President's Palette

The season has changed and it is bringing us cooler weather, clearer skies and more beautiful things to paint. Our world is changing just like the leaves on the trees. I try to embrace the challenge of change and what I will learn in the process.

One thing that will never change in my life is acknowledging the kindness and generosity of others. Joe Miller, the founder of "Cheap Joe's Art Supplies" was all of that and more. I was fortunate to spend a long afternoon with Joe in Boone, North Carolina just before the COVID pandemic. I got to hear firsthand his many famous, outrageous stories. He was quite a character and very proud of it! I also saw the kindness that he extended to his staff that was reciprocated by all of them with great respect. His path began as a taxidermist, a pharmacist, and then a painter. He told me that it was difficult for artists to get art supplies in Boone so he began selling them in his drug store for a good price. In time he opened his next business, "Cheap Joe's Art Supplies".

Joe had tremendous passion for the arts and artists. The Baltimore Watercolor Society has been the beneficiary of funds from Cheap Joes for awards at our exhibits for years. Joe received many awards for his own artwork and his dedication to promoting and supporting artists. He even created a charitable organization, Brushes for Vincent. It is a charity committed to healing through art by providing free materials to assist artists in crisis, victims of illness or infirmity, and victims of natural disaster.

The Baltimore Watercolor Society has decided to honor Joe by contributing to his charity Brushes for Vincent. If anyone would like to add to this donation, please go to https://bws.wildapricot.org/donate/ and follow the prompts. Please make this donation by Thursday, October 12th. We will send our donation to the charity on October 13th. Please continue to "pay it forward" to the next artist that needs help and support.

The Baltimore Watercolor Society acknowledges excellence, gives art scholarships, hosts watercolor workshops, encourages artists, and respects and honors others that do this. It is who we are. It is what we do.

Keep painting!

Linda Luke
BWS President

2023 Mid-Atlantic Regional Watercolor Exhibition opens October 6

Jim Sandford, Mid-Atlantic Exhibition Chair

It’s here! The 2023 Mid-Atlantic Exhibition opens Friday, October 6 at the Arts Barn and Kentlands Mansion Gallery in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The opening reception and awards presentation for the exhibition will take place on Sunday, November 12, 2023, 2-4pm. The exhibition features the works of 95 watermedia artists from the Mid-Atlantic region, including many of your fellow Baltimore Watercolor Society artists.

Alexis Lavine is delighted to be juror and selector of awards for the 2023 exhibit. She is a signature member of nine watercolor societies, most notably The National Watercolor Society, Watercolor USA Honor Society, and Transparent Watercolor Society of America. She is especially pleased to be a long-time signature and life member of BWS. Honored as one of Watercolor Artist Magazine’s “Ones to Watch,” her paintings have also been published in Splash, The Artistic Touch, and The Palette Magazine. Alexis’ paintings have been exhibited in juried shows across the country and overseas, including The American and National Watercolor Societies, Watercolor USA, Watercolor West, and many others. Here are her reflections on the selection process...

“Judging a large and prestigious competition such as this one is always exciting, fascinating, and humbling. Faced with the task of choosing fewer than 100 paintings from nearly 400 entries made my job very challenging to say the least. The entries encompassed just about every possible subject, technique, and allowable materials. I tried to choose the strongest body of work, and to recognize and include all of those marvelous variations on the theme of watermedia.”... Alexis

2023 Mid-Atlantic Awards

Breaking News! Alexis Lavine, 2023 Mid-Atlantic Juror, has designated awards to twenty-two artists. Awards this year have been generously donated by various sources, totaling over $20,000.00.

Corporate Sponsors
Our twenty-one generous corporate sponsors donated over $9,000.00 in certificates, gift cards and merchandise. In addition to an award, Princeton Brush, Dr. Ph. Martin's, Hahnemuhle and Silver Brush provided merchandise for samples and door prizes. American Frame has set up a special offer for BWS members.

Memorial
BWS is very grateful to two long-term donors, Sharon Longley, who donates every year in memory of her husband, Edward Longley; and Susan Churchill, who along with Michael Eddy, donates the full amount of the Gold Award in memory of her husband, David Churchill.

In addition to the above, memorial awards were donated in memory of artists Alberta Lasham, Alice Webb, Harold Walpert, Robert Dansky, Ginny (Virginia) Baier, Joan Watkins Hoffsommer and Rick Bradley.

Other Watercolor Societies (Reciprocals)
The Mid-Atlantic region is very supportive of watercolor artists, each state has at least one watercolor society, and all of the societies have prize giving exhibitions. Baltimore Watercolor Society reciprocates awards with Delaware Watercolor Society, International Society of Experimental Artists, New Jersey Watercolor Society, Pennsylvania Watercolor Society, Philadelphia Watercolor Society, Pittsburgh Watercolor Society, and the Potomac Valley Watercolorists. We recognize each other’s support by funding awards in each other’s primary exhibition.

Special Discount Offer for Members!

American Frame, 2023 BWS corporate sponsor, has instituted a new discount program for BWS members called the Alliance Program (see their ad in this newsletter). This is an automatic 10% member discount on any purchase with no minimum purchase requirement.

To sign up for the Alliance Program, scroll down to the bottom of the American Frame website home page, click on “Resource” and “Discount.” Complete the form, which includes a drop-down menu item to select BWS. You only have to fill out the form one time and it will be linked to every order. The discount will automatically be applied each time the member returns to make a purchase, unless the member chooses to take advantage of a different temporary offer. No matter the discount applied, BWS will earn points each time a member makes a purchase. Accumulated points will determine the value of next year’s award donation. It’s a win for members shopping for quality frames, and a win for BWS!

Other Art Organizations' Call for Entry

The Columbia Art Center
Annual Color Columbia Paint Out 
For Artists Who Love Plein Aire Painting
October 21, 2023
Learn more and register at:
https://columbiaassociation.org/community-program/columbia-art-center/pleinair/ 

Membership

Welcome New Associate Members

Jackie Graves, Catonsville, MD
Susan Henn, Annapolis, MD
Deidre Pistochini, Springfield, VA
Alexandra Treadaway-Hoare, Silver Spring, MD

In Memoriam

Hazel Camp, Newport News, VA

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