Congratulations to the NFWS Members whose paintings have been selected to win awards in our Fall 2024 Members Transparent Watercolor Exhibition. Our judge Brienne Brown‘s judge’s statement and individual comments are shared below. The award winners can now be seen at the Kenan Center House Gallery, 433 Locust Street, Lockport, NY. The Exhibition can be viewed at the until November 24, 2023. It’s a stunning show, beautifully juried, and hung. Thank you to Martha Rogala, Janet Ide, and Barbara Billittier, our NFWS Exhibition Committee, and to the Kenan Center staff and Manning McCandlish, the NFWS Member who has been managing the hanging process for this show for years!
Again, congratulations to all artists who submitted their paintings. Keep painting!
Brienne Brown’s Statement: I had a wonderful time jurying and judging this show. There is a lot of wonderful work and choosing the awards was not an easy task. There are many strong paintings. When I judge, I try to look at how well the artist painted in their style, proficiency of using the medium, drawing skills, and the other fundamentals of art. I am especially looking for how thoughtful the artist was in designing their work.
First Place – Winter Light at Spicer Creek by Martha Rogala: This is a beautifully subtle painting that might be easily overlooked, but the subtle shifts in temperature and neutral colors is well done. It has a wonderful sense of light with a strong unity and rhythm in the design. It takes restraint to create such a subtle painting and it resonated with me.
Second Place – Weathered Wheel by Shelley Prior: This painting is masterfully painted and has a very strong, interesting design. I love the textures and the soft background created by the artist, but what impressed me the most was the sensitivity of the artist in capturing the shadows and reflected light on the wheel.
Third Place – Shimmering Chartreuse by Kathy Armstrong: This is a strong piece that showcases the skill of the artist in creating form. But what I really loved about this painting was the thoughtful placement and design of the colors and shapes which creates a wonderful unity. The negative shapes become just as important as the collection of vases.
Honorable Mention– Kinetic Essence by Karen Harris: This is a wonderfully dynamic abstract painting. The artist uses line, shape, texture, and color very well in providing interesting paths for the viewer to peruse. The large, quiet gray shape on the top of the painting is a wonderful contrast to the energy below. This painting is well designed.
Honorable Mention– Peeking by Brenda Cretney: I walked by this painting several times and it kept calling to me. It is more than a wonderful animal painting. There is an added depth to this painting that can be seen from a distance. I kept having to get close to see how the artist achieved this. Very well painted!
Board of Directors Award – Swimming with Hala by Danielle Cadorette-Acehan: The perspective of the stairs and the sparkle in the water is fantastic in this painting! It is an unexpected view, and the composition is very dynamic. Just a joyful painting.
Margaret M. Martin Award (No more wishy-washy watercolors, vibrancy) – Tethered by E. Jane Stoddard: I am sorry I didn’t know Margaret Martin’s work or book, but I love the title. This watercolor painting is anything but wishy-washy to me. I realize that the only vibrant color may be the orange buoy and the blue of the water, but this is a strong painting because of the contrast in value, color, and texture. The design is focused and to the point. I love the unexpected and adding the only warm color towards the edge of the picture plane is a risky move. But it works great!
Judge’s Choice – Slipping Under the Sea by Robert Bemisderfer: This is a beautiful and fresh watercolor painting. The many directional shapes move the eye through the painting; the strong dark triangle of water, the wind-blown tree, the active clouds, and the land shapes. These elements are well composed and make this a wonderful painting to experience.
Judge’s Choice – Take a Look by David Gardner: Not only are the figures well painted with a great sense of character, this painting has a strong design. The thoughtful placement of the shapes, colors, and textures is well executed. The negative spaces are just as important as the figures themselves. Nothing is out of place and every element in the painting is needed. Great painting
.Judge’s Choice – Third Floor View by Carol Case Siracuse: Harmony and unity are two words I would use to describe this painting. I love the restrained color palette used by this artist which creates a wonderful mood. Also, I commend the artist in drawing detail without adding all the details. Just enough of a suggestion.
Judge’s Choice – Castello, Venice by Sharon Cassidy Fundalinski: This was a fun painting to see in person. The strong abstract shapes of the water and rocks were interesting to study. I love the highly textured rocks contrasted with the untextured shapes of the spray and water.
Judge’s Choice – Red Chairs by Susan Murphy: This painting made me smile when I saw it online and I smiled more when I saw it in person. It is not a large painting, but it is very freshly painted. Some of the colors are direct, vibrant and bold (i.e. the red chairs and the yellow house). But the other colors are beautiful neutrals which help balance the saturated colors. The warm and cool color shifts in the snow are well painted and not at all overworked. This is a fun painting!
