In 4th grade, Mary complete her first plein-air painting and that memorable experience seeded a lifelong desire to pursue the arts.  She went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington and then began work as a cartographer.

        In ensuing years she studied with renowned artists and took courses at such places at the Gage Academy and the Watts Atelier.  She began earning many private and public commissions and also worked as Artist in Residence for the Stillwater School District in Stillwater, MN.
        Years have passed and now Mary is an Artist Member of the California Art Club, a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America, The Pastel Society of the West Coast and a Master’s Circle Member of the International Association of Pastel Societies. Mary has received considerable recognition for her pastels and has received numerous awards in various exhibitions. She has been recognized in the annual Pastel 100 of the Pastel Journal and has recently exhibited her work in “American Women Pastelists in France” in 2022. She shows her work in the summer at the Festival of Arts, Laguna Beach.

​Click on the image below to watch Febuary 2023 Demo! 

Elaine Cohen is recognized for her bronze figurative sculptures, portraits, and abstract paintings. A Laguna Woods resident artist, she has exhibited her at Laguna Beach Festival of Art and Art a Fair. She dreamed of being an artist as a child, however, her career path lead her in a different direction. Cohen worked as an editorial assistant for Gastroenterology Magazine, sold classic Cars, and Assistant VP for a national insurance company. 
Cohen pursued her dream to become an artist after retirement by attending workshops with Robert Cunningham, a renowned public sculptor. Elaine’s hard work paid off with her sculptures accepted in the finals of the Smithsonian National Portrait Competition. She was also the featured “Emerging Artist” on PBS White House Chronicles. 
In 2005 Elaine expanded her creative repertoire by taking on abstract painting. She soon began teaching Abstract Painting workshops and was a demonstrator and teacher for Pebeo Paints. 

One sculpture class was all it took for Gil Dellinger to fall in love with art. He describes that experience as the moment his life “caught fire” and he has been pursuing art ever since. A multi-talented artist best known for his seascapes, Gil is equally adept in three mediums, primarily using acrylic for his studio work, but also working in oils or pastels while painting on location. Over the years Gil’s works have been collected into numerous private, corporate, and museum collections and he has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions. He has also been an active proponent of the plein-air movement and has often participated in plein-air competitions and events. Three particular events have been his career highlights: painting as one of 12 artists on the Forbes Trinchera Ranch near Durango, Colorado in 1996; in 1997 painting as one of 25 artists at the Forbes Chateau in Bailerov, France, and in 1999 painting as one of 15 artists rafting down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Being part of the larger artists’ community is important to Gil. He is past president and Signature Member of the Plein Air Painters of America; a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America, The Laguna Plein Air Painters Association and the California Art Club. Teaching is another way that Gil gives back to his fellow artists. He served as Professor of Art at the University of the Pacific, teaching drawing and painting for more than 30 years. While there he received the Distinguished Faculty Award Award for Teaching Excellence and Professional Contribution. He now teaches part-time at the Laguna College of Art and Design and he also teaches painting workshops as well. Gil has recently moved to Laguna Woods and he now focuses his energy on painting the California coast.

The final painting from our February watercolor demonstrator, Barbara Tapp: The Tourists:  Nubble Lighthouse, Maine

The final painting from our March watercolor demonstrator, Mary Aslin: Roses

Award-winning watercolorist, Fealing Lin of San Marino, California, was born in Taiwan and began her journey into artistic expression as a protégé of renowned professor Ching-Jung Chen in Taiwan, subsequently pursuing her career in the United States with watercolorist and senior art historian professor Verna Wells.

Kathleen Abood to demonstrate Botanical Monoprints for Laguna Woods Art Association members, Tuesday, May 21st from her Lanai in Kailua Kona, HI.
 "Born on the Westside of the Motor City I could not wait to leave home. After university, at 22, I packed up my car and headed to the golden foothills of the San Francisco Bay Area. Longing for a new place to call home I settled on an 800 acre hippie commune in the Los Altos Hills, called the Land. As a creative I used my skills to earn a living doing graphic arts, scrimshaw, jewelry, stained glass and gardening. I got married, we built a house in Santa Cruz, California and had three kids. I started to teach art to at-risk populations. Our family grew up together near the beach there for twenty years and I was ready for another shift. So we bought property in Kona Hawaii in 1999 and I designed our current home with a huge art studio surrounded by a tropical garden. And here I am, 25 years later, still loving that I wake up every day exactly where I want to be, in my garden making art."​​

Among Barbara’s recent awards are:

 People's Choice Award, LPAPA Annual Waterworks Exhibition

 2rd Place, Laguna Plein Air Salon, 2022

 Best in Show, LPAPA Plein Air Invitational, 2020

 Honorable Mention, Watercolor Plein Air Salon, 2022

 Honorable Mention, Mendocino Paint Out, 2021 

Image showing Gil Dellinger's pastels of choice;

"Blue Earth Pastels by Dakota Pastels"

       Many of us know Pamme as one of our favorite Emeritus teachers, teaching us watercolor, gouache, oil, acrylic and pottery. During this time she was also head of the Saddleback Emeritus art department. She left us over year ago, but has continued teaching watercolor with gouache classes, internationally in Italy and France, where she has met great success, teaching her impressionistic style to full workshops. In addition, she still conducts workshops and demonstrations in the U.S. Join us as we watch Pamme take an ordinary, everyday scene and turn it into a beautiful piece of art. She is the artist breathing life into common and usual that makes it memorable.
       An avid world traveler, Pamme invites us to share her love of art and travel in her blog, travelingartist.blog and pammeturner.com; embark on a delightful journey with an outstanding artist and teacher! Enjoy the work painted during these travels!

From his early memories, Hugo Rivera loved to paint and draw. After studying civil engineering in Guadalajara, Mexico he relocated to the United States and returned to his passion for fine art. Hugo describes his artwork as a fusion of his abstract world and the traditional methods in art instruction of the human figure; where colors play with the rhythm of the forms and textures, creating interesting compositions. The Hugo Rivera Gallery was opened in 2013 in Laguna Beach. 

As an artist, plein air painting allows my art to showcase two of my greatest passions:  my enthusiasm for being outdoors and the beauty of watercolor.  Plein air painting helps me focus intensely on my work while promoting a sense of mystery and spontaneity.