All breakout sessions will be on the Saturday of the Convention.
All sessions are 1.5 hours unless otherwise noted.
All sessions cost $15 unless otherwise noted. Sign up for and pay for your sessions when you register for the convention.
Supply lists for all breakout sessions are here.
Where “Video link available for purchase” is indicated: Video sessions are $15 per video. Links to the videos purchased will be sent to purchasers the week following the convention. Videos will be accessible for one month.
Note on rooms for breakout sessions: All room assignments are subject to change. Please visit the Hospitality Table when you arrive for the latest information.
Breakout Sessions at a Glance
All locations are at the Josephine County Fairgrounds, 1451 Fairgrounds Rd, Grants Pass, OR 97527.
Click on a session’s title to go to its description.
| Floral Building | Arts and Crafts – Back | Arts and Crafts – Front | Host House | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00-10:30 AM | Exploring the World of Watercolor Surfaces with Central Art Video link available | Abstract Starts with Jeannine Miller Video link available | Painting Realistic Animal Eyes with Marianne Nielsen Video link available | (No session) | |
| 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM | Juror Critique #1 with Jean Pederson | Watercolor Collage with Alisha Whitman Video link available | Techniques, Textures and Special Effects on Yupo with Deanna St. Martin Video link available | Set up, Light and Photograph a Still Life Reference Photo with Judy Cox | |
| 12:30 – 1:45 PM | Lunch Break — Check out local restaurants or pick up pre-ordered box lunches. Click this link for a list of restaurants. | ||||
| 1:45 PM – End times vary | Juror Critique #2 with Jean Pederson Session ends at 3:15 PM | Paper Plus! with René Eisenbart Session ends at 3:45 PM | Layers in Abstraction with Lynda Hoffman-Snodgrass Session ends at 4:15 PM Video link available | Capturing a Moment Telling a Story with Margaret Godfrey Session ends at 3:15 PM Video link available | |
Session Descriptions
Exploring the World of Watercolor Surfaces
Presenter: Ann Ebert, owner of Central Art Supplies
9:00-10:30 am, Floral Building
Lecture, $15 — Limit 125 participants
Video link available for purchase.
Supply List
We will be delving into the fascinating world of watercolor surfaces and surface mediums. We will begin with the history of watercolor paper, sharing insights into the manufacturing process, the unique qualities of watercolor papers, and the wide range of choices available. We will then turn to focus on various brands, differences between available surfaces and the impact of paper weight and sizing. Finally, we will explore surface preparation using grounds and mediums, learning about the benefits of these products, their applications, and how they can enhance the appearance of your paintings.
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Abstract Starts
Presenter: Jeannine Miller
9:00-10:30 am, Arts and Crafts Back
Hands-on class, $15 — Limit 30 participants
Video link available for purchase.
Supply List
Because of the transparent properties of watercolors, I find it exciting to start with abstract shapes. These shapes and colors appear through the subsequent imagery, adding color, texture, contrast, and interest. There are numerous ways to begin abstractly, but I have found using thin manila board and blue painters’ tape can produce exciting results. In this class I will teach the steps I use and hopefully you will have fun and a rewarding result as well.
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Painting Realistic Animal Eyes
Presenter: Marianne Nielsen
9:00-10:30 am, Arts and Crafts Front
Hands-on class, $15 — Limit 25 participants
Video link available for purchase.
Supply List
Have you ever worked on a painting of an animal and struggled getting their eyes to come to life? Then this is the workshop for you. Marianne has many years of experience in painting realistic animals as well as teaching others her techniques. An animal’s eyes are the windows to their soul and capturing those features correctly is important to painting any animal. Come and learn from a great teacher and take away some wonderful tips.
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Juror Critique #1
Presenter: Jean Pederson
11:00-12:30 pm, Floral Building
Critique, $15 — Limit 20 participants, No limit auditors
Video recording link not available.
Jean Pederson, our juror and workshop instructor will critique twenty images of water media paintings submitted by WSO members. This critique session is an opportunity for input from an experienced instructor and juror. Learn to improve a painting and what makes a painting stand out. Participants submit an image for critique with this option. The auditor option grants attendees the opportunity to observe the critique.
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Watercolor Collage
Presenter: Alisha Whitman
11:00-12:30 pm, Arts and Crafts Back
Hands-on class, $15 — Limit 50 participants
Video link available for purchase.
Supply List
Have you considered collaging your watercolors? The process of cutting up and moving pieces around opens a ton of compositional possibilities, allows you to change things you wouldn’t normally be able to change or “fix” with watercolors, and is another way to get your creativity flowing. It is especially encouraging of more intuitive painting. Alisha will show ways she and others have used collage with their watercolors, demonstrate some possibilities and then give you the chance to transform an old painting you’re unhappy with into something new.
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Techniques, Textures and Special Effects on Yupo
Presenter: Deanna St. Martin
11:00-12:30 pm, Arts and Crafts Front
Hands-on class, $15 — Limit 125 participants
Video link available for purchase.
Supply List
Deanna St. Martin will be conducting a demo and provide an opportunity for you to use her demo techniques on your own existing painting. Her demo will show you how to use special textures and effects to create an abstract painting on Yupo paper. Yupo can be scary, but a few techniques will help you learn the best way to control your paint and let water be your guide- and then you can turn out a wonderful abstract painting! Deanna will be showing you how she creates a painting on Yupo and then how she alters or re-works an already created painting with stencils and contact paper. If you want to use her techniques, bring one of your existing Yupo paintings to class.
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Set up, Light and Photograph a Still Life Reference Photo
Presenter: Judy Cox
11:00-12:30 pm, Host House
Hands-on class, $15 — Limit 15 participants
Video recording link not available.
Supply List
In this hands-on workshop learn how to set up and light an engaging and dynamic still life with the things you already have in your home. We will be working together to create and stage beautiful objects with attractive backgrounds and effective lighting. No need for a fancy camera, your smartphone’s camera will be able to capture a clear image you can use to create beautiful art. Judy brings her ten years of experience as a photographer to this session that you do not want to miss
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Juror Critique #2
Presenter: Jean Pederson
1:45-3:15 pm, Floral Building
Critique, $15 — Limit 20 participants, No limit auditors
Video recording link not available.
Jean Pederson, our juror and workshop instructor will critique twenty images of water media paintings submitted by WSO members. This critique session is an opportunity for input from an experienced instructor and juror. Learn to improve a painting and what makes a painting stand out. Participants submit an image for critique with this option. The auditor option grants attendees the opportunity to observe the critique.
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Paper Plus!
Presenter: Rene Eisenbart
1:45-3:45 pm, Arts and Crafts Back
Hands-on class, $15 — Limit 125 participants
Video recording link not available.
Supply List
Learn to make your own ground for watercolors from acrylic mediums and apply it to watercolor paper. This easy, hand-laid finish offers an improved textural surface: more lift-ability, easier varnishing for framing without glass, and a more interesting painting surface. You can then paint on this surface using the watercolor you know and love! While this technique also works on wood panels, using it on paper means your paintings lay flat for easy storage. You can enter these paintings in any competition that allows acrylic and requires paper as a substrate, such as AWS, NWS, and WFWS. Rene will be providing some supplies (see link below for details) and is asking for a voluntary donation of $10 per participant, paid to her at the session, to cover her costs.
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Layers in Abstraction
Presenter: Lynda Hoffman-Snodgrass
1:45-4:15 pm, Arts and Crafts Front
Hands-on class, $15 — Limit 38 participants
Video link available for purchase.
Supply List
This class is designed to be an exercise in creating a painting using intuitive layered abstraction. We will be using transparent watercolors that layer like stained glass.
Some experience working with watercolor is recommended. We will be letting our intuition guide our hands as we have fun working on 12 paintings on a single sheet of paper. This part will be quick and intuitive. Afterwards, we will separate the pieces to study and work on enhancing them. Trained as a representational painter, Lynda has evolved to the expressive intuitive approach that you see in her art today. Visit her website for views of her work: www.lyndahoffmansnodgrass.com
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Capturing a Moment Telling a Story
Presenter: Margaret Godfrey
1:45-3:15 pm, Host House
Lecture, $15 — Limit 30 participants
Video link available for purchase.
Supply List
Margaret Godfrey will present a slideshow of her inspiring moments and paintings that resulted from the thoughts and feelings she experienced in that moment. She will also share how one idea and one painting can develop into a series. This session will include lots of time for questions and answers as well as time for participants to share meaningful moments they might like to paint. Margaret will help an artist think of symbolism as a tool to express the depth of a moment.