and also available on DVD, and since 2005 she’s been a Contributing Editor for Professional Artist magazine. She teaches painting at Artists Network University, and she travels around the world to teach workshops, jury art exhibits, and paint en plein air. Her artwork has received hundreds of awards and hangs in over 1,000 collections worldwide including U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, U.S. Pentagon, U.S. Senate, Veterans Administration, and many more.

Required supplies for this course:

• Palette containing your favorite (or standard) watercolors
• Assorted watercolor brushes (natural hair such as sable and squirrel preferred)
• Sketchbook or journal for sketches
• Several pieces of 140# CP or rough watercolor paper, small sizes, no larger than quarter sheet (Watercolor Blocks preferred)
• Water container
• Pencil
• Value Finder (you may purchase one from instructor for $5 if you don't have one)
• Optional: Watercolor easel, plein air umbrella, hat

More new paintings and demos from Plein Air Brandywine Valley festival!

The last couple of weeks I've been busy with the Plein Air Brandywine Valley festival. The event kicked off with a reception for the artists at the Marshallton Inn, where everyone received their welcome packets with the event schedule and artist info, and swag bags full of wonderful goodies donated by our generous sponsors. Artists started painting the very next morning and continued for four days. We started the week off by painting at farms and estates in the Greenville, Delaware area on Monday, then Marshallton, Pennsylvania on Tuesday (including a Quick Draw event!), then Chesapeake City, Maryland on Wednesday (followed by a Nocturne painting event), and finished up back in Delaware on Thursday. On Friday, we hung the show at Winterthur and the paintings were judged by Steve Doherty, editor of Plein Air Magazine and prizes were awarded during a gala reception. 

I demonstrated landscape painting using Mission Gold Watercolors provided by Martin F. Weber Fine Art Products on both Saturday and Sunday for visitors enjoying the exhibit at Winterthur.  

Painting away in Chesapeake City. Busy Bridge, 5x7 watercolor on canvas, SOLD. 

I finished 8 paintings during the event, and sold 3 of them before the paint was dry. 

Me, with Steve Doherty after the judging. As one of the event organizers, my paintings were not included in the judging, but I did get to participate in all the events and sold several paintings! 

New Paintings, Upcoming events, and lightfingered artists

Last weekend I demonstrated plein air painting at Marshall Square park in West Chester to promote the upcoming Plein Air Brandywine Valley. I painted two paintings of the fountain, one in oils and one in watercolor - using my new palette of watercolor pans from Mission Gold. The travel set of Mission Gold watercolors was a gift from the Weber company, who generously gave me samples to give out to all the artists who registered for Plein Air Brandywine Valley and also to all the artists who attended my demo for the Philadelphia Watercolor Society. 

They also gave me a set of paints to use during my demo, but another artist intercepted my box of samples when it arrived at the PWCS event and took everything, including my set of paints. She boldly announced that she was the one who got the samples for all the PWCS members, and then began handing out my samples to the audience. She even generously offered to give two of my samples to me! I was so flabbergasted by her outrageous behavior that I couldn't find the words, and I walked away. Not to worry, as I work with the Weber company on many projects and they sent me another set in the mail a few days later. It arrived in time for me to use in this demo and also the one I did for Jerry's Artarama last Friday. 

Marshall Square Park Fountain, 8x10 oil, SOLD

 Both paintings were sold off my easel before they were finished.

Marshall Square Park Fountain, 9x12 watercolor, SOLD

 Tomorrow night, I'll be at the Painted Bride Art Center in Philadelphia for the opening of the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series Juried Show. I'm thrilled to be juried in this show, which had over 5,000 entries!

 Saturday, I'll be demonstrating plein air painting at Winterthur, beginning at 9am. If you're in the area, be sure to stop in and check it out! I'll be right near the main entrance of the museum, so you won't have to go far to find me.

Next weekend, I'll be demonstrating acrylic painting with Amsterdam Acrylics and conducting "make n take" classes at the Plaza Art Store in Towson, Maryland. This is the store's annual Hands On Creativity event, which features over a dozen different art supply companies and manufacturers displaying new products, offering free demos, and giving away samples. You won't want to miss this awesome event!

Plein Air Painting at the Brandywine Museum of Art

I had a wonderful day last week at the Brandywine River Museum of Art during their "Inside Out Plein Air" event. Three other artists and I were invited to paint inside the museum, which was especially nice since the outside temperature was in the high 90's with a heat index in the triple digits. I quickly painted a couple of watercolors of my view of the river, and then a small watercolor of the vase of white hydrangeas in the lobby.

Brandywine River Plein Air, 12x9 watercolor 

Brandywine River Plein Air, 9x12 watercolor 

Brandywine River Museum Interior, 6x4 watercolor 

I don't often get the opportunity to practice painting live figures, so I was thrilled to be able to get out my sketchbook and fill several pages. People standing around and walking about the museum lobby were perfect models, and because I was there with permission I was able to paint to my heart's content without any intrusions. Afterwards, some of my students saw my plein air figure sketches and have asked me to add the lessons to my schedule. Ask, and you shall receive! Figure Sketching in Watercolor is being added to the curriculum of my upcoming workshop in Spain, and one-day classes will be added to my lineup of studio classes.

Plein Air Figure Sketching in Watercolor

 In other news, merchandise is still arriving for the Plein Air Brandywine Valley event in October! Cheap Joe's Art Stuff just sent us a $100 Gift Card and fashionable painting apron that some lucky artist will win as a Merit Award at the event. The name of the comapany -- Cheap Joe's -- is quite an oxymoron as anyone who's ever done business with them knows they are as generous as the day is long.

We're now up to 14 Merit Awards, in addition to the top awards which total over $10,000 in cash! There's still time to apply, although the entries will close in a week so that notifications can begin.

$100 Merit Award for Plein Air Brandywine Valley from Cheap Joe's

another new painting!

Here's my latest watercolor painting! I just finished this one, and sent the image off to the National Watercolor Society for jurying. Wish me luck! I've been recovering from surgery for the past month, and spent the time in my studio working on the complexities of this painting. I'm writing a step by step tutorial using this painting, and soon I'll post the link to where you can find that free tutorial. Many thanks to my friends on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter who come to my rescue and help me with the titles for my latest paintings!

A Tug at My Heart, 20x14 watercolor 

 More sponsorships are rolling in for Plein Air Brandywine Valley! We are now up to thirteen Merit Awards of fabulous merchandise and gift certificates, including the latest from Vasari Oil Colors. Vasari oils are completely hand made of the finest oil and pigments and made in the US. Two lucky artists will win $250 Gift Certificates from Vasari, who has also generously provided two $100 Gift Certificates to be used as awards in the Quick Draw and the Nocturne painting competitions!

Merit Awards provided by Vasari Oil Colors

Painting in the footsteps of Andrew Wyeth

On Wednesday I joined my friends in the Philadelphia Watercolor Society at Kuerner Farm in Chadds Ford for a day of painting en plein air. A total of a dozen artists participated in the event, some driving from the other side of Pennsylvania and others from as far away as Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. Kuerner Farm is famous for being the favorite painting location of Andrew Wyeth, and it's buildings and fields are the subjects and backdrops in hundreds of his paintings.

Sarah Yeoman, Janet Means Belich, and others painting in the shade of the farmhouse at Kuerner Farm.

Chris Krupinski painting the scenes that were once painted by Andy Wyeth.

The doghouse at Keurner Farm is a charming subject for artists to paint.

The Kuerner Farm springhouse provides a rustic feeling to the landscape.

Kuerrner Farm Doghouse, 8x5 watercolor and ink (sold)

 I sketched this scene of the doghouse using pen and ink and layered a watercolor wash over it using my Sennelier watercolors. The paper is handmade 140# from Garza Papel. Like all fine handmade papers, it has four deckled edges and an extremely bright white surface. The cold-pressed surface is a little softer than other brands of papers, giving it a velvety feel. I found it to be easy to work on, nice texture, wonderful color, and it has perfect amount of sizing which made it easy to move the paint around on it.

Kuerner Farm Springhouse, 5x8 watercolor

The Springhouse at Kuerner Farm was my first painting of the day. The sky was overcast most of the day, and the sun didn't come out until mid afternoon. When it did, the temperature soared into the nineties and it quickly became blistering hot. I painted this on 90# paper from Garza Papel, which of course did not perform as well with water as did their heavier paper. It is much softer, and much more absorbent. However, it is still a very fine handmade paper and perfect for drawings and sketches, and it is also brilliant white in color with four lovely deckled edges.

I found these papers from Garza Papel to be superior to machine made and mold made papers, particularly the brightness of the paper, the sizing, and deckled edges. Thank you, Garza Papel, for sending me these samples of your lovely papers!

Chester County Studio Tour is this Weekend!

I almost forgot to tell you -- this weekend is the annual Chester County Studio Tour! My studio is one of the 47 studios on the tour, with over 100 artists participating. I'll be open 10-6 pm on Saturday and Sunday, and  the studio is stocked with tons of food and drinks for the weekend. There's lot's of art, painting demonstrations, door prizes, and more! Be sure to come on out and visit me at Annie Strack Art Studio, 105 Kabob Lane, Kennett Square. 

My studio is number 43 on the map pictured below. It is right off of Creek Road (SR 82), between Hillendale and McFarlan Roads. See ya there!