Presenting Andy Evansen

Andy and his teaching approach

Andy Evansen’s career in art started as a medical illustrator in Minneapolis, creating artwork for medical device companies, textbooks and surgeons.  When that industry became dependent on digital art in the early 1990s, he longed for a return to fine art and began watercolor painting.  His work gained recognition after winning an international watercolor competition for American Artist Magazine, appearing on their cover. Soon he began getting requests to teach, and he now travels and paints around the world.

His paintings have won numerous awards, including the Bronze Medal of Honor at the 2025 American Watercolor Society Exhibition, and he has now achieved Dolphin Fellow status in the American Watercolor Society, their highest honor.  He is also a signature member of the National Watercolor Society, San Diego Watercolor Society, Transparent Watercolor Society, and the California Art Club, and was recently invited to join the Pure Watercolour Society in England as their international member.

His love of painting on location led to him being a featured presenter at the 2014 and 2016 Plein Air Conventions and inclusion in the 2017 Qingdao International Masters Watercolor Plein Air Event.

Andy has now juried several important exhibitions, including serving as juror of selection for both the American Watercolor Society and the TWSA Exhibitions in 2022; the California Watercolor Association in 2021, the New Jersey Watercolor Society in 2020 and the New England Watercolor Society, Philadelphia Watercolor Society and Red River Watercolor Society National Exhibitions in 2017.

You can view his work at www.EvansenArtStudio.com.

“There seems to be a never-endinq quest to loosen up in watercolor and it’s probably the most common goal of students. It’s easy to fall into the trap of putting too much into your paintings, and editing out the non-essential whether working from photo reference or painting on location is vital.  As I tell my students, what you leave out of a painting is as important as what you put in.

“Painting loosely doesn’t just ‘happen’, it comes from gaining a comfort level with your skills and materials over time.  However, there are techniques that can speed up this process.

“My workshop will focus on using value studies from the outset to identify the large shapes in a scene.  These large shapes provide the artist with opportunities for lost edges when painting in watercolor, which is essential if we are to take full advantage of the medium.  Too often the ‘found edges’, or details, take over the painter’s thinking process, and the result is a tight watercolor.

“We will move on toward color paintings using value studies as our guide, and complete color painting lessons together.  Demonstration paintings will be done by Andy to reinforce the lessons.

“In order to loosen up it is imperative to have a clear vision of what you want to accomplish with your painting and then execute it quickly.  This class will give you the tools and confidence to do just that.”