“What an honor to be singled out once again for participation in this event,” Lewandowski said. “I can’t help but feel a sense of awe to be sharing space and recognition with some of the finest realism artists in the world. The opportunity becomes even more rewarding when you consider that the exhibition drew a record number of entries from around the world.”

This past January, Valerie Allen, curator for Studio 23/The Art Center in Bay City, asked the artist to participate in an invitational exhibition entitled, “Land to River: A Community Collaboration.” The event will showcase the artwork of six Michigan-based artists who paint, draw, and create sculptures within the land and water theme. This special event is being sponsored in part by the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy and is scheduled to host a variety of community activities that draw attention to the area’s natural resources.

“I couldn’t help but be touched by the invitation since my wife and I, along with her brother Tom Williams and sister-in-law, had a history working with a conservancy a number of years ago,” Lewandowski said. “The outcome was the creation of the Williams-Blackburn Memorial Preserve, a 23-acre parcel along the Chippewa River in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.”

The Land and River Exhibition is slated to run from May 14 to June 20. An opening reception will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. on May 14 at Studio 23/The Arts Center, 901 N. Water Street in downtown Bay City.

Erwin P. Lewandowski

The artist will be hosting “The Ways of Water,” a new series of colored pencil workshops based on his work. Each workshop day will focus on a specific waterscape theme with hands-on instruction, large screen demonstrations, and a photo reference guide.

“I’ve avoided teaching waterscapes for years simply because I considered the subject too challenging and complex for students and fellow artists,” Lewandowski said. “Time has convinced me that sharing this knowledge should be part of my mission as an artist. The new two-day workshop series is designed for beginning and intermediate students and will include two working scenes — a quiet still water setting and a stream of flowing water. Each scene will likely include foliage and landscape rock. A new twist to the workshops will be the option for students to continue working on their classroom assignments at home or in their studios. They will then have the option of contacting me for advice and/or a critique session of their final composition.”

The Ways of Water Workshop Series is currently scheduled for June 13 and June 20 at Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan in Alpena. Additional workshops are planned in Bay City, Traverse City, and Dallas/Fort Worth (Oct. 31 to Nov. 1).

American Art Collector magazine will be featuring a colored pencil drawing by Lewandowski in their upcoming April issue. The drawing will be part of a special article section entitled Seascapes, Rivers, and Lakes.

“John O’ Herd, Santa Fe senior editor for the publication and one of the leading art collector writers in the nation, recently contacted me for permission to use one of my drawings,” Lewandowski said. “The piece he referenced, ‘Crevice Stream IV,’ was created a number of years ago and received the Best in Drawing Award at the 2014 International Guild of Realism Exhibition in Charleston, South Carolina. I’m always humbled and surprised when an art publication, gallery, or marketing source takes the initiative to contact me since the usual effort begins with the artist.”

Professional artist Erwin P. Lewandowski’s drawing, “Crevice Stream IV,” pictured here, was recently selected for inclusion in the April issue of American Art Collector magazine.

The artist and his wife, Mary, reside along the shoreline of Lake Huron in Northeast Michigan. To learn more about his artwork, go to www.erwinplewandowski.com.