At the end of May, I’m doing a free mini demo at Opus Art Supplies (North Vancouver). It’ll be a relaxed little meet and greet, and a chance to try out the Winsor & Newton Professional line.

Event details and registration are here:

Opus mini workshop – Winsor & Newton Professional Watercolour Materials

And if you’re shopping at Opus, here’s my discount code:

LORRAINESIMONDS – 10% off per sales order (one-time use per customer)

https://opusartsupplies.com/products/watercolours-portraits-with-lorraine-simonds

World of Watercolor 2026 starts, March 19th, with Beginner’s Day featuring Angela Fehr, which is such a lovely place to start if you’re newer to the medium or just want to loosen your shoulders a bit and enjoy learning.

Then on Friday, March 20th, I’ll be teaching on the main day, Day One, which feels both exciting and a little surreal. I’m teaching between Sebastian Thommen and Thomas Schaller, which is wild to me, and there are so many brilliant artists involved this year including Michael Jasiewicz, Carrie Waller, and Daniela Werneck. The beautiful thing about this event is that the global masters are painting live, and you can actually ask questions as they go. It’s interactive, generous, and genuinely such a rich way to learn.

If you’ve been thinking about joining, it’s not too late and cheaper than a four night hotel stay plus airfare. You can still sign up and save $50 USD with code SIMONDS2026 here:

I’m launching a brand new four-part watercolour course with Artists Network, and I’m genuinely excited about it. This series is all about helping you loosen up in your portrait work, whether you’re feeling stuck, too careful, or just want to try something fresh. I’ve split it into four focused workshops—Control, Softness, Boldness, and Freedom—so you can really dig into each stage and see how they build on one another.

Dates: Saturdays, Jan 31, Feb 28, Mar 28 & Apr 25

Accessibility was a big priority for me:

• Each session is over 2 hours of live instruction

• Everything’s recorded and available for 30 days after, so you can revisit or catch up if you miss a class

• It’s priced to be doable: $29.99 per workshop, or $109 for all four (which saves you a bit if you want to go all-in)

If you want to invest in yourself and challenge your portrait skills in a supportive, low-pressure way, this is a great place to start. First lesson is a monotone portrait like the one up there 👆

You can find all the details and sign up here:

I’ll be joining my hero’s in watercolour, including Matthew White and Thomas Schaller—at Watercolor Live 2026, the BIGGEST online watercolour conference in the world. And, somehow, I get to teach alongside them this year as one of the Masters. If you’d told me that a few years ago, I wouldn’t have believed it. (I’lll be taking you through my portrait of Ben and willl be showing you what it looks like to hold back and then to go further in a portrait)

If you’re on the fence about Watercolor Live, here’s what you need to know: in less than 24 hours, the price jumps by as much as $600. Here’s where things stand right now:

• Essential Techniques Day: $197 (goes up to $297)

• General Ticket: $457 (goes up to $957)

• Premier Ticket: $577 (goes up to $1,177)

• VIP Ticket: $1,197 (goes up to $1,797)

And if you use code SIMONDS, you’ll get a little extra off the price.

Here’s the link to grab your ticket before the price jumps:https://watercolorlive.com/wcl2026?ref=LORRAINE