Northstar Watermedia Society

Rochester MN
2025-05-01 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Mount Olive Church, 2830 18th Ave NW, Mount Olive Church, 2830 18th Ave NW

Hudson WI
2025-05-01 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Phipps Center for the Arts, Phipps Center for the Arts

Hudson WI
2025-05-01 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | St. Paul’s Episc Church, St. Paul's Episc Church
Have Water, Will Paint

Maplewood MN
2025-04-29 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Chicago) | Gladstone Comm Educ Cntr, 1945 Manton St, Gladstone Comm Educ Cntr, 1945 Manton St

Vadnais Heights MN
2025-04-28 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Birchwood Village Hall, Birchwood Village Hall
contact Leona with questions at 612-859-7075.

In-person Demo By Janet Flom Figure in Environment
2025-04-24 19:00 - 21:00 UTC
The Oval, Roseville, MN – 5:15-6:45p Paint-In; 7-9pm brief meeting and demo!
WE NEED 3 PEOPLE TO BRING TREATS TO THE APRIL MEETING. Reply to this email or contact Mary Zadach if you can help (fruit, cheese/meat & crackers, cookies, etc).

Not quite a portrait OR a landscape with figures, painting a figure in an environment allows the artist to tell a story about a person or people without getting into the details of likeness. It is more about what they are doing, where they are, or some other narrative the artist chooses to tell. Moreover, approaching a painting in this way requires designing the composition as a whole, rather than emphasizing the figure over background. Simplification, color, value, edges, relationships, etc. — are much more important to weave the figure and ground together. With figures in a landscape, the figures are subordinated to the “place” unless the artist has pulled in the focus such that the figures are more prominently depicted.
CHECK OUT JANET’S WORK HERE: http://www.janetflom.com/
ARTIST STATEMENT
Watercolor’s versatility in alluding to both two and three dimensional forms in space are what interest me, and I am always looking for opportunities to move between the flatness of the support and more developed areas, all within the same painting. My painting goals involve respecting the paper and the drawing as well as the paint, and to make that paint as freshly attractive as possible without over-handling. I like a watercolor to look like it was painted with water — fluid and immediate, with its own character dominant to my attempts to control it.
This approach to painting can be challenging in the most basic ways. The ratio of water to paint is always an issue. The application of paint to paper in the direct, fresh manner that I admire requires almost performance-level confidence. Also, I find it extremely difficult to accept the marks put down and refrain from fiddling.

NSWS In-Person Meeting and Demo at The Oval in Roseville
2025-04-24 17:15 - 18:45 (America/Chicago)
5:15-6:45p Paint-In Event; 7-9p Meeting and Demonstration by Janet Flom. Bring some friends as your guests!

Paint Outs
2025-04-22 09:00 - 10:00 (America/Chicago)
Special Bonus IF THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS ARE BLOOMING at Como Park- From Lexington go west toward the conservatory, then take a right to a parking lot.
These Plein Air outings are sponsored by NorthStar Watermedia Society, and are open to ALL Painters including non-members. Lunch arrangements up to the individuals or often we find a restaurant with the group. We gather between 9-10 AM, but you can join us at anytime during the morning. If you have any questions call one of these contacts: Ann Sisel, 612-275-0774 or Leona Olson, cell 612-859-7075. The committee members will be at most of these outings.
