Tag Archives: Watercolor

Members February 16, 2023 Zoom Meeting and Demonstration by Tom Francesconi at 4 pm!

Following a brief Members Meeting we will have the pleasure of a demonstration by Illinois watercolor artist Tom Francesconi. This will be a Zoom event, held at  4 pm  on Thursday, February 16th. A Zoom link will be sent by email to all NFWS Members on the Monday before the Thursday evening Meeting. 

ARTIST’S STATEMENT 

My paintings are a visual statement of my love for life. Yet, it is not only the world around me with which I am put in touch, but also the world inside of me. As an artist, I have chosen to express myself through the language of paint. Stirred emotions are the essential beginnings of that language. It is my hope that my paintings will echo that emotional response and the viewer will share in my spirited statements. 

Tom Francesconi, aws, nws, twsa (master) 

Tom Francesconi studied watercolor at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. His paintings have been exhibited in many national exhibitions, which include the American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society and the 2015 Shenzhen, China International Biennial Exhibition. In 2020, Tom’s painting was selected for inclusion in the NWS: 100 Years Exhibition. He has earned signature membership in numerous watercolor societies, including the American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society, Watercolor West, Rocky Mountain National Watermedia and the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, of which he has been honored with ‘Master’ status. Tom has served as president of the Transparent Watercolor Society of America. Currently, Tom is the executive director of the Illinois Watercolor Society.His work has been published in eight books on American Watercolor. Tom has written articles for Watercolor Artist, Watercolor Magic and Watercolor magazines. 

Tom’s paintings have received many awards in regional and national exhibitions, including the 1st Place Award at the 2011 Watercolor West Exhibition, 3rd Place Awards at the 2019 Houston International Watermedia Exhibition and the 2019 Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibition. Tom received an Honorable Mention Award for his painting, “Unleashed”, published in The Best of Watercolor: Winners From the 22nd Annual Splash Competition, June 2021. Tom received the Gordon and Mildred Memorial Award at the 2023 Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors. 

Tom’s paintings are held in the corporate collections of Inland Real Estate Corporation, Oakbrook, IL, CNA Insurance Company, Chicago, IL, Paige Bus Enterprises, Chicago, IL and Morgan Stanley Financial Services Company, Chicago, IL and in many private collections throughout the United States. Along with his weekly classes in Chicago, Tom has conducted watercolor workshops throughout the United States, Canada, France, Italy and Croatia. 

www.tomfrancesconi.com 

 

 

The Prospectus for our NFWS Spring 2023 Open Watercolor Exhibition is available here and on the Call for Work page! The Submission Period runs through February 26, 2023.

Click here for the Prospectus:

Spring 2023 Open Watercolor Exhibition Prospectus 

Click here for the link to the  Call for Work page.

This Exhibition will be on view from May 3 – 26, 2023 at the Carnegie Art Center, 240 Goundry St., North Tonawanda, New York.

The Exhibition Juror and Judge of Awards is renowned artist and cherished teacher Mary Whyte, our NFWS Spring Workshop Artist. 

“In my studio I have a small plaque that reads, “The most beautiful things in life cannot be touched.” It was a gift from my friend Georgeanna, and a constant reminder of what it is we artists try to express. It is not the days we remember in our lives but the small moments.”   Mary Whyte, An Artist’s Way of Seeing

November 21st Members Meeting and Demonstration by Mick McAndrews

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: 

  • Winsor & Newton Award 2019 Wayne Plein Air
  • Honorable Mention 2019 Parrsboro International Plein Air
  • Accepted 2018 National Watercolor Society Member Exhibition
  • Feature Artist 2018 Door County Plein Air Competition
  • Judge of Awards 2018 Pennsylvania Watercolor Society Member Exhibition
  • Third Prize 2018 Bucks County Plein Air Competition
  • Canson Award 2018 Wayne Plein Air Competition
  • Best Use of Light Award 2018 Mountain Maryland Plein Air Competition
  • Third Prize 2018 Plein Air Brandywine Valley Competition
  • Demonstration artist and field painter for the 2017 Plein Air Convention & Expo
  • 17th National Exhibition of the American Society of Marine Artists
  • PWCS Plein Air Award and People’s Choice Award – 2017 On Location: Artists at Brandywine Plein Air Competition

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!!!

September Members Meeting and Demonstration by Drayton Jones

After a short and informative members meeting, we will welcome Drayton Jones, and award winning, nationally exhibited watercolor artist from Fayetteville, NY.

 Jones is an active member of the Cazenovia Watercolor Society, participates in local shows including St. David’s and The Dark Isle at Lorenzo and teaches various workshops. Recently he became a Signature member of Watercolor West, a nationally recognized Watercolor Society. He has studied under Nicora Gangi, a full time nationally exhibited,  award- winning painter/artist. Gangi says “Drayton Jones’ sensitive style of expression, through the medium of watercolor, poetically captures the drama of natural light on his subject matter, whether it be the soft rolling hills of central New York or the tranquil beauty of our surrounding lakes”. Jones also received acclaim by Syracuse Post writer, Katherine Rushworth, in her article, Sunday June 10th, 2007 declaring “one of the highlights in the show was discovering the work of Drayton Jones. His style is reminiscent of the great American watercolorist John Marin, but Jones is crisper and less abstract in his approach.” Ms. Rushworth called his work “fluid, bold” and “daring””.

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!!!

April Members Meeting and Demonstration by Bill Mancuso

NOTE: this meeting and demo is the 4th Thursday, April 25th!

After a short and informative members meeting, we will welcome Bill Mancuso, sketcher, watercolor painter, Plein air enthusiast who joins us from Ohio. Here is his “Bio of Sorts”.

Bill shares: I have drawn for as long as I can remember and since 1998 I’ve shared that interest with students at Ohio Northern University in the flatlands of Ada, OH where I live and work with my wife Melissa, an accomplished artist who also teaches at Northern, our two amazing daughters and a small herd of cats.  Before ONU I taught at Thiel College in Greenville, PA for nine years after a year of shuffling between several schools in WNY teaching as an adjunct professor.

I first came to painting as a kid with a local artist, Rose DiCarlo, who taught out of her home and who had us out on the street drawing and painting whenever she could.  Later I was extremely fortunate to be taken under wing by Don Grieger and John Hodgins who loved to paint outdoors and this was my real introduction to not just the process, but also thinking about the purpose of the work.   

My “official” training came afterwards and consists of an undergraduate degree from SUNY College of Brockport where I was fortunate enough to study painting and drawing with Robert Marx and ceramics with Bill Stewart. My graduate degree is in drawing and painting from the University of Buffalo where the wonderful Harvey Breverman taught. I have also had the opportunity to participate in workshops with Charles Movalli, Andy Evansen, Bill Vrscak, Vladislav Yeliseyev, Eric Michaels and Yuki Hall amongst others.

For myself, drawing and painting is about seeing interconnectedness. By attempting to see, by participating in the process of seeing, I try to be conscious and pay attention. Drawing and painting, for me, is a way to create a trail of my attention to the moment, of being here now. When I consider what Gandhi said when asked about his message, “my life is my message”, perhaps the trail one leaves in art and life is not only our message, but the ultimate form of art?

Everyone is welcome to join us. We are a group that shares enthusiasm for watercolor and watermedia, shares friendship and good snacks!!!

March 2019 Members Meeting and Demonstration by Nancy Lane

After a short and informative members meeting, we will welcome Nancy Lane, fine artist since 2007, who works in watercolor and other watermedia. She creates her paintings and illustrations in her studio in the Finger Lakes Region of Central New York, and is a member of the Rochester Art Club and the Genesee Valley Plein Air Painters. 

“I spent 30 years as an illustrator of more than 24 picture books, as well as book covers and magazine stories. Now I focus my time on my own paintings and commissioned work.

I also enjoy teaching art to individuals and groups, in my home as well as at Pat Rini Rohrer Gallery in Canandaigua, NY. I’ve learned how to explain the intuitive process of creating art so that my students can grow as artists.

When not in the studio, I’m an avid reader. I play piano and love hearing live music. I have two grown children that I’m overly proud of.  I enjoy hiking with my husband and our rescued dog in the woods surrounding our log home in  New York’s Finger Lakes region.” 

Everyone is welcome to join us for an entertaining evening of friendship, learning and inspiration.  See you in March!

 

 

May 2019 Members Meeting and Demonstration by Pat Dews

Twice a year, in May and October NFWS partners with the Burchfield Penney Art Center to host a demonstration by the NFWS Workshop Artist. Our Spring Workshop Artist is internationally renowned water media artist, Pat Dews.

Pat Dews, a graduate of The Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City is a signature member and Dolphin Fellow of the American Watercolor Society, the National Watercolor Society, National Collage Society and the New Jersey Water Color Society.

Dews creates experimental works in watermedia on paper and canvas.  She paints the abstract essence of nature.  The shapes and textures of flowers, rocks, water, crumbled walls, rusty objects are translated into richly layered paint surfaces. Collage is often integrated.  Dews skillfully juggles organic and geometric forms, transparent and opaque paint – all held together by a basic abstract underlying shape.  It is this intricate dance, rendered in strong color and value which produces her award-winning paintings.

 

Come to the BPAC early, check our the exhibitions, and the gallery shop. All are welcome!