15th Annual Signature Watermedia International Exhibition

Edward studied and exhibited at the Cleveland Institute of Art. His first job was with American Greeting Cards, then he worked in advertising as a Graphic Design chief of a major department store and won many awards in the industry. Eventually he put his painting skills to work for major publishers by painting portraits of classical composers. The award-winning artist is recognized for his excellence as an artist and illustrator on an international level.

After retiring from my job at the school district, I traveled extensively to paint in Plein air along the Sonoma and Mendocino Coasts, in Zion, the Grand Canyon, Valley of Fire, the Sierras, Mount Whitney, Manzanar, and Scotland. I have exhibited my work in museums in Wuxi-China, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Oceanside Museum of Art and at the Santa Paula Museums of Art. My paintings were selected by the state department to decorate the Ambassador’s residence at the American Embassy in India. I had been a traditional landscape artist for many years but over the last 8 years have studied creating experimental, abstracted work.  

BA MA MFA and PhD (ABD) University of Wisconsin-Madison, Curriculum & Instruction.

Alfery has been an Art Educator for over thirty years at K-University Level. She has worked with distributors and manufacturers in the home furnishings industry, High Point, North Carolina for over nine years and has participated in National competitions from 2009 to present.

Andrew is an architect, and painter, living and working in Chicago. His watercolor paintings are part of an ongoing series aiming to study shadow, its form, and its relationship to architectural objects and structures.

Gloria Baker is in Who's of America, Who Who's in the World, Whos' Who of American Women, Who's Who in American Education and The Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award.  Her paintings have been published by Rockport Publishers 

"Best of Watercolor", "Best of Watercolor #2", "Landscape Inspirations", and "Best of Watercolor Volumes #1 & #2".

She has been accepted in many National and International Juried Exhibits and has participated in numerous group shows and one woman exhibits.

I received a Disney Scholarship to attend Art Center in Los Angeles where I graduated and became an architectural illustrator. As my career changed from illustrator to full time artist, I was able to sell my paintings through different art galleries and juried and competitive art shows. Over the past thirty years, I have focused on painting the landscapes and wildlife of our “American West of Today”. Receiving the Gold Medal for my watercolor at the Autry Museum was a special honor. I have enjoyed winning over 50 major awards and have sold my paintings in art galleries and at art shows throughout the U.S. 

After a career in education and social work, Marnie Becker began to study drawing and painting at the Art Institute of Chicago, but it was in a portrait workshop taught by Ted Nuttall in 2011 that she realized she had found her passion. After gaining success with her impressionist portraits, she has begun to move in a more abstract direction with both portraits and urban scenes. While Marnie paints from photographs, her biggest challenge is in reinterpreting a piece in a more abstract manner in order to allow the viewer to create their own story while enjoying the painting.

"I have focused on developing my craft to capture the beauty of what surrounds me with precision and clarity; and strive to convey that to all people through the universal language of representational art. It is my desire that when others see my work they may be inspired by the perceptible signs of the real Creator." Matthew graduated with honors from the Pratt Institute of Art in Brooklyn, New York, in 2000. His award-winning watercolor paintings have been exhibited in juried shows across the United States, as well as in Canada, China, England, Greece, Hong Kong, and Italy. 

Painting for over 30 years, Cindy’s work is annually accepted to many national, international, state, regional and local exhibits. Her works have been honored with awards ranging from Best of Show to Awards of Excellence and Peoples Choice. She is a past instructor from CNCC, where she taught for several years and holds her degree. She currently is an accomplished instructor of watercolor workshops and classes across the country and has juried many exhibits. Cindy has been in many publications such as Northlight’s Splash Series, The Artist Magazine, and Watercolor Magic. Cindy was chosen as a “Ones to watch “in Watercolor Artist Magazine in 2006. 

The calculated structure of my geometric transformations is a breakaway from Photorealism and the recent trend of Plein Aire Painting. My compositions evolve by reconstructing overlapping planes created by straight lines and tangents. Changing the formal structure of organic shapes into a controlled approach of rigid linear constructions alters the mood of a scene, not to mention the contrast it provides to shadows and movement.  The composition is compressed within lines of force leading the eye to one point of interest.

Born and raised in Rochelle, Illinois, Ken went on to graduate from the American Academy of Art in 1980 with an Associates Degree in Illustration and Watercolor. Ken spent 1993 and 1994 studying and painting in Paris, France. He is now living in Northbrook Illinois with his wife and two children. After beginning his career as a studio artist, he soon branched out on his own, beginning a very successful freelance career which led to over 500 illustrations for books, magazines, art publishers,   advertising agencies and corporations. In the last few years Ken has made the transition to fine art and portraiture. Many of his originals are hanging in galleries and homes across the country. 

My work is seen locally at various shows and the Del Mar Fair . I enjoy using new techniques and painting on different surfaces. Each painting has it's challenges and the creative finish is always questioned with "is it done yet?" Then off to another fun challenge. My motto is "Fine art, fun art".

My work has been included in various books, movies, Virginia Zoo, San Diego Zoo/Starbucks tumbler/debit card , Birds In Art, national art shows and 2 museums. I love art shows and talking with the public about nature. I was also featured in  the 2022 October Fine Art Connoisseur magazine of wildlife master artists.

Janice Cipriani-Willis is an accomplished watercolorist who lives and works at Dorland Mountain Arts in Temecula. She began her art education by earning a B.A. in Fine Arts from California State University, Los Angeles. Janice sees the pieces of light that play over forms as a marvelous mosaic. In her watercolors (in which the lightest light is the white of the paper) she rearranges these bits of light into an image of the world’s beauty. She focuses on the depth of expression seen in their faces. Janice has exhibited and received awards in numerous renowned organizations.

I took private painting instruction for nine years with Betty Maxwell in Ann Arbor, Michigan and many other painting workshops. My one-woman shows were exhibited at several venues in Michigan. I exhibit regularly and have been an award winner in the juried San Diego Watercolor Society Monthly Membership shows. My paintings were displayed in the 2014 SDWS International Exhibition, the 2015 San Diego Repertory Theatre juried show, the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies shows in 2013, 2016, 2017, and the 13th Annual Signature American Watercolor Watermedia Exhibition in 2022. 

Elaine is a professional artist whose abstract watermedia paintings have been included in more than 150 national and international juried exhibitions, and garnered over 120 awards. She paints intuitively using mixed watermedia on paper or canvas. She creates her works without a pre-determined plan, allowing the painting process to suggest and develop the direction of the piece. Her works are known for their subtleties and unique mark-making and line work. Although primarily self-taught, Elaine has studied with numerous master artists in the U.S. Her work is in several private collections throughout the U.S. and in the Qingdao Museum in China. 

I attended Vanderbilt University where I received a BA in art history and I have found that having a knowledge of painting history has served me well in developing my personal painting style; intuitive and expressive.  I find myself returning to the figure as my base, but my approach is the same whether I am painting humans, animals, pots or abstracts.  I love the expressive nature of mark making.   A simply drawn figure is one of my favorite beginnings to a painting.  I try to use edgy compositions to support my story and after placing the figure I begin the journey toward completion, using acrylics, mark-making and occasionally collage.

Linda Erfle explores the essence of her subjects through the unifying elements of value, shape, edges and color; striving to convey how truly extraordinary the ordinary is which surrounds us. She has completed numerous college art classes at San Jose State University and Cosumnes River College and gone on to study with Anita Wolff, Jill Figler, Ken Potter, Dale Laitinen, Jan Kunz, Judi Betts, Cheng-Khee Chee, Jane Hofstetter, Alvaro Castagnet, Jeannie McGuire and Qiang Huang.

Numerous National and International organizations have featured and recognized Farris’ work. Farris’ work, articles and interviews have found their way in publications throughout the world.  The Art of Watercolour featured her work when she won 1st  place in the International Reader’s Competition. She was published in Watercolor Artist magazine with her article about painting on Yupo called, "Let It Flow", and in another feature discussing painting a self-portrait called, "Me, Myself, and I". She delights in teaching workshops throughout the country and holds signature memberships in multiple national watercolor societies. 

Growing up in Shanghai, Feng painting and experimenting with different mediums, including pastel, oil, and egg tempera, before choosing his favorite, watercolor. He received his BFA degree from Shanghai Teacher’s University and taught in its art department. He completed the MFA degree at Radford University in 1989 where he is currently a Professor of Art. In China, Feng exhibited his portraits, landscapes, and illustrations in juried exhibitions. Feng’s work has received acclaim throughout the U.S., garnering more than 600 state, regional, national, and international awards with many "Best in Show" awards and Gold Medal honors in major U.S. watercolor competitions.  

I was always drawn to creating images, colors and shapes even before coming to know what "art" was. This creative process became the most exciting part of my life. Painting is a creative sanctuary where I truly come alive with purpose and pleasure. The studio is where I am very content with my life and I never feel like I have wasted a single moment. I am forever a student trying to constantly improve and there never seems to be enough time. My aim in whatever I paint is to give myself pleasure in expressing myself well. What matters to me is how I put myself on the paper or canvas. That’s all!

Kathleen was invited to participate in the Fabriano Prize, in Italy, where her painting "Tears For Ukraine ll" won fourth place. The painting also won an award in the ARC Salon show. "Life Is Feeling Boxed In" won the Bronze Medal in American Watercolor Society Show in 2022. Kathleen has had multiple articles published in art magazines. She won the first place purchase award in the National Watercolor Society show twice, with "Vanity" and "Life is Looking For Crayfish". Her painting "Life is Fragile" was a finalist in the ARC Salon 15th International Exhibition. Kathleen teaches online, sells pre-recorded videos and gives workshops.

The Cooper Union Art School 1957-1960; San Francisco Art Institute 1960-1961 BFA; 1963-1964 Fulbright Fellowship to Spain; 1964-1967: Crowell -Collier Macmillan Designer; 1967-1971 American Heritage Book Co. art director, book division; 1972-1979 Xerox Education Publications; 1979-2001 Founded Blackbirch Graphics, book design, book packaging which later grew into Blackbirch Press; 2002 -present Sold the company to Thompson Learning and moved to San Diego to resume interest in painting.

I have a BA in Fine Art from Indiana University. My work in is many public and private collections and has appeared in many magazines including American Artist’s "Watercolor", feature article; and "Watercolor Magic", cover article. I also have an online watercolor forum, "For the Love of Watercolor". In 2019 I was diagnosed with breast cancer and for two years went through treatments. I am finally painting again on a regular basis. I have also been the recipient of 2 national grants from prestigious foundations, The Jackson Pollack - Lee Krasner Foundation Grant and The Stephen King - Haven Foundation Grant.

Laurie has always had a love for the arts.  She has been painting watercolors for over 25 years.  Her work has been widely exhibited across the United States and around the world.  She has been published in Splash 13, 14 and 18 and 21and several times in Watercolor Artist and Art of Watercolour magazines.  Her work earned her the High Winds Medal at the 150th Anniversary Exhibition of the American Watercolor Society.  She now teaches and juries exhibitions around the country.  In 2022, she traveled to England to demo and exhibit at the International Watercolour Masters Exhibition.  She has also published a book of women master watercolorists titled Her Voice. 

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Hugh Greer later attended the University of Kansas graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Industrial Design. He moved to Wichita, Kansas to pursue a career in Industrial Design and Architectural Delineation before establishing himself as a fine arts painter. His love of dramatic weather and textural vistas highly influenced his decision to become a full-time landscape artist.

Hugh's artistic style is easy for people of all ages to relate to and appreciate. His eye for composition and color reflect in his landscapes which are both nostalgic in their purity and realistic in their execution.

My main objective in creating art is to show God’s love for all His creations. I work primarily in portraits and the human figure because each person is unique and lovely in his or her own way, no matter the race, sex or age. The wrinkled faces of the elderly are equally as interesting and beautiful as the smooth faces of youth. Life has a way of etching its story on one’s face, and I hope to convey some of this in the faces I paint.

Janine Helton is a watercolor artist who has been recognized in watercolor competitions locally, nationally and internationally. Janine has since taken workshops from nationally known artists including Carl Purcell, Janet Rogers, Fealing Lin and Ted Nuttall. She now paints daily in her home studio. "My current obsession is painting watercolor portraits. Beginning with a loose and expressive underpainting, I work in many transparent layers, considering shapes, color, and value. I slowly add details with more precision until I am satisfied that I've captured the essence of the subject, the expression on a person's face, the moment in time."

Tom Herbert grew up in Douglas, AZ and after graduating from Northern AZ University B.A., M.A., he taught art at Glendale Unified School District for 31 years. He was selected as Maricopa County Art Teacher of the Year many times.  During many summers, he was selected to attend art workshops around the U.S.; the most memorable was a 6-week fellowship at the Rhode Island School of Design. 

Wanda’s art education began in college and has continued post-grad by taking classes and workshops with prominent water media artists. Wanda rarely paints what she actually sees in our physical world.  She creates from a different perspective, a deeper connection to the Universe. She feels that her art is co-created and inspired from this level. In every painting, if you look closely, she places a tiny hawk (representing connection to the divine) and a heart (representing love). Wanda’s paintings have won numerous awards and have been shown and sold in galleries throughout San Diego. Her art is included in private collections across the United States and in several foreign countries. 

Mother Nature is the inspiration for much of my work. I like to work with patterns and designs created in plants, rocks, and vegetables. The roses to the left were painted one vertical stripe at a time, shifting each section up or down (the paper has not been cut). The format adds wonderful edges and texture to finished paintings, inviting the viewer to take a closer look.  I have been painting with watercolor for the past 20 years. And I have had the good fortune to attend workshops and classes with many talented artists. My paintings are in personal collections in North and South America. 

As a realistic painter who happens to work in watercolors, I am challenged and often surprised by the capricious nature of the medium. My aim is to capture the light and mood of a subject, and translate what I see and feel into paint; bringing the viewer into familiar and unfamiliar places. The bulk of my works are landscapes, most notably of the San Francisco Bay Area, but I also do some figurative works, slice-of-life narratives and still lifes. My influences include 19th and 20th century American realists and artists from the French Impressionists. I majored in Graphic Design with a concentration in Illustration and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from San Jose State University. 

John E James, MS is a scientist who studied watercolor painting with Pat San Soucie, AWS, NWS and English Artist/Teacher, Hugh Templeton. However, he considers himself mainly self-taught. His award winning paintings have been included in many exhibitions, including The American and National Watercolor Societies, Allied Artists of America, The Butler Institute of American Art, and The Alaska Watercolor Society. He has been a finalist in the experimental division of American Artists Magazine’s Annual competition as well as published in Splash: Best of Watercolor 11, 13, and 18.

Jozwiak has free-lanced for numerous card companies and has two 12-month calendars. She was a featured artist in many magazines such as Art Collector, International Artist, North Light, American Artist, the Art of Watercolour and The Artist. She was on the cover of Watercolor Artist and Palette along with articles in both. Her work is in 11 Best of Watercolor books, including “Splash 9-13, 15-16,18, and 20. Her painting "Studio Life" was used as an ad for American Artist. She is an author of book and video "Painting Life with Life" and book "Confident brushstrokes". Jozwiak holds numerous National and International Awards. 

Susan is a native California watercolor artist.  Her interest in art began very early, as a child, drawing and painting.  She graduated from San Diego State with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Painting and Printmaking.  Later on in life she became a teacher and taught all levels of high school art.  Upon retiring, Susan has pursued watercolor with a renewed love and interest.  Her work has been juried into local, regional and national shows and has signature membership in several watercolor societies.  Susan's watercolors have a sense or impression of realism.  She is intrigued by light and shadow and incorporates lively, bright color in her paintings.  

The degrees Chris earned in art education and graphic design honed her technical abilities but the discipline of painting every day has led to her success. She is the recipient of over 200 national and regional awards and has been featured in major watercolor and art publications. Chris was selected as one of the "master painters" for the Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary International Watermedia Masters, (2007, 2010, and 2012) in Nanjing, China and the 2012 Shanghai Zhujiajiao International Watercolour Biennial Exhibition. 

It was a natural for Rebecca to find watercolor as her chosen medium in her artist profession. A lifelong love of art, creativity and learning brought her to the realization that her calling is watercolor painting. Portrait painting, whether it be human or animal, is her passion. "I am mesmerized by the eyes. They speak to me. The portrait speaks to me." She believes learning and trying new things is the road to finding a person’s inner soul which her work portrays. Her sense of style is one of impressionistic and painterly with strong brushstrokes and opinion.  

Robbie Laird is an innovative American painter, teacher, and juror. After completing her Master’s degree in Art Education, she became a Fine Arts curriculum consultant, giving workshops for teachers throughout California, the United States, and abroad.   Her paintings captivate the viewer with an exciting balance of ambiguity and varying amounts of specific detail. Using large brushes and flowing paint, her work dances on the edge of abstraction and realism. Her paintings have received numerous awards in National and International exhibitions and are collected extensively in the U.S. and internationally. 

Born, raised and classically trained in China, Shuang Li received her BA Degree in Graphic Design and master’s degree in art history. After moving to the U.S., Shuang then received her MFA (Master of Fine Art) Degree from The Department of Art, University of Oregon. Committed to the "En Plein Air" Impressionism approach, Shuang paints both on locations and in her studio. Shuang’s artworks have long been favored by collectors, also regularly exhibited in national and international galleries and group shows, with many honorable awards.

A Studio Arts Major, Lord’s Liberal Arts studies also included Botany and Architectural History which have been enduring motifs throughout her artwork. Lord took oil painting workshops and drawing classes at Golden Gate Atelier in Oakland.  Some of the aesthetic aspects of Tonalism and Impressionism are seen in her artwork, regardless of media. American Artist, Watercolor Artist, Plein Air Magazine, Savvy Painter, and Learn to Paint podcasts have profiled her art and career. Lord has taught watercolor and drawing workshops and has served as a juror and a judge for local, regional, and national exhibitions.  

Originally from Oak Park, Illinois, Mansfield grew into her art career starting with junior art classes at the Chicago Art Institute. She graduated from Denison University with a major in Art and minors in Mathematics and Secondary Education. After teaching a few years in High School mathematics and Junior High art, she moved into a commercial art career with American School of Needlework, book publishing – as Art Director and designer for twenty-five years. She is now working with abstract water-media paintings, enjoying travels, and volunteers with several art associations as an active member and Board officer. 

I am a listed artist and have shown at the Oceanside Museum of Art, San Diego Museum of Art, California Center for the Arts Escondido, and fine galleries such as the San Diego Watercolor Society, Fallbrook Art Center and the COAL Gallery. My emphasis is on narrative when I paint. I hold workshops and demos. I also teach and mentor artists. I enjoy working in a variety of styles.

Carol’s work is primarily figurative and includes portrayals of animals and birds. She has several series of paintings which  interpret her regard for those who live in the West (working men and women, cowboys and First People, etc.) recognizing the common thread that connects us all. She holds numerous awards including 1st  Place and Best of Show in Qingdao, China, for the Missouri International Watercolor Exhibition, as well as 1st  Place and Best of Show for the AWA. Publications include cover images used in the Jumanji II movie and Watercolor Magazine along with feature articles. She received a Readers Competition Award in the Art of Watercolour Magazine.

I enjoy painting figures and using them to create patterns and moods.  I have also painted in a semi-pointillist method, creating texture and color mixtures. I have long been an art enthusiast, from appreciating art masters to producing my own paintings.  I like to use bright colors and bold contrasts in my work, emphasizing and adding to those I see in the world.

I think my paintings tell a story.  I want the viewer to feel the dynamics of the scene.  The noise, movement and animation are all part of the painting.  I want the viewer to sit down with friends at the café, or pick up a paddle to row, or hear the noise of the busy train station. I use light and color to tell my story. I love the contrast created when I place the white of the paper right beside the darkest paint. I travel with a camera. I take photos of my subject from every direction, trying to collect the important information.  I’m never sure from which vantage point will make the best painting!

Dean won a scholarship to and graduated from the Columbus School of Art & Design in Columbus, OH.  His successful international career has been distinguished by groundbreaking achievements and upended stereotypes.  At the age of twenty-three, he became the youngest artist ever accepted into the National Watercolor Society; just five years later he was admitted into the American Watercolor Society.  He holds numerous gold medals from these and other prestigious painting associations worldwide; his awards now number in the hundreds. His work is featured in museums, corporate and private collections throughout the Country. 

At the age of 17 I had my first solo art show. I first studied at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland and then transferred to San Francisco’s Academy of Art University, receiving a B.F.A in Illustration with distinction. Working as a freelance designer and illustrator for several years, I always gravitated towards abstract art. I work primarily with acrylic, watercolor, mixed media and collage on paper, panel and canvas. I am a Nationally Award-winning artist, educator, juror and a Signature Member of several water media societies.  

After earning a degree in Related Art from the University of Wisconsin she worked in fibers for several years. A career as an Art Director in the advertising and design field led to an interest in illustration. Kris utilizes the transparency of watercolor to capture the effects of atmosphere. Kris' computer and camera are integral to her creative process. 

American Artist Watercolor and Watercolor Artist magazine covers have featured Kris’ paintings and articles. Her work has been selected for annual exhibitions and several editions of Splash: The Best of Watercolor, International Artist magazine, and The Art of Watercolour magazine. 

I became a student of art in the early 1980’s while introducing art to my children. My continued interest in art led me to the medium of watercolor. The more I work with watercolor, the more intrigued I become with its many moods. After studying art in several forms for twenty-five years, I can honestly say that I am still a student of art. But now I am teaching watercolor at the Gallery, Fallbrook Art Association.

I grew up in the city of Cologne, Germany. I worked as a graphic artist for four years at one of Germany’s biggest department stores: Kaufhof. In the 90s I picked up the watercolor media and I took some refresher courses at the Mira Costa College in life drawing and for the first time in watercolor with Chris Nugent. Later I studied with Diane Adams. That was the beginning of my water media career. When traveling, I always make sure to have my camera ready to shoot, so I always can use my very own source material, mostly through my photos. I am always ready to activate my camera when I am there, to catch inspiring moments.

Robin Purcell earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with additional studies in Art History, at the University of Connecticut. Her paintings have been exhibited in many prestigious exhibitions including eleven consecutive times in the California Art Club’s Gold Medal Exhibition and four times at the American Watercolor Society International Exhibition. Recent exhibits include On Location in Malibu with the California Art Club, Ode to Spring, Huse/Skelly Gallery and LAPA Waterworks. She was invited to the Laguna Plein Air Painting Invitational in 2019.  

I am a painter and sometimes a printmaker. By happenstance, my career path took me into typesetting and from there into design and creative communication — the graphic arts. In California I was exposed to the California "School" of watercolorists, past and present as well as to the Bay Area Figurative painters. And here too I began painting Plein Air in the legendary light of Southern California.  After managing an in-house creative department for many years I returned to and earned a degree in Studio Art from the University of Mary Washington. My painting medium of choice is watercolor.

I enjoy exaggerating the play of light on objects and creating interesting shadow shapes using a combination of "mingling" luminous colors and transparent glazes. My passion for painting is expressed in the way I take advantage of light patterns, shadows and contrasting values to create a mood. The excitement of capturing a visual experience and transferring it to a sheet of white paper is often intimidating, but the freedom to re-arrange these shapes, images and colors in a composition is exhilarating. My goal is to share my feelings of excitement, freedom of expression and the passion to paint with my students and those who view my paintings.

In college April studied Anthropology and Electrical Engineering, then worked in Electrical & Systems engineering. She believes both the anthropology and systems engineering backgrounds taught her to see the world in an expansive way and from different perspectives. Her paintings have been accepted in over seventy national or international exhibitions. She has been published in three North Light Publishers Best of Acrylic books and one Best of Watercolor book: Splash 19. Rimpo conducts an online Mentorship and teaches watercolor at local venues to beginning and intermediate students. 

Robin Rogers Cloud is a national known Plein Air painter and Associate Professor of Art Saddleback College Emeritus Institute. She holds a degree in Animal Science from Cal Poly State University San Luis Obispo and has done graduate studies in drawing and painting at California State University Long Beach. Robin has won many awards including Henry Fukuhara Award at the Annual Watercolor West International Juried Exhibition 2012, 11th annual Paint San Clemente competition 4th place winner for her artwork and has exhibited in the National Watercolor Society show and participated in San Luis Obispo and Carmel plein air painting festivals.

Joseph’s father bought him his first set of watercolors, and he has been obsessed with the medium ever since. He attended Golden West College (1984-1986) and studied art technique and design while also working in his father's art studio. Joseph started working exclusively in watercolor in the late 80s and, in 1999, started to paint the aged and worn industrial and urban objects that he is known for. He has exhibited his work in over 50 national exhibitions and has won awards in some of the nation's most prestigious watercolor shows, and his work has been featured in national publications, including Southwest Art, The Artist's Magazine, and American Art Collector.

As a renowned architectural artist, Schaller received a Graham Foundation Grant and is a two-time recipient of the Hugh Ferriss Memorial Prize. He has authored three books; the best-selling, and AIA award winner, Architecture in Watercolor (VNR/McGraw Hill) The Art of Architectural Drawing (J.Wiley and Sons), and Thomas W. Schaller, Architect of Light: Watercolor Paintings by a Master (Penguin Random House). He earned a 5-year degree in Architecture from Ohio State University where he received the Alpha Rho Chi Medal. He studied painting at OSU, Schiller College in France, and RISD. His work is collected world-wide and is part of a number of permanent collections. 

I am an abstract artist working in watercolor, acrylic and mixed media. My paintings are organic in nature full of texture and line. I use a spontaneous approach, letting the medium "do its thing" and then apply design principles to bring it together.

My awards include Signature Member San Diego Watercolor Society, Multiple awards – San Diego Watercolor Society, San Diego Watercolor Society International Show, Multiple Best in Shows & Painter of the Year - Coachella Valley Watercolor Society, Best in Show & Judges Award of Excellence - Riverside Date Festival, Best in Show - Coachella Valley Watercolor Society Plein Air Show. 

Indiana artist Jerry Smith has had a life-long interest in art, although opting for a business degree in college.  He began oil painting as a hobby in the early 1970’s, switching to watercolor shortly thereafter. Primarily through self-training and workshop study he left his business career behind and has been a full-time artist since the mid-seventies. Jerry was introduced to plein-air painting in 1976 by Don Stone in Rockport, MA. This trip also inspired a fascination with the painting opportunities offered by the New England coastline and has had a major impact on his work. Annual painting trips to the Maine coast compliment his Indiana landscape painting. 

Mark Smith is an artist with his own view on the world. His distorted translation is applied to a typical architectural structure and brings a unique twist that abstracts it into it’s own perspective. Whatever he chooses as subject matter will be brought to a unique life. Mark paints in watercolor or oil. He is influenced by Thiebaud, Hockney, Escher and Wood. When you’re a kid, art is fun. The lines and colors in his paintings reflect back to those feelings. Images that balance between realism and surrealism set in a realm of playful distortions and unique color combinations. 

Vita was born in Italy and settled in New York where she attended The New York Fashion Institute. In 1979 Vita and her family moved to San Diego and resides in Rancho Bernardo. She has studied with local and International Artists and continues to take workshops whenever she can.  Her first love is watercolor, however, she now also works with different media, such as Acrylic, Gouache, Inks and Collages in order to expand her creativity. Vita’s work has been exhibited in many National and Local Shows and have won numerous awards. Her paintings have been purchased by art collectors from New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Florida, Arkansas, and California.

Susanna received her BFA and MA from Arizona State University and spent three years at The Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. She was an Adjunct teacher from 1980-1995 at the Ringling School of Design in Sarasota, Florida. She is the owner of Susanna Spann Studios and has participated in outdoor Art Festivals from 1969 to present. She has won over 650 awards for drawings and watercolors and worked on over 20 books. Susanna authored "Painting Flowers and Crystal in Watercolor"

My goal is always to capture a feeling of warmth and sunlight in my paintings, and I prefer very saturated color and high contrast.   My work has been featured in the following magazines:  International Artist, Watermedia Focus, The Palette, Watercolor, Watercolor Artist and Watercolor Highlights.  I am fortunate that my paintings have won awards in many national exhibitions, including First Place in the 2014 Watercolor West International Juried Exhibition, and also exhibited in more than ten Watercolor West exhibitions.

I have a degree in Commercial Art and Design. "Tree lined street" is a typical residential street in Western Pennsylvania in late fall. If you notice it from afar and move in to see the details and are surprised to find it is not detailed but a loose energetic piece. Your eye reads cars and trees and houses and hopefully movement from wind. Watercolor on yupo. Painted in a limited palette giving you just enough to determine what it is although it may appear differently to you when you look again and again. I like to let the viewer to finish the details.

Ron Thurston has been in numerous exhibitions and publications and has received many awards.

"Watercolor painting is an exploration of transparent spirit possibilities. Some colors hide as to play a supporting role to others that glow as leaders. If we are lucky these visual combinations of spirits, a little bit spontaneous and a little bit planned will hopefully the make everydayness of life a joyful experience."

A Graduate from Cal State Hayward, B.A. Fine Arts in 1972, Sal is a contemporary plein-air artist and abstract expressionist whose passion for life and art are vividly seen in colorful paintings. Recently, he started painting t-shirts using water soluble dyes. The colors were very vibrant and transparent, which gave him the idea of using them in an abstract format on watercolor paper. Initially, he poured dye on hot-press paper, and using a card like a squeegee, he was able to move the dye around. Later, he began using an airbrush technique on rough watercolor paper, using rags on top of the paper to design his composition. 

David’s architectural training has provided a grounding in many of the aspects that now influence his painting – a simplicity of means and an inherent understanding of perspective, composition, and the play of light. 

"I’ve always sketched and painted to see the world around me more clearly.  Focusing on a subject while painting brings details to life that are normally lost in the visual cacophony bombarding us on a daily basis.  Watercolor allows me to explore these details while at the same time requiring an immediacy that results in a more expressive interpretation of their form and quality."

Liz received B.A. in Art from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. Her love of watermedia painting led her to begin teaching art classes in 2002. She frequently teaches suminagashi marbling, and acrylic/mixed media workshops at Multnomah Art Center, Sitka Center for Art & Ecology, and the Village Gallery of Arts. Liz has found a way to use marbling as an integral part of her painting technique. What lies beneath the painting is the mysterious marbled pattern—only a fraction of which can be seen. 

Kathryn Wedge is an award-winning artist who has exhibited in many regional and international juried shows. Wedge's work is collected by individuals and corporations throughout the United States. Her work has been selected at innumerable exhibitions and received many awards.

Willis is an Artist-in-Residence at Dorland Mountain Arts. "As I was leaving high school, a sympathetic teacher urged me to apply for entry in Pratt Institute School of Art. I was accepted and spent a wondrous year and a half there, then I left school to join the army. As an infantry soldier fighting in Italy, I carried a small sketchbook in my pack. During lulls between battles, I’d put down impressions of what I saw. Some of my paintings have received awards. Quite a few hang in private collections in the U.S.A. and in Europe. In the classes I conduct I attempt to transmit to others the joy of flowing water and pigment applied to paper with a brush." 

Keiko is currently a 30-year resident of the United States. She started her formal training in watercolor at the Houston Museum of Fine Art Glassell School of Art in 2002. Since that time, her artwork has been accepted and won many awards in numerous juried national and international exhibitions. Her paintings have been featured in a variety of watercolor magazines and art books. Keiko is also accomplished in the medium of acrylic and oil, frequently painting large canvases. Her watercolor and acrylic and oil paintings are in private and corporate collections: Keiko shares her experience with other artists by holding classes, giving short-term workshops and conducting critiques.

Stephen Zhang is an accomplished water media artist and design professor with a passion for creating large-scale watercolor paintings that showcase his fluid, expressive, and empathetic style. Born in China, he graduated from Luxun Academy of Fine Arts and received his MFA from the University of North Texas. Stephen is currently an assistant professor in Communication Design at the University of North Texas.  His artwork has received widespread recognition both nationally and internationally, with awards and features in numerous prestigious exhibitions and publications. Stephen's artwork has been exhibited at the US Embassy in Equatorial Guinea.

Tianya Zhou was born in 1973 in Jingzhou, Hubei, China and holds a  Bachelor's Degree from Hubei Institute of Fine Art. He lives and paints in Shenzhen and works as a curator and professional artist of Luohu Cultural Center. He is the founder of Shenzhen International Watercolor Biennial and has won many major awards in national and international exhibitions. He edited several books that have become among China's best-selling watercolor books. His art articles and works also are featured in some international leading magazines, including Watercolor Artist(USA) and The Artist Magazine(USA).