The Society of Creative Arts of Newtown (SCAN) will have Clayton Buchanan, an internationally known artist, offering a demonstration during its meeting on Wednesday, July 9, at 7:30 pm. The meeting-program will be in the lower level of at Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main Street (at the flagpole).

The demonstration is open to the public and admission is free.

Mr Buchanan will demonstrate creating a pastel figure painting.

Mr Buchanan’s paintings are in private and corporate collections including the Elizabeth T. Greenshields Memorial Foundation, Montreal, Canada; and Northern Dutchess Hospital, Rhinebeck, N.Y. He has done numerous portrait commissions throughout the Northeast and the South. He has won awards on regional and national levels including “Best In Show” at the Connecticut Pastel Society Member Show in 2011.

Mr Buchanan says he paints those pieces of nature that speak to him through light, color, structure, and emotion. He has been fascinated with the Impressionist color concept for over 35 years and says he is still visually learning from nature.

Mr Buchanan looks for moments that come and go with a blink of an eye and challenge him to capture. Many of his figure paintings contain those moments, frozen in time. They capture life in movement and give viewers a chance to recognize that fleeting beauty of light and color so easily lost forever.

Pastels are his medium. Applying brilliant colors layer upon layer and mixing them on the painting surface, and doing so with energized strokes, enhance his visual imagery.

Mr Buchanan has studied Impressionist painting with Henry Hensche in Provincetown, Mass., and figure portrait painting with William Draper at Art Students League, NY. He has his studio in Newburgh, N.Y.

Reservations are not needed for SCAN programs, but additional information is available by visiting www.scanart.org.

What Is SCAN?

“People have approached Gary Thomas, our president, and said they didn’t know what SCAN is or what we do,” even after more than 40 years of existence, said Evelyn Evagash, the group’s current publicist.

The Society of Creative Arts of Newtown is a non-profit associated of artists from western Connecticut and the surrounding area. It offers opportunities to expand and enrich one’s artistic output and appreciation. All are is welcome to meetings, including high school and college students.

SCAN hosts free demonstrations featuring talented artists showing watercolors, oil, acrylics, pastel and other mediums twice every month. Programs are offered on the second Wednesday evening of the month beginning at 7:30 pm, and the fourth Wednesday of the month beginning at 1:30 pm.

The programs are presented in the lower level of Newtown Meeting House. In addition to Clayton Buchanan’s program on July 9, upcoming programs are scheduled for August 13 and 27, September 10 and 24, October 8 and 22, November 12 and December 3.

Artists are also welcome to join SCAN members to draw or paint at live-model workshops from 9:30 am until 12:30 pm before the daytime art demonstrations. Cost is $7.

Approximately 15 spaces are available for an open studio paint workshop that will begin in September. Cost is $5, and artists need to bring their own art supplies, including a drop-cloth and possibly an easel. Tables and chairs are there. Visit for details and reservations.SCANart.org

SCAN also offers art classes in watercolor, oil and other mediums, and awards scholarships to graduating high school seniors. Applications are available in April of each year. Students should start working on their portfolio soon.

For information regarding SCAN artist demonstrations, shows and offerings, visit .the group’s website