I will never get tired of painting the river," said artist Diana Thomas, describing the view from the banks of the Susquehanna. "It's always fascinated me how often the color of the river changes."

Thomas will share her love of the river and how it's influenced her art at "The River Speaks Color," a 30-minute illustrated talk to be held Saturday, Feb. 7, at 11 a.m. at the Zimmerman Center for Heritage, 1706 Long Level Road, Wrightsville.

The talk will be followed by open painting time, allowing participants to create their own watercolor pieces inspired by the river and the artwork on display at the center.

Thomas, who lives in Columbia, once created 53 paintings of the river over the course of a year.

"I wanted to paint the river once a week to sharpen my skills as an artist and give priority to the art in my life," she said of the 2016 project.

She experienced a devastating loss midway through the year when her daughter died by suicide. Although Thomas paused her painting for some time, she didn't give up on her series.

"Painting is therapeutic," she said. "It was my glue that held me together."

She kept a weekly journal to accompany her paintings, and a friend encouraged her to share the journal entries and the art at the project's completion.

"I was terrified," Thomas said of putting her personal thoughts on display, but she thought others might benefit from her story. Since then, she's shared her artwork - and her story - with numerous clubs, church groups and other organizations, and she created a book, "Current Color: A Year on the Susquehanna," which is for sale at Columbia Crossing River Trails Center, 41 Walnut St., Columbia.

Over the years, Thomas has partnered with Susquehanna National Heritage Area to offer a variety of workshops. She invites people of all ages to participate in the February program.

"Come out and explore the river in a way that you maybe never thought of before," she said. "For those of us who live near the river, we see it all the time. I want to encourage creative expression and encourage people to think outside the box about the river."

Thomas said she plans to present a short talk and then guide participants on creation of a color wheel, discussing how colors can represent our feelings and emotions.

"Then, I'll turn them loose to step outside or look at the artwork in the Zimmerman Center and be really imaginative," she said. "I just want them to play."

She emphasized that she hopes people will do their own thing when it comes to their painting.

"Learn to take a chance and do something you never did before," she said. "I'm focused on, 'How can I encourage this person to really love the thing they do and not compare it to somebody else's thing?' Just get the materials and play. Get out of the house in the most boring part of winter and have some fun with color and with the river."

Thomas' program is part of drop-in watercolor painting days that will be held throughout the month of February at the Zimmerman Center during regular hours. The center is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Weekly themes and prompts will encourage reflection on topics such as seeing the river, people and the river, the living watershed and imagination and memory. All materials will be provided, and no art experience is required. Participants may take their artwork home or leave it on display at the Zimmerman Center. There will be art prompts aimed at children and families as well as adults. Drop-in days are free, with donations appreciated to help cover material costs.

There is a small suggested donation for Thomas' program, and advance registration is encouraged. For more information or to register for the Feb. 7 workshop, visit http://www.susqnha.org/events.