The Society of Creative Arts of Newtown (SCAN) will present “Steven Plaziak Painting a Landscape in Watercolor” on Wednesday, June 14, at 7:30 pm, at Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main Street (at the flagpole). The demonstration is open to the public, and admission is free.

Growing up in Rhode Island, Plaziak frequented The Providence Art Club as a child and was inspired early on by Rhode Island artists such as Spencer Crooks.

Over the years he has taken many fine art workshops with Don Stone, David Dewey, Gary Tucker, and other artists, all of whom have influenced his approach.

Now a resident of Guilford, Plaziak says the beauty of New England “offers an array of fleeting moments and subjects, with each season bringing nuances to the color palette.

“My inspiration comes frequently from these sources. I paint primarily in watercolor, and continuously experiment with a variety of mediums such as oil, acrylic and gouache so that I am constantly learning and evolving.

“Painting on location (en plein air), I start with small studies using India ink or Paynes gray to simplify shapes, explore values and establish a composition. I try not to copy what is in front of me, but rather to find the essence of a subject or scene, and express it in a meaningful or dramatic way.

“Often the subject I am initially inspired to paint turns out to be something completely different, a different story altogether emerges … Painting with watercolor is challenging, rewarding and humbling. So many factors influence the final outcome ... brushes, paper, water, color pigment, color balance ... equally important are composition, layout, value, harmony and light.”

Reservations are not taken for SCAN programs but additional information is available at SCANart.org.