Affiliations: 

American Watercolor Society  -  Signature Artist Member

Kentucky Watercolor Society  -  Signature Artist Member

International Society of Experimental Artists

Awards and Exhibitions:

American Watercolor Society - 151st International Exhibition Traveling Show 2018

American Watercolor Society - 151st International Exhibition 2018 Juror of Selection

American Watercolor Society - 151st International Exhibition 2018

American Watercolor Society - 150th International Exhibition 2017

American Watercolor Society - 149th International Exhibition 2016

American Watercolor Society - 148th International Exhibition 2015

American Watercolor Society - 147th International Exhibition 2014

California Watercolor Society - 43rd National Exhibit (catalog cover)

American Watercolor Society - 145th International Exhibition 2012 - Paul B. Remmey, AWS, Memorial Award - traveling show

Louisiana River Road Show,  First Place

Kentucky Watercolor Society – Aqueous USA (2001,2002,2003)

     Traveling Show Award (2001)

International Society of Experimental Artists, Innovative 2D GDP Studios Award

Indiana Heritage Arts Juried Competition
     (2002,2001,2000,1999,1998,1997,1996,1995,1994)
     Purchase Award for Painting: (1997, 1996)
     Honorable Mention: (1996 )
     Water Media Bronze Medal (2002)

Southside Art League Regional Exhibition (2000,2001)
     Honorable Mention: (2000) (2001)

Brown County Art Gallery Patron Show
     1st Place (2000)

Watercolor Society of Indiana Membership Show

 St.Louis Artists'Guild – Aqueous Solution (2001)

I was featured in:

     Watercolor Magic 2002 Creative Challenge #2

     Watercolor Artist August 2012 edition - article entitled "Watercolor Essentials"

Tips

For many years I worked in a realistic style of watercolor before I started to experiment with, and then devoted myself to, abstract art. I fell in love with it and it opened up so many avenues that I could not otherwise reach. What I learned from changing styles is that both my work and I have grown bolder and freer. It gives me a sense of delight and accomplishment. The process of painting is the best part and I enjoy the journey. Experimenting makes me use all kind of man made textures and materials. Here are a few tips that I have found to be helpful and fun.

The two best watercolor papers to use for this method: Rives BFK and Strathmore Aquarius II, because they lay flat when wet and dry.

A "safe" palette to use is analogous colors.

To save some white areas of the paper, iron onto the dry watercolor paper (with a dry iron and not too hot) torn shapes of freezer paper (shiny side down). Or use white paper coffee filters torn or cut in shapes, human forms, leaves etc., placing these on the watercolor paper and then brushing the filters with water so they "stick" to the paper. Or place torn pieces of Saran wrap on "wet" watercolor paper to save the whites (remove all shapes from the paper after your paint is dry).

Buy empty 2 oz. spray bottles and spray tube watercolors (diluted with water), liquid watercolors, or liquid water based inks on your watercolor paper. Use these in place of brushes.

Use these same spray bottles filled with paint or inks and spray through things such as stenciled letters and numbers, homemade stencils or anything else you can find to spray through such as craft rug hooking, flyswatters, cheesecloth, netting, lace doilies, etc.

Place waxed paper (crumpled and flattened) or bubble wrap (bubble side down) into very wet paint areas for texture (let paint dry before removing). Or use your "old" clothes dryer fabric sheets, pressing and rolling them into your wet painting for texture.

Make stencils from file folders, scrap mat board, or old X-ray film sheets and spray through them. Also, you can make stamps using fun foam glued to blocks of wood, or carve vinyl pencil erasers or purchase soft blocks. Try using pizza cardboards in all sizes, spraying around for circles.

On the nearly finished dry painting, you can enhance it with colored pencils, gold leaf or webbing spray by Krylon in gold (4oz. cans) . Use oil pastels and rub these on your painting. Use blue painters' tape and stick down on the dry painting in a form such as a "V" rub the oil pastel in the "V" area and then rub with odorless turpenoid on a paper towel to smooth it out. Remove tape. Use turpenoid in the same manner to same manner to smooth colored pencil areas.

Very thin white oriental rice paper such as "Unryu" can be laid on waxed paper in small to medium pieces and painted or sprayed with watercolor in different color and let dry. Remove from waxed paper. Use the rice paper pieces as collage in a nearly finished painting using gloss medium with varnish thinned with water as glue. I have zip sandwich bags of different colors of rice papers ready to collage with.