Yesterday our team had the pleasure of attending a demonstration by none other than Stephen Quiller, who was here in Cincinnati filming an upcoming e-workshop (more details to come soon). Artist M. Katherine Hurley, also on the e-workshop lineup, was kind enough to lend our film crew her studios in the Pendleton Art Center for the shooting location.

Kelly, along with The Pastel Journal Editor Anne Hevener, sat in on the morning taping session for Quiller’s watercolor demo, and Sarah and I popped in late afternoon to catch him working on an acrylic landscape. How remarkable it was to be there watching his “juicy strokes” come to life, not to mention observing an artist who truly relishes the painting process, doing exactly what pleases him the most.

As his inspiration for the acrylic painting (above) was the burst of color in an autumnal snowstorm—or, as he more eloquently put it, “the autumn color dancing into the painting”—he put emphasis on letting color become an important part of the work, and, above all, painting for one’s own joy. “Just have fun and enjoy the process,” he said.

We certainly enjoyed being there.

Congratulations to watercolor artist Sally Robertson for creating the poster image for the 2008 Pacific Orchid Exposition (happening next weekend in San Francisco, California). The artist says she’ll be exhibiting her new orchid watercolors at the expo.

For those of you keeping score, Robertson’s gorgeous floral paintings were also featured in the February 2008 issue of Watercolor Artist (“Poetry in Petals,” by Christine Proskow). Click here to see the work of other artists who paint their gardens.

Take note, rocker/painters: A new book featuring 170 watercolors and gouaches by Bob Dylan is slated for release in March.