22-04-2025
A morning of art at 'Doodle with a Poodle'
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A number of local artists spent the morning talking shop at a coffeehouse in Sioux Falls.
Tucked away in the corner of Josiah's Coffeehouse & Cafe is a meeting of the Great Plains Watercolor Society.
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'You can do just a little bit to a drawing and add a lot or you can make it entirely a full watercolor with nothing else,' local artist Gary Pederson said.
Pederson is a retired band instructor, most recently teaching at Patrick Henry Middle School, and rarely goes anywhere without his 4-year-old doodle dog, Arthur.
'He's surprisingly well-behaved, that's not due to us, he just came that way,' Pederson said.
He's also the inspiration behind the Watercolor Society's newest indoor event.
'My friend who is great with coming up with good ideas says 'call it Doodle with a Poodle',' Pederson said.
'Arthur is the most amazing dog I've ever met,' local artist Barbara Sparks said.
Sparks helped found the Great Plains Watercolor Society six years ago.
'We started out with 35 members, it went to 100 within months, and has stayed there ever since,' Sparks said.
The group was created on a simple idea.
'Why don't we get together, pool our resources, and we can hire people from all over the country to come and teach us sort of to elevate our level of watercolor,' Sparks said.
When the artists take their watercolors indoors for Doodle with a Poodle, they focus on urban sketching.
'Not necessarily landscapes but more urban scenes and people and places,' Pederson said.
Pederson says when it comes to urban sketching, sometimes deciding what to draw or paint is the toughest part of the process.
'Even though we all love painting, sometimes we need a little extra incentive to get the brushes out,' Pederson said.
Local artist Steve Randall found his inspiration in 4-month-old Lance, the son of Mary Kate Schultz, who's now the proud owner of an original piece of artwork. A case of painting leading to conversation, that's what the Great Plains Watercolor Society is all about.
The members of the Great Plains Watercolor Society will take their talents outdoors starting in June, meeting from 10:00 to noon June 26th at Dunham Park in Sioux Falls.
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