Here's the finished painting from my demo! I cleaned up a few edges, and I added in two extra kayaks in the background. I made the kayaks in the background lighter in value, color in temperature, and grayer in intensity to depict distance through atmospheric perspective.
If you missed my live online demo the other day, don't despair -- I just uploaded it to YouTube! It's one hour long from start to finish. Be sure to check it out, and subscribe to my YouTube channel to get all the latest updates. Better yet, follow me on Facebook, too, then you can watch in real-time when ever I paint live online!
I used my favorite art supplies in this demo -- Sennelier colors, Dynasty brushes, and Hahnemuehle paper. These are my "go-to" supplies that I recommend to everyone!
Awesome news! Hahnemuhle is sponsoring my next workshop in Charleston by providing a 9x12 block of their Cezanne line of watercolor paper to each student in my workshop! I love the Hahnemuhle Cezanne papers, and this is a wonderful treat for my students to each get their own block of paper!
Cezanne watercolor blocks by Hahnemuhle
Winter Semester Classes at the Community Art Center in Wallingford start next week. There are still a couple of spaces left in my watercolor class, so hurry and register if you want in! This class fills fast with returning students so there is very limited space for a few new artists to join in each semester.
Annie's students at the CAC
And in other news, there is just ONE SPACE left in my plein air trip to France with Sennelier! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for artists to go to Brittany on the invitation of the Sennelier company. There will be a wait list, and there is always a chance that a few artists will be selected from the wait list to go on this trip.
Registration is now open for my Winter Semester classes at the Community Arts Center in Wallingford, Pennsylvania. I only teach there during the winter semester, and my classes fill up really fast so if you're going to sign up you need to do it now!
My annual Workshops in Charleston in March has only 4 spaces left, so that's another one that I recommend you sign up now for. Charleston in the Spring is beautiful and I highly recommend to my students that they stay a few extra days to take in the sights (and food!) of this enchanting historic city.
Tomorrow I arrive in North Carolina for the annual Art of the Carolinas, an expo put on by Jerry's Artarama. As a representative of Chartpak I will be working in the trade show, and teaching workshops. My workshops sold out long ago (my workshops are always the first ones to sell out!) but there are still other of great workshops with from other instructors to choose from. I also recommend shopping the trade show, as many of the art supply manufacturers have tremendous one-time deals at this event. And of course, be sure to stop by the Chartpak booth on Friday or Sunday and visit me!
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention! This recently came in the mail from the Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society! I actually earned Signature Status a few years ago, but I guess I never got a certificate at the time. A nice little surprise to come in the mail!
Plein Air Painting in Brittany with Sennelier! June 10 - 19, 2020! Postponed due to Covid-19!
New Dates! Due to overwhelming response, we have scheduled TWO tours! Both groups are SOLD OUT, however we can add your name to our waiting list in case a spot opens up!
June 8 - 17, 2022
and
June 22 - July 1, 2022
Registration is now open for my plein air painting workshop in Brittany, France, co-hosted by Sennelier! The first group sold out quickly and we are now taking reservations for the second group (ALL GROUPS ARE NOW SOLD-OUT)! We will paint the castles and chateaus, forests and parks, and the seaside villages and beaches of the northeast coast of Brittany.
We also have an exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime invitation to visit the Sennelier factories in Saint Brieuc, and the Raphael and Leonard brush factories, where we will be treated to hands-on demonstrations and given art supplies to use.
And, as the honored guests of Sennelier, we will be the featured artists at the annual Dinard Plein Air Festival! This annual plein air painting event encompasses the seaside resort of Dinard with it's picturesque squares and markets and breathtaking beaches.
UPDATE! I just found out that there will also be a Concours d'Elegance in Dinard during the plein air festival. Painting these beautiful automobiles will be a real treat for the artists!
When I was painting in Provence in few years ago, I ran into my old friend Yves-Marie Salanson, director of Sennelier. It was serendipitous, and Yves-Marie invited me to bring a group of artists to Brittany so they could visit his companies.
Yves-Marie of Sennelier with Annie Strack in Provence
Yves-Marie and I became friends many years ago in the early days of Twitter when I was working as a Contributing Editor and Columnist for Professional Artist Magazine, and I later helped him when he was developing his new formulas for the Sennelier watercolors. I tested and reviewed paint samples for him, and I introduced other artists to him to also work on the project with us.
It's been over a dozen years and we've been friends ever since, although we had never met in person until we ran into each other, quite by accident, while I was painting in Roussillon with my students in 2018. We made plans then and there, that I would soon bring a small group of artists to Brittany where his company is headquartered so he could show us around as his guests.
Well, we finally got it all organized, with help from Mathieu of Provence Art Experience -- Mathieu is the world's best when it comes to organizing trips for artists, and this is shaping up to be our greatest trip.
This trip is already half full (only ONE space remains in the second group!)so please don't wait to reserve your spot! (SOLD OUT, join our wait list). Because we are limited to a small number of guests on this trip, we are only able to accommodate artists in this group. We are not able to offer discounts to non-artists wishing to join us.
These groups are limited to just seven artists -- that's less than half the number of people you will find in any other tour group, which means that every person on our trip is pampered with individual attention. These small intimate groups allow us to be flexible and spontaneous with our itineraries so that each person gets more than just a tour - they get the freedom to create their own personalized adventure.
My tours are special, as I include lavish extravagances that all the other workshop artists simply can’t do because they just don’t have the resources or connections that I have. So, I only do one European tour per year, as it takes a great deal of time to plan and create these extraordinary travel experiences.
(Private concert by the Gypsy Kings on our veranda in Provence)
Lots of artists are now teaching workshops overseas, but my trips are so much more impressive than the standard, “copy and paste” itineraries that everyone else is offering. Other artists are all selling the same old cookie-cutter tours over and over again, and taking their groups to over-crowded tourist locations where hordes of artists are already staked out elbow to elbow as they all paint the exact same scene.
(Attending a wedding in the village square)
The artists who travel with me enjoy upgraded rooms in luxurious accommodations, gourmet meals prepared by award winning personal chefs, unique special events that are created exclusively for my groups, and no hidden fees or expenses (everything is included except for airfare!). Click HERE for tips on packing artist equipment and supplies for air travel.
My unique position as an Artist Ambassador for the world's most recognized brands of artist materials and my long history of working with art supply manufacturers and retailers means that my workshops are always sponsored by companies that produce fine artist materials and generously provide supplies to my participants.
This trip is superior to all others, and provide one of a kind VIP experiences that other artists can’t even begin to offer. I take my groups to see extraordinary sights and paint at breathtaking locations that other artists don’t even know about.
Our house in Brittany!
We've secured an entire castle just a short walk from the beach for our accommodations. More photos of our Brittany house are posted here, check it out! There are five days in between, when the the first group of artists leaves on June 17, and the second group of artists arrive on June 22. So, for a small daily rate, artists in group one can add a few days on to the end of their trip, and artists in group two can add a few days onto the start of their trip. Ask Mathieu for the details.
We have unrivaled entertainment on our tours as well, which can range from celebrity encounters, private concerts, personal tours of famous places, exclusive invitations to exciting events, and so much more.
Many artists return year after year to take my workshops, and as a result, space is extremely limited to new attendees. Reserve your place now while there is still space available.
To read my tips on packing light for this trip (or any plein air painting trip overseas!) click here.
Sign up at Provence Art Experience Tours, and be sure to follow this event on Facebook to keep up with the latest updates!
I've just returned from teaching a plein air workshop in Provence, France, and I'm still jet-lagged. And, somewhat disappointed that no one brought me fresh croissants when I woke up this morning in Pennsylvania.
Mas de la Boheme in Arles, Provence, France.
Our trip was absolutely amazing. Our tour operator, Mathieu of Provence Art Experience took care of every every need and desire. We walked in the footsteps of the great French Impressionist painters, and painted the scenes and views that they made famous.
Ochre hills of Rousillon
Every day was a new adventure of painting, shopping, eating, and more.
painting the mountain behind Cezanne's studio, using the Cezanne watercolor paper from Hahnemuhle.
There was so much to see, and so much to do! I spent 10 days in Provence with my students, and could have spent 10 years.
the Roman amphitheater in Arles at night
We stayed at Mas de la Boheme, a beautiful 18th century guesthouse nestled in the countryside just outside of Arles. Turns out, the owner and his son were members of the famous band, Gipsy Kings...
And, to top it all off, I ran into Yves-marie from Sennelier while my group and I were painting in the streets of Rousillon. We weren't even going to paint in Rousillon that day. We went there in the morning to tour the ochre sites and shop in the local market, but we loved it so much we stayed to paint in the afternoon. Yves-marie lives on the other side of the country, and had just flown in for the day to visit the exhibit of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour. So it was pure serendipity that he just happened to walk by on the same street that I was painting, and recognized me. Although we have known each other for at least a decade, we had never actually met in person. Many years ago, I helped Yves-marie test and formulate the new line of watercolors for Sennelier, and we've been friends ever since.
Yves-marie Salanson of Sennelier and Annie Strack in Provence
So, I will be going back to France in 2020 to teach another plein air painting workshop with Provence Art Experience, and we will be collaborating with Sennelier to paint in the Brittany region so we can visit the factory and include Sennelier in our project.
How to make a quick and easy shelf for a watercolor easel!
Many watercolor artists paint flat -- using a table to paint upon rather than an easel. I prefer to use an easel, and I like a watercolor easel because it allows me to tip the painting flat when I'm laying in a wash, and tip it vertically for other techniques. The drawback to these easels is that there isn't anywhere to place a palette and other supplies-- so a table is still needed.
I came up with a new idea for an attachable easel shelf, that's simple and easy to make. And really inexpensive!
This is a wire closet shelf. It is 12 inches deep, and I cut it to 16 inches wide. I choose that size because it is the same size as a 12x16 block of watercolor paper, so it will be easy to pack it with my blocks when I'm traveling.
It is simply hung on the bracket screws on the easel's legs. The bracket screws are made to hold the canvas shelf (aka stabilizer shelf). My easel has two pairs of these brackets, and I hung my new shelf on the lower pair. My canvas shelf is right above it, on the other pair.
This photo shows how the shelf rests on the easel. I added a larger washer behind each of the screws to help hold it more securely, but it really didn't need it. The two parallel horizontal bars of the shelf are what is holding it flat against the legs, and keeping the surface of the shelf level. The vertical connectors between the horizontal bars are spaced 12 inches apart -- the perfect width for bracing against the screws.
Want to learn more? Watch this short video for the full details on how to make and attach this shelf! Not sure how to attach it with only one pair of bracket screws? Watch the video to see how it can be secured with a bungee, instead.
And here's another wire shelf. I found a small stack of these at the Habitat re-store, already cut to 16 inches wide and ready to hang. Best of all, they were priced at a buck a piece. Absolutely perfect.
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
Plein Air Painting in Calella de Palafrugell, Spain!
I haven't posted in a few weeks because I've been too busy teaching a plein air painting workshop for French Escapade Tours in Costa Brava, Spain! My students and I stayed in the gorgeous little historic fishing village of Calella de Palafrugell, and painted the Mediterranean Sea, the medieval villages, the quaint fishing boats, the beautiful Spanish gardens, and more. I'm still catching my breath! Next year I'm teaching a workshop in Provence, but I loved this location so much that I'm going to teach a workshop here again in 2019.
Calella de Palafrugell
Students in Annie Strack's Plein Air Workshop
More views to paint!
Fishing boats on the beach in Calella de Palafrugell
We had the town pretty much to ourselves the whole time!
I fell in love with the boats in Calella de Palafrugell
Gorgeous views at every turn
The weather was perfect, and my students and I had the place all to ourselves
It's been a busy Spring season for art, with workshops, demos, classes, and shows every week. I've conducted so many events that I can't post them all in one blog post, so here's just a small sampling of paintings from recent events.
SS United States, 6x6 watercolor on panel $75.
The SS United States is an old derelict ocean liner on the riverfront in south Philadelphia. Every time I drive by, I stop and marvel at it's beauty. This 6x6 painting is mounted on panel and displayed in a floater frame. It is a bargain at $75, but there's a catch -- the painting is not available for sale until 10am Saturday, May 20, in my studio during the Chester County Studio Tour. So if you want it, you have to come and get it, and -- be first in line. But there will also be 4 other artists displaying and selling their paintings in my studio that day, so you can also find great deals on fabulous artworks by Jeanne Kirby Bruneau, Tom Dempsey, Karen Frattali, and Carrie Barcomb. The studio tour is Saturday and Sunday, so be sure to stop by! We'll have wine and nibbles, painting demos, door prizes, and great artwork! The studio is at 105 Kabob Lane, Kennett Square, PA.
Chilly, $195. 11x15 watercolor on 140# CP Stonehenge Aqua paper
More great paper has arrived from the awesome folks at Legion Paper! They sent me a case of the 300# Stonehenge Aqua to try out and share with my students. I loved the 140# paper they sent earlier, and didn't think it could get any better -- then I tried the 300#, and it's twice as nice! This paper is bright white and holds up better than I thought was even possible. No buckling or warping at all, not even with the heavy wet washes I used to create these paintings of skies and seascapes. The bright white color of the paper keeps my colors vibrant, clean, and fresh.
Sunset, $95. 11x15 watercolor on 300# CP Stonehenge Aqua paper
I taught watercolor workshops for the Art Educators of New Jersey and for the Baltimore Watercolor Society last month, and used the new Stonehenge Aqua paper and also gave away free samples to all my students in both of them. I haven't photographed all the paintings yet, so there's still a few more besides these!
Beach, $125. 11x15 watercolor on 140# CP Stonehenge Aqua paper
Last weekend, I conducted a plein air painting demo for the Audubon Society during their grand re-opening of their museum. This is John James Audubon's house at his farm "Mill Grove," in Audubon, Pennsylvania. The house is a museum and has been closed for the last couple of years for renovations, but finally reopened last month. Tons of people came to watch my demo, and I had a wonderful time painting in perfect weather at a beautiful location!
Audubon House, $95. 9x12 watercolor on 140# Stonehenge Aqua paper
The Audubon House plein air demo painting is on the new Stonehenge Aqua watercolor paper, which now comes in blocks! I absolutely love painting on blocks -- the pad of paper is gummed on two sides, which firmly holds the paper down flat while painting. The blocks are ideal for plein air painting, as it provide a stable support for the paper and makes it easy to place on the easel or carry around to painting locations. I've packed several of the blocks in my gear to take to Spain later this week for my plein air workshop. In fact, it's the only paper I'm taking, so I suppose we can say that the Stonehenge Aqua blocked paper is the Official Paper of the 2017 Annie Strack Plein Air Painting Workshop in Spain! I also found out that this workshop also sold out last month, so my long standing record of filling every workshop still remains unbroken!
New watercolor blocks of Stonehenge Aqua paper!
Here's some of the art supplies I've packed for my plein air workshop in Spain -- in addition to the Stonehenge Aqua paper blocks, I'm also taking a sturdy easel and umbrella, spare glasses, value finder, and the usual paints and brushes. I always bring gifts to give to my students, and one of the items that this class will receive is small spiral bound sketch books that they can each fill with the scenes from places we visit and paint during our workshop, and keep as a wonderful memento of our trip!
Packing for plein air painting in Costa Brava, Spain!
I'm fixing to leave out for Spain now, and I'll catch up with more news when I get back. See ya then!
All images and content copyright Annie Strack 2026.
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.
