Philadelphia Water Color Society HALF SHEET Newsletter - Winter 2020

Winter 2020

Radhika Srinivas, President

Madeleine Kelly, Editor Dear Members, Artists and Friends…

We are keeping track of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and are committed to safeguarding the wellbeing of our members, artists, Board members and volunteers. We will continue to evaluate conditions and apply best practices for the benefit and safety of everyone. You will be notified by email of any developments and changes to our events. PLEASE STAY SAFE!

Dear Members, As we approach the Holidays during this unprecedented time, I sometimes to wonder how we got through this year with a successful online close to our 120th International Show of Works on Paper which went online for the first time. Al Richards, our International Chairperson and Nishita Jain, our Webmaster worked tirelessly to make sure that all the activities of the show went seamlessly.

Accepted artists will be seeing their beautiful work published in the online catalog designed by Madeleine Kelly, our second Vice President. Partnering with Issuu’s digital platform allows for a downloadable pdf and a page turning experience. https://pwcs.wildapricot.org/120th-Works-on-PaperCatalog Using Zoom, with a record number of attendees, we held the online Awards Reception. After the reception Karen Delaney presented a very informative Gallery Talk. Our Membership Chair, Judith Hummer welcomed eight new Signature Members. Congratulations to all the accepted artists, award winners and the new Signature Members.

Our sold out online workshop with Stephen Quiller was a great success. And his online demo was well attended. He was an exceptional teacher and held the workshop participants captive with various watermedia studies and his unique approach to Color Theory. Stephen was gracious enough to record a video, talking about each award-winning painting that he judged for this Show which can be viewed

here. ttps://pwcs.wildapricot.org/120-Internation-Show-JurorsStatements

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Our Plein air Director, George Gallatig, organized an online demo with renowned painter Mick McAndrews who talked about the virtues of painting on location and also showed us his lightweight equipment perfect for travel. Another wonderful painter, Tom Bucci, offered an online demo and talked about the virtues of maintaining a sketchbook. Goals for the future will be more online demos next year starting with one by our past President, Deena Ball on January 9th.

The Board is gearing up to offer exciting activities for the coming year. Starting off in February with a Board Show to honor our hardworking Board members at the Square Pear Gallery in March 2021.

Start painting! Our 2021 members’ show prospectus is now on the website. https://pwcs.wildapricot.org/2021-member-show Open for entry starting January 15th. In May, awards will be judged by Carol Carter who is known for her colorful fluid watercolors. She will also be giving an online demo on May 6th.

On April 7th we will be going to offer an online Spring workshop with Aline Ordman.

Follow us on Social Media and check our website regularly for all the upcoming events in 2021. Reminders have already gone out for your renewal. We are actively looking for new members to join our Board in various capacities. Please reach out to us and consider volunteering with the PWCS. Here is wishing you all a very Happy and Safe Holiday Season!

Radhika - President, Philadelphia Water Color Society

The next members news deadline is March 15, 2021 1

We are keeping track of the Corona Virus (COVID-19) and are committed to safeguarding the wellbeing of our members, artists, Board members and volunteers.

We will continue to evaluate conditions and apply best practices for the benefit and safety of everyone.

*2021 Upcoming Events Deena Ball ZOOM DEMO January 9th 10am-12noon EST https://pwcs.wildapricot.org/event-4054832

Online Member’s Exhibition April 1, 2021 – June 30, 2021 https://pwcs.wildapricot.org/2021-member-show Carol Carter ( Juror ) and ZOOM DEMO Tuesday May 6 @ 7 pm EST 2021 Board Members Show at Square Pear Gallery March 1st—29, 2021 Kennett Square, PA https://www.squarepeargallery.com/ Aline Ordman ZOOM WORKSHOP (very limited space) April 7th-9th, 2021 PWCS 121th International Works on Paper Anniversary Show Community Arts Center, Wallingford, PA October 21 - November 24, 2021 Mary Whyte, Judge of Awards Mary Whyte Workshop: October 21- 22, 2021

*2022 Upcoming Events PWCS 122th International Works on Paper Anniversary Show Chester County Art Association, West Chester, PA Laurie Goldstein Warren, judge of awards Laurie Goldstein Warren Workshop

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Online Members Exhibition April 1, 2021 – June 30, 2021 Entries may be submitted any time from January 15, 2021 through February 28, 2021, and all entries must be received by the end of the day (11:59pm EST) on Sunday, February 28, 2021 to be considered for the Show.

Total awards: $1,750 - including 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, 5 awards of merit, and 5 honorable mentions.

Top prize is $500 for 1st place.

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Carol Carter, Juror of Awards for the 2021 online Members Show Carol Carter is an internationally recognized artist whose career has spanned more than 35 years. Carol has taught workshops for over 30 years, as well as at the university level. Her paintings have been in many national and international exhibitions, both juried and invitational. She has been featured in global publications including, International Arts Magazine, Art of Watercolour, Watercolor Artist, and L’Aquarelle Magazine. In 2012 she was an AIRE fellow for the Everglades National Park. She is part of the Art in Embassies program currently in the American Embassy in Montenegro.

In 2019 she was also honored with Master Signature Member status, American Women Artists and Master Signature Member status, Heartland Art Club. She recently exhibited in “Making Their Mark: American Women Artists” at the Booth Western Art Museum. She is the recent recipient of 2020 Snehil Lifetime Achievement Award, Snehilsrijan, India. She has exhibited her work in Europe, China, Hong Kong, USVI, Morocco and throughout the United States. She has lead many symposiums on how to make a living as an artist and marketing art as a career. She has frequently served as a juror in art exhibitions both on the national and on international levels. She is on the advisory board of the American Watercolor Weekly. For more information : https://www.carol-carter.com/ 3

Active PWCS members may submit 1-2 entries.

Entry fee is $15 per artist.

Membership dues must be paid in full through 2021.

All images that meet the criteria for submission will be accepted and posted online.

Water media, drawings, hand pulled prints, and pastels are acceptable. Collage elements must be of paper, and any image or color on collage papers must be the work of the artist. No oils, photographic, digital, electronic processes or computer art will be accepted. No work previously exhibited in any PWCS exhibition will be accepted.

Carol Carter will also do a demo online. Cost is $15 for members, $20 for non-members, with a $4 discount for members who enter the 2021 Online Members Show.

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October 31 - Prospectus available online January 15 - Open for entries February 28 -Deadline for entry March 28 - Notification of awards April 1 Online exhibition begins, images posted on PWCS website May 6Online demo by Carol Carter June 30 Online exhibition ends

TO REGISTER :

https://pwcs.wildapricot.org/event How can one push the limits of watercolor in new ways and with new materials. Deena S. Ball ’s studio work has been centering around the idea of creating different unique surfaces to paint on. This demo will explore creating a textured ground and then painting it with layers of watercolor, watercolor crayon and watercolor pencil. Learn to creatively use Daniel Smith’s gold and pearlescent watercolor grounds along with transparent, opaque and Prima Tek colors to create glowing watercolor paintings.

DEENA BALL Throughout her thirty plus years of teaching experience, the theme of the demo is the message that she strives to impart to all of her students.

Through her own work with experimental watercolors she presents the viewer with the beauty and fragility of our natural landscape. In her paintings, she is constantly testing new materials and techniques, incorporating textural elements such as gesso, and trying different types of paper. In the classroom whether working with paint, clay, or recycled materials she encourages students to engage in outside-the-box thinking and reimagine how their materials might be used to create art. She has experience teaching the full range of art mediums, including printmaking and graphic design, but she is most at home teaching drawing and painting.

She enjoys teaching a wide range of ages, from toddlers to adults, and she has experience working with specialized populations including adults suffering from traumatic brain injuries, students with autism spectrum disorder, and disadvantaged youth. Students depart her classes and workshops with not just a pretty object in hand, but a greater appreciation of the visual subtleties in their environment and confidence in themselves as creative individuals.

Deena is a former PWCS President. For more information : www.deenasball.com 4

ZOOM is a communications technology that has helped to make the world’s current “quarantine” a little more social. PWCS has recently purchased several licenses so that we can continue to offer our events and programs without cancellation. Nishita Jain, our Board Member webmaster and technology expert, has created a link https://pwcs.wildapricot.org/ Zoom/ where you can find more information about installing and using this technology. If you have not used ZOOM previously, please take a few moments and investigate this technology for your computer, phone or tablet.

The Joy of Watching Mick McAndrews!

On August 25, 2020, PWCS hosted a virtual painting demonstration by Mick McAndrews, which garnered much appreciation from the artists who attended the event.

During his demo, Mick, who is a signature member of the Philadelphia Water Color Society (Crest Award), the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society (Sylvan Grouse Guild) and the Baltimore Watercolor Society, shared numerous tips with attendees on how to be an effective Plein air artist.

The demonstration was originally planned to be broadcast live from the Bondsville Mill Park near Downingtown, PA. Unfortunately, the weather conditions played spoil sport on the day of the demo. We are grateful to Mick for agreeing to host the session from his studio while still keeping the focus on the Plein air painting experience.

Mick started the session by giving an overview of his Plein air equipment. He reinforced the importance of being able to get started quickly when painting outside by assembling his easel and setting up the painting supplies in under 4 minutes, while still taking the time to pause and list each item as he pulled it out from his backpack. His use of Velcro to keep the mixing palette in place, as well as the decision to always leave the collapsible water container fixed in its slot on the tray, both were excellent examples of how much he has optimized his setup to make the most of his Plein air painting time.

Next came Mick’s insights into how to compose a Plein air sketch. He shared how he consistently tries to quickly identify areas of interesting contrasts while making decisions on what to include in a given composition; in terms of light and dark values, rough and smooth textures, as well as soft and hard edges. He then showed us a number of value studies and sketches done on location to clarify this process.

After this, Mick painted two paintings using the reference photos and his onsite studies. The first painting captured a sunlit view of the mill worker’s house, while the second one focused on the play of light and shadows on some row houses that look over the historic property. He shared, more than anything else, how he had been drawn to the interesting shapes in both the compositions.

Mick then demonstrated how painting outside in an impressionistic manner with watercolors is all about using loose brushstrokes, loading the brush with plenty of pigment and getting the darkest values in the first wash itself. He also highlighted the importance of being spontaneous and playing with texture to create the illusion of details while portraying a scene instead of being too literal.

It is never easy to replicate in words the joy of watching, as well as of learning from, an artist of Mick’s caliber. However, the wonderful feedback Mick received in the post-event survey responses amply captures the audience’s appreciation of his loose, impressionistic painting style as well as his effortless teaching abilities and techniques. Below are some words of commendation.

"Mick showed how loose watercolors can be, and worked from shape to shape, losing edges at times. This was wonderful! He worked swiftly, and confidently. I painted with watercolor for many years, but have been painting with oils for the last several years. The thought of plein air in watercolor seemed impossible, but I think I can try it now!"

“I loved the impressionistic method -- "you can do anything as long as it is still wet!"

“The incredible flexibility PWCS and Mick McAndrews showed in hosting this in the midst of a hurricane! Kudos to all of you who put this together. Mick is such a great teacher and artist I could watch him any time, any where, but living in the state of Washington, I can't easily do it in person, so I really appreciate the Zoom workshop. THANK YOU!!”

- Nishita Jain , Webmaster PWCS

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A little bit on the BRIGHT SIDE - Musings from a COVID artist What has happened? Like all of you, my brain is being forced to come up with ideas to replace my former routine of :

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attending art galleries for an exhibit dropping off my paintings going to meetings at the art center going to an artist’s demo going to a talk on an exhibit or….I could go on

The desk

Congratulations Philadelphia Water Color Society

But the activities listed above are now available to us because we cleverly put them online. However, we can still attend a Plein air event while social distancing outdoors with masks, which makes us feel relatively safe from the COVID-19 germs. As artists we are inspired to create unique ways of embellishing our new face gear into something fancy and fun like a painterly tee shirt. A lopsided COVID-19 contribution.

NEW Signature Members!

Margaret Annas Janet Belich Elizabeth Burin Richard Hoffman

I’m finding this time “holed up” at home is not so bad. I reorganized my studio, got rid of my oversized desk. I could never keep it level and papers were always sliding off the pull-outs. I ordered a desk online, had it delivered and after assembly found it is better suited to my needs, aiding my desire to rearrange a lot of STUFF. Now things I use frequently are near and in sight, including my reference books which provide me the inspiration for my creative expression. The room is also easier to clean. Actually, all these changes afford me time to develop new approaches to my art, and learn about new products, etc. Oh yeah, did I mention I have learned to bake my own bread and even found time to grout the patio table with broken pottery… don’t forget YOUTUBE as a great educational tool.

Chris Krupinski Dennis Millar Tim Saternow Lois Ward Wolford

Lena Thynell Created and Manages the PWCS Instagram account SEARCH philadelphiawatercolorsociety If you are an Instagram user, you can tag your photos with #philadelphiawatercolorsociety.

You may also add @philadelphiawatercolorsociety in your text below a photo.

If you use Instagram, make sure you “follow” us.

Though our lives have changed because of COVID-19 and because of COVID-19 I have improved my surroundings and made my life more comfortable. I see it as a little bit on the bright side. With all this happening, I think I had better improve my art!

-Jane McGovern, Archivist PWCS

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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! PWCS is looking for a few individuals to help our organization continue to thrive and grow.

We are now 90 percent virtual.

Board meetings are conducted online.

W E N E E D B OA R D M E M B E R S If you are interested in knowing more about these positions please contact us at : president@pwcsociety.org

PWCS has a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PhiladelphiaWaterColorSociety/

Please follow us on Facebook! If there is breaking news please contact Lena Thynell, Facebook manager, and she will review it and consider posting.

Advertisements will not be accepted. lthynell@comcast.net

Tom Bucci Sketchbook to Studio Demo With the onset of the pandemic, PWCS started introducing short demos via ZOOM by various artists and one such very interesting event that happened in September was Tom Bucci’s “Sketchbook to Studio” demo.

Tom explained the importance of using every opportunity to sketch and journal.

He showed us how he setup his sketchbook with a built in color card and a small pencil case which holds his essential tools. All of this creates a self-contained easy to carry sketchbook kit for travel anywhere.

He also explained how these small drawings allow him to make many of his deletion and composition decisions in his sketchbook prior to beginning his final painting. He chooses to do quick thumbnail sketches of the same subject with different compositions and explained how one could see and correct compositional mistakes immediately.

This was a very informative demo on how quick 15—20 minute sketches can be a great tool in creating better paintings Radhika Srinivas 7

What’s Happening … Members News Michael Bignell His painting “Seek Honey” was accepted into the Allied Artists of America 107th Exhibition. His painting “Charlie’s Catch” won Third Place in Water Media at the American Artists Professional Leagues , My Favorite Things show. In addition his painting “Joy in the Alps” was accepted in the Swiss Art Expo ArtBoxProjects/Zurich. Also, “Sassafras Relic II” was accepted into Baltimore Watercolor Society Show giving him Signature Membership. The show is at Delaplane Gallery, Frederick, MD and runs 10/3-11/1/20.

Radhika Srinivas “A Grey Day at the Philly Navy Yard” has been one of the 124 paintings selected to be published in the Splash 21, Best of Watercolor magazine. This painting has also been juried into the American Impressionist Society’s 21st Annual National Juried Exhibition, to be held at the Illume Gallery in St. George, Utah.

Annie Strack She won: Second Place in the Alaska Watercolor Society 46th National Juried Show for her painting “Portrait of Chris,” Founders Award in the Montana Watercolor Society 38th National Exhibit for her painting “Toes in the Water,” First Place in the Southern Colorado Watercolor Society Members Exhibit for her painting “Destiny Awaits.” Also her painting “Tug at my Heart” was juried into the Kentucky Watercolor Society 43rd National Aqueous Exhibit, earning her Signature Membership in KWS. She juried the Salem County Art League Show and the American Artists Professional League Members Show.

Karen Cohen Winners Circle Exhibit at Frame of Mine Gallery 545 8th St SE, Washington DC features Karen Cohen's watercolor “Daughters”. Show runs 11/13– 12/9.

Bradley Hendershot His work is included in the 2020 November Group Exhibition "What Do Artists Do In Quarantine?" on display at the Snow Goose Gallery, Bethlehem, PA. 11/8 -12/20. In addition, his Open Studio Exhibit @ Hoppenville House, 5455 Hoppenville Road, Green Lane, PA 18054 ran 11/28 - 29.

Denise Vitollo She is Workshop Coordinator for the PWCS and has been juried into some national and international shows recently.

The Connecticut Pastel Society awarded her the New Hampshire Pastel Society's Award for her painting “Coexistence” in their Renaissance in Pastel Show.

Gina Judy Associate Member and first-time exhibitor in this year's PWCS International, had watercolors juried into the following shows: 2020 State Watercolor Society National exhibits: Alaska, Kentucky, Montana, Red River (Minnesota), Rhode Island and West Virginia. Already a signature member of AKWS, she garnered three signatures in 2020; not only Kentucky and Montana, but in her home state, Ohio, after being accepted into the annual juried exhibit of the Ohio Watercolor Society. She also won one of the six Awards of Excellence in the Illinois Watercolor Society member exhibit, and an Honorable Mention in "Watercolors 2020", an online-exhibit sponsored by J. Mane Gallery.

The Philadelphia Pastel Society honored her with The Great Frameup Award for “Toward the Light” in their first annual show.

Bold Brush Painting Competition notified her that she was selected for the Jury's Fav 15% for the month of September for her painting “Umbria Laundry,” painted en Plein air in Italy.

The Degas Pastel Society of New Orleans accepted her painting “Trois Poissons” for their 18th Biennial National Exhibition which will be an in-person show for December and January. She is currently in the Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod Members Show and the Wayne Art Center Fall Members Show, both of which are online.

She exhibits frequently in Pittsburgh, PA as a board-member and juried-member of the Pittsburgh Watercolor Society and Pittsburgh Society of Artists.

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Color and Water Media Workshop with Stephen Quiller The Philadelphia Water Color Society held its much anticipated inaugural ZOOM workshop with internationally renowned painter Stephen Quiller. The event kicked off with a Demo on October 22, when Stephen created a painting in the casein

medium. He discussed the possibilities and advantages of working with casein during our well-attended Demo. The sold out Workshop began on October 23 for three very full days, ending on October 25. The first two days were devoted to watercolor, although participants could use any other water medium. Using very specific colors in an arranged palette, Stephen

demonstrated a number of paintings using his signature Quiller Wheel method. Students could either paint a similar subject to the one he used for his demo, or they could use their own reference material, employing different color harmonies for each painting. The resulting student paintings showed the subtle, varied grays for which Stephen is known. On Sunday, Quiller and the participants worked with acrylic paint. Mr. Quiller presented a wealth of

information, and he proved to be an enthusiastic, encouraging teacher who wanted students to enjoy the act of painting. He critiqued student work at the end of each day. The feedback from participants was

overwhelmingly positive. The first PWCS Zoom Workshop was a big success!

One more note; success was only possible because of the very adept management of our online technology by Nishita Jain. Thanks Nishita, great job! ~ Denise Vitollo

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PWCS is a non-Profit arts organization that through membership and individual support is able to offer workshops, demos and exhibitions which elevate the understanding and appreciation of Works on paper art and artists.

If you would like to donate to PWCS please click the link.

SQUARE PEAR 200 East State Street, Kennett Square, PA ANNUAL BOARD MEMBERS SHOW March 1st—29, 2020

B o a r d

Just a friendly reminder: Although you do not ship your painting to a virtual show, it is important to remember that upon registering your artwork for that show it is part of that exhibit for the show’s duration. You cannot again submit the same painting to an overlapping show. This falls under the “failure to deliver” clause in the Prospectus and prevents a conflict in potential sales.

M e m b e r s

a n d

D i r e c t o r s

Radhika Srinivas

President

president@pwcsociety.org

610-551-2228

Rick Kowalewski

1st Vice President

vp1@pwcsociety.org

301-275-1518

Madeleine Kelly

Treasurer

treasurer@pwcsociety.org

610-662-5626

Jane McGovern

Archivist Historian

historian@pwcsociety.org

610-565-6943

Jeanne Gunther

Corresponding Secretary

correspondingsec@pwcsociety.org

610-344-0260

Madeleine Kelly

News Editor, Catalog, 2nd VP

newsletter@pwcsociety.org , vp2@pwcsociety.org

610-662-5626

Lena Thynell

Social Media

socialmedia@pwcsociety.org

Nishita Jain

Web Manager Webmaster

webmaster@pwcsociety.org

Judith Hummer

Membership

membership@pwcsociety.org

908-872-9348

Barbara March

Recording Secretary

recordingsec@pwcsociety.org

609-923-1895

Denise Vitollo

Director of Workshops

Denise.Vitollo@pwcsociety.org

484-888-5150

George Gallatig

Plein Air Activities

pleinair@pwcsociety.org

610-216-2817

Al Richards

Director of International Exhibitions intlshow@pwcsociety.org

610-637-8223

Diane Keesee

Director of Events

events@pwcsociety.org

302-463-1743

Candace Zacher

Public Relations

public_relations@pwcsociety.org

610-287-2707

The Half/Sheet is published in the Fall, Winter, and Spring.

Please email relevant information to Madeleine Kelly at newsletter@pwcsociety.org. Next Newsletter close is 3/15/21 please put NEWSLETTER in the subject line. Submissions are accepted and/or edited at the discretion of the editor.

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