California Watercolor Association

53rd National Exhibition

We are very pleased to present our National Exhibition to you on this gallery.

Gary Tucker, our juror of selection, chose the 84 paintings presented here and Uma Kelkar, our juror of awards, chose the following 18 paintings for the awards listed. Each of them was kind enough to provide us with their thoughts about why they chose the awarded paintings. We hope that you will enjoy the work presented here as much as we enjoyed preparing it for you. The exhibition is also being presented at the Harrington Gallery in Pleasanton, CA until March 18th. We will have a reception on March 4th from one to three pm.

Charles Rouse

Waiting in Chichicastenango

$4500

Gold Award

Charles loves light and we feel it physically in this masterwork. Shimmering on the weathered stone and falling across the rumpled clothing…The gravity in this painting – immersed in shadow, the boys bowed head – It has captured my heart. ~ Gary Tucker

How could one walk away from this scene? The onlooker needs to know what the pout is for, if the kid is in trouble or needs help. My heart ached when I saw this piece – the harsh light depicted so masterfully adding to the severity of my interpretation. I enjoy simplicity and wrestled to give a painting with the highest ‘slow cook’ techniques the top award. What the artist conveyed was simplicity of topic…so everyday, yet so connecting…despite complex technique.
~ Uma Kelkar

Steve Walters

Oaxaca Marketplace 86

$1600

Silver Award

The thought behind this painting – towards composition and color – has me returning to look again and again. Ease with figures and patterns makes it easy to enjoy and savor the well balanced color. ~ Gary Tucker

This artist can clearly draw and knows how to patiently work with many colors. The point where the artist stops adding strokes so the rest of the story can be filled in by the onlooker is a sign of trust in the viewer and I value that.
~ Uma Kelkar

Ng Woon Lam

Weekend Companions

$5800

Bronze Award

This watercolor has a freshness that every watercolorist strives for – it’s as though we are seeing the painting as its drying. Each touch confident and well considered. It leaves me exhaling in wonder. ~ Gary Tucker

There are two sets of marks here, verticals for the heads and horizontals for the clothing stripes. Collectively, each set is harmonious in itself. For showing the vitality of painting via overlapping cleverly planned sets, this painting gets an award. ~ Uma Kelkar

Pat Moseuk

Rising Oceans

$1950

David Nathan Memorial Award
Cheap Joe’s Award

This artist knows design and uses their chops effortlessly. In the effortlessness, there’s confidence and elegance. ~ Uma Kelkar

Dongfeng Li

My Veteran Day Award

$7500

CWA Signature Members Award 1

Color harmony, size, drawing, material usage collectively make this a strong piece. Painting at this scale with only one main stage actor means the artist chooses to concentrate their risk-reward aspect in one area. That boldness is attractive to me. ~ Uma Kelkar

Radhika Bawa

Raigad in rains

$500

CWA Signature Members Award 2

Landscapes have the hardest time winning at competitions because they are ubiquitous. Therefore, they don’t need to speak loudly and need to lead by mystery. This artist aligns with my thought process while maintaining color harmony and wins this award. ~ Uma Kelkar

Chris Krupinski

Feeling left out

$5000

Speedball Art Products Award
Legion Paper Co. Award
Mijello Co. Ltd Award

Superb drawing, superb harmony and superb design makes this a deserving piece. ~ Uma Kelkar

Liz Walker

The Waiting Room

$2000

Past Presidents Award
Golden Artist Colors, Inc. Award

Inserting enquiry into paintings is the hardest job according to me. The artists uses patterns and harnesses accepted mixed media to make a harmonious piece. ~ Uma Kelkar

Jeff Ishikawa

La Jolla Morning

$1250

SF MOMA Award
Flax Award (Local)

The viewing angle, the energy in the wave that’s just crashed and restraining the color gamut makes this painting a winner. The secondary waves almost seem to move. This artist has ample drawing chops. ~ Uma Kelkar

R. Mike Nichols

Self Portrait With Quorra

$3500

Artistic Journey Award
M. Graham Award

On top of meeting the mark of drawing, harmony, design, this artist adds a whimsical twist which is engaging. ~ Uma Kelkar

Kathy Byrne

Jewels of the Garden

$1500

Jade Fon Award
Watercolor West Reciprocal Award
Art Supply Warehouse Award

Staying true to the everyday life most of us have and celebrating the everyday drops of beauty rings authentic to me as a projected image of the artist themselves. ~ Uma Kelkar

Sean Barrett

Support Group

$1500

Dick Cole Memorial Award
Mijello Co. Ltd Award

This artist with a deft drawing hand takes to this complicated scene and then expertly simplifies it and thus earns this award. ~ Uma Kelkar

Wesley Dallas Merritt

Here Comes the Sun

$3200

Arnold Grossman Memorial Award
Mijello Co. Ltd Award

The color application on the body and on the far background which is out of focus in a scene that’s edgy wins this painting an award. ~ Uma Kelkar

Ronnie Rector

La Danse

$3000

University Art Award
DeYoung Museum Award

This piece has a strong design. Making the shaded parts of the painting as interesting as the parts that have been washed out by the sunlight required thought and skilled handling. ~ Uma Kelkar

Jackie Dorsey

The Devil Went Down to Georgia

$1800

Norbert Volk Award
Armadillo Art Award
Mijello Co. Ltd Award

Clearly, the violinist is playing up a storm – the artist captures the focused player’s inner state via the background which is also well designed and their drawing skills wins them this award. ~ Uma Kelkar

Michael Friedland

Oakland Afternoon Light

$900

Dan Curry Memorial Award
Mijello Co. Ltd Award

Street scenes with perspective challenges need strong drawing skills. The slight warm to cool transition of the painting from left to right also showcased the thought that was put into it. ~ Uma Kelkar

Linda Erfle

Carmel Bay Hardscape

$1400

Mary Spivey Award for Excellence in Landscape Painting

The artist plays complimentary colors green-pink in a refined way. She also shows her keen observation through color variation on the shaded water and the texturing on the rocks. ~ Uma Kelkar

Ed Labadie

Carmen

$1695

FASO Award

The artist chose to showcase a normal bodied figure dead center, joyful in her camouflage top. Bold color choices that compliment the bold choice of design makes this piece a winner. ~ Uma Kelkar

Congratulations to the 18 award winning paintings. And now, please enjoy these following 66 paintings that were selected from many that were submitted for this year’s National Exhibition.

Inquiries about purchasing a painting can be sent to: national@californiawatercolor.org

Najeeb Abdulrahiman

As the sun goes down in Salzburg

$600

Gloria Baker

The Devoted

$4000

Ronald Bean

Stanislaus Stump

$500

Francesca Brayton

April Blooms

$1200

Suvagata Chatterjee

Old Calcutta 2

$249

Keming Chen

Locomotive Damaged in Korean War

$2500

Leslie Cheney-Parr

Coastal Folds

$1500

Joan Chlarson

For Me

$850

Linda Cloonan

Cottage Sunroom

$2050

Robert Davidson

A Joyful Noise

$1500

Kathryn Degliantoni

Mile Rock Beach

$400

Toni Elkins

Hook Line and Sinker

$1200

Margaret Fago

Women of the Nahuat Work With Wool

$950

Patrick Fanning

Equestrian

$750

Patricia Flynn

Slightly Jaded 2

$1200

Qian Gao

Town View England

$800

Antoaneta Georgieva

New England

$1500

Elizabeth Grant

Cotton Candy Ridge

$750

Douglas Greer

Spring Fawn

$950

Veronica Gross

Fall in the Foothills

$350

Theodore Heublein

Front Porch Hibiscus 25

$1100

Michael Holter

Chevy Truck

$1500

Gaoshan HU

The leaves fall In the autumn

$800

Sandra Humphries

Mountain Wildflowers No.3

$1400

Carol Irwin

El Capitan Climbers

$3000

Glen Jarvis

Bozeman grain elevator

$500

Sue Johnston

Lisbon Lunch

$1800

Elizabeth Johnston

Night and Day

$500

Helen Jones

Catnap III

$1000

Rekha Joshi

The Barn

$550

Barbara Kempe

Shopping in San Miguel de Allende

$1500

Raffi Kondy

The Ramp SF

$1250

Jo Kopp

Water Gatherers

$900

Karen Kramer

Bird Song

$1400

Lynne Kroll

A New Dawn

$1200

Tiangong Liu

Rolling Hills

$1500

Carolyn Lord

Sonoma Benches in the Shade

$1500

Lisbeth MacDonald

Farming town CA

$600

Sue Matthews

Through the Fence

$1500

Phillip McDonel

Wicked Slush

$500

Samantha McNally

Aloe

$495

Meghana Mitragotri

Snow Canyon Southern Utah

$2000

Craig Moline

Cascade Cliffs

$650

Kate Peper

Sisters

$1400

Trish Poupard

Lush

$750

Robin Purcell

Painted Mountain

$2750

Michael Reardon

Dorsoduro Morning

$1800

Susan Routledge

Turning For Home.

$2200

Gloria Sampson

Potting Day Self Portrait

$1100

Thomas W. Schaller

Red Barn Ohio

$4500

Jane Sneed

Balboa Street Art Walk

$900

Susy Soulies

Love Letters

$7500

Jayne Spencer

Lazy K Ranch

$800

Allison Spreadborough

On the Beach

$995

Carol Stair

Another Path

$1500

Debora Strand

California Girl

$950

Linda Darsow Sutton

Morning Meltdown

$1800

Barbara Tapp

Down Eucalyptus Lane

$900

Phyllis Tseng

Seeing Happiness

$1800

Salvador Valencia

Trapped

$2400

Ann Walker

Serengeti Stomp

$5000

Cristine Weatherby

Caito

$2000

Laurie Wigham

Melting Snow Sierra Valley

$690

Rae Ann Williams

So Sunflowery

$625

Leslie Wilson

Mike

$1500

Georganne Zaro-Eddy

California Coast V

$1100

Thank you. We hope that you’ve enjoyed our National Exhibition web gallery this year. We look forward to seeing you at our reception on March 4 from 1 to 3pm at the Harrington Gallery in Pleasanton. We appreciate our hosts there: Sydney Tang, Lili Caridis, Rachel Prater and others.

The CWA
National
Exhibition
Committee

Director
Michael Friedland

Receiving Week Directors
Pat Lauer
Joe Tringali

Signature Member Fundraising
Sharon Hopkins

Catalog Design
Patricia Rosa
Ruth Miller

National gallery page design: Michael Friedland
Excellent web gallery development: Adrienne Hefter
Thank you Adrienne!