John Salminen is best known for his watercolors of realistic urban landscapes such as this painting of Times Square. Salminen is juror for the upcoming Watercolor Society of Oregon convention in Seaside. Submitted photo

SEASIDE – The Watercolor Society of Oregon (WSO) will hold its 45th annual spring convention Friday, April 3, through Sunday, April 5, at the Best Western Oceanview Resort, 414 N. Prom.

Several hundred of WSO’s 900 members will participate in activities in and around Seaside, Astoria, and the Long Beach (Wash.) Peninsula, including a tour of Oysterville Sea Farms, and outdoor “paint-outs” with award-winning artists Harold Walkup and Eric Weigardt.

Convention juror John Salminen (www.johnsalminen.com) chose 80 water media paintings from 297 images submitted, and these 80 paintings will be on display from April 3 through 29, at RiverSea Gallery, 1160 Commercial St. (www.riverseagallery.com). The WSO artists’ reception at RiverSea Gallery is 3:30 to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 4, and is open to the public. Of the 80 paintings displayed, 20 will receive awards and later go on tour as part of a six-month traveling show throughout Oregon. In addition, the public can vote during the reception to determine which painting receives the People’s Choice award.

The WSO convention concludes Sunday, April 5, with Salminen’s lecture and painting demonstration at 11:15 a.m. in Sandpiper/Seaside room of the Best Western Oceanview Resort. The cost is $10 and is open to WSO members and the general public.

WSO is an organization committed to furthering the interest of water media by providing educational opportunities both for its members and others interested in the visual arts. For WSO membership information, visit www.watercolorsocietyoforegon.com