California Watercolor 54th National Exhibition online now

 

Here is the link to over 100 wonderful watercolors 

https://www.californiawatercolor.org/national/

California Watercolor Association 53rd National Exhibition

 The exhibition will open tomorrow at the Harrington Gallery in Pleasanton at 4444 Railroad Avenue. The exhibition will run from January 7 to March 18.

Painted Mountain 18 x 24 watercolor on paper   

 https://www.californiawatercolor.org/national/

Painted Mountain accepted to 53rd CWA National

 Painted Mountain 18 x 24 

Congratulations!

"Painted Mountain" has been accepted into the 53rd Annual National Exhibition of the California Watercolor Association.

Gary Tucker has selected 85 paintings to be exhibited at the Harrington Gallery in Pleasanton. There were many fine paintings submitted, and he told us how difficult his decisions were to select 85 from the 370 submissions that we received.

Winsor Newton Award at California Watercolor Association 49th National Exhibition for "Seven Layers of Spring"

Seven Layers of Spring 15 x 21

Thank you to Iain Stewart and Karen Frey for selecting and awarding one of my favorite paintings of Mount Diablo in all it's exuberant spring intensity.

This is my tenth time exhibiting in this National since 2004 when, with beginners luck I entered for the first time and was awarded the Jade Fon Award by Charles Reid. This gave me a major boost in commitment to painting time as validation I needed at the time.  This is the fourth time I have gotten an Award in a CWA National.

Iain Stewart selected 74 paintings out of more than 500 entries and Karen Frey in turn selected 25 for Awards. I use mostly Winsor Newton watercolor paints so this Award is especially satisfying.

Here is the Catalog page where my painting appears. It is great to be placed with other fabulous award winning paintings, but I wish they had not omitted the word Award in the caption.

Reception January 12th 1 to 3 pm
The exhibit runs Jan 11 to Feb 16 2019
Firehouse Arts Center - Harrington Gallery
4444 Railroad Ave Pleasanton 94566
Admission is free to the public

California Watercolor Association 48th National Exhibition to include "Blue Ridge" , juried by Dean Mitchell

I am very pleased to share that "Blue Ridge" has just been accepted into the California Watercolor Association 48th National Exhibition. The juror is Dean Mitchell!
It is one of 80 paintings he selected from across the country.

Watercolor West Award from Dick Cole at CWA 46th National Exhibition for Summit from Curry Point

Summit from Curry Point 18 x 24

I love painting at this spot. It's a panoramic view of the South West side of Mount Diablo that exhilarates me every time I turn the corner and see it.

Dick Cole, an extraordinary talent, awarded this painting the Watercolor West Award.

The exhibit has a wide variety of paintings of a very high caliber, so I am very grateful mine spoke to him.

The exhibit runs through February 28th and now that the Super Bowl is over, the area is once again accessible.

Details:

California Watercolor Association 46th National Exhibition
Academy of Art University Cannery Gallery
2801 Leavenworth St
San Francisco

Open Seven Days a week

M-F 9:30 to 5:30
Sat Sun 10 to 6

415 618 8518

"Summit From Curry Point" Juried into California Watercolor Association 46th National Exhibition

I am very pleased to announce that "Summit from Curry Point' 18 x 24 was accepted into the California Watercolor Association's 46th National Exhibition. The jurors were Craig Nelson and Chuck Pyle of the Academy of Art University. This is a difficult exhibit to get into, over 600 paintings were entered and 80 were chosen.

It will be exhibited at a new venue, the Cannery Galleries of the Academy of Art University, located in the Fisherman's wharf area of San Francisco.

The dates are January 4th to February 28th.

More information is available at the California Watercolor Association web site.

Flower Fields ,Watercolor Demonstration at California Watercolor Association National Exhibit

 Getting started at the base of the barn

Establishing composition

Adding sky, refining shapes

Adding darks. Saturating color.

Flower Fields  demonstration 11 x 14

This may be done, or I may tweak it a bit  I was in the mood to paint a spring scene.
It was an honor to demonstrate at the California Watercolor National Exhibit. There are demonstrations most Saturdays during the exhibit at ther Harrington Gallery at the Firehouse Arts Center, Pleasanton.

California Watercolor Assoc. Article in Bay Area News Group Papers

Thank you to the California Watercolor Association and the Bay Area News Group for featuring me and my painting in the article that ran on New Year's Day. A pretty nice way to start the year!

A link to read the article online is here: 

http://www.mercurynews.com/my-town/ci_27231005/tri-valley-e-pleasantons-firehouse-gallery-host-45th

The reception for this exhibit is January 15th6 to 8 pm  at the Harrington Gallery in Pleasanton. I will be at the reception and also will be demonstrating at the exhibit space on January 24th.

After the Fire IV accepted into the 45th National Exhibition of the California Watercolor Association

After the Fire IV 16 x 20 Plein Air Watercolor

Thanks to juror Eric Wiegardt for selecting this painting for the 45th National Exhibition of the California Watercolor Association. This exhibit will be my first in 2015 and I am looking forward to attending the reception in nearby Pleasanton California on January 15th. There are 75 masterful watercolors in this exhibit and I am happy to be a part of it with one of my After the Fire Series Paintings.

Details:
California Watercolor Association
 45th National Exhibition
Harrington Gallery
Firehouse Arts Center
Pleasanton CA
January 15th to February 21st
Reception January 15th 6 to 8 pm

"Mount Diablo, Earliest Spring" California Watercolor Association Guest Artist Demonstration

 Mount Diablo , Earliest Spring 14 x 14

Getting started

A black and white version of a painting that had summer colors and a small postcard of a different painting from the same place,I wanted to use it to paint a spring version.
My talking points, on my board right next to the painting.
My palette on the easel( I use a horizontal Richeson Steele easel)

Thanks to the California Watercolor for taking the pictures and for inviting me!

Path to MCWA ...fond memories of Paintings and Jurors past

Eight years and six paintings later, I am still thrilled with the hills of northern California.  

For my own  pleasure and review here are the paintings and jurors who made my up MCWA Signature Exhibitions.

 I blogged earlier about getting the CWA national exhibit bug after the early award from Charles Reid.  

But I don't want to forget the other five extraordinary artists who lent their talents to jurying these exhibits and including my paintings.

 It takes a special generosity to take the time and risk the disappointments of those not accepted.

I recently started jurying art exhibits and it was truly challenging.

 I think having a love for the landscape, especially Mount Diablo and the East Bay Hills led to the success of these paintings in exhibitions and with finding homes with collectors who love these hills as well. 

Here is a link to the California Watercolor Association  Master Signature Members http://www.californiawatercolor.org/signaturemembers.php

  2012 Juror Mike Bailey

Flag Hill Sunol 

 

2010 Juror - Christopher Schink

Curve of the Earth

 2009 Juror - John Salminen

 

Valley Vertigo  

 

2007 Signature Membership Earned Juror Carla O Connor

Day Of Emeralds

2006 Jerry Little Award

Juror of Selection - Mel Stabin

Juror of Awards - Christopher Schink

Robin Purcell
Danville, CA
Mt. Diablo Spring Morning
15 x 20

2004 Jade Fon Award Charles Reid Juror

Robin Purcell
Danville, CA
View From The South Gate 23 x 31

43rd National Exhibition of the California Watercolor Association

Flag Hill Sunol 14 x 21

I am pleased to announce Flag Hill Sunol has been accepted to the 43rd National Exhibition of the California Watercolor Association.
This is my sixth acceptance and I have applied for my MCWA membership status which I hope to announce officially as soon as I hear from the CWA board of directors.
This goes back to 2004 when Charles Reid accepted a painting of mine in the CWA National and gave it an award.
 It was a complete shock and thrill and got me thinking about the value of entering National Exhibitions. It eventually led to AWS acceptences and Signature Membership in AWS. I don't know if I would have pursued this path without the early encouragement of Charles Reid.

The exhibition opens in Thursday, January 17, 2013, at the Harrington Gallery, Firehouse Art Center (firehousearts.org), 4444 Railroad Avenue, one block east of Main Street in downtown Pleasanton, California.  Please join me for the Artists’ and Award Reception, Saturday, January 19, 2013, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.

"The Curve of the Earth" accepted into the California Watercolor Association 41st National Exhibtion

I am very pleased that my painting "The Curve of the Earth" has been selected to be a part of the 41st National Exhibition of the California Watercolor Association. This was painted from the Summit of Mount Diablo.

142nd AWS Annual International and 40th CWA National Exhibition

A Tangled Place 14 x 14 the 142nd American Watercolor Society International Exhibition

Valley Vertigo 21 x 14 40th California Watercolor Association National Exhibition

The 142nd American Watercolor Society Annual International Exhibtion opens in four days at the Salmagundi Club in Manhattan. Across the country, here in San Francisco at the Presidio, the California Watercolor Association 40th National Exhibition is installed now. I am thrilled to be an exhibitor in both. Why go to all the expense of entering and shipping these paintings?

I was listening to Chuck Close on NPR the other night and he articulated it very well. Art that has lasting value is usually that which is well-regarded by other professional artists. My goal is to create something original of lasting importance, that shows I have something unique to say about my subjects. The jurors in the exhibits are professionals and their acceptance of works gives me some validation and important motivation to get out there and paint .

The AWS exhibit is a first acceptance. The California Watercolor Association makes the fourth acceptance out of the last five. So I am trying to develope a track record of national recognition that hopefully collectors and galleries will notice (I also have one NWS National under my belt, so that makes a grand total of six national acceptances )