Annie Strack news

New Online Classes Start Soon!

2012-01-28T10:31:00.000-06:00

Starting February 14th, I will be teaching Watercolor for the Absolute Beginner at Artist's Network University. This is a 4-week painting course that is taught entirely online, so students anywhere in the world can now sign up to study with me!

Learn how to capture the beauty and radiance of watercolor—even if you’ve never painted before! Professional watercolorist Annie Strack will take you through the essential techniques and concepts of watercolor painting. You’ll learn how to use your watercolor materials to create washes, work wet-into-wet, suggest value changes, establish color and light, execute stunning compositions and much more.
Course includes downloads of course textbook and video!
COURSE BEGINS: February 14, 2012
COURSE LENGTH: 4 weeks
COURSE MATERIALS (included with tuition):

Watercolor for the Absolute Beginner, by Mark and Mary Willenbrink (PDF eBook)
Watercolor for the Absolute Beginner with Mark Willenbrink (video download)

TUITION: $149.99* ($135.00 for VIP)
INSTRUCTOR: Annie Strack (Bio)
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

Using essential watercolor materials with confidence
Executing basic watercolor techniques including a variety of washes, working wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry, and positive and negative painting
Suggesting depth and light with color and value
Completing a watercolor painting from beginning sketch to finished piece

WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE:

Students who have completed Drawing for the Absolute Beginner, Level 1 or Drawing for Beginners, Level 2
Aspiring artists new to watercolor painting
Experienced artists who want to learn proven techniques
Watercolorists who want to freshen up their skills

SUGGESTED ART MATERIALS:
Pigments
Alizarin Crimson
Burnt Sienna or Sepia
Cadmium Orange
Cadmium Red
Cadmium Yellow
Cerulean Blue
Prussian Blue
Yellow Ochre
Surface140–lb (300gsm) cold-press watercolor
140-lb (300 gsm) hot-press watercolor paper
Brushes
3-inch (76mm) hake
No. 2 round
No. 6 round
No. 10 round
Tools
2B pencil
Facial tissue
Kneaded eraser
Masking tape
Mounting board (Masonite, plywood or watercolor board)
Palette or plastic plates
Table salt
Water container(s)
COURSE SYLLABUS
Lesson 1: Essential Watercolor Techniques

Basic watercolor materials
Mixing paint and handling brushes
Working wet-on-wet, wet-on-dry and drywashes

Homework:
Complete the following exercises to practice key watercolor techniques. You may use the pigments recommended in your textbook or you may select your own pigments:

Applying a Flat Wash, page 49.
Applying a Gradated Wash, page 50
Applying a Variegated Wash, page 51
Adding Salt, page 57
Lifting Paint, page 58

Session 2: Drawing, Value and Color Basics

Structural drawing techniques
Understanding value and color
Using color intensity to suggest atmospheric perspective
Composition basics

Homework:
Complete the following exercises to improve your understanding of how color and value work.

Making a Value Scale, page 27
Once you’ve made a value scale, practice creating value changes and suggesting shadow and light by painting the shapes on the bottom of page 26.
Create your own color while, following the exercise, Making a Color Wheel, on page 33.
Practice suggesting atmospheric perspective by re-creating the three groupings of trees you see on page 29.

Session 3: Positive and Negative Painting

Suggesting texture
Understanding positive and negative space
Color temperature

Homework:
Practice working with positive and negative shapes by completing the following demonstrations:

Positive Painting, pages 80–83
Negative Painting, pages 84–89

Session 4: Basic Painting Approach

Composition planning
Mixing and layering paint
Light effects

Homework:
Complete the Structural Drawing demonstration, pages 68–71, then use that sketch as a basis for completing the Painting with Three Colors demonstration on pages 76–79.

Cool New Paints!

2012-01-20T21:17:00.000-06:00

I'm finishing up a few more watercolors in the studio, and when those are done I'm going to start playing with these new acrylic paints from Chroma. These Atelier Interactive Professional Artists Acrylics from Chroma have unique properties that allow artists to retard the drying process, and even re-work the paint after it has dried. It's totally different from the way we use traditional acrylics, so it might take a while to get used to it! Hmm. I'm not sure what I want to paint with these. I might do some tropical scenes, maybe some palm trees. Or maybe some still-lifes. Or maybe some landscapes. I'll let you know soon!

Warm and Cozy Holidays

2011-12-28T11:14:00.000-06:00

Now that the holidays are starting to wind down, I have a little more time to tend to my work again. One of the new tools I'm looking forward to trying out is this really cool looking brush from Liquitex. This is from their Free-Style product line, and one of the neatest features is the unique shape of the handle, which makes the brush fit into the palm of a hand with unsupassed comfort. This particular brush is too stiff for watercolors, but it's perfect for acrylics or oils and the 2" size is just right for larger canvases. The folks over at Liquitex must have been reading my mind when they sent me this -- I've been looking for some new 2" brushes, and then suddenly the perfect brush arrives in the mail!

The 2" Liquitex Free-Style Brush is perfect for acrylics or oils!

Another surprise in the mail this month was this lovely portrait of me created by artist Scott Hamilton, aka @ArtBoy68. Scott's current art project consists of 100 portraits in 20 weeks, and he's archiving his progress on his blog. He bases the portraits in this series on the avatars of his twitter friends and on popular icons of social media. I'm flattered to be part of his project, and thrilled that he mailed the original portrait to me, which I've framed and hung in my office!

Portrait of @AnnieStrack, by @ArtBoy68

The photo that I use for my social media avatars is from this image of my husband and me, photograghed by Kathleen DesHotel. My friend Kathleen is an arts reporter for the Times-Picayune, and snapped this photo a few years back at charity function in Slidell. At the time, I was working on a charity art project that involved bird bouses. Funny how art projects connect us all to one another!

Photo of Annie and Brian Strack, by Kathleen DesHotel

Holiday Sale!

2011-11-20T13:26:00.007-06:00

I'm having a small holiday sale! These nine paintings are all original watercolors, and each one is 5.5 inches by 8.5 inches. Each painting is $79, and right now I'm offering free shipping anywhere in the US. This event is limited to just these nine paintings on this page -- so you better hurry up and and buy the ones you want now, before someone else beats you to it!

1. Agat Beach, Guam, 2011(c) Annie Strack

2. Agana Beach, Guam, 2011(c) Annie Strack

3. Christiansted, St Croix, USVI, 2011(c) Annie Strack

4. Dinghies, St Croix, 2011(c) Annie Strack

6. Cinnamon Bay, St John, USVI, 2011(c) Annie Strack

7. Shoshone River, 2011(c) Annie Strack

8. Tchefuncte River, Louisiana

9. Trunk Beach, St John, USVI, 2011(c) Annie Strack

All painting are original watercolors on 5.5" x 8.5" rag paper, and do NOT include any frames or mats. Paintings are packaged in padded enveloped and mailed via USPS.

Purchases are only available through PayPal. Free shipping is only available in the US, addtional shipping costs will be added and billed to all orders shipped outside of the US.

Oh my! Did I just stumble across the perfect watercolor palette?

2011-11-10T14:36:00.000-06:00

I found this wonderful new watercolor palette while out shopping this morning. The thing that I love the most about this palette is the size of the wells -- as you can see, these wells are large enough to easily accomadate a 2 inch brush.

The palette also came with a snap-lock lid to keep paint fresh, and as you can see by the label, it's actually an egg server! If you look closely at the label, you'll also see the price... $1.80. Yep, that's right. I bought it at Big Lots for a dollar and eighty cents. A great watercolor palette with 24 extra deep, extra wide wells, and in a great color-wheel shape, with a lid, for under two bucks. I'm going back again this afternoon to get a few more before they all sell out! If you go to Big Lots looking for them, look in the Food Storage Container isle, and don't expect them to be properly labeled as watercolor palettes -- they all seem to be mis-labeled in the store as egg servers!

Below is the traditional watercolor palette that I'm currently using, and as you can see it has plenty of wells but they are only really large enough to use with a one-inch brush. I mostly paint with a one-inch flat brush, and that's because larger brushes just don't fit in the wells of traditional palettes. I prefer big brushes for a couple of reasons:
1. they hold more paint and water, so I can make larger more consistant brushstokes.
2. big brushes make me look thinner, by comparison.
Well, maybe not a whole lot thinner. But they do make it easier to to paint larger paintings and keep the work fresh and vibrant.

Here's some other palettes that I have laying around the studio. These are foam food trays, and are great to have around as spares when I need extra palettes for various projects. I keep a stack of them handy in case a student forgets to bring a palatte to class, or for when I'm working on something that requires different paints that aren't in my standard everyday palette. Like butcher trays, these have the major drawback of not having wells to keep the paints seperated.

I've been thinking about placing an order for a couple of new brushes lately (my #16 round is finally worn out, after about 25 years of hard use!), and I really wanted to get some new nice large flats -- like two-inch and up -- but I haven't been able to find a good palette that works well with the larger sizes. This might be answer!

How to Paint a Boat

2011-10-30T11:35:00.000-05:00

Here's another quick demonstration of my painting process, from start to finish.

This photo shows my drawing of a fresh fiberglass tender tied to the side of a large old wooden yacht. I've covered a few areas with masking fluid to contain my washes, and after it dried I painted the first wash of color in the water area where there will be reflections of the boats later.

Working from light to dark, I paint the water in layers, with each layer of paint a darker color or value than the last. I started with some light mixtures of violet and cobalt with a bit of ochre to get the nice grey color in the lightest areas of the water, and then layered cobalt, ult. blue, and indigo to get the progressive dark areas in the reflections.

Using that same grey that I mixed up earlier, I painted the tender a light grey color and then deepened the values in the shadow areas of the boat to give it depth and dimension.

As I worked, I deepened some of the lighter reflections in the water to match the colors and values that I used on the tender, and I darkened some of the shadow areas of the both the yacht and the tender to add to the depth of the subject.

At this point I can start adding some of the smaller details, and I paint in the trim and waterlines on the boats and refine some of the shadows.

I stepped back from the painting, and I realized that the dark values in the lower right area was competing with the subject for attention, and it was disrupting the overall composition of the painting. I washed off some of the paint from that area and corrected it. I also removed the rest of the masking fluild and painted in the bright reflections in the shadows of the tender's hull, which is the sunlight bouncing between two reflective surfaces (the water, and the hull).

And finally, using a smaller brush, I painted in the last few details and refined a few of the values to complete the painting! I'd love to know what you think -- leave me a comment and tell me your thoughts!

Grand Opening - Louisiana Art Gallery

2011-09-24T10:43:00.000-05:00

Next week is the grand opening of The Louisiana Art Gallery! Be sure to stop by on Thursday, Sept. 29, 6-8pm. The event is catered by Bonefish Grill (yum!). 40 plus artists including me, Mary Andersson, Kelly Landrum-Hammell, and Garland Robinette.

a case for painting

2011-09-03T19:16:00.000-05:00

I travel a lot to paint, and I often take my painting gear out of my studio to teach workshops, demo at artist organizations, or paint en plein air. For some small trips of just an hour or so, I just tuck a small half-pan watercolor case into my purse along with a bottle of water and a small pad of paper. I use both Sennelier and Winsor & Newton half-pan travel cases, and these are especially nice to have on hand when I go to the beach or for a hike, as they are easy to pack and take up almost no space. But for everything else, I need to pack a variety of supplies and materials to ensure that I’ll have with me whatever I need to get the job done.

Many, many years ago, I made my own travel case to organize and contain everything I need to teach a workshop or paint on location for longer periods of time. Since then, I’ve carried this case to dozens of workshops, scores of demos, and more paint-outs than I can count. My travel case gets a lot of attention from other artists at these events, and artists are often asking me how they can make one as well. So, I thought I’d share the details with you here.

cased packed and closed, ready to go!

First off, the actual case is something that I bought at a thrift store. I was looking for a hard-shell briefcase or suitcase for this project, and I came across this case that originally had been a salesman sample case for vinyl siding.

elastic string holds tools and supplies securely in place

To customize it, I cut some scraps of matboard to fit the dimensions of the inside lids. I stapled elastic to the matboard at random widths, then I glued the matboard firmly to the inside of the lids. This provides plenty of sections to securely hold brushes, paints, pencils, erasers, and all sorts of other little tools and supplies that I might need.

With everything packed in place, the case is ready to close

The bottom of the case is large enough to hold a large watercolor palette, two or more blocks of watercolor paper, water containers and bottles, paper towels, masking fluid, sponges, my apron, and other tools and supplies as needed.

open and ready for use

It’s looking a bit beat up and worn, but it works and I still use it constantly. The case is never unpacked – when I’m in my studio, it lays open on my workbench next to where I’m working so tools and paint are within reach. When I go out to teach, demo, or paint on location or at one of my galleries, it’s easy to just close it up and take it with me.

More Swan Boats

2011-08-21T18:28:00.000-05:00

I had such fun painting the swan boats last week, that I decided to paint some more of them! I think these paintings look good as a pair, don't you?
Like my previous painting of swan boats, I painted this one using only Sennelier watercolor paints. These paints have a smooth creamy consistancy, and the colors are very rich and saturated, giving my paintings an added vibrancy.

Swan Boats II

Swan Boats I

This photo shows the first washes of color and value being added to the boats, after the background area of the water is painted.

Here, I've deepened the colors and values of the boats with more layers of tranparent watercolor, and I've begun to layer a few colors to define the wooden dock.

The lightest areas of the painting are still protected by masking fluid while I layer the paint to develope the masks and bills of the swans.

At this point in the painting, I still need to deepen a few of the values even more.

And here's the finished painting, after all the final details are painted at the last stage.

Louisiana Watercolor Society event

2011-08-10T10:41:00.002-05:00

These are photos from the LWS painting event that was held at Karen's studio on Saturday. Over 40 people attended the event, and the artists and guests were treated with painting demonstrations, product samples, and a delectable luncheon. Many thanks to Daniel Smith Artist Materials for sending samples of their Watercolor Ground for everyone to try! The Daniel Smith Watercolor Ground is a unique medium for preparing any surfaces for watercolor painting. The Watercolor Ground can also be applied over paintings on paper, providing a white paintable surface that artists can then repaint over. It was a perfect product match for our event, and a big hit with all the artists in attendance!

I was unable to attend the event, but my friends sent me this group photo with this sign they had made...

Sigh. I miss you all, too!

Swan Boats

2011-07-21T13:23:00.002-05:00

This week I'm working on a painting of swan boats -- romantic little fiberglass paddle boats molded into the shapes of swans. The colors I'm using are cerulean, ultramarine, indigo, payne's grey, cad. yellow, cad. orange, cad. red, quin. red, quin. rose, and burnt umber -- all manufactured by Sennelier. I love the intensity of pigment in the Sennelier paints, and found that their cerulean in particular is the best available on the market.

this photo shows masking fluid used to protect the primary subjects while the initial washes are painted in the background.

Here some darker washes have been added, to move the focal point more in the center area, and enhance the diagonal composition.

After the background is dry, I removed the masking fluid and began painting some of the lightest values and shadows. Watercolors are a transparent painting medium, so deeper values are accomplished by layering progressively darker colors.

This photo shows how the mid-tone values are beginning to develop through the layering process, and addtional colors are now added to define the faces and cockpits of the boats. Some of the highlights, and the the tether lines between the boats and the dock, are still protected by masking fluid at this stage -- these parts will be painted in last.

After building up the darker values though layers of paint, final details are painted. I added texture to the surface of the dock by lightly sanding the area with fine sandpaper, and small highlights were scratched out with a razor knife.

This painting looks finished, but I'm not quite sure yet. I like to set my paintings aside for a while and not look at them for a few weeks at a time, and then reexamine them later to see if I want to makes any changes.

Pigosaurus

2011-06-20T10:53:00.004-05:00

I was honored to included among the artists and celebrities that were asked to decorate piggy banks for the recent charity auction benefiting Slidell Memorial Hospital. I was unable to attend the auction last month in person, but I heard it was a huge success. Here is a photo of the piggy bank I donated, 'Jurassic Pork.' I already have plans to create a squealquel for next year's auction!

day a the races

2011-05-09T15:23:00.005-05:00

I don't usually go to the races, but when my best friend's husband was up here with his racing team a few weeks ago I went to the track to visit for a while. They traveled about 1200 miles to compete in this endurance race in New Jersey, about 50 miles from me. This is Billy, looking rather mechanical in the pit.

A serious meeting between the drivers and team, probably talking about cars, or car stuff.

Billy is fixing to do some mechanical stuff to the car while talking to one of the drivers, during the first pit stop of the race.

I had a great time at the race, although I really coun't see much from the pits. There were several dozen cars in the race, and they won 1st place!

Artists for a Cure

2011-03-07T11:07:00.017-06:00

I'm honored to be one of the 25 artists participating in this video project for the Matt LeBlanc Art for Life Campaign. Matt began this campaign last year to raise awareness and much-needed funds for the Tree of Hope Campaign, an annual event by the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont Hospital Foundation in Moncton. The campaign was a huge success, and Matt raised a grand total of $38,000 for the foundation.
As a way to kick off the awareness effort this year, Matt went to fellow artists for some help and put together an online video with 24 other artists from North America and as far away as Australia. The idea is simple -- each artist answers one question: Why do you paint? The video is a collection of answers from these artists.

The video ends with a powerful message:

Painting is life.
We love to paint and we love life.
We are all artists and we are all for finding a cure for cancer.

--------- Music by Dwayne Storey from New Brunswick Canada ---------

Matt LeBlanc, Visual Artist
http://www.MattLeBlancArt.com/ArtForLife

A slightly shorter version of the video...

You can read more about the project at
http://www.MattLeBlancArt.com/en/art-for-life/

Try-it Dots from Daniel Smith Art Supplies

2011-02-16T10:17:00.004-06:00

My friends at Daniel Smith art supplies sent me this wonderful new watercolor product called Try-it Dots. The product has 238 small paintable samples of Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors, and includes the description and properties of each color. One of the things I love about this product is that it enables me to see and test actual pigments, and allows me to try a huge assortment of colors without investing in a lot of expensive tubes of paint. The Try-it Dots is a fabulous full reference chart of actual colors, and it’s also a full set of usable paint samples.

As you can see in the photo, so far I’ve mostly tried the blues and greens and I still have a lot of pigments left to work with. Here are four small 5”x8” seascapes that I’ve created this week, using only the Daniel Smith Try-it Dots.

Some of the colors (like the iridescents, interferenscents, pearlescents, and duochromes) are too prismatic in appearance to work well with my traditional style of seascapes and landscapes, but these metallic pigments are a perfect addition to the palette that I use for my abstract watercolor paintings and will add a whole new dimension and exciting new trend to my series.

#PowerArtists Interview

2011-02-10T10:05:00.004-06:00

I'm honored to be the first artist featured in the new #PowerArtists interview series! The interview and series is on Fine Art Tips, a website dedicated to empowering artists by sharing knowledge and skills.

Here's a brief introduction to the series...
Welcome to the first #PowerArtists interview. Last week, FineArtTips.com announced the first 10 #PowerArtists. This ongoing series is dedicated to acknowledging individuals for their excellence in the Arts and Social Media. This week I am proud to introduce one of the most influential artists on Twitter, the multi talented go-getter, Annie Strack – a true #PowerArtist.

“#PowerArtists are the social media ‘rockstars’ of the art world! Not only are they talented creatives, but they understand how to harness the power of social media and use it to promote their art careers. #PowerArtists are inspiring and freely share their knowledge with others.” ~ Lori McNee, Publisher, Fine Art Tips
Read the whole article here!

Excellence in

Art & Social Media

Also this week, I found out that I am listed as one of the top 5 artists to follow on Twitter! Another great honor that I'm proud to share! The full article is here, on Social Times - The Social Media Source.
"Anything arts-related, Annie is your go-to girl! She tweets advice for aspiring writers, and links to information on government grants for the arts in addition to promoting her written work and art-related events and workshops, both local and across the U.S."

Video Interview - Grants for Artists

2011-02-02T11:49:00.007-06:00

A few months ago I was interviewed by Matthew Lesko for his My American Benefits Plan website. Lesko is a financial guru, specializing in helping people navigate the processes of applying for public grant funds, financial aid, and other available government programs and benefits. My interview is about how I used public grant funding to produce my DVD and TV show Painting Seascapes in Watercolor, and offers information and insight into the grant process.

The video interview can also be seen on Matthew Lesko's website, where you can find more helpful videos and information about numerous other government funding programs.

Be sure to check out the July/August 2010 issue of Art Calendar magazine to read my indepth article which details the funding, filming, editing, and production processes of my video.

Testing New Paint Formulas

2011-01-20T13:15:00.003-06:00

Like most artists, I love trying out new art supplies. So when Sennelier (a French manufacturer of fine artists supplies) asked me a while back if I would be interested in testing some of their new formulas for watercolor paints for them, I quickly said 'yes' and waited eagerly for the samples to arrive. When the box arrived, I was a bit surprised - I was expecting a few tubes of paint - maybe a dozen, at the most. But the box contained 53 tubes! I began to hyperventilate a little as I thought about how I could possibly find the time to test and accurately review all these colors - and return my results before the one-month deadline.

But once I got started I calmed down quite a bit. The 53 tubes are various formulas for 12 different colors, so there are only about 4 or 5 variations for each of them.

Overall, every one of the samples is nice, and some of them are downright extraordinary. The variants between the different formulas are surprising, and it took me quite a while to conduct comparisons and write a review for each formula. For instance, the five samples of Ultramarine Blue vary in temperature from cool red tones to warm yellow tones, and all of the color samples have huge differences between them for opacity, absorbency, flow, texture, granulation, intensity, and color shifts. All these variations make it very hard to choose individual favorites from among the samples, and all of them provided outstanding results when used.

I love the exceptional quality of these paints, and I’ll be using a lot more Sennelier artist supplies from now on!

Battle of New Orleans

2011-01-14T15:57:00.004-06:00

While I was up in the frozen north shoveling snow, Brian flew back to New Orleans for the Park's grand re-opening ceremony at the Chalmette battlefield. The ceremony was held last weekend, in conjunction with the anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans.

The is the new visitor center at the battlefield. The old one was destroyed in Katrina, and the storm did major damage to the National Cemetary and it's historic walls and buildings, as well as the Beauregard plantation house, outbuildings, and the Monument. Rebuilding and restoration was one of Brian's top priorities during the last 5 years, and it was nice that he got to go back and cut the ribbon at the re-opening.
Unfortunatly I didn't get to go with him on this trip; someone had to stay behind to shovel snow around here!

Snow Day!

2011-01-12T08:53:00.003-06:00

Pictures of the new snow this morning! I think we got about 8 or 10 inches of snow last night. Brian's car has 4wd, so he was able to get out and go to work this morning. I'm not so fortunate, and I think my truck might have to stay in the garage until spring!
I pulled on my shrimp boots and hiked down to the end of my driveway to get this view of the valley.

The sun was just barely starting to rise over the hills, casting a warm glow on the trees.

My backyard, looking out towards the woods.

The view from the front of my house.

Come see me at the Pottery Studio Open House!

2010-11-27T12:43:00.003-06:00

Next Saturday, December 4th, is the Open House event at Kelly Landrum-Hammell's new studio in Slidell! There will be food and drinks and door prizes, and lot's of pottery! The open house takes place at Studio KLH, 1169 Robert Rd (across the street from the Slidell Memorial Hospital Founders Building and the new Cancer Center) in Slidell, Suite H (on the 2nd floor). Besides the beautiful pottery and artwork for sale, the studio also offers pottery classes for all skill levels.

So be sure to come out and join us this weekend -- I'll be there, too!

International Twitter Art Exhibit in Moss, Norway

2010-11-19T11:16:00.003-06:00

I'm pleased to be part of the Invitational Twitter International Art Exhibit in Moss, Norway! The opening reception will be 7pm December 1st, and the exhibit will be on display through January, 2011. If you happen to be passing through Moss, Norway, be sure to stop in and check it out! Below is a blog excerpt about the event from reknowned artist David Sandum, who is the curator of the exhibit...

Twitter art exhibit in Moss Norway for charity.
It is my great joy to introduce a new and exiting project: A real life Twitter art exhibit. A while back I talked to @Artythings @dpringle @EthanCrankeArt about how fun it would be to exhibit something together. We first concluded it would be tough to transport and organize, but the seed was planted and we kept discussing. @EthanCrankeArt suggested 140 artists (representing 140 characters), and we concluded it had to shown at a public place, as Twitter is open to anyone with an account. It all seemed so right, so current!

For a while the project seemed impossible. How would one coordinate such a thing? But then a few weeks ago, I read an article in the local paper, saying how the public library had gotten it's funding cut and wouldn't be able to order the children's books they needed. It then struck me this was the perfect venue for a twitter art project. And soon the idea of a wall of art work at the library, where it's proceeds would go to charity/children's books, was stuck in my brain. But how would I gather all the work? The answer felt as swift as Twitter itself: Have each artist send a postcard (symbolic of a tweet), with hand-painted original artwork. The postcards would then be posted on the wall and sold for 200 kr each ($32.00), and all the money would go to children's books. This amount would make it possible for nearly everyone to support the public library, and if we collected enough artwork, enough money would be raised. The next day I called the library director and asked for a meeting, where I presented the idea later that day. "This is simply wonderful," she said, "Lots of people here use the computers for twitter and I'm sure we'll get a lot of media attention...But I need to check the politics first and get permission from the local government."

And now a few weeks later, we have gotten the go ahead, and I'm exited to announce this event will take place. So this is your chance (wherever in the world you are) to contribute to this cause, and also promote your work to a new audience. Moss is known for its galleries and people here love art! So please join me in at this wonderful event - A real life Twitter art exhibit!
Best Regards,
David Sandum
http://www.davidsandum.com/

To keep up with the latest updates on this exciting exhibit, visit David's blog.

Mounting a Watercolor Triptych on Cradled Art Boards

2010-10-22T11:33:00.003-05:00

Wanna see how I make a watercolor triptych on cradled art boards? Watch the video below!

Each of these cradled art boards is 24"x18", making the finished size of the triptych painting 24"x54". These boards from Dick Blick have a pre-primed paintable surface suitable for oils or acrylics, and a 1.5" deep cradled edge of clear wood that I stained and varnished a deep ebony color. After painting the triptych on 3 sheets of 24"x18" watercolor paper, I used acrylic gel medium to mount the paintings onto the boards. After the medium dried, I trimed the edges and sealed the painting using several coats of an archival, UV resistant, non-yellowing, acrylic varnish.
The result is a large watercolor triptych that can be hung and displayed without the use of frames, mats, or glass!

Here's how the finished painting looks, hanging on my studio wall!

Step by step painting progress

2010-10-03T13:08:00.004-05:00

Long before I started the moving process, I had sketched out these dinghies and masked them in, but with workshops and commissions that needed to get done it got put aside for a long while. Then came the confusion of packing and moving, and I totally forgot all about it. When I unpacked it recently, I thought the drawing would be ruined because the masking fluild had been on it for about 10 or 11 months, but I went ahead and painted in the background water, and then grabbed my rubber pick up tool to remove the masking from the boats. Much to my surprise and delight, the mask pulled off easily, like it was just applied this morning! I can't sing the praises of Winsor & Newton masking fluid enough! After I painted in the water, I reapplied mask to the bows of the boats so I could paint in the backgrounds on the right.

This photo shows the base colors and values finished in this dinghy painting. After these are applied, I painted in the smaller details of the boats and the darkest values, and the motors. You can still see a little masking fluid left on in few places, like the whitest highlights, the posts on the dock, and some of the lettering and numbering on the boats. Those are the last things I paint.

I started this painting with masking fluid over the boats as I painted in the water and docks, then I peeled it off and re-masked just the details before I painted in the boats. I did the boats in mulptiple layers of color and value, using mostly cobalt blue, winsor violet, and rose madder. Then I painted thin glazes of yellow ochre over them, which warmed up the color temperture and also turned the color of the boats to a more grey hue. Finally, I glazed the boat closet to the viewer with a thin layer of burnt sienna, which warmed it up even more. The warm colors of the foreground and cool colors of the background objects adds to the perception of distance between that boats, and heightens the perspective of the overall painting.

New Studio!

2010-09-24T15:23:00.002-05:00

For some reason, I suddenly feel compelled to paint larger! This is a triptych that I'm currently working on - each panel is 24"x18". When finished, I will mount this painting on deep cradled art boards, and finish off with several coats of varnish.

The use of the cradled art boards and varnish allows me to present these watercolor paintings ready to hang without the use of frames or glass.

I love the studio space in my new home! As you can see, there's plenty of room for my custom workbench and lot's of light!

Plenty of storage space and lot's of walls to hang paintings...

and plenty of floor space to set up extra tables and chairs so I can teach classes right in my own studio now!

I think, maybe the new larger studio might have something to do with my sudden impluse to paint bigger!

Chat with me live on Wednesday

2010-09-20T10:05:00.003-05:00

This Wednesday, Sept 22, I will be live on #ARTChannel from 7:00-8:00pm CST http://budurl.com/artchat7
I will be talking and answering questions about painting, art business, and art marketing. Click on the link to go to the website where you can chat with me!

2010-09-17T12:10:00.004-05:00

These are photos of the three paintings completed by Patsy Seguin at my 3-day watercolor seascapes painting workshop in Baton Rouge last month. Hard to believe -- this was the first time that Patsy attended a painting workshop!

Patsy painted this one straight -- it's the camera that's tilted!

These paintings are from just one of the artists that attended my workshop -- all of the artists produced amazing work!

Read Patsy's comments about my workshop here along with comments from some of the other artists who participated!

Workshop in St Bernard

2010-09-16T17:28:00.003-05:00

This past week I drove back to New Orleans to teach a watercolor painting workshop for the St Bernard Art Guild. The workshop was held in the art room at Nunez College in Chalmette, which of course is a great place to teach art. Here's a few of the students working on their paintings...We did a seascape with a sailboat this time, and here's my painting with the sky painted in. The masking fluid over the boat part of the painting protects the white of the paper while the sky and water are painted in.

This photo shows my painting nearly finished, just needing a few more details.
The finished painting after a thin glaze is washed over it, to warm up the foreground colors and make the water appear more translucent.

We all had a wonderful time at the workshop, and everyone finished two fantastic paintings. It's especially great that the St Bernard Art Guild awarded 5 scholarships for art teachers to attend the workshop! Kudos to St Bernard Art Guild! Scholarships for art teachers to attend workshops goes a long way towards speading art education, as the teachers take the skills that they learn and pass them on to their own students for years to come.

2010-07-21T14:01:00.003-05:00

Here's some photo's from the workshop I taught for the Louisiana Art & Artists Guild in Baton Rouge last week. I always like to start with a few simple 'warm-up' paintings to get everyone comfortable using large brushes and big sweeping strokes. I brought some photos of some beaches and everyone painted two different scenes in addition to the main workshop painting.

After everyone warms up by painting a beach sccene, we move onto the main painting for the workshop. This drawing has the fort, sailboat, and dinghy masked out so that the background can be painted.

Once the basic washes of color and value of the background are painted, the masking fliud is removed to reveal clean paper underneath, and fresh masking is applied to the top deck area of the dinghy to preserve just that white area.

This is my reference photo for the workshop. In the painting, I changed the color of the boat, added movement and color to the sky and water, added rust to the boat, and skipped painting some of the distractions in the background.

My finished painting from the workshop.

These are some of the artists and their finished paintings from my workshop. This group of artists were more advanced and everyone's paintings came out beautiful!

Philadelphia

2010-05-05T15:34:00.002-05:00

View of the Delaware River from my apartment in Philadelphia.

The last couple of months have swept by in whirl! I'm now in Philadelphia, living out of a suitcase in a tiny apartment. This new adventure started when my husband received a promotion and transfer earlier this year, and it happened so fast we didn't have time to do more than pack a suitcase and whistle for the cat. As soon as I got here I had to immediately dedicate all of my time to finding a house and organizing a permanent move, so I haven't had time to paint or write or do anything. Things are starting to settle down a bit now. I'll be moving into my new house in nearby Kennett Square in a few weeks, and I've found a great realtor back in Louisiana to sell my house there. I'll be going back to Louisiana later this month to finish up a few more moving details, and then back again in July to teach a watercolor workshop in Baton Rouge for the Louisiana Art & Artists Guild.

Philadelphia has been a big change from New Orleans, and I miss food, culture, and arts already. They have a pretty good sandwich here; they call it a cheesesteak. But it doesn't hold a candle to a catfish po'boy.

New Job, New responsibilities, and New Contest!

2010-02-03T21:20:00.004-06:00

The month has barely just begun, and it's already busy! This week I was elected president of the Louisiana Watercolor Society, and just in case I wasn't busy enough, I also started a new job.

I wasn't looking for any extra work (believe me - I already have more than enough!) but my local government arts agency needed someone to help out with the public arts grants program for rest of the season. They assured me it will only be part-time and temporary, so for the next six months or so I will be working to help local government agencies, schools, and non-profits secure grants. I'm fairly familiar with the program, having written and recieved these grants myself, and I've served on juries that evaluate and score the applications. I really didn't want to take on another committment, but I relish the opportunity to help mold public arts policies and help my community foster the arts.

I also entered a contest at Jerry's Artarama for art instruction videos. The winner gets a contract for a video production, and there are other prizes for runner-ups. Please vote for my entry by watching the sample video --

Every view is a vote - please vote for me!

Featured in Louisiana Life Magazine

2010-01-01T22:16:00.003-06:00

There is a awesome new feature article about me and my artwork in this month's issue of Louisiana Life magazine!

Annie Strack is organized –– not only in her art but also in the business of art. Posted on her studio wall is a large chart, planning every step of her art career for the next 10 years. Below each year is a list of goals and benchmarks. For example: Year 1 – juried in national shows. Year 3 – galleries in other cities. Year 5 – national product endorsements. Year 10 – coffee table book. “You have to plan and have goals,” she says, “and not just do what other artists are doing. They may have other goals. My plan is to be wealthy, selling my art.” Strack, who lives with her husband, Brian, in a wooded area of Lacombe in St. Tammany Parish on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, seems to be... (click here to read more)

2009-12-04T19:57:00.005-06:00

This month I'm exhibiting at Mansurs on the Boulevard in Baton Rouge, show dates are from December 2 to February 2. The exhibit is curated by Carol Creel, and features Louisiana's best artists including Jane Brown, John Brown, Monica Bishara, Carol Creel, Yvette Creel, Kathy Daigle, Silvia Adolph, Sarah Fergus, Louise Hansen, Annie Strack and Karen Stakelum. Mansurs is located at 5720 Corporate Boulevard. Open for lunch and dinner.

Last month I accompanied the St Bernard Art Guild as a chaperone for the Chalmette High School art department's field trip to the New Orleans Museum of Art. We had a blast, and enjoyed the new Disney exhibit.

Also in December, tune in to watch my one-hour show Painting Seascapes in Watercolor on St Tammany Cable Access Channel 10 on Saturday, December 26th at 7pm. Don't forget you can still order the complete DVD for $24.95 plus $5 for shipping and handling. The DVD makes a great stocking stuffer for any artist on your christmas list!

2009-11-17T20:25:00.003-06:00

I finished this painting a couple of weeks ago, and entered it the St Bernard Art Guild show in Chalmette last weekend where it won the award for Best Maritime Painting! I entered seven paintings in the show, and won a total of five awards including Best Lanscape, Best Abstract, and Honorable Mentions awards for Art Under Glass and for Art Not Under Glass categories.
This week, I'm judging the Jefferson Art Guild Annual Juried Show at Barnes and Nobles on Veterans Hwy in Metairie on Wednesday; chaperoning a field trip of Chalmette High School senior art students to the New Orleans Museum of Art on Thursday; attending a gallery seminar on Thursday night, and going to the East St Tammany Habitat for Humanity charity art auction at the Harbor Center in Slidell on Friday. Maybe I'll see some of you there!

new paintings

2009-10-29T14:33:00.005-05:00

This is the last week to come and visit me while I paint live on location at Interiors & Imports, 813 Florida Street in Mandeville. I started this one last week, and hope to finish it tomorrow. I've painted the water and most of the reflections, and now I'm working on the motors and hulls.

Also painted these two seascapes last week, and I'll be mounting them on cradled art boards as soon as the varnish dries. The weather always turns extra humid here when I'm trying to varnish!

Next week I'll be going to Negrotto's Gallery in Biloxi to drop off another painting. If you're in the area, stop in!

Also in November is the annual St Bernard Art members show in Chalmette. I'll be there, of course, and you are all invited to come and spend the day at one of the area's largest art shows. Thinking of entering? Click here for the prospectus.

Last Sunday I had a great time at the polo match in Folsom, sponsored by Inside Northside Magazine!

Here's me, and artist friends Valerie Melancon, Mary Andersson, and Kelly Landrum-Hammell enjoying the fantastic weather!

Newest painting, raku firing, & other events!

2009-10-21T16:31:00.004-05:00

I had a very productive week, and finished this painting while at Interiors & Imports painting on location. I'll be there this Friday and Saturday again, so be sure to stop in!

Monday I hosted Kelly Landrum-Hammell's pottery class for a day of raku firing in my backyard. Kelly came and set up the kilns on Sunday, and we began firing at 8am the next morning and didn't finish until 10pm. 14 kiln loads of raku! Here's a photo of Kelly transfering a red hot pot from the kiln to the reduction can...

more photos from the raku class can be seen posted in this online album

Also donated two paintings to the local Habitat for Humanity this morning.

One painting is for the auction fundraiser on November 20th in Slidell, and the other painting will be given to a new Habitat homeowner. Habitat has helped hundreds of families become homeowners in this region, and I'm proud to give a donation to the auction and an extra painting that will go directly to one of the hardworking and deserving families that Habitat serves.

I drove to Biloxi last week and had a wonderful time meeting the great folks at Negrotto's Gallery! Negrotto's is now carrying a selection of my seascapes and abstract paintings, you can check them out online here or visit them at 2645 Executive Place in Biloxi, behind Edgewater Mall. Be sure to tell them I sent you!

painting 'live' at the gallery

2009-10-11T10:56:00.002-05:00

This weekend I painted on location at the gallery again, and I finished this painting of dinghies that I started the week before. When I saw this group of dinghies tied to the boardwalk in Christiansted I loved the way the shadows reflected on the water and contrasted with the white hulls. But the thing that caught my attention most was the name of the blue dinghy, 'FLUFFY'. It seemed so intimate, like the name of a beloved pet.

I'll be at Interiors & Imports again this Friday and Staurday, painting on lacation in the store. This week I'll be working on more new paintings in my dinghy series and I'd love for you to come by and visit with me while I paint!
see you then,
Annie

Painting on location at Interiors and Imports

2009-10-05T14:50:00.005-05:00

Every Friday and Saturday in October I will be painting on location at Interiors and Imports in Mandeville. Come by and visit with me while I paint!

I painted this one last week, and I'm almost done with it. After I got home I realized I forgot to paint in the name on the yellow dighy, which is Homer. The name of the boat was one of the things that initially charmed me about this scene when I came across it in the Virgin Islands. I finished it up today, painting in some more of the little details and the name on the boat.

I've lived all over the country and traveled around the world, and when people ask me where I'm from I usually answer that I currently live in Louisiana. The next question is always 'yes, but where is home?', and I never really have a good answer for that, because I don't feel that I've found 'home' yet. It could be the next place I live, or it might be the one after that, or maybe I would never find that place that would evoke that elusive feeling in me of the place I wanted to return to. The first time I went to the island, I saw these little boats and the name on the yellow one seemed prophetic. I think I'll title this painting The Odyssey.

Live Broadcast on future of Arts Journalism

2009-09-30T21:30:00.004-05:00

This Friday - October 2 from 9AM-1PM PDT - first ever National Summit on Arts Journalism at USC Annenberg in Los Angeles. It will be in the auditorium of the journalism school in front of an audience of 200, but it's primarily conceived of as a virtual online event. You can read more about it here. You can watch the live broadcast here!

Video chat rooms at Ustream

Photos from recent workshop

2009-09-15T12:05:00.002-05:00

These are photos from my most reccent workshop, held at the Bayou Lacombe Art Center.

We did 2 paintings in this workshop, the 1st one was a simple beach scene which allowed the students to warm up and learn the basic techniques for painting with watercolors. Then we moved on to the second painting, which had a little more detailed subject matter with a boat and a lighthouse.

This is the initial drawing with masking fluid applied. The students traced a copy, and followed step-by-step demonstrations to paint.

After the initial washes and background is painted, I peeled off the mask and began to paint the details

At the end of the day, here is the finished painting!

New Video Released!

2009-09-02T20:29:00.002-05:00

This short video is a sample from my new DVD, Painting Seascapes in Watercolor - The Red Dinghy. Email me to order the full 55 minute DVD, and you can paint along with me as you learn how to:

Paint reflections & shadows
Depict movement in water
Paint wet-on-wet & dry brush
Paint washes & glazes
Use masking fluid & lift color
Design good compositions
Use color & values effectively

Send $24.95 plus $5 for shipping & handling for the 55 minute DVD, and get started painting amazing watercolor seascapes!

New paintings on Multimedia Artboard

2009-08-17T11:18:00.007-05:00

These are some small watercolors that I did over the weekend using Art Boards from Multimedia. Although I could have painted directly on the pre-prepared surface of the boards, I prefer a rougher texture so I painted these seascapes on 140# rough watercolor paper. I then mounted the paper onto the boards using acrylic gel medium, and varnished the paintings so they can be framed without glass.

This 4.75" x 7.5" painting is mounted on the Multimedia Ultralight Artist Panel, which is archival foamboard.

This 5" x 7" painting is mounted on the Multimedia Artboard, which is a hardboard product with a archival surface. Both products have a smooth archival surface that is ready to paint.

I've been wanting to try some boards for mounting watercolors, and I've found that these product samples from Multimedia Artboards were easy to use and gave me excellent results.

For more information about these artboards, check out http://www.multimediaartboard.com/ or follow @archival on twitter.

New Magazine Article Posted on the Web

2009-07-23T16:40:00.003-05:00

My latest article for Art Calendar magazine is now on the web! Check out Judge and Jury: What to Expect When Entering Art Shows, for insight and tips from top judges.

Photos from today's video shoot

2009-07-08T21:09:00.008-05:00

Today video shoot went very well, and I'm thrilled with the results of today's work. The finished video should be available for distribution in about 6 weeks, and I'm already recieving calls and emails from people pre-ordering copies at $29.95 each. This is a photo of the finished seascape that I painted in the video.

This is Trish of Video Specialties checking camera placement and lighting.

Todd of Video Specialties in the sound room, controlling cameras and mixing while filming.

This is me, just getting started with the initial flat washes on the painting. Two of my closest friends, Kelly Landrum-Hammell and Susanne Vicknair, came to the studio and helped me with direction, traffic, and with other production tasks. Additionally, Kelly did my make-up and hair, and Susanne operated the still camera. I don't know what I would have done without them!

My practice video, painting clouds and sky

2009-07-08T18:57:00.007-05:00

I've just finished filming my art instruction video today! The next step is editing, and it should be ready for retail distribution by the end of August. In the meantime, here's a short little video I made last week showing how to paint clouds and sky in watercolor....

Winsor & Newton half pan watercolor paints

2009-05-21T15:03:00.002-05:00

I Just received this lovely box containing 16 half pans of Winsor & Newton watercolor paints in a heavyweight enameled case. The size of the case and the fold-out enameled palette make it ideal for traveling and painting on the go! I can hardly wait to try it out! Thank you Winsor & Newton!

Next Workshop, August 29

2009-05-21T14:31:00.005-05:00

My next Painting Seascapes in Watercolor workshop will be held Saturday, August 29 from 9am - 4:30pm at the Bayou Lacombe Art Center in Louisiana. Participants in this intense one-day workshop will learn how to create realistic seascapes utilizing washes, glazes, wet on wet, dry brush, and other techniques to paint a variety of effects. Click on the Workshops link at the top of this page for a full description and the supplies and materials list. The fee for this workshop is $90 and includes lunch. Contact Barbara for more information or to register. Hurry, space is limited!

Tips for using watercolor masking fluid

2009-05-04T19:29:00.006-05:00

One of my favorite tools in my paint box is masking fluid, also known as liquid frisket. Masking fluid is a liquid rubber product that is used by watercolor painters as a water resist - in other words, it preserves the white of the paper and protects it from paint. These tips will help you use your masking fluid well and get the maximum benefits for your paintings.

1. Masking fluid that is old or contaminated will be difficult or even impossible to remove from paper. For best results use fresh fluid, and write the date on the bottle when it is first opened. Discard any unused products after one year, or sooner if the product has become difficult to remove.

2. Never shake bottles of masking fluid, it will incorporate air into the fluid which will shorten the shelf life of the product, and make it more difficult to use. Instead, gently swirl or stir the liquid until thoroughly mixed. Adding a pair of small glass beads, marbles, or steel ball bearings into the masking fluid’s jar will help you to mix the fluid easier.

3. To apply the fluid, use a brush that has plastic bristles. The kind that are often found in dollar stores in the children’s or toy section, and usually come in a package of a dozen or so for around a dollar. The stiff plastic bristles allow for maximum control, and can be trimmed with scissors to any needed shape. The plastic bristles do not absorb the fluid, making it easier to clean and reuse.

4. Even with the plastic brushes, it is still best to rub a little liquid soap into the bristles before using them with masking fluid. The soap creates a barrier between the brush and fluid, and makes it easier to clean.

5. Make sure your paper is perfectly dry before applying or removing masking fluid. Never apply it to wet or damp paper, and never try to remove it from wet or damp paper.

6. If you spill or spatter masking fluid somewhere where you don’t want it (such as on your workbench, floor, or other areas of your painting), don’t try to wipe it up. You’ll only end up rubbing it into the surface, making it even more difficult to remove. Instead, let it dry completely and then peel it off.

7. Once you’ve applied the fluid to your paper, don’t leave it on for more than a week. The longer it’s there; the harder it will be to remove. Also, heat will harden masking fluid and make it more difficult to remove, so don’t leave your painting in a hot place or apply heat from a hair dryer while the masking fluid is on your paper.

8. When you’re ready to remove the masking fluid, use a rubber pick up tool. This inexpensive square rubber tool will stick to the dried mask and pull it off your paper with little effort and no damage.

This photo shows plastic brushes, steel ball bearings, masking fluid (aka: liquid frisket), and a rubber pick-up tool. To see how masking fluid is used, scroll down to the posts that show my painting from my most recent workshop...

Watch this short video for more masking fluid tips!

New video soon to be released

2009-05-01T18:55:00.002-05:00

I am pleased to announce that the Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation has awarded me a grant to create an art instruction video. In a few weeks I will begin filming the first video in my series, painting seascapes in watercolor. Stayed tuned for latest news and information!

Finished paintings from the workshop

2009-04-28T15:30:00.004-05:00

These are the fantastic artists who attended my workshop in Mississippi. Many of them are members of the Pass Christian Art Association, which hosted and organized the event. Others came from other art organizations on the gulf coast, and some even traveled from other states.

On the third day of the workshop, my students continued to add deeper values to their paintings and finished with painting in the details. This photo is my finished painting.

I like to start each workshop with a "warm-up painting" that allows the students to practice the new techniques that I demonstate. In this workshop I demonstrated a a couple of simple beach scenes for the students to paint. This practice enables them to get used to some of the specific brush strokes, color mixes, lifting, and other techniques.

This is me on the morning of the third day of the workshop, getting ready to start a lesson. We all had a great time, and everyone completed two or more beautiful paintings!

Workshop Progress

2009-04-23T17:40:00.003-05:00

The first day of the workshop the students practiced by painting some simple beach scenes with out a lot of details. This helped to get them familiar with using the watercolor paints and allowed them to try out some new techniques for painting sky and water. On the second day, we started on this painting. This first photo shows the drawing with masking fluid (to preserve the white of the paper) on the boat, tree, and lighthouse, and I have just finished painting the sky....

About mid-day in today's lesson, the students painted thier base values (light and mid-tones) in the water, beach, and distant trees. The painting is now begining to take shape, as some movement is painted for the water and texture is painted for the sandy beach.

Paint is slowly applied in layers, building up color and value with each application. Here I have added some darker values in the painting, cooled the color temp of the backgound, and warmed the color temp of the foreground.

Tomorow we will paint in some details and finish it.

Sketch for workshop

2009-04-21T15:35:00.003-05:00

I'm all packed and ready for my workshop in Mississippi, which begins tomorrow morning. This is one of my sketches that the students will use as a starting sketch for thier paintings. Tune in next week to see the completed painting!

Art Exhibit April 18-19, Louisiana Rural Life Museum

2009-04-10T12:58:00.003-05:00

This original watercolor painting, "Six Dinghies," will be displayed April 18 & 19 at the Louisiana Rural Life Museum in Baton Rouge, as part of the Baton Rouge Art League's 54th Annual Invitational Exhibit. The LSU Rural Life Museum is located at 4560 Essen Lane in Baton Rouge, one block south of I-10.

New Gallery Representation in Baton Rouge

2009-04-07T18:05:00.004-05:00

My original paintings are now also available at Elizabethan Gallery, 680 Jefferson Hwy in Baton Rouge. If you're in the area, stop in and take a look! The gallery represents a wide range of Louisiana artsts, and custom framing is available. visit the gallery's web site at www.elizabethangallery.com

New shows in Covinton and Baton Rouge

2009-04-05T16:56:00.004-05:00

The annual Spring for Art gallery stroll in Covington brought thousands of art lovers to the Inside Northside Magazine exhibit of their cover artists. Several artists were on hand for book signings, and Inside Northside Magazine is taking orders from patrons who wish to purchase frameable poster reproduction of the magazine covers. Profits from the sales of the cover posters will benefit local art organizations.

Also last week, I hung a solo show of my paintings at Mansur's on the Boulevard, located on Corporate Boulevard in Baton Rouge. The show consists of 40 of my original watercolor paintings, and will be on display through the end of May. If you're in the Baton Rouge area, stop in a take a look!

Exhibit features cover artists of Inside Northside Magazine

2009-03-27T11:17:00.003-05:00

Inside Northside magazine is hosting an exhibit to honor the artists that have been featured on their covers. Come join me and the other cover artists at an opening reception on Saturday, April 4th from 6 – 9 pm at the St Tammany Art Association Gallery on Columbia Street during the annual Spring for Art celebration in downtown Covington. The exhibit will be up through the month of April.

Painting Seascapes Workshop in Mississippi

2009-03-25T19:16:00.002-05:00

There are just a few openings left for artists who wish to register in my Painting Seascapes in Watercolor workshop in Pass Christian, Mississippi. This 3-day workshop will be held April 22 - 24, and will include several new techniques and tips for painting realistic seascapes. Participants will learn how to create washes and glazes, depict reflections and water movement, and much much more! Click on the Workshops link at the top of the page for the complete workshop description and the materials and supplies list. For more information or to register, click here to contact Marilyn, the coordinator for this workshop. Hurry -- space is limited!

USCG Art now on Permanent Display in the Pentagon

2009-03-13T15:08:00.005-05:00

A young Coast Guard lieutenant stops to look at the “Heritage of Service” display now on view at Coast Guard Headquarters. The display uses many works by Official Athorized Coast Guard artists to depict modern day missions.

COAST GUARD ART USED FOR MAJOR DISPLAYS IN WASHINGTON

Artworks by Annie Strack and 14 other Coast Guard artists are a significant component of a major new display on the service, now on permanent view at both Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington and at the Pentagon, near the Office of the Secretary of the Navy. The exhibit, entitled “U.S. Coast Guard: Heritage of Service,” recounts the Coast Guard’s history through art, photos and text. The many missions of the modern day service are depicted in paintings by the official authorized Coast Guard artists. The display at Headquarters is affectionately referred to as “Heritage Hall.” Installed on the ground floor, it is seen daily by Headquarters staff and visitors. The display at the Pentagon is in a corridor that is on the public tour route and will be seen annually by over 100,000 visitors. The exhibit marks several years’ effort to get a major installation on the Coast Guard at the Pentagon. The commandant is expected to inaugurate it in special ceremony.

2009-03-09T11:44:00.000-05:00

OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION
FEMME FEST 2009
March Women’s History Month

Annie Strack and other Professional Women Artists of the Greater New Orleans Area will be exhibiting in Femme Fest 2009 March Women’s History Month, organized by the Women’s Caucus for the Arts of Louisiana, at the Jazz & Heritage Gallery.

Opening Night Reception, Saturday, March 14th from 5 to 7 p.m.

The exhibit will take place from Saturday, March 14th through Saturday, April 4th at the Jazz & Heritage Gallery located at 1205 N. Rampart Street (corner of N. Rampart and Gov. Nicholls).

Round Table Panel discussion: Women’s Vision Women’s Voices
Wednesday, March 18th from 7 to 9 p.m.
Panel includes past NOWCA Coordinator Georgia Ross, and Active Member Miriam Hirsch with current President Phyllis Parun and Vice President Cely Pedescleaux who will be reviewing the achievements of women in the arts since the 1970’s.

2009-03-08T12:59:00.002-05:00

Interiors & Imports in Mandeville is now carrying original paintings by Annie Strack. You can purchase the newest artworks by Strack and other artists in this gallery located in Pelican Plaza, 813 Florida Street (Hwy 190).