BWS Highlights Newsletter • March 2024

President’s Palette

All around me are signs of an early spring in Annapolis. I enjoy the longer days of sunlight and look for the crocus and snowdrops to poke out their pretty faces in the garden. I also unfortunately find some things left over from the weeks indoors through the winter - especially the way that my spring clothes have all gotten a little smaller at the same time. My Italian husband is a wonderful cook, so I might blame it all on him.

The paints in my palette have also taken on some strange variations in hue over the winter months. All of that mixing with water and adding new pigment into old takes away their true value, limits their strength and decreases their ability to “do their job” well. I hope to create new paintings with more strength and vitality so now it is time to empty the palette and fill it with fresh pigment, add a different one that I have not experimented with yet and purchase that new brush I have been looking at. Maybe I should do this while jogging in place to help with the “wardrobe issue”? Two birds with one stone.

Some other signs of Spring are all the activities we have coming up; so it’s time to come out of hibernation and join in the workshops and free demo available. Please also submit your paintings to the upcoming exhibits that the Baltimore Watercolor Society is offering. For those of you going to the Salmagundi on Fifth Avenue to have a private viewing of the American Watercolor Society in April, I look forward to sharing that day with you. Our enthusiasm and energy are growing. We sold every seat on our motorcoach within one week and now have a waiting list for this trip. Maybe we will need two buses next year!

Happy painting!

BWS President

2024 BWS Signature Member Exhibition

Maryland House of Delegates, Annapolis, MD
Now through March 22, 2024

Below are the award winners and comments from David Lawton, Juror of Awards for the 2024 BWS Signature Member Exhibition.

“When judging an exhibit there are many aspects that I take into account. Initially, I walk around and look at all the work being judged. In doing so, I mentally take note of certain works that sort of jump off the wall. I then proceeded to take a much longer look at each work, as some work is more like a whisper rather than a shout. At this point I ask, “has the artist clearly demonstrated basic technical skill, or are there obvious errors that would cause me to eliminate the work from contention?” Some of the elements to consider are color, form, line, shape, space and texture.

Photos by John Schuster

The Baltimore Watercolor Society is exhibiting works from Signature Members at the Maryland House of Delegates on the 3rd Floor Baltimore County Wing.

The exhibition runs from January 23, 2024, through March 22, 2024. 

The building is open to the public Monday through Friday 7:30 am - 5:30 pm, and is closed to the public on weekends. 

Because the Legislature is in session during the exhibit, parking is very limited. We offer the following plan for attending the exhibit:

From Rowe Boulevard bear right on to Calvert Street. Once you are on Calvert Street you will see a public parking garage on your left (Gotts Court Garage). Park there, and from the garage walk right on Calvert Street to right on Bladen Street. Enter the Maryland House of Delegates at the main entrance on Bladen Street. At the Information Desk in the main lobby, go right and follow that corridor to the end. Elevators will be on your right. Go to the 3rd floor, the elevator will open next to the exhibit hall.

The walk from the garage parking lot to the Maryland House of Delegates is two blocks long. There is an hourly fee for parking.

Friendship Heights Community Center Gallery

April 8 through May 5, 2024

For more information and to register, click here to visit the Event page.

2023 Mid-Atlantic Winner Appears in Watercolor Artist Magazine

Look for Sarah Andrews’ painting “Standing Room Only” (shown) in the Spring 2024 issue of Watercolor Artist Magazine. Sarah’s painting won the BWS Gold Medal in Memory of David Churchill, donated by Susan Churchill and Michael Eddy, in the 2023 Mid-Atlantic Regional Watercolor Exhibition.

The “2024 American Watercolor Society Exhibition” results are out!!!

Congratulations and fireworks are in order for 7 of our Baltimore Watercolor Society artists whose paintings were selected for the 2024 American Watercolor Society Exhibition in New York City at the Salmagundi Club. Three of those 7 BWS artists have also just been accepted as new “Signature Artist Members of AWS” since this is their 3rd acceptance into the Exhibition. Those new AWS members’ names are designated with an *asterisk in the list below. Congratulations to all.

We look forward to seeing their paintings, and all the works, on the Bus Trip to NYC for the AWS Exhibit, April 13th.

Janet M. Belich, AWS
Matthew Bird, AWS*
Jean K. Gill, AWS
David R. Eakin, AWS*
Nancy M. Stark, AWS
Alexis Lavine, AWS*
Pam Wenger, AWS

Announcement of Plans for the 2024 Mid-Atlantic Regional Watercolor Exhibition

by Jim Sandford, BWS Mid-Atlantic Exhibition Chair

We are excited to announce Russell Jewell (AWS, NWS, TWSA, ED.D) as the juror and workshop instructor for the BWS 2024 Mid-Atlantic Regional Watercolor Exhibition.

Russell is an internationally recognized plein air painter with signature memberships in the American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society and The Transparent Watercolor Society of America. His work has traveled with the American Watercolor Society exhibition. Russell’s accomplishments include a doctorate in Art Education from the University of Georgia and a Fulbright Memorial fund scholarship to Japan. His most recent awards include: 2023 Best of Show at Edisto Island Plein Air, 2023 First Place at Quick Draw Mountain Maryland Plein Air, and 2023 Best Boat Painting at Gloucester Arts Festival. In October 2023 Jewell judged the Georgia Color Plein Air Competition sponsored by Olmsted Plein Air. Russell is represented by Wells Gallery at the Sanctuary on Kiawah Island, SC. His art and writing were published in a feature article, “Under the Sicilian Sun” in Plein Air Magazine, October/November 2023. Additional information can be seen at: russelljewell.com.

The 2024 Mid-Atlantic Exhibition will once again take place at the Arts Barn and Kentlands Mansion Galleries in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and will follow a schedule very similar to the that of the 2023 exhibition. Following is a list of dates. Please mark your calendars and look for details in future BWS communications.

CaFÉ system open for entries: June 7 through Aug 7
Notification of accepted entrants: Aug 30
Painting drop-off: Oct 7, 10am-2pm
Announcement of awards: Oct 8
Workshop: Oct 8-10
Exhibition open: Oct 11, 2024 through Jan 5, 2025
Opening reception and awards presentation: Nov 10, 2-4pm

We look forward to seeing your submitted paintings and welcoming you to the planned events.

Membership Dues and Donations

As of February 1st, unpaid dues are now overdue. If your payment had not been recorded by then, you received an automated email telling you your membership lapsed. If you have not paid, please pay online with a credit card. To log on and pay your dues, please click here.

You can also pay by sending a check made out to the “Baltimore Watercolor Society” and mailing it to:

Janice Hendra - Membership
103 Avondale Circle
Severna Park, MD 21106

Signature Artist dues are $40 and Associate dues are $30.

If BWS does not receive payment by late February, you will receive a second “lapsed” notice. At that point if you want to register for an upcoming event you will need to pay your dues prior to registering.

Contact bwsmembership@gmail.com with any questions.

Membership

Welcome New Associate Members

All images are the property of the artists and protected by copyright. No image can be used without the written permission of the artist.

Other Organizations’ Call for Entries

Taubman Museum of Art’s 66th Annual Sidewalk Art Show
June 1 and 2, 2024
Downtown Roanoke, VA
Application deadline: March 13, 2024
https://www.taubmanmuseum.org/