In the news
is there anything in particular that you're looking forward to, in 2025? I'm already excited about my first art education session of the new year, starting on January 11. Offered through the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, it's the "Landscapes in Watercolour (Online)" course with brilliant Canadian artist David McEown:
"In this three-session course, award-winning artist David McEown will conduct detailed step-by-step demonstrations that will cover composition, how to transform value sketches, and how to elevate photo references into intricate, original studio paintings inspired by mountain landscapes. Key watercolor techniques, color theory, and depth of field will be discussed."
David McEown, by the way, was profiled in 2019 by "American Watercolor" magazine, in a piece entitled "A State of Mindfulness". The article described him as an artist and an explorer, a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS), and an Elected Member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour (CSPWC; of which I'm a associate member). This profile piece also noted that David has won the CSPWC's A.J. Casson Medal twice, in 2005 and 2018, "for outstanding achievement in watercolour painting" - which is Canada's highest award for this medium.
My first workshop with him was in 2021, the fabulous "Online Watercolour Masterclass with David McEown" which spanned 4 weeks with about four hours of instruction per week; the course description had indicated three hours per week, but David is such a generous instructor that he always provided additional teaching and tips.
The McMichael's description of that 2021 course was: "this virtual studio program is a special opportunity for practicing advanced-level artists to fine-tune observational and technical skills under the guidance of award-winning artist David McEown. Through guided perception exercises and live demonstrations, participants will learn to paint scenes from nature and enhance their understanding of the environment. This online studio program aims to help artists develop a personal visual vocabulary while interpreting sketches and photo references."
Then in February 2023 I attended David's virtual session for CSPWC members, entitled "A Walk in the Wild Blue Yonder, With David McEown", which combined his exploring and plein-air painting with his studio work. This image is from the magazine article I mentioned above, but a similar photo was shown during the CSPWC event that he presented. David's wife is professional photographer Daisy Gilardini, so their adventure-travel and art-instruction tours often offer both painting and photography so that they can travel together. This image is from a small bay at the foot of the Salvesen Mountains, leading towards the Bertrab Glacier, on South Georgia Island in Antarctica (a place I've never been, but have read about).
In April 2023 I was fortunate to participate in a wonderful in-person workshop with David, at Pine Cottage on the grounds of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinberg Ontario, north of Toronto: the "Essential Watercolour Workshop with David McEown". I don't think I've ever learned so much in such a short time, in all of my painting experience to-date!
In 2024 the timing wasn't right for me to attend any of the limited number of courses or workshops that David offers, due to his extensive travel schedule, so I was thrilled to get a place in his new online course in 2025. The upcoming "Landscapes in Watercolour (Online)" course, again through the McMichael, is a "virtual studio program... designed for intermediate to advanced level" watercolour artists. The theme of this course will be mountains, which is perfect as I have a large collection of my own reference photos of the Adirondack Mountains in upper New York State after almost 30 years of hiking and snowshoeing up and down summits near the Lake Placid area - with some occasional cross-country skiing thrown in. The, of course, there are my old travel photos of mountains including the Black Cuillins and Red Cuillins on the Isle of Skye and other summits in Scotland, Paul Cézanne's beloved Montagne Sainte-Victoire in Provence, and other peaks.
For more information about this gem of the Canadian art world, the McMichael describes David in this way, in the course description:
"British Columbia-based artist David McEown has used the medium of watercolour for the past 30 years to explore and express many of the planet’s biomes. The subjects of his paintings span the North Pole to Antarctica. David’s work is represented in collections worldwide. David is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design and an elected member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour, which in 2005 and 2018 awarded him the society’s prestigious A.J. Casson Medal. He is also a sought-after teacher and has conducted workshops and presentations for numerous art societies and museums."
So I'm sure you can understand why I'm already looking forward to this online course!
Whatever you have planned for 2025, Happy New Year! ,-)