The Reception November 15^th at the Hub on Canal was a great success. It opened the exhibit  “NSB, A Little Slice of Paradise”. The event was created by Jacob Coronado, the new Community and Curatorial Director.  His goal was to help the community learn more about local artists.  He chose six Hub Artists and placed their work on the large lobby wall for two months. I was honored to be one of the first artists selected.

Invitations went out to friends and family.  A large crowd came and the event was live-streamed on Instagram. Jacob asked each artist questions about our work and about New Smyrna Beach.  This allowed us to share our ideas with the audience.  The crowd enjoyed the conversations, and the evening felt warm and lively.  After the talk, we spent time visiting with the guests. I left feeling very grateful.

On Sunday, December 14, I will have a Holiday Card Workshop at the Hub. The class is $50 and runs from 1 to 4 pm. Please use this link to sign up.  Paint Your Holiday Cards with Watercolor Artist Evy Okerstrom – The Hub on Canal

Christmas Magic Card

My new 2026 watercolor calendar is now ready.  It is available at the Hub and on my website for $15 plus postage.

Warm up sketch I did in class of a black glass bird.

“Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to Everyone!”! Thank you for reading, and for your continued support. 

Stay connected: www.EvyOkerstrom.com / eokerstrom22@gmail.com

The holidays are only a few weeks away! I’ve been busy painting for two exhibits, creating holiday cards, and planning a new workshop.  My Monday classes at Trinity are going strong, too.

Atrium Wall Picture “My Backyard” by Evy Okerstrom,
watercolor, pen and ink.
$400. at the Hub

Also at the Hub:  The 2^nd Annual Joy to the Arts, November 28, 29 and 30^th for Holiday gifts and Santa!

My new Hub wall display, Urban Sketching with Watercolor, Pen and Ink, includes pieces like “Winter Night” – a moonlit farmhouse in blue, white and orange.

Street Scene in Spain Card

“The Blue Fish” by Evy Okerstrom,
an oil painting that will be the cover of my 2026 calendar.
My 2026 calendar should be ready by mid-November.

Winter Scene with Couple and Dog

Classes at Trinity Lutheran Church continue on Mondays, 12:30-3:30 p.m.  In October we finished canvases for the Hub’s Impact of Little Things 8×8 fundraiser and practiced painting reflections on water.

Now that the weather is cooler, we may move outdoors for sketching– a great exercise in composition.

“Happy Thanksgiving”! Thank you for reading, and for your continued support.

Stay connected: www.EvyOkerstrom.com/eokerstrom22@gmail.com

My Note Cards are now at Elite Feet & Studio in Port Orange and at the Hub on Canal. Elite Feet & Studio offers pedicures, manicures, and hair styling. They use the latest techniques and premium products. Their customer service is excellent. You can find them at

4319 South Ridgewood Ave.,
Port Orange, FL 32127.
Phone: 386-717-3311.
Website: EliteFeet386.com.

Classes at Trinity Lutheran Church continue on Mondays, 12:30–3:30 pm. This month we worked on canvases for the Hub on Canal’s “Impact of Little Things” 8×8 Fundraiser Exhibition. The art can be 2D or 3D, in any medium. Most students used watercolor or gouache. Others tried metallic watercolor with pen and ink, wood, or collage. I finished two pieces, due October 1.

“Table by the Sea”, watercolor and gouache, on an 8″x8″ canvas for Hub’s November Fundraiser Exhibit.

“Harvest Still Life” is from a class sketching exercise. I added some colorful details influenced by Matisee’s  colorful picture of “Harmony in Red”

“Thank you for reading, Happy Halloween!”

Stay connected: www.EvyOkerstrom.com/
eokerstrom22@gmail.com

My paintings are now on display at the New Smyrna Beach Library. They will be there until the end of November. The Library has a Community Gallery and the Artists’ Workshop of NSB hangs their Members artwork there year-round. The Library is located at 1001 S. Dixie Freeway, NSB 32168.

Last month I wrote that I would be teaching classes on Wednesdays beginning September 10, 2025.  I have decided “not” to teach weekly classes. Instead, I would like to have weekend workshops. I will let you know when dates have been set. The theme will continue to be Urban Sketching.

My classes at Trinity Lutheran Church continue on Mondays, 12:30 – 3:30 pm. We continue to work on all aspects of Urban Sketching.  This past month we continued with Watercolor Gouache.   Going forward we will be working again with the techniques of Ian Fennelly, working with watercolor ground, and the November “Fundraiser 8 x 8” exhibit at the Hub on Canal.

All levels are welcome. If interested contact me directly.

Class Exercise: Giraffe on the Moon” by Evy Okerstrom, Watercolor, Watercolor Gouache, Pen and Ink.

Class Exercise: “Flowers in Heart Vase” by Evy Okerstrom,
Watercolor, Pen & Ink.

Thank you for reading—Stay cool!

The Hub on Canal and Janes Art Center will have their Annual Members Show August 2^nd – September 1^st.  The theme is: “Reflections of ThySelf”.   I am submitting my picture: “Good Thoughts”.

“Happy Thoughts”, Mix Media, $500 available at the Hub.

SOLD!

Final Sketch

Several students were interested in learning about Watercolor Gouache. I brought in some Winsor Newton and Arteza Gouache. The Arteza brand was a hit!  We will continue with this for the next few weeks.

 Thank you for your interest—Stay cool!

Urban sketching was the topic I spoke about June 7^th at the Hub on Canal.  I did a demonstration of drawing and painting flowers in an orange vase! The women who attended expressed an interest in the process and asked a lot of good questions. I could tell that they had some experience with watercolor. I told them that I would be having weekly classes on Thursdays at the Hub starting in September.  I will have a starting date next month.

 “Rural Landscape, Cumbria, England”,
Watercolor, & Pen exercise in layering color.

After that, I asked the students for some suggestions on what they would like to work on. Drawing and painting glass was an idea. We spent a class on that. I did a basic overview of the process; with a lamp, showing the effect light has on glass to create the dramatic shadows in paintings. We did an exercise to paint reflected shadows.

The painting of the candlestick with reflection.

The following 2 weeks, we worked on figures.  I did a basic introduction in drawing people, and divided it into 3 parts.  The first week was on faces, and drawing each other.  The last week, returning to urban sketching, we used our figure drawing skills to add people in cityscapes.

A sketch of my students’ faces.

Classes at Trinity continue on Mondays from 12:30 to 3:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall. July classes begin on the 7th.  We’ll focus on urban sketching. All levels are welcome.

Thank you for your interest—and Happy 4th of July!

Talk Art Invitation for June 7, 2025 at The Hub

Join me at the Hub on Canal, Saturday, June 7th from 1 to 2 pm. I’ll be giving a talk about urban sketching. It’s not just drawing buildings—it’s about capturing what’s around you. Maybe it becomes a memory, or even a story. I’ll go over some basic techniques and lead a short class so you can try it yourself.

While you’re at the Hub, take a look at my display wall. I’ve added new artwork, including note cards and framed 5×5 original watercolors. You might find something special to take home.

“Jetty Ladies Watching the Waves” by Evy Okerstrom,
Watercolor, 10″ x 14″, $400

May was a great month for classes at Trinity Lutheran Church. We continued urban sketching, using work by UK artist, Ian Fennelly for inspiration. Drawing New York street scenes—especially the Brooklyn Bridge—was a fun challenge. We used pens to plan our layout: starting with a light gray brush pen, then adding detail with a fine liner, and finishing with watercolor.

Classes at Trinity continue on Mondays from 12:30 to 3:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall. June classes begin on the 2nd. We’ll focus on landscape sketching this month. All levels are welcome.

Thank you for your interest–and Happy Fathers Day!

Easter Flowers: Lantana” by Evy Okerstrom

My trip to Medellin, Colombia was a wonderful experience. The main purpose was to meet Alejandra’s family, and they were incredibly welcoming and fun to be with. I felt like part of the family right away. During my stay, I did a few sketches of the city from my apartment balcony and took many photographs to capture the memories. It was inspiring.

Medellin a view from my apartment -Watercolor, Pen & Ink

Medellin during a thunderstorm – Watercolor, Pen & Ink

In April, I taught a new Urban Sketching course at Trinity Lutheran Church. We explored various pen and watercolor techniques, inspired by an Urban Sketcher from the UK named Ian Fennelly, who has a course on sketching New York City. We practiced drawing street scenes and even had a special session the Monday after Easter. That day, leftover flowers were available at the church, and I had planned for the class to sketch them. It was a wonderful way to show that Urban Sketching can capture everyday moments. We finished the month by sketching a scene from New Your City’s Chinatown

Urban Sketching New York City, Greenwich Village, by Evy Okerstrom

In May, I will continue teaching Sketching with Watercolor, Pen & Ink at Trinity on Mondays 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm.  Let me know if you’re interested. Thank you for reading!

“Good Memories”, is a mixed media (acrylic and collage) painting by Evy Okerstrom. $400. The painting is available and will be at the Artists’ Workshop until March 9th.

On Sunday, February 2^nd-Ground Hog Day- The groundhog saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter. We’ve had cool nights, but daytime temperatures have reached 80 degrees. Spring is definitely on its way.

Colors: “studies in color combinations”

I have entered the annual Members’ Show at the Artists Workshop, 540 Barracuda Blvd, NSB, FL 32169. My painting, “Good Thoughts”, will be on display in the Studio Gallery from March 3-8. Awards will be announced at a reception on March 9.

Textures transparency