Report on the November 2014 meeting:

Dan Wiemer: Acrylic and watercolor combine for unique look

Dan Wiemer is well known among NorthStar artists, but he continues to amaze members with his unique approach to watermedia.

Beginning his career as a graphic designer, Dan moved into illustration, then became a full-time artist and teacher. He has been heavily influenced by the Group of Seven Canadian artists, Tom Thomson, in particular.

Dan considers himself a values painter. He believes that “If it works in black and white, it will work in color.”His paintings feature highlight shapes and shadow shapes in mostly flat compositions without much detail.

His love of woodcuts is reflected in his style. Dan began the demo by painting with acrylic over the areas he had masked to preserve white space. He achieves the woodcut effect by surrounding the dark shapes with masked white areas creating a hard edge.

The shadow shapes are first created in acrylic. He then removes the masking and paints highlights with watercolor.

In his demo Dan completed a stunning painting that reflects his love of rocks and the craggy shore of Lake Superior, his favorite subject.

(Click on the thumbnails to see the larger images!)