Forest Hills artist will lead virtual watercolor demonstration

Marci Mason said her sisters were relentless in their desire to bring her along to the watercolor class they’d been taking.

“For the longest time I kept putting them off,” Mason said. “Finally, they got me to take a class.”

That was 35 years ago. She’s been painting ever since, and on Thursday, Mason will invite others to join her as she conducts a watercolor tutorial for the East Suburban Artists League’s monthly meeting.

“I liked watercolors because it was quick,” said Mason, a Turtle Creek resident. “There was no messy clean-up and you didn’t have to wait for things to dry.”

Mason’s demonstration and tutorial — see the breakout box for not just the materials but the precise colors you’ll want to follow along — is focused on achieving a realistic, true-to-life look.

“I do not like abstract at all,” she said. “I don’t understand it. I don’t get what a big white dot surrounded by red paint means. I like realism, for things to look the way they look.”

Mason recently recorded a series of similar tutorials for the Monroeville Public Library’s YouTube page, and also conducts classes of her own which offer students access to purchase additional online tutorials.

And while she can easily describe the types of techniques she uses to achieve realistic results on the canvas, Mason said it’s much easier to simply show them.

“I’ve always been both a verbal and physical demonstrator in my classes,” she said. “For me to say to someone, ‘Put a wash of cadmium yellow on your pear and don’t make it really dark’ — if people aren’t seeing that, they can perceive it 15 different ways. But if you see it, you can really understand the process.”

The art league meeting will take place over the Zoom platform. Viewers can simply watch, or paint along with Mason.

ESAL member dues are $10 for individuals and $15 for couples.

For more, call Nancy Dalverny at 412-373-0711, email Mason or see ESALart.org.