Need a vacation? “Opus in Color,” visions of Rocky River’s Patricia Hanahan Sigmier, drifts into The Fine Arts Association with an opening reception from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. tonight in Willoughby. The dreamy watercolors will take viewers to an otherworldly place.

Sigmier, an award-winning artist, describes the collection of more than two dozen watercolor and mixed media paintings as light and airy, yet multilayered and complex.

The exhibition includes misty landscapes, vibrant florals and nature-based abstractions, reflecting Sigmier’s dual talents as a traditional watercolorist and an expressive experimental artist.

“All of my paintings in some way reveal my exploration of layers,” Sigmier said in a release.  “Whether it is through the handling of the medium or my relationship to the subject matter, the layers are there.”

Last spring, Sigmier’s painting, “Nectar of the Gods,” was awarded Best in Show at the Self-Employed Artists Network Annual Member Show also in Willoughby, sponsored by Art House. In addition, she recently won the Ohio Watercolor Society’s North Coast Award for her piece “Titania’s Realm.”

The Butler Institute of American Art, Case Western Reserve University, Malvina Freedson Gallery, and Beachwood Center for the Arts, among others, have featured Sigmier’s work.

The artist also has participated in various local art festivals, including Clifton Arts and Music Festival and St. John West Shore Hospital Festival of the Arts.  In addition to her show at the Fine Arts Association, her work can be seen at Fiori Gallery on Murray Hill and at Artist Review Today Showcase in the Galleria at Erieview.

Sigmier, a Youngtown native, also is an art teacher who has led workshops for a variety of regional art organizations. She currently teaches watercolor at Lakewood’s Beck Center for the Arts. 

In June, she will lead a painting class for Case Western Reserve University’s “Summer in the Country” program.  She also promotes art and creativity in the community by creating public art with schoolchildren and by working with nonprofit organizations such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Sigmier studied art and architecture at St. Mary’s College of Notre Dame, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in fine arts. 

There is no charge to attend “Opus in Color” and on site parking is free.The Fine Arts Association, 38660 Mentor Ave., in Willoughby holds gallery hours from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Call 951-7500 for more information or visit the group online at www.fineartsassociation.org.