The California Watercolor Association presents a variety of member shows throughout the year, typically showcasing the work of talented local artists. But, undoubtedly the biggest show of the year is their annual National Exhibition, which has been running for more than five decades. “The National Exhibition is our once a year grand finale,” says show director Michael Friedland. The California Watercolor Association, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, has around 500 members, including local California artists as well as artists from across the country and the world. “We are proud of the fact that we get many of the best-known watercolor painters entering our National Exhibition as well as entries from across the U.S. and abroad. Entries from painters at that level are one of the things that make it special to us,” says Friedland.
Iris Lian, Down the River, watercolor, 12 x 16"
The 54th annual exhibition will feature a total of 85 paintings, chosen by juror of selection Carolyn Lord, out of a total of 387 entries. Among those 85 juried paintings, 20 were selected for special awards by Barbara Tapp, juror of awards. Friedland adds, “In my opinion, one of the most important things that I do in [regard to organizing the exhibition] is to select two jurors, a juror of selection and a juror of awards…It was those two women who really created this exhibition…I could not be more proud of having chosen Carolyn Lord and Barbara Tapp as the jurors this year and for the work that they did on this exhibition.”
Geoff Allen, Packing Up, watercolor, 14 x 18"
Among the award recipients for the 2024 exhibition are Antoaneta Georgieva, who received the Gold Award for her piece Remains of the Day; Geoff Allen, who received the Legion Paper, Blick Art Materials, Holbein, Mijello Co. Ltd. Award for Packing Up; and Jamie Morgan, who was given the Silver Award for his watercolor Colby Park Garden. Additional artists who were juried into the 2024 show include Iris Lian, Raffi Kondy, Bharati Kshirsagar, Irena Noreikaite Petraitiene, Lily Nan, Kate Peper and many more.
Raffi Kondy, Freedom Square Yerevan Armenia, watercolor, 11 x 15"
“I fell in love with this medium in my first year of art school,” says Friedland, who has painted with watercolors for 52 years. “To me, it’s the sparkling transparency of watercolor that is what makes it such a wonderful and compelling medium. There are things that we can do with watercolor that cannot be done with…opaque mediums. And so, in addition to being a delight to look at, watercolor is unique among painting mediums. When we look at a watercolor, we’re looking through the color to the white paper beneath. The light is then bounced back to our eyes—a unique quality of how we see watercolor paintings.”
Bharati Kshirsagar, Sunday Morning, watercolor, 14 x 11"
The California Watercolor Association’s 54th National Exhibition is currently available for viewing online at www.californiawatercolor.org/national. —
California Watercolor Association’s 54th National Exhibition
Ongoing
Online
www.californiawatercolor.org/national
www.californiawatercolor.org
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