Programs & Meetings
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Meeting Location Meetings will be either on Zoom or in-person. Location of in-person meetings may vary - see program details below for more information on location. |
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Friday, Sept. 12, 2025
In-Person Midlothian Library Community Room 100 Millworks Crossing, Midlothian, VA Time: 12:30 Doug Mock "Planning for Success: Creating your Next Masterpiece" 
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Artist and instructor Doug Mock will share the importance of planning and investing intellectual time prior to starting a work of art. What are the key things you must consider? Do you understand design and composition and do you have a plan to execute a powerful work with minimal effort? Have you given adequate thought to the color plan/strategy you will use?
Doug will discuss his thorough planning process and how this minimizes frustration, increases efficiency and makes for a more pleasing experience in the studio (or when painting plein air). He will emphasize his use of the elements and principles of design and his careful assessment of what compositional armatures will best communicate his purpose with each painting. Doug Mock is an award-winning watercolor artist and teacher living in White Stone, Virginia. Born in 1966 in Central Pennsylvania he was raised in a small dairy farming community where strong work ethic, love of family and appreciation of nature were of major importance. He is mostly self-taught, with significant influence by figurative watercolorist Mary Whyte. Mock creates art inspired by people and nature. His work is characterized by unique design, bold color and creative subject matter. Capturing life’s simple moments, Doug’s art connects with collectors on an emotional level. Doug has been juried into and regularly appears in shows and exhibitions throughout the United States. His work is appreciated and can be found in private collections throughout the country. He is a member of prominent watercolor organizations and is a signature member of the Virginia Watercolor Society and the Southern Watercolor Society. Doug offers classes and workshops at Crossroads Art Center in Richmond VA, at Gloucester Arts on Main in Gloucester VA, and the RAL Art Center in Kilmarnock VA. Mock also teaches summer camps for children at Collegiate School in Richmond, VA. Doug’s work can be seen on his website at www.dougmockfineart.com and is available by contacting him at [email protected] or by telephone at 804-514 2676. |
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Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025
Zoom Time: 12:30 Michael Freeman "My Journey in Hyper-Realism" 
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"I will give a brief introduction and overview of my art journey to date, show some of my latest pastel paintings and then use parts of a video that I produced for Pastel Live 2022 where I was a guest presenter (I am happy to give your members full access to watch my full video on YouTube) to cover how I work, my genre, approach, the processes, and techniques that I utilize to produce my hyper-realistic pastel paintings. Following that I’m happy to answer questions."
Michael is an international award-winning pastel artist from New Zealand. He has been drawn to realism since childhood and in his paintings he is always striving to create images that have greater depth and feeling than can be achieved with a photograph. He is in an Eminent Pastelist of IAPS (IAPS-EP), is a Master Pastelist of the Pastel Artists of New Zealand (MPANZ), is a Master Pastelist of the Pastel Society of Australia (MPSA), a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America (PSA), and has a Master of Fine Arts degree (University of Illinois, USA). Michael went to Elam School of Fine Arts to be a painter and left a product designer. However, after a long and successful design career, in 2010 he decided to return to his passion for painting. Starting initially with acrylics, before discovering the wonderful medium of pastel – which suited his hyper-realistic style, love of detail and enabled him complete paintings in a shorter timeframe. His subjects range from his series of still life paintings often featuring iconic New Zealand toys and other objects, through - landscapes featuring old weathered sheds, barns, railway carriages, windows and doors, old locks, and farm animals (mainly cows and more recently sheep) – all inspired from photographic trips along New Zealand's rural roads. Michael has been exhibiting his work regularly both in New Zealand and internationally since 2015, and has had articles and his pastel paintings published in many leading art magazines, including: Pratique Des Arts Hors Serie Pastel (Feature Article) 2021, Pastel Journal, Spring Issues 2025, 2024, 2023, 2021, 2019 (Feature Article A Realistic Approach), Pastel….a Celebration II IAPS 2024 Convention, International Realism 17th International Arc Salon 2024, International Realism 16th International Arc Salon 2022 International Realism 15th International Arc Salon 2020, Colored Pencil Magazine November 2023 Issue (Cover and Feature Article), 2024 Issue, 2021 Issue, The 36th Korean Pastel Artists Association International Exhibition, 2022, Pastel World 2022, Zhuhai Xiangzhou Pastel Alliance 2022 Pastel World China. www.michaelfreemanartist.com |
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Friday, Jan. 9, 2026
Zoom Time: 12:30 Stephie Clark "Paint a Magnolia" 
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"I can’t resist a magnolia moment! Join us on Zoom , we’ll be painting these gorgeous buds just as they start to bloom—those soft pinks against the blue sky are pure magic. I’ll show you how to build up velvety petals with gentle layers, catch that beautiful light, and weave in those twisty branches without losing the softness. It’s going to be a dreamy little session—hope you can join me!"
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Saturday, Mar. 14, 2026
Zoom Time: 12:30 Michele Ashby "Whispers in Pastel" 
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Join artist Michele Ashby for an online pastel portrait demonstration that invites you to slow down and watch as a face gently emerges through colour. Working from photo reference, Michele shows her techniques for layering soft pastel with care and intuition—capturing not just a likeness, but a mood. This is a chance to observe an artist’s quiet process: the marks that speak, the colours that hum beneath the surface, and the decisions that shape the soul of a portrait. Whether you’re curious about colour, composition, or simply how an artwork comes to life, Whispers in Pastel offers a front-row seat to the poetry of drawing.
Michele Ashby is an artist whose work spans both portraiture and still life, celebrated for its quiet intensity and emotional clarity. With a refined sense of composition and a deep sensitivity to gesture, light and space, she transforms the everyday into something quietly extraordinary. Whether capturing the subtle posture of a figure or the simple presence of a tape measure, her work invites the viewer to pause and look again, offering moments of stillness in a fast-moving world. Michele’s still lifes are particularly known for their ability to elevate humble objects with memory and mood. Her drawings are stripped back but never sparse, filled with nuance and an intuitive understanding of how the ordinary can hold deeper meaning. Regularly exhibiting with leading Pastel and Fine Art Societies, she continues to develop a distinctive visual language that is both understated and deeply resonant. Michele is a Member and Council Member of The Pastel Society, Master Pastel Member with the Pastel Society of America, Master Circle Member with The International Association of Pastel Societies, a Member and Council Member with the Society of Women Artists, Member of The Society of Graphic Fine Arts and a Unison Colour Pastels Associate Artist. www.micheleashby.co.uk |