NWS 89th Annual Exhibition

October 10 – December 20, 2009

The 89th Annual NWS Awards Luncheon (see slideshow below) was held on October 10 at the Brea Embassy Suites Hotel , followed by the opening of the NWS 89th Annual Exhibition at the City of Brea Art Gallery (photos of the winning entries will be posted soon).

The City of Brea Art Gallery is located in the Brea Civic & Cultural Center at 1 Civic Center Circle, Plaza Level, Brea, CA. Gallery hours are noon to 5pm Wednesday through Sunday; closed Monday, Tuesday, and Holidays.

If you are planning a visit, the Ontario Airport and the Orange County John Wayne Airport are just short drives away. The Embassy Suites Hotel in Brea is offering a special NWS rate. Be sure to ask for it when making reservations at (714) 990-6000.

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Demo Series The National Watercolor Society and the City of Brea Art Gallery present

Demonstration Series 2009

As part of the NWS 89th Annual Exhibition, five nationally known watercolor masters will demonstrate their painting techniques at the City of Brea Art Gallery.

Dates:
  • Sunday, Oct 11: Stephen Quiller
  • Saturday, Oct 17: Gerald Brommer
  • Saturday, Oct 24: Yachiyo Beck
  • Saturday, Nov 7: Chris Van Winkle
  • Saturday, Nov 14: Brenda Swenson

Demonstrations are 10am to 3pm. Individual demonstrations are $25 each. Entire series of five is $100. Download PDF for descriptions and Registration Form.

2009 All Member Juried Show

Show dates: May 17 – June 27, 2009
National Watercolor Society Gallery, 915 S. Pacific Avenue, San Pedro, CA 90731. Opening hours: Thursday–Sunday, 11:00am–3:00pm

Deanna ThibaultCongratulations to our top award winners:

Deanna Thibault, winner of the Dana Bartlett Award ($1,000) for “Black Flowers” (right).

Mareth WarrenMareth Warren, winner of the Milford Zornes Award ($1,000) for “Flaxen Hair, Freckles” (left).

More details and images...

NWS Raffle Slideshow

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Sixteen award-winning artists have given us paintings to raise money for the NWS building. View the slideshow and learn how to enter to win a fabulous original watercolor.

President’s Message

The jurying for the 89th Annual NWS National Show is all over but the shouting. The process never gets easier. This year there were over 1,100 entries and the Jurors and volunteers deliberated from morning to night. Paring 1,100 paintings down to the desired 100 was no easy task.

Our NWS exhibition director, Al Setton, gave it his all and managed to keep the train on the tracks. A review of the accepted paintings shows that we had a record number of potential new Signature Members [see list of new members].

This year roughly 800 of our 1,100 entries were digital, as opposed to 300 in slide form. Allow me to encourage you once again, if you have not already done so, to make your entries in digital form.

The NWS Lifetime Achievement Award Winner for 2009 is Keith Crown. Keith is currently 91 years old and living in Missouri. The Missouri Historical Society recently mounted a retrospective show of his work to coincide with his birthday. Keith was an early member of the NWS and in 1959 served as its president. A review of his work is being prepared for showing at our Awards Luncheon in October.

I encourage all of you to attend the National Show and Awards Luncheon this year. The City of Brea Gallery affords us a beautiful venue for the exhibition. A block of rooms has been set aside at the Embassy Suites Brea for attendees.

Don't forget the demonstration series which kicks off the day after the Awards Luncheon (more info to the left).

Dick Cole
NWS President

Milford Zornes DVD – His Last Gift to NWS

A DVD of the historic Zornes presentation is now available from NWS.

Milford Zornes paintingOn January 26, 2008, Milford delivered an extraordinary watercolor presentation at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. The party was sponsored by the National Watercolor Society.

Milford delighted his guests by working on several black and white drawings and then tackled a full sheet, full color painting. As he worked he talked of his thoughts on color, on division of two-dimensional space, and of his belief that all art is “abstract.” He closed to a standing ovation. The finished painting was auctioned for $7,000. Zornes donated the money to the PMCA venue and to the National Watercolor Society Building Fund.

Milford Zornes passed away on February 24, 2008. His last gift to NWS was his permission to allow us to offer a DVD of this piece of history, with proceeds going to the NWS Building Fund. The DVD also features many of Milford’s paintings.

If you would like a copy of the DVD, send a $20 donation payable to: The National Watercolor Society, c/o Chris Van Winkle, 436 Fresno Avenue, Morro Bay, CA 93442.

Building Fund

The dream of our own NWS building to house our Permanent Collection is fast becoming a reality! Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the building fund...

 

NWS recommends:

Airfloat logo

Airfloat/Strongbox containers are ideally suited for the shipment of your artwork. Mention that you are a member of the National Watercolor Society and receive a 20% discount. Contact Airfloat Systems at: 1-800-445-2580.

About NWS

The National Watercolor Society (NWS) brings before the public the best of watermedia painting, representing a wide range of directions and technique, from experimental to traditional. We invite you to visit our exciting exhibits that showcase watercolor as a vital, enduring and expressive medium. More about Us...