There will be no reception for this, our Spring 2020 Members Exhibition for it is now going to be an ONLINE SHOW, a first for NFWS. The awards are being judged by our May Workshop Artist, Richard Stephens. We will post the SHOW here on our website on April 25th. The Awards will be posted on May 9th.
Stay home, stay safe and stay healthy, please.
We hope to be able to reschedule Richard Stephen’s Workshop, and Demonstration in the future.
Stay safe and healthy, please.
WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO RESCHEDULE THIS WORKSHOP IN THE FUTURE..
Go here to see the Award Winners selected by Richard Stephens.
Go here to see all 59 paintings that have been selected for this first ever NFWS Members Online Exhibition.
The First Ever Members Online Exhibition of Transparent Watercolor
Richard Stephens, our Spring Workshop Artist, selected 59 paintings from the 106 submitted by our NFWS Members. Notifications have been sent out. The ONLINE Show is now posted on the Website, and will be on our Facebook page on April 20th. Awards will be selected by our juror/judge Richard Stephens. They will be posted on May 5th. Congratulations to everyone who was selected.
It was a challenging task for Richard. His thoughtful selections have resulted in a stunning show of work by our talented NFWS community of artists. To see the show, click here.
After a short and informative members meeting, we will welcome our own NFWS Signature Member Carol Molnar, an Elma NY artist whose paintings and other media creations have long fascinated all who know her.
Artist’s Statement: “Watercolor is just one of several ways I find to get the art stuff out. I taught art for thirty one years (1st-12th grade) so I see myself as a “jack of all trades and a master of none”. It wasn’t until several years after retiring and joining NFWS that watercolors were given some extra space next to: sewing, gardening, painted wood creations, batik, stained glass and jewelry design.
I am not by any sense of the word a “disciplined” painter. Weeks or even months will go by before picking up a brush. The paintings are always worked on in my head long before being placed on paper. Then the need to paint takes over and I will disappear into my workroom.
A future painting presents itself at any given time. I am so thankful for camera phones to preserve the memory of that perfect composition. Sometimes … well actually pretty often, I will view a scene and see it as if it was already a finished painting. Objects from nature appear to be the work of assorted artists: a Burchfield tree, a Georgia O’Keeffe sky, a Picasso rock, (I have one in my garden), a composition by Adolph Gottlieb, and then the sun will quietly and perfectly cover a house for a painting by Edward Hopper. I’m sure this happens because of all those years of teaching art history, the principles of design and the elements of art.”
Everyone, member, not yet member and watercolor lover alike, is welcome to join us. We are a group that shares enthusiasm for watercolor and watermedia, welcomes friendship old and new, and enjoys good snacks!!!
After a short and informative members meeting, we will welcome Mick McAndrews, an award winning, nationally exhibited watercolor artist from Downington, PA.
Mick’s award winning paintings strive to capture the mood and atmosphere of a subject, combining the magic of watercolor with reverence for the principles of design to create works of sophisticated simplicity. He is a signature member of the Philadelphia Watercolor Society (Crest Award), the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society (Sylvan Grouse Guild) and the Baltimore Watercolor Society. He is also an Artist Member of the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association.
Mick’s Demonstration: During this watercolor demonstration Mick will focus on working with plenty of water and pigment to exploit the wonder and intrinsic beauty of the medium. He offers – ” I will avoid the pitfalls of noodling with fussy details and instead focus on the importance of good design including interesting shapes, value contrast and variety of edges. With this knowledge we will explore and experience the “magic” that makes watercolor so distinctive.”
Artist’s Statement
I am a passionate painter who believes that time spent painting is precious. My goal is to draw and paint every day and I believe that the fastest way to artistic growth is through the activity of painting. I enjoy painting outside to take advantage of surroundings, natural light, and the sights and sounds that influence each painter’s creative nature. Outside in nature’s studio is where I find the greatest challenge and the greatest reward. I am challenged to capture the moment because light and its effect, reflection and cast shadow changes continuously. I am forced to simplify, to reduce the overwhelming complexity of what’s in front of me into only the most important shapes and values. My nature is to be spontaneous so working loose and impressionistically appeals to me. The magic of watercolor is found in the partnership between artist and medium, of finding a balance between the knowledge, technique and skill of the painter while leaving room for the magic that makes watercolor so distinctive.
Recent Artistic Accomplishments:
Everyone, member, not yet member and watercolor lover alike, is welcome to join us. We are a group that shares enthusiasm for watercolor and watermedia, welcomes friendship old and new, and enjoys good snacks!!!
The Awards Ceremony and Reception for our International Exhibition will be held at the Kenan Center House Gallery on Sunday October 27, from 2 – 5 pm. Our juror and judge is Iain Stewart.
These two paintings that have been chosen the postcard and the catalog are “Beckoning Ribbons” by NFWS Signature Member Sheila Reigh, and “Cortez Docks” by NFWS Signature Member Mike Killelea. Congratulations to Sheila, Mike and all of the NFWS Members whose paintings have been selected for the Exhibition!!!
NFWS 14th International Exhibition opens October 20th and runs until November 17th, 2019 at the Kenan Center House Gallery in Lockport, NY. The prospectus is available to review, download and print here and on the Call for Work page. . Our Workshop Artist, Iain Stewart is the juror and the judge for awards. Stewart selected 50 paintings from 136 entries from 76 artists. The Awards Ceremony and Reception is Sunday, October 27, 2019, 2 – 5 pm.
International Exhibition Prospectus Fall 2019 corrected 7.10.19
This is one of Iain Stewart’s idyllic transparent watercolor landscapes!
OUR FALL WORKSHOP WILL FEATURE INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED WATERCOLOR PAINTER AND TEACHER IAIN STEWART
The Watercolor Workshop will be held at the Kenan Center, 433 Locust Street, Lockport, NY October 15 – 18, 2019, 9:30 am – 4:00 pm.
Workshop Brochure with Registration Form is available for download here.
Iain Stewart Workshop brochure
Iain Stewart is a watercolor artist / illustrator and a signature member of both the American and National Watercolor Societies. His work has received numerous awards in international competition and he is a sought after juror and workshop instructor. He is also an architectural illustrator with an international clientele- a business he has run for the last 20 years. Iain maintains a studio in Opelika, Alabama.
Artist’s Statement
I rely on instinct a great deal and my sketchbook when selecting subjects for my paintings. The lion’s share of my work is done in one sitting as my real struggle in painting is to capture the initial vision for any given piece. I am most often motivated by capturing a definitive lighting condition and how it influences shape and value rather than faithfully representing the subject as witnessed. Watercolor is uniquely suited for this task as “light” is reserved from the first brush strokes and must be protected throughout the painting process .
The underlying narrative in my work is not based on any theme in particular but quite simply how “place” is inhabited and used daily.
I often use remembered atmospheric and lighting conditions in my work and would say that I paint from life and memory simultaneously. My watercolors are not only a translation of what I see, but more importantly, an expression of how I choose to view the world.
Web Site: http://iainstew.fineartstudioonline.com
