Watercolor as a medium can be spontaneous and fluid or it can be detailed and exact. Visitors to the June Watercolor Exhibit at the Canfield Gallery in Arlington’s Martha Canfield Library will be treated to an exciting variety of paintings by three area watercolor artists. Ned Reade (Arlington), Rachel Barlow (Sandgate) and Tony Conner (Bennington) will be available to answer your questions at the opening reception of their group show on Saturday, June 3 from 3 to 5. You can also return for a closer look at the paintings anytime during library hours until June 30.

Ned Reade, who chairs the Art Department at Trinity-Pawling School in Pawling, NY, during the academic year, relishes every opportunity to get outdoors to paint the landscape he loves — whether in Vermont or Martha’s Vineyard. Ned believes in taking advantage of the “happy accidents” where things can seem to be moving out of control. He says, “This is the time to dig in and use that ‘accident' to push yourself in a direction you had not planned. This is when ‘magic’ happens.”

Rachel Barlow’s illustrations for her blog, “My Sketchy Life,” revived a lifelong love of drawing and painting. A window into her family life, the blog was an immediate success, leading to published stories and a tongue-in-cheek picture book for parents called A is for All-Nighter. Positive feedback from her blog pushed Rachel to explore watercolor painting more seriously, focusing her attention and imagination on the scenes in rural Vermont, southwestern Michigan and Iceland.

As a painter Tony Conner can be described as intense and energetic. Whether his subject is a landscape, seascape, still life or portrait, his work is focused on the quality of the light itself. Tony’s impressive resume also includes Signature Membership in both New York and Vermont Watercolor Societies, and Artist Membership in New York’s venerable Salmagundi Club.

For more information, or to see library hours, visit the Martha Canfield website at marthacanfieldlibrary.org or call 802-375-6153.