Colorado Watercolor Society upcoming events

Xi Guo Watercolor Workshop 2026 (05 May 2026)

Tue, 05 May 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Xi Guo Watercolor Workshop 2026

Curtis Center for the Arts, 2349 E Orchard Rd, Greenwood Village,

CO 80121, United States

Delicate Magenta

"For this workshop, I will teach realistic still-lives and Floras.

By seeing my demo, listening to my speech, and following my instruction, the students will experience a unique method to approach a realistic watercolor. They will discover the contrast between a dreaming background and detailed subjects in the front, the soft and harsh edges dance together and the rich color in the shade and the shadow. By the end of the class, the students’ painting skill, their expectation of what watercolor can accomplish, and their understanding of watercolor-realism will reach a new level." -Xi Guo

Date: May 5th,6th,7th, 2026

Time: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm daily

Location: Curtis Center for the Arts, 2349 E Orchard Rd, Greenwood Village,CO 80121, United States

Lunch break: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Workshop fees are $400 for WFWS members and $450 for non-members (or members with lapsed membership dues).

Materials List

Click HERE for the Materials List for the Xi Guo Workshop

How to Register:
You can register online at https://www.coloradowatercolorsociety.org for your convenience.

Note: If online registration is closed before the deadline, it is because the workshop is full, but please register for the wait list. (The wait list often gets called!)

Xi Guo, Signature member of American Watercolor Society and National Watercolor Society, was born in Shanghai, China. After completing graduate school at Savannah College of Art and Design, majoring in photography, Xi moved to St. Augustine, Florida.

Xi started painting with watercolor about twelve years ago and soon became an international award-winning artist. Xi’s paintings have been exhibited in China, France, England, Taiwan, Italy, Hong Kong, South Korea, Vietnam and Greece. Her articles and paintings have been featured in the International Artist Magazine, the Art of Watercolor Magazine and Watercolor Artists Magazine. Her paintings were included in the art book, The Best of Watercolor- Splash 16, 20 and 21, published by North Light Books.

In 2015, Xi won a cash prize at the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours’ 203rd Open Exhibition, and a major award from Shenzhen International Watercolor Biennial in China. Xi’s paintings have been accepted by American Watercolor Society’s international exhibition six times since 2016 and received the Anne Williams Glushien Memorial Award in 2021. Moreover, Xi won merchandise awards and cash prices at the National Watercolor Society’s International Exhibition in 2016, 2017 and 2020. In 2018, Xi received third place at the Biennial International Prize “Marche d’Acqua”Fabriano Waterclour in Italy. Xi was also the Best in Show winner at the Florida Watercolor Society’s Exhibition in 2019 and 2022. In 2021, Xi received the Best Watercolor Award at the 15th International ARC Salon competition. Additionally, Xi earned the TWSA Members Award (Third place) twice at the Transparent Watercolor society of America’s annual exhibition in 2021 and 2022. Most recently, Xi received the AWS Gold Medal of Honor (courtesy of Clara and Ida Wells Stroud) in the 157th Annual International Exhibition.

WFWS Awards Dinner Registration (08 May 2026)

Sat, 09 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Register here for the WFWS Awards Dinner and Cocktail Hour on Friday, May 8th. The evening will include a cocktail hour (cash bar), dinner (beer or wine included), live musicians from the Colorado Symphony, and the WFWS awards ceremony including over $11k in cash prizes, recognition of WFWS signature and master statuses, and many more festivities. If you plan to bring guests please register them as well in separate registrations. All members of any Western Fed society may attend this event. Guests of members are also welcome.

Timeline and Fees:

Registration deadline: April 17th, 2026

Fee: $50 per participant (please register separately).

6pm - 7pm: Cocktail Hour

Includes light hors d'oeuvres. Cash bar not included in fee.

7pm - 8pm: Dinner and Awards Ceremony

Includes your choice of entrée, wine & beer.

WFWS Opening Reception (09 May 2026)

Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Join us at the Curtis Center for the Arts as we celebrate the opening of the 51st annual Western Federation of Watercolor Societies Exhibition hosted by the Colorado Watercolor Society! 100 paintings were selected from a call of over 850 entries for this wonderful display of watercolor artwork. The reception will include light appetizers and beverages courtesy of the Curtis Center.

Stephen Quiller Color & Watercolor for the Painter Workshop 2026 (10 Jun 2026)

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Stephen Quiller

Color & Watercolor for the Painter Workshop 2026

June 10,11,12, 2026

St Philip Lutheran Church, 7531 S Kendall Blvd, Littleton, CO 80128, USA

This three day workshop is devoted to the medium of watercolor, and the color palette. The focus will be on color, mixing, color, harmony, and color relationships to help with artist expression. My books, COLOR CHOICES & COLOR FOR THE PAINTER will be used for reference.

The workshop will help the artist to use the palette, not only as a place to put paint, but as an educational tool, to learn to use color in many different ways to express themselves. Artists that are using another medium such as acrylic can still take the course as long as they arrange their colors in the same order.

By the third day, a little gouache may be used along with the watercolor.

Materials List

Click HERE to download the Materials List

Date: June 10,11, 12, 2026

Time: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm daily

(the building may be entered at 8.30 a.m. for set up)

Lunch break: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Location: St Philip Lutheran Church, 7531 S Kendall Blvd, Littleton, CO 80128, USA

Workshop fees are $400 for CWS members and $450 for non-members (or members with lapsed membership dues). Board members, $300.

How to Register:
You can register online at https://www.coloradowatercolorsociety.org for your convenience.

Note: If online registration is closed before the deadline, it is because the workshop is full, but please register for the wait list. (The wait list often gets called!)

Stephen Quiller is the Juror for the CWS State Show 2026!

Stephen Quiller is an internationally known painter and is a Dolphin Fellow and Signature member of the American Watercolor Society, the National Watercolor Society, National Society for Painters in Acrylic and Casein, Rocky Mountain National Watermedia, and Watercolor West.

He has received the 2018 Silver Medal and the 2014 Gold Medal of Honor at the American Watercolor Society's International Exhibitions as well as many other honors. Known for water media and color, Stephen has written seven best selling books on the subjects including Color Choices, Acrylic Painting Techniques, Water Media Painting With Stephen Quiller, Painters Guide to Color, and Casein Painting With Stephen Quiller. He has created twenty artist instructional videos and DVD's on color, composition and watermedia. He has signature lines of watercolor, palettes and brushes produced by the Jack Richeson Company and has developed the Quiller Color Wheel that is used by artists throughout the world.

Stephen's paintings have been on covers and the subjects of articles in many leading art magazines. He has served as a juror for most of the regional and international watermedia exhibitions and conducts a limited number of national and international seminars annually. However, he continues to spend most of his time painting on-location or at his studio in Creede, located near the headwaters of the Rio Grande in southern Colorado. He aspires to capture the essence, the rhythm and spirit of the San Juans.

He has painted professionally since 1972 and his works are enthusiastically collected. He and his wife Marta live in Creede, Colorado and during the summer months run the Quiller Gallery where his works are on view. To view his work and learn more go to www.quillergallery.com