NATIONAL WATERCOLOR SOCIETY SINCE 1920 WINTER 2011

NATIONAL WATERCOLOR SOCIETY
SINCE 1920
Winter 2011
President’s Message
President
M.E. “Mike” Bailey
First Vice-President
Patricia Allen
Second Vice-President
Frank Eber
Third Vice-President
Chuck McPherson
Fourth Vice-President
Linda Baker
Secretary
Debbie Abshear
Treasurer
Vickie Myers
Membership/Communications
Nancy Mulford
Annual Exhibition
Nancy Shiershke
All-Member Exhibition
Joy Gonzalez
Historian
Newsletter
Finance
Alan Marriott
Technology
Linda Doll
Fundraising
Building
Caroline Van Winkle
EVENTS
Penny Hill
President Emeritus
Dick Cole
Dear NWS Artists,
First, let me extend my heartfelt holiday wishes to each of you and your
families. This is a special time of year when we celebrate those special
connections to friends and loved ones.
This is my last letter, as your president, and will be giving over the
gavel of office to another very deserving signature member presidential
candidate (who has yet to be voted into office). My last month in office
will be in February when the new board assumes their duties. I have held much pride in the
privilege you have afforded me to serve as your leader. I have learned much in the experience
and will use this knowledge going forward in my artistic quest for growth. Thank you all for
your confidence and encouragement over the last two years.
The next board has much new business aimed at sustaining the health and the passion the
National Watercolor Society holds for enhancing and growing water media artists around the
globe. NWS has a number of goals to reach in order to become a member in good standing
of the 21st century. For us right-brained people, technology might seem the antithesis of our
processes and purposes in life, but electronic technology has formed as the new means of
communication. It has been my mission to be the catalyst and leader to bring our loved
society to fully embrace these new communication modalities and to bring a business-minded
strength to our leadership.
There have been, also, deeply emotional moments which I have experienced in my tenure.
Among those was the near Christmas feeling of awarding new signature members their
certificates of achievement and witnessing their beaming faces as they accepted the new honor.
Personally, I can recall standing at the kitchen sink, the notifying “good news” letter in hand,
and weeping with my wife after absorbing the news of becoming an NWS signature member!
I also recall mumbling something to the effect that I had worked so hard to gain the honor.
Another such emotional moment was that in which Mr. Gerald F. Brommer was awarded
the NWS Lifetime Achievement Award. While I explained to the banquet audience why that
moment meant so much to me personally, I could hardly hold back the tears. Were it not for
Mr. Brommer, I might not have become a watercolor painter! To be associated with such an
extraordinary gentleman is simply beyond words.
That said, you know I did not take lightly the burden of the mantle of leadership of this great
society of artists. It has absolutely NOT been about my ego, but about helping others to attain
that same prestigious ranking in the world of watercolor painting.
If you have not yet attained signature status, or been accepted into our amazing exhibitions,
for goodness sakes, do not give up! I can tell you that the journey of learning and producing
hundreds of paintings to get to the few that stand above all others is an eternal joy. Whether or
not you believe it now, you must believe that you have it in you to be among the best painters
in the world who attain NWS signature. I know how seemingly difficult it is. But, as you cover
more pages of watercolor paper, the wisdom of it all will become so simply obvious. You just
have to “do it.”
continued on next page
In the meanwhile, and in my farewells, may this season bring you
peace, happiness and joy. And may the coming new year be filled
with good fortune and plenty of love! And, of course, may your
brushes bring forth new artistic miracles not only this year, but
for many that follow!
NWS 2011 91st Annual Exhibition
NWS, San pedro, CA | Continued on page 6
Sincerely,
M.E. ”Mike” Bailey
President, NWS!
2012 NWS Events At-A-Glance
Mark your calendars!
January 14, 2012, 1 pm
NWS Annual Business Meeting
Read more about the meeting on page 3.
NATIONAL WATERCOLOR SOCIETY PURCHASE AWARD, WITH SILVER STAR
Shanghai Construction, John Salminen, MN
Immediately after the meeting, the NWS Donors Exhibition
Opening Reception will begin. Plan to come to the meeting at
1 pm and stay for the reception.
JJC Industries WholesaleR
of Daniel Smith ManufactUred
Products Award
Xidan Chen, Australia
Red Door
January 14 – February 5, 2012
NWS Donors Exhibition
Read more about this special show on page 3.
Jack Richeson & Co., Inc. Award
Guan Weixing, NC
Hui Man Before Window
January 21, 2012
Deadline for entries for the NWS All-Member Exhibition
This juried show is open to all members! The show runs from
April 5 to May 13, with cash awards totaling $5,000.
The prospectus can be downloaded from the 2011 All-Member
Show page (http://www.nationalwatercolorsociety.org/exhibits/
2012-All-Member-Show/index.html). You can also pay for and
submit your work online.
Watercolor West Award
Michael P. Rocco, PA
A Little Sip
February 5 – December 7, 2012
91st Annual Exhibition Traveling Exhibit
Thirty select paintings from our annual juried exhibition will
cross the nation in 2012 with stops in California, Texas, Wyoming,
Minnesota, and Ohio.
Janet Hilford Memorial Award
Carrie Burns Brown, SC
Opus V
Check out all the details on page 11.
NATIONAL WATERCOLOR SOCIETY
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Winter 2011
NWS Annual Business Meeting and Donors Exhibition | January 14, 2012
nws gallery, 915 South pacific avenue, san pedro ca 90731
ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING
Saturday, January 14 at 1 pm
All members are welcome to the National Watercolor Society
Annual Business Meeting. You will have an opportunity to meet
the NWS Board and hear the yearly reports. The slate of nominees,
prepared by the Nominating Committee, for the 2012 NWS
Board and the Jury of Selection for the Annual Exhibition will be
presented. Further nominations for board directors and jurors
may be made from the floor by signature members. Please secure
permission from the nominee before presenting their name for
the ballot.
Immediately following the meeting, a ballot is composed and
mailed to all signature members. Please watch for the ballot in
your mailbox, vote your choices and return the ballot as soon
as possible.
If members have concerns, questions or comments, they will have
an opportunity to address these at the meeting.
NWS Donors Exhibition
Opening and Reception: Saturday, January 14, 3 – 6 pm
We look forward to 2012 being an exciting year led by your new
leaders and jurors.
January 15 – February 5, 2012
Gallery Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 11 am – 3 pm,
Additional Hours: First Thursday Night, February 2, 6 – 9 pm
Directly after the meeting you will have an opportunity to view the
NWS Donors Exhibition, at right. Please plan to attend!
This art exhibition celebrates the work of a group of very special
artists whose generosity made the dream of an NWS Gallery and
Headquarters become a reality. In 2006, under President Chris
Van Winkle, NWS launched a capital campaign to raise funds
to improve the NWS building, purchased in 1999, into a gallery,
studio and headquarters. Construction took place through 2007
– 2010 and NWS celebrated their 90th Anniversary by having the
Annual Exhibition in the NWS Gallery. It is very fitting that these
artists have an opportunity to exhibit their paintings in a gallery
that they made possible.
Jack Richeson of Jack Richeson and Co., manufacturers of art
materials, is a donor at the Platinum Palette Level and will be
present at the reception. Milford Zornes’ daughter, Maria, and her
husband Hal Baker will also share in the festivities. Sales of the
DVD of Milford Zornes’ 100th Birthday brought in $10,000 to the
Building Fund. Also showing paintings will be Loa Sprung and
Lowri Sprung, both donors at the Platinum Palette Level.
Loa Sprung had the vision to see the possibilities of a deserted
restaurant and by dedication, perseverance and with hard work by
a host of generous people, the vision was realized. How exciting
that the jurors of the exhibition, Bonese Collins Turner, Loa
Sprung and Chris Van Winkle selected the above painting, Seeking
Possibilities by artist Chris Keylock Williams, for the invitation
card for the show.
NATIONAL WATERCOLOR SOCIETY
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Winter 2011
Ethics and Behavior: Developing a Code
by NWS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
NWS is in the process of writing by-law revisions and in those
changes, adopting a Members Code of Behavior.
NEW NWS ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
September 15 to December 1, 2011
What is a “code of behavior”? Essentially, it is a description of
standards of behavior and ethics we may expect from our members and from which our members can assume a sense of protection from antisocial or unethical acts from other members aimed
at causing one to feel uncomfortable or threatened.
Obviously, human nature is what it is and, for the most part, should
be left alone. Anger out of jealousy or revenge (or for what ever
reason) cannot be allowed to turn into attacks, subtle or otherwise.
When anger becomes vicious acts, it is encumbent on the organization to shield its membership from such mean spirited action.
We are taking this course as a result of an NWS member who,
has, recently, issued internet rants and written personal attacks,
via email, at specific signature members and at those members
who have served as jurors. This artist has employed a blog, sent
anonymous and signed letters to the membership of AWS and
sent email attacks directly to some of our signature members.
Attacking them personally, attempting to intimidate them and
criticizing their artistic skills, both over his signature and over
bogus signatures, this artist aims to express displeasure at not
having been chosen for awards. We know who this artist is and
are currently consulting with the leaders of other societies, such as
AWS, to determine a joint course of action.
Revising the by-laws will prescribe disciplinary action, such as
public censure, removal of signature membership and even banning
an artist from ever entering our shows. We on the NWS board of
directors believe that personal intimidation and vile criticism of
a member’s artwork or jurying choices, via the written word, is a
form of bullying which shall be firmly and harshly dealt with.
Ginger Byrne, FL
Bonita Garrett, AZ
Marlyse Linder, CA
Jan Kunz, CA
Lerri Peterson, CA
Barbara Lawson, WA
Kang Lee Sheppard, CO
Jill Manning, CA
Debbie Uba, CA
Mike Mazer, MA
Lynn Powers, OR
Lois Olsen, CA
Carlos Campos, TX
Sheri Schnabl, CA
Heike Covell, AL
Fran Scully, CT
Bobette Davison, CA
P. Anthony Visco, MA
Christine Esprabens, CA
NWS members are entitled to, and should expect, peaceful
coexistence with all of our members and can also come to expect
protection from any sort of angry, intimidating behavior.
Your passion, our paints.
Of course, it is our hope
that NWS not need to take
such actions suggested
above and that they never
come to pass. We must
lay the foundations, and
reserve the right to exercise
those actions later should
the necessity arise in
the future.
800•828•4548 dickblick.com
NATIONAL WATERCOLOR SOCIETY
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Winter 2011
In other words, the person signing such a contract is obligated to
Your Contract with NWS
by NWS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
abide by the terms of the contract. That is why our (and others)
society prints a prospectus: to inform and to contractually obligate.
We have seen reproductions entered; seen computer-generated
The Show prospectus is much more
images brought in; and all manner of images from other shows come
than an invitation to send in an
across our threshold; only to have them sent back to the artist at
image... MUCH MORE!
the artist’s expense, because the rules for entry were violated.
NWS desires to LEAD the field of
Recently, another national society discovered a blatant misrepre-
water media painting, not be just
sentation had won a very large award (Best of Show!). That society
another show to rehash paintings
was forced to recover the funds awarded and to pursue legal
that have already won awards in
penalties for the offense. It was not pretty! Everyone involved was
other places. It is our concerted opinion that fresh competition,
embarrassed that it happened, not just the artist at fault.
where every participant can compete from the same fair footing, is
the best kind of competition. Why give award-winning paintings
So... be sure you read carefully the terms of every prospectus when
an advantage against those new paintings, which are being seen
you enter an image with NWS, or any other society. The prospectus
for the first time, in a national venue?
is your contract with the exhibiting society.
As our National Exhibition opened this last Fall, we found that
NWS requires that all entered
several entries had to be disqualified! Even after the show opened,
paintings be original work and
more discoveries were made which were firm grounds for more
that the work not be based
disqualifications! There were even cases, where the artists had to
upon copyrighted material, or
pay for shipping both ways and lost their entry fees; an expensive
copied from another artist. We
situation, for certain.
also require, for our National
Show, that images not have
It seems that some artists ignore, or miss what is printed on the
been shown in other shows
prospectus and just fill in the information and enter their image.
that accept images from a national audience.
There is, also, the possibility that the artist simply did not
There are other requirements which need not be mentioned here,
understand the words written on the prospectus. The popular
which must be adhered to in order to eligible to hang in the exhi-
explanation is “I did not see that,” when the rules are pointed out
bition. Every show is different and has different rules for entry.
to the offending artist.
In short, READ THE ELIGIBILITY RULES CAREFULLY. You are
Be informed that the prospectus is a contract signed by you, the
obligated to follow them.
artist, that you agree to abide by the rules set forth in the prospectus.
NATIONAL WATERCOLOR SOCIETY
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Winter 2011
Snapshots from a Spectacular Show
by LINDA BAKER, NWS
NATIONAL WATERCOLOR SOCIETY
PURCHASE AWARD, WITH SILVER STAR
John Salminen, MN
Shanghai Construction
*
Loa Ruth Sprung Award
Katharine A Cartwright, ME
Fourier’s Law
Cheap Joe’s Art Supply
Purchase Award
Iain Stewart, AL
Thorlow Dam from Fitzpatrick Bridge,
Tallahassee, Alabama
Stan Green & Beverly Green
Memorial Purchase Award
Frank Spino, FL
Fresh Squeezed
Milford Zornes Memorial Award
Carla O’Connor, WA
Asian Robe
NWS Past Presidents Award
Jeanne Johnson, PA
Autumn Privet
Janet Hilford Memorial Award
Carrie Burns Brown, SC
Opus V
*
Watercolor West Award
Michael P. Rocco, PA
A Little Sip
*
Ray Baker Memorial Award
Denny Bond, PA
Aplomb
Alice Leonard Memorial Award
Dean Mitchell, FL
Quincy Plant Worker
Potomac Valley Watercolorists
& Creative Catalyst Productions
Award
Robert Steinmetz, ME
Barcelona Roofscape
Harriet & Arthur L. Kaye
Memorial Award
James Warren Kuether, MN
The Bird’s Nest
Henry & Fujiko Fukuhara
Memorial Award
Judi Betts, LA
Little Billy
CONGRATULATION 2011 NWS SIGNATURE MEMBERS
(not all are pictured here) Sue Allen, Chris Beck, Arlynn Bloom, Elaine M Bowers,
Ann Breckon, Helen Burton, Katharine Cartwright, Hwang Nam Chang, Xidan
Chen, Don Fay, Janet Flom, Carla Gauthier, Lane Hall, Ken Hamilton, Susan
Hinton, Jane Iten, Jeanne Johnson, James Kuether, Stan Kurth, Luis Llariña, Laura
Allums Mitchell, Kathleen Mooney, Jill Poyerd, Kris Preslan, Michele Rea, Billie
Richards, Abby Rudisill, Janice Ulm Sayles, Nicholas E. Simmons, Iain Stewart,
Frank Spino, Deborah Swan-McDonald, Robert Tandecki, Htun Tin, Lorraine
Watry, Debi Watson, Suze Woolf,
The 44-page catalog
is now available in
the NWS Store
(http://national
watercolorsociety.
org/store.html).
NATIONAL WATERCOLOR SOCIETY
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Winter 2011
Watercolor Artist Magazine Award
Laura Allums Mitchell, LA
Miss American Pie
Roger Armstrong Memorial Award
Kris Preslan, OR
Cars I’ll Never Own #10
Philadelphia Watercolor Society
Award
Duncan Simmons, TX
Hill Country Creekbed
JJC Industries Wholesale of Daniel
Smith Manufactured Products
Award
Xidan Chen, Australia
Red Door
*
HK Holbein Award
Lorraine Watry, CO
Stained Glass Waterlilies
Jay Meuser Memorial Award
Elaine Daily-Birnbaum
Other Wonders
Utrecht Art Supplies & Creative
Catalyst Productions Award
Susan Montague, CO
Daughter of Martin
Jerry’s Artarama & Golden Artist
Colors & Airfloat Systems Award
Patricia Billeci, NY
Highland Drummer
Canson Fine Art Award
Son Do, CA
Afternoon Glow
Blick Art Materials Award
Michele Rea, VA
Old Cemetery Gate
M. Graham Watercolor Award
Billie Richards, OH
Water Nymphs
Jack Richeson & Co., Inc. Award
Guan Weixing, NC
Hui Man Before Window
*
*
pictured on page 2
Personal Thoughts on the Annual Show
by LYNN POWERS
had not pushed many of my paintings to a truly complete stage.
Attending the show helped me recognize that, and it gave me
something to work on.
I am convinced that there is no better tonic for artistic doldrums
than seeing the best the medium has to offer in person. If you get
a chance to visit the NWS show before it closes in early December,
I recommend it highly.
What Signature Membership Means to Me
by Helen burton, NWS
Because the National Watercolor Society is highly esteemed
throughout the world, I considered it a “lofty goal” to attempt an
entry for the annual exhibition. I knew it would require a supreme
effort to produce an outstanding painting worthy of the jurors’
consideration. Stretching myself beyond perceived limits has made
me a better artist.
Lynn and her mother, the one and only Jan Kunz
Last month I had the great pleasure of attending the National
Watercolor Society’s 2011 Annual Exhibition in San Pedro,
California. The caliber of work was fantastic. Every piece was
strong. I left inspired and motivated. There were many different
styles, subjects, and materials on display, but the show paintings
shared four qualities: commitment to excellence, dedication to a
concept, technical consistency, and a sense of completion.
Acceptance into the 91st Annual Exhibition with an invitation
to apply for Signature Membership was a long-held dream come
true. When Mike Bailey called to tell me I was accepted it was a
heart-stopping moment I will never forget. Receiving Signature
Membership in the National Watercolor Society is the highlight of
my art career, confirmation of 27 years as a watercolorist, a lifetime
achievement. This “stamp of approval” is an exceedingly rich reward
for which I am humbly grateful.
I was in awe of the level of excellence on display at the show.
Clearly these watercolor paintings were not casual toss-offs but
pieces that showed the artists’ respect for the caliber of the
organization. I suspect some artists painted for weeks, if not
months on their pieces. The paintings were clearly the result of
the artists’ total focused commitment.
Each painting was built around a concept that the artist supported
with all the elements and principles of design. These paintings
had punch. Some took design risks to support their concept. I’m
thinking in particular of Sean by Lance Miyamoto, a painting with
a man’s face in the lower part of the frame and a large dark area
above the head. That arrangement is normally a no-no in portrait
painting, but Miyamoto made it work, and it worked well.
Each painting at the show displayed a continuity of watercolor
technique. None of the artists used one style of application in one
area and something different in another area. Each painting had
a consistency of approach. And clearly, the artist was in control.
These pieces felt clean and unencumbered.
Ted Nuttall, Mike Bailey, Helen Burton, and Patricia Allen
This photo that Kathy Salminen took and sent to me shows the
principals, Ted Nuttall, Mike Bailey, and Patricia Allen, who made
the presentation such a special event.
Finally, I realized that there was not a watercolor painting in the
show that needed something more. Each painting felt complete.
As I later looked through my work in my studio, I realized I
Thank you!
NATIONAL WATERCOLOR SOCIETY
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Winter 2011
Gerald Brommer
by RON MILLER
“I believe emotional content is the life force in painting. Without
it, painting is merely colored decoration.”
Gerald Frederick Brommer was born in Berkeley, California on
January 8, 1927. Raised in Berkeley, he began drawing in elementary school and in high school he quickly became known as the
kid who did the yearbook illustrations and designed the posters.
Brommer enrolled at Concordia College and made the move to
Seward, Nebraska in 1944. ln 1948 he returned to California with a
B.S. degree in education and a job offer from an elementary school
in the San Fernando Valley. Jerry says, “l began teaching geography,
art and everything else in elementary school, and enjoyed that
incredibly energizing experience for five years. Then I ‘graduated’
to high school, teaching both geography and art at Lutheran High
School in Los Angeles. It was here, working in rooms full of eager
drawing and painting teenagers, that I felt the exhilaration of the
teaching / learning process.” His work at Lutheran High was
defined by his excellence as a teacher and the devotion of his
students. As art department chairman he expanded department
size and wrote several curricula for teaching high school art. In
1961 Brommer completed a mural for the school entryway. In
560 exhibitions. He has painted on five continents and has a
current output far exceeding 6,000 artworks. Jerry gained signature
membership in the California Water Color Society (now NWS)
in 1962 and quickly moved into the Society’s group of influential
members. He became Treasurer in 1963, Vice-President in 1965
and 1966, and President in 1967 and 1981. His artwork has been
included in a massive 34 exhibitions and travel shows, and he has
received numerous awards topped by a purchase award in 1972.
Jerry also holds memberships in Watercolor USA Honor Society,
National Art Education Association, National Art Club, Philadelphia Watercolor Club, and the Rocky Mountain National
Watermedia Society.
1976 he retired from Lutheran High and began teaching national
and international workshops the same year.
By 1960 Jerry had received his M.A. in geography from the
University of Nebraska, and to broaden his art background
enrolled in evening, Saturday and summer classes at UCLA, USC,
Chouinard and Otis Art Institutes.
Originally an oil painter, Brommer remembers the day he switched
to watercolor. “In the 1950s I went up to the Carmel area with a
group to play golf. One day it rained so hard that we couldn’t play
golf so we got in the car and started driving around. In Carmel
Valley there was a little gallery, and in the window was a Donald
Teague painting. I can still see that painting, it was that impressive. It was the deck of a ship with guys working with ropes and
stuff going on all around. It was absolutely stupendous. I stood in
the rain for 15 minutes looking at that painting and got absolutely
drenched. I didn’t even notice it was still raining—I was so into
that painting. I looked at that thing and I said, “That’s what I want
to do,” and I switched to watercolors. That painting absolutely
turned my life around. I think sometimes that all you need is that
one place in your life, that one moment that changes your life.”
He began writing in 1968 as an extension of his teaching. With
subjects as varied as wire sculpture, drawing, painting, watercolor,
collage, printmaking, art history, design, content, movement
and careers, Jerry has watched as his output has grown to cover
twenty-four titles.
Educator, author, and water media master Gerald Brommer has
been blessed with a life entwined with his two greatest loves, that
of his wife Georgia whom he met while still a student at Concordia,
and plein air painting.
“Once I get started painting on location I just revel in it—it’s my
favorite thing to do. Reacting to the environment is what really
gets me excited and turned on to painting. I think painting on
location is the greatest thing in the world.”
Brommer began to exhibit locally and held his first one-man
exhibition in 1957. That first exhibition has evolved into a regimen
that includes a minimum of three solo and numerous group and
invitational exhibitions annually. To date that count is well over
NATIONAL WATERCOLOR SOCIETY
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Winter 2011
Frank Eber, NWS won Best of Show at the 22nd Annual
Torrance Art Guild Exhibit on Sunday, September 25 at the
Toyota Automotive Museum in Torrance, CA. His watercolor
painting, Near 7th St., LA was chosen from over 200 paintings
and photographs. Three works were featured in the Higbee
International 6x6 Annual Show and Frank won 2nd Place for his
painting, Solitude.
Rose Edin, NWS won First Place in the Animal Wildlife division
of the 28th Annual Competition of The Artist magazine. The
painting, Beauty and the Beast, is now in the national traveling
exhibit of the American Watercolor. The book Color Harmonies:
Paint Watercolors Filled with Light (North Light Publishing, 2011)
by Rose Edin and Dee Jepsen has recently been released. She
was also the recipient of the High Winds medal and award at the
American Watercolor Society 20ll. She was featured in an article,
“Color Harmony”, in Watercolor Artist magazine.
Our Kudos guidelines have been updated.
Please read the new Submissions points in the Newsletter Guidelines
box in blue on the next page. Emails not titled “NWS Newsletter”
will be automatically filtered into the spam mailbox. Be sure to
indicated your membership status.
Devorah Friedman won an Honorable Mention award for Alistair
at the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society’s 32 Annual Juried Show.
Frances Ashley Hall’s painting, Blue Pitcher With Lemons, was
included in Splash 12: Celebrating Artistic Vision (North Light
Publishing, 2011). This is the third time she has been featured in
the Splash series.
Gloria Miller Allen was presented with the Excellence in Achievement Award in an annual invitational titled In the Footsteps of
Thomas Moran in Zion National Park. She was also part of a twowoman show at the Juniper Sky Gallery near St. George, Utah.
Lynne Kroll, NWS received the Keith Crown Cash Memorial
Award at the Watercolor USA 50th Exhibition held at Springfield
Art Museum in Springfield, Missouri. She was awarded signature
membership to Watercolor Honor Society and Rocky Mountain
Watercolor Society. Her work has been installed in the permanent
collections of the Ontological Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, and
Coral Springs Museum of Art in Coral Springs Florida. Finally,
Lynne is will be listed in Who’s Who in American Art in 2012.
Robin Berry’s second book,Watercolor Secrets (Reader’s Digest /
Quarto in UK), was released December 10 in the US. The UK
version is titled Compendium of Watercolour Techniques. Her first
book, How to Paint Watercolor Flowers, has now been published in
the UK as Painting Watercolour Flowers from Photographs, and in
French as Aquarelle Peindre les Fleurs d’après Photos.
Carol Z. Brody, NWS was awarded Third Place in the Louisiana
Watercolor Society’s Juried Exhibition in May. Carol’s work has
been selected for publication in Journeys to Abstraction by Sue
St. John, (North Light Publishers, 2012), and in Best of America—
Watercolor (Kennedy Publishers, 2012). Carol was also invited
to write an article “Mix and Match”, for the Creativity Workshop
column for Watercolor Artist Magazine for February 2012.
Chuck McPherson, NWS, SDWS was awarded First Place for
his watercolor, Cantos Cove, New England, in the Escondido Arts
Partnership’s annual juried open exhibition, Summation 2011. His
scribed artwork on metal, Sgraffito Diamonds, won Third Place
in the 3D division of the Fallbrook Art Association’s 2011 Open
Juried Exhibition.
Rita Montrosse won Best in Show for her watercolor, Whimsical
Connection, in the West Virginia Watercolor Society Signature
Member Exhibition, held at The Ice House Gallery in Berkley
Springs, West Virginia. She also won the Dr. and Mrs. Maynard
Stetten Purchase Award for Mystic Intersection in the Kentucky
Watercolor Society Aqueous USA 2011 exhibition held at The
Gallery at Actors Theatre in Louisville. Kentucky.
Jim Brower, NWS was the first recipient of the Ohio Watercolor
Society Jim Brower Lifetime Achievement Award at the Ohio
Watercolor Society 34th Annual Exhibition at the Zanesville
(Ohio) Museum of Art in October. The award will be given
annually to a member of the Ohio Watercolor Society.
Gigi Burboeck won the Nummie Warga Memorial Award at the
69th Annual Open Exhibition 2011 of The New Jersey Watercolor
Society at the Monmouth Museum, and First Place in Abstracts at
the Tewksbury Historical Society in New Jersey in October, 2011.
R. Mike Nichols received the Ann Pierce Award for his painting
Aloe Again at the Butte County Watercolor Society’s National
Water Media Exhibition. A solo exhibition of paintings, 24, will
NATIONAL WATERCOLOR SOCIETY
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Winter 2011
be showing at The Jon
Michael Salon across
from Riverside’s
Mission Inn through
January 15, 2012.
NEWSLETTER Guidelines
We are so proud that our members achieve so many
accolades and therefore we are limited to what can be
included in the newsletter.
The painting Snowbound
by Kris Parins was
selected for the cover of
Watercolor Artist (December 2011) and was purchased for the Jack Richeson collection.
She authored a Creativity Workshop article, “Fresh Take”, in that
issue of the magazine. West Bend Mutual Insurance has purchased
two of her paintings for their permanent collection; one was a
commission depicting downtown West Bend, Wisconsin. She
earned Signature Status in the Florida Watercolor Society in 2011
We print:
• Awards (only from National or International exhibits
open to all artists. No “members only” shows. Indicate
the award[s] you received.)
• Recent publications that include your work
• Special honors (i.e., Signature membership to national
art groups; serving as Juror; having work added to
permanent collections, etc.)
• Inclusion in invitational, solo or two-artist exhibitions
We do not print:
• Your workshops or websites
• Your inclusion into exhibits (unless you get an award
and it is in an exhibit open nationally to all artists)
• Items over 6 months old
Kris Preslan, NWS was given the Roger Armstrong Memorial cash
award for her painting The Woodie. She won the first place award
at the Northwest Watercolor Society’s Annual Members Exhibition
on October 27th for her transparent watercolor painting The Perch.
Submitted material will be edited if it does not conform
to the above criteria OR in order to fit space available.
Kathryn Rileigh was given Signature membership at the National
Collage Society when her painting Ledger #57 was accepted in the
2011 annual show of the National Collage Society.
REQUIREMENTS:
• Indicate your member status (Signature or Associate)
• Kudos: Format your submission in the 3rd person,
using the Kudos section in this newsletter as a guide.
Please be specific about titles and dates.
• Articles: Articles will be reviewed for content and
relevancy. NWS reserves the right to accept or reject
your article, and to edit its contents to fit.
• In Memoriam: NWS will publish 1 submitted photo,
space permitting.
• Call for Entries: Your submission dates must fall within
the month after our submission deadlines below.
• We appreciate the effort of a personal email of your
achievements instead of your monthly newsletter.
Monthly newsletters unfortunately end up in our
spam mailbox!
Marie Shell, NWS has 2 watercolor abstracts included in Best of
Worldwide Abstracts & Still Life (Kennedy Publishers). One of her
abstracts is on the cover. This is Marie’s 8th appearance in a book.
Douglas Stenhouse, MTWS, NMWS, KWS exhibited 7 of his
well-known plein-air paintings at Leslie Spetz Custom Picture
Framing & Gallery in Louisville, Kentucky in November.
Jean Uhl Spicer, NWS served as juror of awards for the Art League
of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and for the North East
Watercolor Society in Kent, Connecticut.
deadlines:
Spring: March 15; Summer: June 15;
Fall: September 15; Winter: December 1.
Robert Sussna’s painting, 40 North Main, has been awarded the
Mildred Sands Kratz prize for Excellence in Realism by the
Pennsylvania Watercolor Society.
Online | [email protected]
(Indicate “NWS Newsletter” in subject line
or you will be accidentally deleted as spam!)
Brenda Swenson’s painting, Going Nowhere, won an award in the
Watercolor West Annual Exhibition. She was a featured artist in
Watercolor Artist magazine (October 2011).
Mail-in | NWS Newsletter Editor, 915 South Pacific Avenue,
San Pedro CA 90731-3201
Lee Weiss, NWS has had Dream Stream accepted into the
permanent collection of the Museum of Wisconsin Art in West
Bend, Wisconsin. A retrospective of her work will be held until
December 23, 2011 at the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts
& Letters, in Madison, Wisconsin in recognition of her 2011
Visual Lifetime Achievement Award. She had a solo show at
Capital Lakes Galleries in Madison. Lee was juror of awards for
the Florida Artist’s Group in Maitland, Florida.
NATIONAL WATERCOLOR SOCIETY
10
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Winter 2011
2011 ANNUAL EXHIBITION | 2012 Traveling Exhibit Schedule
Shanghai Construction, John Salminen
May 17—June 17
Grapevine Art Project Gallery
One Liberty Park Plaza, Grapevine TX 76051
http://www.grapevineartproject.org
July 2—August 4
Community Fine Arts Center
400 C Street, Rock Springs WY 82901
http://www.cfac4art.com
August 17—September 28
Bloomington Art Center
1800 West Old Shakopee Road, Bloomington MN 55431
http://www.bloomingtonartcenter.com
February 5—March 18
Fallbrook Art Center
103 South Main Street, Fallbrook CA 92028
http://www.fallbrookartcenter.org
October 12—December 7
Zanesville Museum of Art
620 Military Road, OH 43701
http://www.zanesvilleart.org
April 1—May 3
Kerr Arts and Cultural Center
228 Earl Garrett Street, Kerrville TX 78028
http://www.kacckerrville.com
If you are a North American non-profit gallery owner and are
interested in hosting the NWS Annual Exhibition, contact 2nd VicePresident (Traveling Exhibit) Frank Eber ([email protected]).
SPOTLIGHT ON NWS
OPEN POSITIONS ON THE BOARD
or a payment was received, or a membership updated, or, worse,
a member dropped out, someone had to log on to the computer,
call up the info and make the changes. You may not believe this,
but there were nearly 8,000 names on that list of data!!!
We are currently looking to fill the positions of Newsletter Editor,
and Fundraising Director. If you’re interested, please contact
Mike Bailey ([email protected]) or Caroline Van Winkle
([email protected]).
This last year, we added a new database, which is based on the
world wide web. The database is called “Wild Apricot.” That
means NWS doesn’t have to be concerned about one of our
computers losing the info or it being attacked by virus. The great
thing about Wild Apricot is that it will allow the members themselves to update their own data from the NWS website!
NWS ON FACEBOOK
Keep in touch with NWS through our Facebook
page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/NationalWatercolor-Society/103749586355056) with timely
updates and discussion topics. Get immediate
updates on events and immediately respond.
Further, it will allow NWS to email the entire list, a part of the
list or subsets of that same group of names. The features of Wild
Apricot are designed around keeping
a society, like ours, up to date and
providing the necessary communications to keep us healthy. It is a perfect
fit for NWS!
WHAT’S A “WILD APRICOT”?
For years, our membership roles were kept by hand, which wasn’t
an easy task. Then, as computers and database software became
affordable, NWS kept the roles electronically.
So, if you happen to see a reference to
Wild Apricot someplace, you know
exactly what it is. It isn’t just fruit.
It seemed to be easier. At least, we could access every member’s
info more easily with the use of the database. Administering the
database became a task large enough that it almost required a
full-time board position. Every time a member’s address changed,
NATIONAL WATERCOLOR SOCIETY
11
•
Winter 2011
FIRST PLACE: Decoding, Cora Mae Pipkin
Call for Entries
OPEN TO ALL WATER MEDIA ARTISTS
Bird Bath, Chica Brunsvold
NWS 2012 ALL-MEMBER JURIED Exhibition
Exhibit Dates: April 5 – May 3, 2012
Venue: NWS Gallery, San Pedro, California
Awards: $5,000 will be given in Cash awards.
Juror: Glenn Knowles
Eligibility: Open to all water media artists. If you are not a current member, your entry fee will include your membership for the
current year ending March 31, 2012. See the prospectus (download pdf at http://www.nationalwatercolorsociety.org/exhibits/
2012-All-Member-Show/index.html) for all rules and requirements.
Ladies At Tea
George James
Fees: $25/entry for members. Payment can be made by check or
online at the 2012 All-Member Juried Exhibition page (http://
www.nationalwatercolorsociety.org/exhibits/2012-All-MemberShow/index.html)
Stay in touch through Facebook, where we will announce
upcoming deadlines for the show.
(Images at left from the 2011 Show.)
Rainy Fest, Floy Zittin
I Think We Need To Talk, Susan Zavadil
NON-PROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
National watercolor society
915 South Pacific Avenue
San Pedro CA 90731-3201
310-831-1099
http://www.nationalwatercolorsociety.org
DATED
MATERIAL
PAID
LOS ANGELES, CA
PERMIT NO 31511