[SCAA] – Critically acclaimed Southland artist Julie Snyder will demonstrate oil painting at the Monday, Feb. 15, meeting of the Santa Clarita Artists’ Association.

The event is free, open to the public and takes place at 6:30 p.m. at Barnes & Noble, 23630 Valencia Blvd.

“I paint the figure, finding my subjects in many walks of life and I bring them into the studio to model,” Snyder said. “I love to recreate an impressionistic environment on the canvas that tells a story.”

Painting wet on wet with a balance of loose and tight brushwork, she uses color and light to create interest and focus. Her paint quality is expressionistic as she captures the essential mood and gestures of her subjects. Her intimate portraits are more than the traditional head and shoulders — she unerringly finds the special quality that makes each individual both unique and multifaceted.

Snyder’s career has spanned both sides of the Atlantic and included several years of residence in Southern Spain. She forged her craft as an illustrator in advertising, publishing and the motion picture industry, including Warner Bros. Her work hangs in collections and galleries across the country.

The National Art Museum of Sport honored her three times, including her paintings of “Boxers Before the Bell” and “Seeking the Target” in their annual exhibits and awarding Snyder the prestigious gold medal for painting in 2013 for her painting, “Daily Drill.” Her painting of chefs from the historic Blinn House – “Blinn House Kitchen Chefs” – hung in Contemporary Masters | Artistic Eden exhibition at the Pasadena Museum of History.

Snyder served for two years as president of the historic Businessmen’s Art Institute of Los Angeles. She holds workshops and teaches painting at the Cope Studios, Glendale and the McGroarty Arts Center, Tujunga. Visit http://juliesnyder.com/about.html for more.

Come early; standing room only by 6:30. Info: www.SantaClaritaArtists.org.