“We had a fabulous opening weekend, and works are selling fairly well,” Don Elmer said Tuesday evening. The co-chairman of “Color in January,” an annual art show and sale by the Society of Creative Arts of Newtown, had visited the show site a few hours earlier and was encouraged at the ongoing interest the show was generating.

“Color in January” is a members-only event presented by the Newtown-based artists’ collective. The show is a non-juried affair, with members in good standing presenting up to four pieces of their original work. The event is presented at Lexington Gardens in Newtown, a gardeners’ shop and nursery on Church Hill Road, for ten days during January. This year’s event continues through Sunday, January 23.

An opening reception was held for this year’s show, the sixth annual presentation of “Color in January,” on January 15. As has become tradition for this show, the first Saturday of the exhibition is marked with an artist’s demonstration and an offering of refreshments for the public. After a bleak end to the work week weather-wise, Saturday’s reception was extremely well attended by a large number of the artists of SCAN and the public. The lush, sometimes almost tropical surroundings of Lexington Gardens are always a large draw for visitors; the presentation of colorful, top-quality works of art is an added incentive for those looking for a few hours out of the cold.

Melody Asbury offered the inaugural artist’s demonstration this year. Last Saturday afternoon, a good-size crowd turned out to see the Woodbury artist’s presentation on creating an oil portrait. Mrs Asbury’s husband sat as the artist’s model for the program.

“I still get nervous, even after all thee years of demonstrations,” Mrs Asbury said after her program. “You’re working in what isn’t always the best of conditions, and you’re rushing. I still cross my fingers that everything goes well.”

Her portrait remained on view for the remainder of Saturday’s show hours. On Sunday, Jim Minnicks offered a demonstration on watercolor landscapes. This weekend, Carol Reilley will be doing a program on watercolor painting on Saturday, January 22, and Kita Macon will have a pastel painting demonstration on Sunday, January 23. Demonstrations begin at 12:30 each day.

While the club has traditionally presented demonstrations by its members each Saturday and Sunday during the show, Mr Elmer says next year the club may begin offering programs during the week as well.

“We’d like to draw in more traffic during the week,” the show’s co-chairman said. Mr Elmer and his wife, Barbara, long-time Newtown residents, handled the organizational aspects of “Color in January” this year for the first time. “There’s been a suggestion to add a drawing or sketching time during the week,” he said Tuesday night. “I have a few ideas of my own,” he added.

This year’s “Color in January” is presenting works by over 60 members of SCAN. There are watercolors, oils on canvas, charcoal drawings, acrylic paintings, mixed media pieces and more. There are large- and small-scale works, with subject matter covering everything from local landscapes and portraits to still lifes and interior scenes.

One of the largest works in the show is a detailed cathedral scene by Bruce Hunter. The image’s sight measurement looked to be about 24 by 36 inches, and it was enclosed within a matte and frame. At $2,000, it is also one of the highest-priced works in the show.

A selection of works near the artist’s demonstration/work area were also larger in scale, and welcoming in their color schemes. There was a large exterior floral scene by Dick McEvoy, an exterior scene depicting a heron in a marsh, an autumnal street scene by Ruth Newquist, and a floral and fruit still life by Joyce Pedersen.

The majority of the works in the show this year are much smaller in scale, which allowed the hanging committee to place three works on each of the temporary walls of the show. A series of walls have been arranged in one of the nursery’s larger rooms, creating an inner gallery space. Visitors to the show can meander at their leisure. At least one SCAN member will be sitting during every hour of the show.

“It’s been exciting and a lot of hard work,” Mr Elmer said of coordinating the show and sale. “We’ve had some requests for works by a specific artist, and a lot of requests for membership forms.

“There are a lot of details to putting together a show like this, of course,” he continued. “But we’re all very pleased with this. ‘Color in January’ came together very well.”

“Color in January” will continue through Sunday, January 23, at Lexington Gardens, 32 Church Hill Road in Newtown. Show hours are Friday, 8:30 am to 6 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 8:30 am to 5 pm. There is no admission charge.