In April, we are heading back into urban sketching with Marc Taro Holmes book “The Urban Sketcher”.  After exploring different options, the class chose this guide for its practical techniques in observing and sketching on location.  It includes chapters on the use of pen, ink, and watercolor.  Join us Wednesdays starting April 3^rd at Trinity Lutheran Church from 1 pm to 4 pm. We will start each week with a lesson related to the book, and then practice some exercises or we may go to various locations to get more sketching experience.  Students are encouraged to bring a project to work on and various mediums to experiment with.  The cost of the class is $25 per session. Contact me at eokerstrom22@gmail.com with any questions. 

March ended with us finishing the exploration of expressionist colors and abstract art in the Annette Compton book. We worked on a range of exercises suitable for all skill levels. It is hard to get your head around abstract painting when you are used to painting and thinking realistic.  The class was ready, and came up with some great images. The Compton book will continue to be a good reference for watercolor artists.

As we transition to other sketching with watercolor, pen and ink classes, I will share with you some of our past exercises, including a captivating Sunflower piece inspired by one of our classes on negative painting.  The reference photo, taken by me was in my family’s garden in Maine.

Thought of the day… “A wet shape you have just painted can be thought of as alive. As long as it remains damp it is active, wanting to move.  Unless you disturb it, it will sit in a puddle, waiting for an opportunity to flow. On a fresh white sheet, it is surrounded by an area of dry paper that is dead, inert. Watercolor pigment will never cross the wet/dry (alive/dead) edge. The moment it reaches the dry paper, it abruptly stops moving, piling up along the dry border, forming a sharp edge. “

Marc Taro Holmes, “The Urban Sketcher”, Page 93, Chapter 3, Watercolor: Bring Sketches to Life with Watercolor.

To view my artwork please visit the Gallery. Visit Gallery

In February, my days were filled with classes at Trinity Lutheran Church and the Hub on Canal. The classes at the Hub were well attended with as many as 9 students, and more signing up. I challenged myself to complete a painting of a serene harbor scene in Maine, inspired by early morning fog. Later this month I will be sponsoring an award at the Artists Workshop Annual Members Show. 

The weekly classes are Wednesday at Trinity Lutheran Church (1-4 pm), and Thursday at The Hub on Canal (12:30-3:30 pm). Hub classes end March 28^th, and the Trinity classes will continue. This month we focused on techniques from Annette Compton’s book. We practiced thumbnail sketches for composition. Outdoors we did Plein air drawing, working quickly with only a pen to capture fleeting light.  If you are interested or have questions about the classes contact me at eokerstrom22@gmail.com.

Thought of the day: “Being a painter is about communicating not simply recording”, page 103, “drawing from the mind, painting from the heart” by Annette C. Compton

To view my artwork please visit the Gallery. Visit Gallery

This month I continue my art journey with my weekly classes in sketching using watercolor, pen & ink.  January’s Talk Art at the Hub was a real success!  I talked about my art and did a demo of my class.  Everyone was invited to participate, and they all left with an original painting done by them. I am excited to announce that I have a new exhibit on Canal Street here in NSB that will be on view for the next 3 months.

To view my artwork please visit the Gallery. Visit Gallery

To view my artwork please visit the Gallery. Visit Gallery

This month I invite my readers to immerse themselves in my artistic world.

Exciting news: The Gallery of Gifts at the Hub on Canal is featuring my handcrafted Christmas gifts. 10 framed Watercolor & Pen/Ink pictures are available until December 23rd. Also you will not want to miss my Christmas cards and the new 2024 calendar featuring this year’s paintings.

My painting, “Here Comes the Sun’, will be at the Artists’ Workshop Gallery, 115 Canal Street, NSB through December. The “Deck the Walls” show opens December 2^nd, with a reception in the afternoon.

Save the date for my “Talkart” lecture, First Saturday, January 6, 1-2 pm at The Hub. “Sketching with Watercolor, Pen & Ink” will be about the fun of painting and drawing everyday things. Find out what the pen and ink process is, and what role watercolor plays.

January also brings a new 4-week watercolor & pen/ink class every week. Wednesdays from 1 to 4 pm at Trinity Lutheran Church starts January 3rd. Thursdays from 12:30 to 3:30 pm at the Hub starts January 4th. Classes will continue through April. I will have more on this next month. Contact me directly (eokerstrom22@gmail.com) if you have questions.

Thought of the day; Thank you for reading my art blog each month, and sending me feedback. Thank you too for supporting my artwork and attending my classes. I hope you have learned as much as I have!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

To view my artwork please visit the Gallery. Visit Gallery

My creative life continues with two exciting commissions. First, I was asked to paint a picture of the Elite Feet, Luxury Foot Care Spa in watercolor, pen & ink. The result was a picture of a beautiful place to spend time relaxing while being pampered by the staff at the spa. It also showcases the spa’s name prominently. The Elite Feet Studio is located at 4319 S. Ridgewood Ave., Port Orange, FL 32127, ph: 386-717-3311.  The second commission by a member of Trinity Lutheran Church is a vibrant acrylic painting with a radiant rainbow against the background of late afternoon clouds at sunset. It has a bible verse celebrating the beauty of rainbows as a symbol of hope.  This painting will be hung in the Fellowship Hall at Trinity Lutheran Church, 485 Turnbull Bay Rd, NSB, FL 32168. Both places are open for you to see these paintings.

The weather is cooler and the holiday season is approaching! I have been busy preparing for the “Gallery of Gifts” at the Hub on Canal. It opens Friday, November 17^th with a Members Preview at 5:30 pm, and Saturday, November 18^th it will be open from 10am to 5 pm until Christmas Eve. Be sure to mark your calendars for these dates!  This year, I am again creating a series of small 5” x 5” watercolor and pen & ink paintings, perfect for that special someone.  My new 2024 calendars, which have plenty of space to write notes, will be there too.

I will not be teaching in November and December. I will resume my Urban Sketching with Watercolor, Pen & Ink in January. Stay tuned for more details next month.

To view my artwork please visit the Gallery. Visit Gallery

Also, at the Hub in October, I will be continuing my classes in “Urban Sketching with Watercolor, Pen & Ink”.  In addition to sketching “Everyday Things”, I focus on watercolor and pen and ink techniques. This is a 4 week series that meets on Thursdays from 12:30 to 3:30 pm beginning October 5th. All levels are welcome; $100/series or $25/class. Contact me if you are interested.

To view my artwork please visit the Gallery. Visit Gallery

Welcome to my art newsletter. I am excited to tell you about my new exhibit of summer landscapes that are currently on display at the Hub on Canal here in New Smyrna Beach. The inspiration for these paintings came from my trip to Maine last year, and from the drawing exercises done while teaching. The trip to Blue Hill, Maine was to visit my family, where I was taken by the beautiful rugged scenery, water, rocks and play of light and shadows. The second inspiration came from my classes at The Hub on Canal.

I have 5 new paintings on view until October. “Afternoon Sun” is a watercolor with a view of light filtering through the forest and rocks lining Blue Hill Bay. “Stairway to the Beach at Blue Hill” was a drawing done in pen and ink then washed in watercolor. “The View from Lennie’s Kitchen” is another pen and ink drawing with watercolor wash. See if you can find the squirrel and bird in the picture. “The year of the Rabbit” is a watercolor, pen and ink painting that was a class exercise. “Looking out at Blue Hill Bay” is another class exercise in composition. 

To view my artwork please visit the Gallery. Visit Gallery

The Conclusion:

1. the process does not take a long time to create a picture.
2. Materials are easy to use.
3. Combine drawing with paint.
4. Lets you explore colors with paint.
5. Have fun, and keep drawing and painting!

My weekly classes at Trinity Lutheran Church continue on Wednesday afternoons, 1 pm to 4 pm. The Hub on Canal classes resume in September. Time: Thursday from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm. September class dates: 7, no class on the 14th, 21 and 28. October class dates are 5th, 12, 19, & 26. The name of the class is Sketching with Watercolor, Pen & Ink. The fee per class is $25. A supply list is available. If you have questions email me at eokerstrom22@gmail.com.

To view my artwork please visit the Gallery. Visit Gallery

To view my artwork please visit the Gallery. Visit Gallery