Showing posts with label Guest Speakers. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Post 543: PWAS Meeting with Valerie Larson, Guest Speaker

PWAS Meeting with Valerie Larson, Guest Speaker

Monday, February 24, 2025. The Prince William Art Society (PWAS) meets on the 4th Monday every month at the Tall Oaks Community Center on the corner of Cotton Mill Road and Hedges Run - right down from the Giant off Old Bridge Road in Woodbridge, VA. At our art group's meetings, we usually have some sort of art program, typically featuring a local artist, on all types of art topics. Manassas artist, Valerie Larson joined us for our February meeting.

Valerie's Artistic Journey

Valerie told of her inspiring artistic journey that has shaped her life and art to where she is today. Her story has led to many commissioned watercolor portraits of pets, and her art on display truly made you understand why she is much in demand by her clients desiring an artwork of their furry children...aka pets. She explained the communication involved with a client to capture just the right light and life of the pet subject's relationship with their human family.

As one member said, "You can see the personality of the dog, looking out from the portrait."

She shared many examples of her work, her commission process, and some of the extra touches she builds into each of her 'works of art'.

Valerie also shared her approach to the process of art video making with music, marketing and social-media posts on Facebook and Instagram that help getting her art "out there". She loves to use Aquabord artist surfaces, the Inshot app, InDesign, Photoshop, and she often uses Jerry's Artarama as an art supply source.

The PWAS members thoroughly enjoyed the meeting and getting to know Valerie. Many questions were asked and everyone was enthralled by her artwork.

After light snacks and beverages, the business part of the meeting proceeded, including reports from the various Board members, information on upcoming art shows, events, and the need for a Nominating Committee for the end of year PWAS Board elections. Contact the Member at Large if you want to be on that much needed committee.

Are you an artist in Prince William County? Don't miss the next guest speaker - you may miss the exact art topic of interest to what you do! Join PWAS

What did you think of the meeting?

Author, Photographer: 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.

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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Monday, February 17, 2025

Post 540: PWAS Meeting with Guest Valerie Larson Feb 24

PWAS Meeting with Guest Valerie Larson Feb 24

The Prince William Art Society (PWAS) art group meets on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Road, Woodbridge, VA and the public is welcome to attend. Meetings, which begin at 7:30pm, often include a guest speaker giving a presentation of various sorts and art topics followed by a short break and then the business portion of the meeting. The meeting for February is on the 24th, so mark your calendars!

"Breathing Room" by Valerie Larson

Guest Speaker Valerie Larson

Valerie Larson is a Manassas artist specializing in watercolor paintings and pen-and-ink drawings. She loves both mediums for their immediacy and freshness. Favorite watercolor subjects include local landmarks, historic buildings, animals, and nature. She tries to capture the beauty around her, and quality of light and how it reveals three-dimensionality is always a key element in her work.

"Manassas Love" by Valerie Larson

Valerie's painting time is devoted largely to commissioned watercolor portraits of pets and meaningful places (wedding venues, favorite vacation spots, etc.). She'll be sharing examples of her work, her commission process, and how she helps customers develop their ideal portrait. Valerie will also share her approach to marketing and social-media posts.

"Tower of Yum" by Valerie Larson

"Eva" by Valerie Larson

"Papa and Farah" by Valerie Larson

We hope you can join us for the PWAS monthly meeting at Tall Oaks Community Center at 7:30pm on Monday Feb. 24th.

Interested in (Re-)Joining PWAS?

The Prince William Art Society has been in existence since 1971. Our members have benefited from the experiences, friendships and encouragement over the years! See this post which includes a list of benefits and what we do.

On the PWAS Website is the easiest and quickest method, so please go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

if you would like to include a Showcase page with an about you and your artwork, see Showcase

If you want to learn more about PWAS, see About Us and for an indepth PWAS History, see our PWAS Artistry Spin Blog About PWAS A History

Authors: Valerie Larson, Larry Burch

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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Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Post 512: PWAS Meeting Guest Speaker M. Jane Johnson

PWAS Meeting Guest Speaker M. Jane Johnson

Monday, October 28, 2024. The monthly Prince William Art Society meeting takes place every month (except in December) on the 4th Monday of the month at 7:30pm at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Road in Woodbridge, VA. Our guest speaker at this meeting was local artist M. Jane Johnson.

Creating Beauty from Chaos

Ms. Johnson gave a presentation on how she creates her artwork and gave many tips on her process including Golden painting products and ideas for their use like using an Isolation Coat. The membership had many questions and enjoyed her program.

See https://artistryspin.blogspot.com/2024/10/post-507-creating-beauty-from-chaos.html

Ms Johnson has an art space at the Lorton Workhouse - we should visit her there!!

Other PWAS blog posts from the Monday, October 28, 2024 PWAS Meeting:

Mark Murphy's Photos from DC

Lime Challenge Revealed

Miss a meeting and you miss a lot!

The Next PWAS Meeting

The Prince William Art Society will meet again Monday, November 25 at 7:30 pm at Tall Oaks. Emily Hawes has some exciting ideas for our next program and we look forward to that. The meetings are free to the public to attend, so come on by - especially if you are an artist and want to learn more about art, art events, art shows and more in and around Prince William County.

Photography/Video Credits: Donna Liguria

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! pinterest-site-verification=3ad32cc9cfeae507ba5a382d62fcee17

Monday, January 15, 2024

Post 423: PWAS January 22, 2024 Meeting with Janet Stoeke

PWAS January 22, 2024 Meeting with Janet Stoeke

The Prince William Art Society's monthly meeting is coming soon - Monday, January 22, 2024 at 7:30pm at the Tall Oaks Community Center and will feature guest artist, Janet Stoeke.

Tall Oaks Community Center is found at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr. Woodbridge, Virginia. If you are a PWAS Member, check your email reminder for the Zoom Meeting link if you can't make it in person.

PWAS Program Guest Artist Janet Stoeke

The Prince William Art Society will start the new year with a meeting at the Tall Oaks Community Center, located at 12298 Cotton Mill Drive, Woodbridge, VA 22192. All programs and meetings are free and open to the public, who are invited to attend. The meeting will begin at 7:30 pm with a program featuring Fine Artist Janet Stoeke, who writes:

"I paint to capture something I can’t quite put into words: a feeling of satisfaction and solace when I spend time outside walking in the woods. The wonderful and unexpected gift of seeing a fox in the evening or hearing an unusual birdcall will make me catch my breath. There is no better surprise. For a time, I painted lush abstracts with realistic moths, hummingbirds, or snails hidden in them to mimic that feeling of delightfully unplanned encounters. More recently, however, I’ve found that it is really the light that has had the most profound impact on me, so I paint that instead. Fragmenting sunlight as it bleeds through the undergrowth and treetops is my latest obsession. The colors change depending on the month and the time of day, so I enter my studio after a walk with my head full of new color ideas and combinations and get to work. I don’t paint from photographs, but try to intuitively develop my tree shapes and the negative areas that will allow me to fill the canvas with color.

I have an MFA from GWU, but most of my work reflects the profound influence of a determined and very talented mother. In my talk, I will share my experiences as a painter, writer, illustrator, hiker, naturalist, and daughter. Hope you will come."

New PWAS Board Begins Their Term

The Prince William Art Society will welcome their new Board Members for their 2024-2025 term and looks forward to their leadership and game plan for the upcoming year.

See the "Meet the New Board" post here: https://artistryspin.blogspot.com/2024/01/post-422-new-year-new-pwas-board.html

Author: Emily Hawes and Janet Stoeke

Author: Donna Liguria
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA and Artistry Spin Blog Admin, 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.

Artwork by Janet Stoeke

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!

Thursday, November 2, 2023

Post 419: Lynn Goldstein Visits PWAS

Lynn Goldstein Visits PWAS

The Prince William Art Society meets monthly on the 4th Monday of the month at 7:30pm and often has a guest speaker. For the October 23, 2023 meeting, a well-known artist, Lynn Goldstein was featured.

A Q&A on Various Art Topics

From Evelyn Chatters, PWAS Secretary:

Lynn Goldstein was our guest artist. She has a stellar resume, including national and international exhibitions. She has taught in France, Italy, and Portugal, to name a few countries. Locally, she is showing at the Workhouse, building #5. She is a graphic designer who works with acrylic and pastels. It was interesting to note that she does not use certificates of authenticity or place watermarks on her art that is displayed on social media. Ms. Goldstein conducts classes with groups overseas. She has a website and a book with her artwork.

Photo by Otis Stanley

From Emily Hawes, PWAS Program Director:

Lynn gave an overview of her background and development as an artist, her experience and her current endeavors which include teaching, leading art tours overseas and showing in a selection of galleries. Several members of the audience with web galleries or who participate in group online or brick and mortar galleries asked questions about topics ranging from the technical such as underlayments to the best sources for specific mediums.* Several members also offered tips for sources and companies they have dealt with successfully.

Photo by Otis Stanley

An evolution in the styles of Lynn's work was clearly visible across the original works she brought and there was some discussion of how an artist can deal with the changes in their customer base as they pursue their own changing interests and push experimentation in a new direction they may feel strongly drawn toward while inevitably some prior customers may prefer their older style. How much should this influence how an artist works, and can an artist expand their base into those who may be more appreciative of their newer direction?

Photo by Ana Quispe

It shouldn't seem surprising that during a program with a planned focus on best practices for promoting one's art, many questions focused on the guest artist's emotional responses to the subjects of paintings (Lynn revealed that really beautiful old trees can make her cry!), feelings about a range of customer interactions, and artistic enjoyment of various art tour locations, but it could be a natural focus for a group of artists: Exploring and portraying emotional content. Nor was it particularly surprising that aspects of commercial art work that appealed to one artist were anathema to another - because of course art is also about expressing individuality.

Photo by Ana Quispe

*Tip: Lynn goes to Daniel Smith for her alizarin crimson water soluble oil paints and some of the blues that she feels they offer in a much truer hue.

November 27th General Membership Meeting Program - "Show and Share"

This month, the PWAS meeting is on November 27, 2023 and the "guest artists" will be each and every member or guest who brings one or two works to share with the membership. If you have a completed work you are enthusiastic about or if you have a promising start you have a clear vision for which you want to share, bring it in and allow us all to enjoy it with you. If you have a start you have begun to slow down on and need a few suggestions, bring it in to see if a bit of "brain storming" might provide the right boost to get you going again with enthusiasm. If you have a piece you have completed (no matter how long ago!) but never been entirely happy with, and want to hear suggestions from a variety of other artists on what might correct, improve or just enliven the work, bring it in to share.

Riffle through your stored works, ponder what's on your easel or work table right now, start a new work, or take something right off your walls! Plan ahead to bring something to show and share, and maybe discuss. See you on Monday night, November 27 at 7:30 pm in the Tall Oaks Community Center building, 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA 22192. The public is welcome to attend and non-members are invited to participate if desired by bringing art work as well.

From Donna Liguria:

I was so sorry I missed this meeting and officially meeting Ms. Goldstein. I've seen her online for a couple of years now, especially on Facebook. I signed up for her newsletter though!

Author: Evelyn Chatters and Emily Hawes

Photography/Video Credits:

Otis Stanley, Ana Quispe