Monica Austin
2026 Fall Workshop | October 27 – 30
Episcopal Church Of The Holy Spirit
We are delighted to have Monica Austin lead our Fall Workshop. Monica Austin is a Texas-based watercolorist whose work blends precision, story, and luminous color. With a background in creative design—specializing in branding and custom interior art features—she brings a refined sense of composition and visual identity to every painting. Beginning in graphite, Monica developed a deep love for structure and value before diving headlong into watercolor during Covid, embracing the medium’s fluidity and challenge. Her artistic voice has been shaped through study with masters including Laurin McCracken, Thomas Schaller, and Randy Meador. As she continues toward her first signature, Monica’s work has been juried into exhibitions with National Watercolor Society, Western Federation of Watercolor Societies, and Watercolor Art Society – Houston.
“I’ve always seen in high definition,” she says—a perspective reflected in her fascination with macrophotography, tiny details, and the quiet narratives carried in a single expression or object. While known for her crisp realism and strong value design, Monica is intentionally pushing toward looseness, exploring the magic that happens when control gives way to flow. A dedicated educator, she teaches weekly classes and leads workshops throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth area and neighboring states, emphasizing fundamentals, color theory, and building paintings on a foundation of powerful value composition.
MONDAY NIGHT RECEPTION –
OCT 26th, 5:30PM
On Monday October 26th, Monica Austin will be the juror for our Fall Workshop Show. Join us for a reception, view our show and watch Monica paint a one hour demo. You do not need to be a member to attend. A $10 donation is kindly requested if you are not attending the workshop.
© Monica Austin
Workshop Outline
Monica will present an immersive three-day exploration of story, water control, value, and the quiet power of black.
Over three immersive days, we will explore watercolor through story, water and value. Each morning will be devoted to workshop exploration through demonstrations, exercises, and guided worksheets. Each afternoon, we will carry those discoveries into one evolving painting—allowing a trio of calla lilies to emerge from velvety darkness through layered washes, luminous color, and intentional contrast.
Day One: Planting the Seed of Story
Before pigment touches paper, every painting begins with intention. We will explore how memory, emotion, and personal narrative shape the choices we make as watercolorists. Through short studies, we will examine how light, texture, color, contrast, (and more) guide the viewer through a painting—and how a subject becomes a story when it carries meaning. (Bring an inspiration or two of your own, I hope we will have time to run some of YOUR inspo through the STORY lens as well!)
Day Two: Following the Flow
Water is not simply a tool in watercolor—it is a collaborator. We will ask the question often, WHERE is the water? We will explore the delicate balance of water and paper, water and pigment, discovering how moisture, timing, and brush control influence every bloom, edge, wash, and transition. Through demonstrations and hands-on exercises, we will investigate how to build luminous values, richer passages, and greater confidence in allowing the paint to move. We will also learn some new tools to finding the solution when things go awry.
Day Three: Blooming from Shadow
Black is not the absence of color—it is a world of hidden possibilities. We will explore the richness of velvety matte blacks, textured passages, and the subtle colors that emerge when darkness is layered with intention. Through value relationships, glazing, and restraint, we will discover how shadow can become the stage where light, color, and form come alive. (Bring a painting that you think might be a good candidate for black to tell a stronger story.)
In the afternoons, all three explorations will converge in a single calla lily painting. We will build from deep foundational washes, allowing luminous petals to rise through contrast rather than outline. With selective glazing, thoughtful edges, and intentional layering, we will create a painting where story, water, pigment, and light unite to become one beautiful painting.
Future Workshops Hold The Dates!
TIM SATERNOW
2027 Spring Workshop
CARLEEN BRIGHT ARBORETUM
April 27-30, 2027
PUBLIC RECEPTION: April 26, 2027 | 5:30-8:30PM
SOON WARREN
2027 Fall Workshop
EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
October 26-29, 2027
PUBLIC RECEPTION: October 25, 2027 | 5:30-8:30PM
IAIN STEWART
2028 Spring Workshop
CARLEEN BRIGHT ARBORETUM
April 25-28, 2028
PUBLIC RECEPTION: April 24, 2028 | 5:30-8:30PM