Philadelphia Water Color Society upcoming events

July Plein Air - Black Rock Sanctuary (July 13, 2026)

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Join us for painting forests and waterways at Black Rock Sanctuary near Phoenixville, PA. Bring a bag lunch.

This is a joint event with plein air group of the Delaware Valley Art League (DVAL). You do not have to be a member of either PWCS or DVAL to register.

Composing Sunlit Watercolors with Ng Woon Lam (August 01, 2026)

Sat, 01 Aug 2026 23:30:00 GMT

Use the strength of watercolor in depicting sunlit scenes by composing the white, unpainted areas of your paper.

Vienna by Ng Woon Lam

Woon Lam will offer practical guidance on creating strong visual impact by carefully planning and preserving unpainted areas. He illustrates a step-by-step approach to developing composition, focusing on value structure, engaging shapes, and thoughtful color choices to achieve luminous, sunlit effects. Artists at all levels can also learn from his method of incorporating opaque pigments in a comparable way.

This demo will be recorded and made available to everyone who registers.

About Ng Woon Lam

Ng Woon Lam (黄运南) is a Singaporean watercolor artist, educator, and Associate Professor at Nanyang Technological University School of Art, Design and Media. He holds an MFA in Painting from the New York Academy of Art and is a Signature Member of both the American Watercolor Society (AWS) and the National Watercolor Society (NWS). Internationally recognized for his contributions to watercolor painting, Ng received the prestigious AWS Bronze Medal of Honor twice, at the 142nd and 147th Annual International Juried Exhibitions, and was awarded the AWS Dolphin Fellowship in 2014 for sustained excellence in watercolor practice. He has received over 50 national and international awards, exhibited widely including at the Florence Biennale, and has been featured in leading art publications.

Influenced by Singapore watercolor master Gog Sing Hooi, his work combines expressive Chinese calligraphic brushwork with contemporary watercolor techniques, guided by the philosophy of Taiji (太极) to explore balance, harmony, and movement.

ngwoonlam.com
youtube.com/@ngwoonlam

September Plein Air - The Willows (September 12, 2026)

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Come to Willows Park Preserve in Villanova, PA for a morning of plein air painting. Meet in the parking lot next to the mansion. Meet at the mansion and bring a bag lunch. View on Google Maps.

This is a joint event with plein air group of the Delaware Valley Art League (DVAL). You do not have to be a member of either PWCS or DVAL to register.

The Willows - image courtesy of Willows Park Preserve

September Plein Air - Two Days in Cape May (September 15, 2026)

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Join us for two days of plein air at the Lighthouse and the Art and Science Center in Cape May, NJ. Choose one, the other or both days. While you're at it, stay overnight and get a deal on lodging.

Cape May Point Art and Science Center (red roofs) and the lighthouse at the Cape May Point State Park

This event will be held over two consecutive days. You can choose to attend either of these two days or both of them. The lodging discount is also presented below.

Tuesday, September 15, 9:30 am – 3 pm

Gather near the lighthouse at Cape May Point State Park. (The address is 215 Lighthouse Ave, Cape May, NJ 08204 and free parking is available.)
Join an optional 3 hour Plein Air workshop with PWCS member Joe Milligan from 10–1. The fee is $65, and it's limited to eight artists. Contact joemilliganartist@comcast.net for more information, but you can wait until the start of the workshop to decide to participate. (Joe's guarantee... if you don't believe you received your money's worth the session is free.) To view Joe's work, go to his website, joemilliganartist.com, or his Facebook page, facebook.com/joemilliganartist.

Overnight Lodging, September 15–16

A one-night special rate of $189 + tax per room is available at The Marquis de Lafayette in Cape May (about a 10 min. drive to both venues.) You will have to arrange your reservation with the hotel. (Once you've registered, you'll receive information on how to make your reservation for the hotel in your registration confirmation email.)

Wednesday, September 16, 9:30 am – 3 pm

Join us to paint at the Cape May Point Arts and Science Center. (101 Lehigh Ave, Cape May Point, NJ). This Victorian landmark was constructed in 1889 and has plenty of interesting spots both inside and out for painting. It started out as the Shoreham Hotel for visiting dignitaries and served as it was the "Saint Mary by-the-Sea" summer retreat for the Sisters of St. Joseph from 1909–2020. See the website for visiting information and upcoming arts and science activities.
The Arts & Science Center charges admission, but admission for the day is free if you are a member of PWCS.
A special collaborative painting will be set-up and all artists are invited to paint sections and sign the painting which will be given to the Arts & Science Center at the end of the day.

September Plein Air - Two Days in Cape May (September 16, 2026)

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 13:30:00 GMT