Our demonstrator for April was Joan Rademacher. She presented a watercolor demonstration called "Painting Light and Shadow Using a Limited Palette"
The meeting was held in the Guild Hall, First Congregational Church (middle side door), Sanborn Street, Reading, Wednesday April 14th, 2010 at 7:30 p.m.
We have some photographs of the event in case you could not make it there in person. You can click on any of the images on this page to view a larger version of it. Then, use the Back button on your browser to return to this page.
We set up the mirror so that Joan could paint flat
on the table and the audience could still see her work.
Joan started out painting the high key elements of the design.
Next she added the darker elements of the buildings.
Holes are left in the tree where the sky is visible through it.
She also left a hole in the tree where the lamp on the post will go.
Next the foreground went in along with some details.
Joan added some figures and indicated an iron fence.
Here is the finished painting.
Joan Rademacher has been painting and displaying her watercolors for many years. Upon graduation from art school she worked in commercial art as a fashion illustrator and graphics designer. Now her focus is primarily on fine art, which, together with studio work and plein air painting, has taken her from New England to the western states.
She is a watercolor workshop instructor for the Haverhill Art Association the second and fourth Saturdays of the month. Although she occasionally accepts portrait commissions in oils and from time to time takes on commercial assignments, her passion is in the transparency and fluid quality of watercolor. A member of the New England Watercolor Society and the North Shore Arts Association, Joan's work may be found in many corporate collections throughout New England as well as in private collections here and abroad. One of her paintings is featured in Rockport Publishers series, Painting Light and Shadow.
Joan says, "I enjoy painting landscapes plein air and try to fill my summers with excursions to locations where I can set up my easel to capture and interpret what nature has on display. What a joy this has been for me. Even the unsuccessful paintings are a learning experience, and I can turn my paper over and work on the other side!"