Post 552: Amongst the Bluebells Part 1

Amongst the Bluebells Part 1

The Prince William Art Society (PWAS) had a table again this year at the Bluebell Festival at Merrimac Farm in Nokesville on a glorious Sunday in March. We had a lot of Bluebell artwork, art prints and we had about 8 plein air artists out amongst the bluebells - painting away.

15014 Deepwood Ln, Nokesville, VA 20181

Bluebell Festival Sun Mar 30, 2025

The weather man and iPhone weather didn't really live up to how Sunday, March 30, 2025 turned out. Thankfully. From "It's going to be cloudy all day" and "chance of rain" the big blue sky was doing it's best to impress all morning and didn't give way to those clouds until the afternoon. 

Last year's Bluebell Festival was on April 7 so this year's festival was a full week earlier. We heard that the Bluebells were not quite at full bloom as yet, the organizers of the event said to be sure and come back to see them - the full carpet of 'blue' that we had seen last year.

 

Photo from Katie Dugan of Kelly Haneklau, Staci Blanchard (aka The Goddess of Glitter) and Donna Liguria

Photo from Donna Merchant: L to R - Staci Blanchard, Kat Gates, Robert Dew, David Dillon, Ana Quispe, Cheryl Handley, Donna Liguria, Kelly Haneklau, Nicole Goble, Mark Clifton

PWAS Plein Air Posse

Let's see the day in pictures - I'm hoping that the artists will send me pictures of what they were working on too. So hopefully post 2 on the Bluebells.

The PWAS Plein Air Posse, PWAS Show Staff and artists represented for the Bluebell Festival consisted of:

• Robert Dew
• David Dillon
• Kathleen (Kat) Gates
• Ana Quispe 
• Mark Clifton
• Nicole Goble
• Kelly Haneklau 
• Donna Merchant
• Cheryl Handley
  
• Katie Keller Dugan 
• Staci Blanchard
• Donna Liguria 
• Jen Batty
• Mihee Rink
• Carol Noboa
• Scott Elliot
• Eric Ndofor
• Doreen Dauer
• Patty Gutledge 
• Maggie Milligan

The Bluebell visitors enjoyed looking at the all of the artwork. We talked to a lot of people and answered questions about the Prince William Art Society and told them about our PWAS members out in the field plein air painting. 

Photos by Joy Yates:

 

Robert Dew

 

Kat Gates

 

David Dillon

 

Ana Quispe

 

Donna Merchant

 Photos from Katie Dugan:

Bluebell Crew: Kelly Haneklau, Staci Blanchard and Donna Liguria

 

Kat Gates 

Photos from Donna Liguria:

 

Kelly Haneklau painting the building - not the part in front of the building!

 

Nicole Goble in the corner

 

Under the Stone House - where they throw the people that step on Bluebells

(kidding!)

Look for Amongst the Bluebells Part 2 - more great pictures coming!

 

Love this post? Let me know by dropping a comment below!

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Author: Donna Liguria
Artistry Spin Blogmaster and an artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Donna's Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

Photography/Video Credits: Joy Yates (guest of Mark Clifton), Katie Dugan, Donna Liguria, Kelly Haneklau, Kat Gates, Donna Merchant

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Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment (below)! ...Remember, comments are monitored so they will not show up immediately.

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Post 551: Bluebell Challenge Revealed

Bluebell Challenge Revealed

At the monthly Prince William Art Society meeting held on Monday, March 24 at 7:30pm, another challenge had been sent out the the PWAS members. Those that accepted this challenge were to create an artwork about Bluebells! Timely, yes, because the Bluebell Festival is this Sunday, March 30 at the Merrimac Farm in Nokesville, VA, which some PWAS members will have art on display at. And the PWAS Plein Air Posse will be out amongst the Bluebells - painting the beauty and glory of nature.

PWAS Bluebell Challenge

The first PWAS Challenge back in October, was about Limes, and the story about that one can be found here PWAS Lime Challenge Revealed

Thus, this second PWAS Challenge with the subject of Bluebells.

And for the next challenge...is to a PWAS member... if YOU want to do the next PWAS Challenge? What do you need to do? Here are some steps that I have taken in the past but you are welcome to come up with your own idea and how to present it. I would suggest contacting the PWAS Board to clear the idea first though - and because it needs to be included in the program for that month.

A Challenge for the Members

Step 1. We need a subject for the challenge.

     The Bluebell Festival itself was the inspiration for this challenge. The Prince William Art Society will have a table at the 2025 Bluebell Festival and we will also have some PWAS Plein Air Posse artists out in the fields and forest, painting away on Sunday. 

Bluebell Festival 2025

The Address to get to the Festival is Merrimac Farm at 15020 Deepwood Lane, Nokesville, VA. 

Date and Time: Sunday, March 30 from 10 to 3

    Notes: Get there early. Wear boots.

Sponsored By: This annual festival is sponsored by the Prince William Conservation Alliance and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.

 

 

So back in January, each member was challenged to create something bluebellish - and bring the artwork to the meeting on March 24. (Obviously, you have to give the artists working in various mediums time to CREATE!) The artwork could also be entered into the Bluebell Festival and offered for sale.

Step 2. We needed a way to vote for our favorite.

    For this year, I used simple pictures of a bluebell that I cut out and each bluebell was a vote for the members to place in front of/on their favorite piece. The piece with the most paper bluebells, wins. AND it was hard to pick a favorite as they were all to wonderful! Great job everyone!!

Step 3. Should we have something for the winner?

    For the Lime Challenge, I gave out an inexpensive sketch book to the winner. For this challenge, we had a Michael's gift card!

Step 4. Should we have something to go with the challenge as far as food/drink?

     For something fun to do, I thunk, something fun to eat! I thunk and I thunk. And I also considered if I felt up to cooking or baking this time. The heavens opened and lightening flashed -  Blueberry Poptarts! Toast 'em and good to go!

Step 5. Take pictures! 

    We must show off the fun we have at a PWAS meeting! The pictures make for blog post fodder!! The PWAS Members were invited to place one mini bluebell paper on their favorite artwork. White the members were busy with the PWAS Meeting Program (see PWAS Meeting in the Bag), I counted the votes and....

And we have a winner!

 

Our brand new member Maggie Milligan was declared the winner of the 2025 Bluebell Challenge! Congratulations!!

It was another fun challenge, and I hope the PWAS members enjoyed it. We do hope to see you this weekend at the Bluebell Festival - where you may see some of these bluebell artworks in person. Let's hope for a beauty of a day too!

Got an idea for the next challenge? Drop a comment below if you do and we'd LOVE for you to present it! Like, share, follow folks!

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Author: Donna Liguria
Artistry Spin Blogmaster and an artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Donna's Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

Photography/Video Credits: Donna Merchant and Donna Liguria (the Donna Team)

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Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment (below)! ...Remember, comments are monitored so they will not show up immediately.

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Post 535: PWAS Bluebell Challenge and Call for Art

PWAS Bluebell Challenge and Call for Art

The Prince William Art Society (PWAS) will have a table and a shared tent at the Bluebell Festival again this year on Sunday, March 30, 2025 from 10-3 which means that space for vendors and sizes of the artwork will be limited. We are combining this art show with a PWAS Art Challenge so that we have Bluebell and Nature themed artworks to show for the visitors.

The Bluebell Festival at Merrimac Farm

The Bluebell Festival will be held on Sunday, March 30 from 10 to 3 at the Merrimac Farm at 15020 Deepwood Lane, Nokesville, VA. This annual festival is sponsored by the Prince William Conservation Alliance and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. 

The dress code for being out with the Bluebells is proper footwear! Pathways may be muddy, so boots are best.

Another note is to get there early. The parking lots filled early and the road to get in was backed up with cars. The suggestion is to carpool if you can!

Staci Blanchard and Donna Liguria are coordinating the PWAS table at the Bluebell Festival so questions should be directed to thegoddessofglitter.art@gmail.com and Donna.Liguria@outlook.com

PWAS Bluebell Challenge

The PWAS Bluebell Challenge starts now! January 31 to March 24 – Bluebells are the emphasis for our 2nd Art Challenge. We ask for the PWAS members to create small artworks for the Bluebell Festival in any medium they like. We'll do the Bluebell Challenge similar to how we did the previous Lime Challenge but for the Bluebell Festival, other nature artwork is acceptable as well for the show. 

Ok, we clear? The Bluebell Challenge is Bluebell specific artwork. 

For the Bluebell Festival - Nature and Bluebells can be submitted.

Display and Sizes to Submit 

 

1. Up to 4 Miniature 3x4 artworks with easels

2. Or, up to 3 SMALL art pieces or canvases.

   a. Small Art Sizes: 4x4, 5x5, 5x7, 6x6, 8x10, 10x10.

3. Or submit ONE 12x12 or a 11x14 piece; if framed - the total dimensions are 11x14.

4. Each artist may submit up to 4 fine art giclee PRINTS if you have them, nature themed. Only ONE print stand will be used.

5. Display Guidelines: All artwork must be properly displayed following the PWAS guidelines found at https://artistryspin.blogspot.com/p/display.html

   b. Proper wiring is required. No little sawtooth hangers. Typical standards apply for preparing your art; make sure it hangs securely. Note that we are NOT using gridwalls for this show but will be displaying on small easels.

   c. Please print out two sets of tags (one for the front, one for the back), and your inventory list signed and including the prints you are submitting. All must be handed in and signed the day you deliver your art for the event.

   d. Artwork on canvas can be on gallery-wrapped canvases and must have painted sides, edges. 

6. This Show is un-juried but Nature and Bluebells is the theme.

Nature Subjects 

 

Art subjects that would be especially appreciated are: 

 

• Birds - all kinds, cardinals, bluebirds, robins, eagles, hawks, etc… 

• Fish - all kinds, koi, trout, flounder, etc... 

• Flowers - all kinds, but especially bluebells, of course

• Trees - all kinds, especially woodsy subjects!

  Water scenes - especially rivers, creeks, ponds, and canoeing, kayaking, etc... 

• Nature’s creatures - all kinds, deer, coyotes, bear, frogs, bees, butterflies, grasshoppers, chipmunks, etc...

  Pours - bring some inspiring pours, especially if they transcend the viewer like a bounty of blooms or a sunset!

  Photography, oil paintings, acrylic paintings, pastels, chalk drawings, pen & ink, and digital art are all appreciated. 

 

Bring your finished artwork and inventory lists to the March 24 PWAS Meeting at 7:30pm at the Tall Oaks Community Center 12298 Cotton Mill Drive, Woodbridge, VA. 

*Note that we may have a special presentation of the PWAS Bluebell Art Challenge entries at the March 24 meeting. This will be for the Bluebell specific artwork and we may vote on our favorites. Pictures will be taken to help promote PWAS at the Bluebell Festival.

Please provide protective material for your own art/prints for transport.

Plein Air Painting at the Bluebell Festival

The PWAS Plein Air Posse (PPAP) will be at the Bluebell Festival painting during the Festival on Sunday, March 30. Robert Dew and David Dillon are the leaders of the Posse, so if you would like to meet and paint that day with them, contact them directly at rddew@live.com and anarty1@comcast.net. The reference links above has pictures of the PPAP out painting in the bluebell fields. Time to be determined to meet, but last year it was at 9am. 

See Plein Air Painting Equipment and Supplies if needed:

https://artistryspin.blogspot.com/2024/05/post-463-plein-air-painting-equipment.html

Are you a member of PWAS? Have you renewed your membership yet? https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership Join today and join in the fun!

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Author: Donna Liguria
Artistry Spin Blogmaster and an artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Donna's Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

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Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment (below)! ...Remember, comments are monitored so they will not show up immediately.

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Post 452: Bluebells and the Plein Air Posse

Bluebells and the Plein Air Posse

A story about the inaugural outdoor plein air painting session of the new Prince William Art Society group called the Plein Air Posse which had their first meeting and outing at the Merrimac Farm in Nokesville, Virginia on Sunday, April 7, 2024. The Bluebell Festival at this historic location made for a wonderful subject and feature for the group's artwork: Bluebells.

Bluebells and the Plein Air Posse

by Tom Payne

A crisp Sunday morning dawned on Merrimac Farm as members of the PWAS Plein Air Posse rode into Nokesville, Va. The sun was shining, the wind had died down from the previous day, and five PWAS artists were ready for a perfect day of painting among blooming bluebell flowers.

David Dillon, Robert Dew, Jess Kodad, Doreen Dauer, and Jeff Holman walked
down the trail that runs along Cedar Creek until each one found a suitable location to set up shop and begin their individual plein air painting experience.

The morning sunlight, streaming in from the east, cast long dappled shadows on the bluebells and the forest floor. Blues, greens, and browns were the colors of the day as beautiful sketches slowly appeared on the artists’ paper and canvas. Many visitors on the bluebell trail stopped to chat with the artists, offering compliments and words of encouragement. Everyone was smiling and enjoying the sea of azure blue at their feet.

Elizabeth Stathis and Donna Liguria held down the fort at the PWAS table. Lots of folks stopped by, admired the artwork, and inquired about joining our illustrious art society. We hope to see them again at an upcoming membership meeting.

One exciting highlight occurred when a photojournalist from Voice of America stopped to photograph and interview Doreen Dauer as she worked on her oil painting along the bluebell trail. 

He also stopped and photographed me as I was photographing Jeff Holman. Who knows? With a little luck, maybe PWAS will go worldwide as part of the story being done by VOA about the Bluebell Festival.

In case you didn’t know (I didn’t), Voice of America is the state-owned news network and international radio broadcaster of the USA! It is the largest and oldest of the U.S. funded international broadcasters, producing digital, TV, and radio content in 49 languages, distributed around the world. Its targeted and primary audience is non-American. As of November 2022, its reporting reached 326 million adults per week across all platforms. Very cool!

During the day, I wandered down the trail and captured photographs of each PWAS
artist hard at work and enjoying the zen magic of the glorious day. Stay tuned and keep an eye out as members of the Posse begin to share their artwork on Facebook, the PWAS website, and the PWAS blog - Artistry Spin. They don’t know it yet but I’m going to encourage the plein air artists to share their experience and insights at a future membership meeting. The Plein Air Posse is always ready to ride, in search looking for more awesome painters and painting opportunities. Enjoy today!

For Further Reading: https://artistryspin.blogspot.com/2024/03/post-447-pwas-plein-air-posse.html

Tell us what you think in the comments below! We love hearing your feedback. Want to learn more about Plein Air Painting? Come by a Prince William Art Society meeting and join the group(s)! The Plein Air Posse is a part of PWAS. The next PWAS meeting is Monday, April 22, 2024 at 7:30pm at the Tall Oaks Community Center 12298 Cotton Mill Drive, Woodbridge, VA.

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Author: Tom Payne

PWAS Member-at-Large (2024-2025) and digital artist, photographer. If a PWAS member has a suggestion or question to pose to the PWAS Board, contact Tom.

 

Author: Donna Liguria
Artistry Spin Blogmaster and an artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Donna's Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

Photography/Video Credits: Tom Payne

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Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!