Event Recap - Workshop with Howard Rose
Saturday, November 15, 2025
What a fantastic session it was today with Howard Rose at The Art League of Nassau County’s workshop on “Special Loose Watercolor Holiday Cards” held at Shelter Rock Public Library. From the moment we gathered at 9:30AM, the atmosphere was charged with creative energy - Howard’s warm, encouraging manner immediately set the tone and invited participants to push beyond conventional holiday-card design into more expressive, loosely rendered forms. With references and layouts provided, and our brushes ready, Howard walked us through an approach that emphasized design first, playful color relationships, and inventive composition rather than strict realism.
During the three-hour studio-session, each attendee crafted five greeting-card formats on high-quality watercolor cards provided, while experimenting with water-wash techniques, spray textures, and vibrant color shifts inspired by Howard’s own teaching practice. He circulated amongst us, offering precise visual feedback - pointing out where a stroke might be slightly off balance, or where an area could gain more sparkle by shifting value. The resulting cards were full of personality: whimsical trees, abstract glimmers of golds and blues, and elegant brush-marks that broke the triangle-tree cliché with style.
In short: today was not just a workshop, but a creative refresh - participants left at 12:30PM with completed pieces they’re proud to mail, and the inspiration to carry this loose-style approach into their future work.
About the Artist ...
Howard Rose graduated from the School of Visual Arts and completed graduate studies at C.W. Post. He has studied under several well-known Metropolitan area artists and has taught oil painting at C.W. Post and the Art League of Long Island.
His articles on teaching techniques have appeared in The Artist's and American Artist magazines. Howard has conducted workshops at Hudson Valley, Art Barge in the Hamptons, and Martha's Vineyard.
His work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions at galleries in Albertson, East Hampton, and Southampton on Long Island.
"Over the past 15 years, of teaching and critiquing art shows, I always say I have the ability of taking their painting UP a Notch. I never let a student start a painting without a good design. They can work for weeks on a painting but without a good design, It will never be a good and successful painting. I have designed very logical steps to start and complete an oil Painting. My mantra for my all my students is… Slow and Accurate. Be accurate with each step along the way…. color application, design, perspective, calligraphy etc. Doing it slow and accurate will assure the student in creating a successful painting."