Guy Magallanes and Joyce Faulknor NOONDAY — More than 20 artists, many of them professionals, have covered their tables inside the Noonday Civic Center with piles of sturdy watercolor paper, brushes, water, and paints.

Amid the giggles and greetings, a sense of purpose and anticipation fills the air.

They are gathered to learn.

And the best-kept artistic secret in East Texas is about to get out, says Bullard’s Greta Faulkinberry, an artist and one of the students of the seminar.

SPLASH has brought in another round of internationally known artists to the area, drawing fellow professionals from across the state to attend their regular workshops, scheduled at the civic center on at least a tri-annual basis, sometimes more frequently when the right artists are available.

SPLASH is a loosely organized club, more of a fellowship, that meets once a month in Noonday, Mollie Jones of Tyler said. Workshops are open to beginners, professionals, and others.

For the artists of SPLASH, their shared sense of purpose and fellowship is affording them opportunities not usually available.

Take, for instance, their most recent coup — attracting the international duo of Guy Magallanes and Joyce Faulknor of California.

For those not familiar with the “art world,” as Faulkinberry calls it, or for those who missed the oneweek seminar on water color techniques in July, not to worry.

Magallanes and Faulknor have completed footage for their own television show, which was set to debut on PBS.

“It is in the can,” Jones said. “Next year, they may be too busy to come back.”

“We have two completely different approaches to watercolor,” Magallanes said, glancing over the head table and the tools of the artistic trade as they begin the lesson.

“But other students have survived,” Faulkner said. “They found out how easy it all is, at the end.”

Along with the daily seminars, the ladies dine with artists at various restaurants in the evening. One night, Faulkinberry hosts a dinner party at the ranch she and her husband own near Bullard. On the ranch property is the studio where SPLASH often hosts painting retreats.

Next on the SPLASH agenda: capturing the signature of internationally known floral artist Kathleen Alexander of California, who will teach the SPLASH workshop scheduled for October.

Alexander was featured on the April issue of Watercolor Artist. Samples of her work can be viewed at www.kathleenalexanderwatercolors. com.

The ladies are also enthusiastic supporters of the Genny Wood Art Show and Sale, set for Nov. 6 at Bul- lard First United Methodist Church Family Life Center, coinciding with the Red, White, and Blue Festival.

If pressed, the ladies will admit that many of their local fellow artists are successful in their own right, serving as judges for the East Texas State Fair, showing in exhibits at downtown Tyler’s Gallery Main Street, and sometimes guest lecturing at Tyler Junior College.

But their favorite topic is how these workshops have helped them become better artists, no matter what level their skills.

“Everybody progresses more because we are together as a group,” Jones said. “We feed on each other’s energy.”

Faulkinberry agreed.

“We spend the night out there sometimes for a slumber party. We paint. We giggle. We talk art.”

For about SPLASH or upcoming workshops, call 903-561-3519.