FLAC News:

Chances are anyone who has lived in Los Alamos for awhile has seen a watercolor painted by Mary Cardin.

Cardin’s work hangs everywhere from private homes to the public library. That’s because Cardin has a long standing and beloved relationship with Los Alamos. Every year she finds herself making the trek from Chama to Los Alamos to share her artwork and knowledge, and every year Cardin invites her students to come up to Chama and take weekend workshops at her Bed and Breakfast.

There’s a reason the road between Cardin’s Bed and Breakfast and Los Alamos feels so short, and that’s because of the relationships she’s built and the joy she brings when she shows her students a new watercolor technique.

Cardin has worked as a popular artist for more than 35 years and 30 of those years have been spent as an art instructor. Self-taught from a young age, and driven by a deep passion for painting, Cardin began her work in oils, but was soon drawn to the ephemeral beauty of watercolor. This mercurial medium has enchanted her ever since, and drives her craft to this day.

Whether it is painting the breathtaking vistas visible from almost anywhere in the Los Alamos and surrounding area, or just the flowers she grows in her own back yard, Cardin has dedicated herself to the mastery of watercolor.

Cardin plans to come back into town at least twice before the new year with some great seasonal workshops Oct. 8 and again Nov. 12. The autumn demonstration course is titled “Pumpkin Delight”, and produces a painting of a Fall floral festival in a pumpkin. November’s workshop focuses on making nine seasonal cards throughout the day.

Every class Cardin designs is meant to be a full day workshop that demonstrates specific steps and watercolor techniques. Each student should be able to complete a painting by the end of the day, and students will have all the materials to continue working with watercolors past the initial class.

Cardin prides herself on being both an informative and entertaining instructor, with a clear focus on the student achieving finished masterpiece in a fun and friendly environment.

More of Cardin’s work can be found at http://www.cardinscrossing.com/Deanne/artist.htm.

To sign up for Cardin’s workshops call 505.662.1635 or stop by the Fuller Art Lodge Center, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday at 2132 Central Ave., in downtown Los Alamos. 

For more information, visit www.fullerlodgeartcenter.com or email info@fullerlodgeartcenter.com.