MTWS Watermedia 2003

The 21th annual national juried exhibit sponsored by MTWS opened September 30-October26, 2003 at the BigFork Cultural Center in BigFork, MT.

Carole Barnes of Boulder , Colorado is a nationally known watermedia artist and instructor. A graduate of Penn State University in art education, she holds signature membership in the American Watercolor Society and the National Watercolor Society. Her works have won over fifty awards in national shows and have appeared in acrylic and watercolor books and periodicals. She frequently juries national as well as state and regional art shows and was chosen ‘Acrylic Teacher of the Year’ by American Artist magazine. Carole has taught creative watermedia workshops throughout the United States and Canada for thirty years. As an instructor she challenges her students to capture the essence of the subject. Artists are encouraged to stretch their ideas in new directions through new ways of painting, seeing, and creating. Her workshops, in addition to demonstrating techniques to build paintings in intuitive/experimental ways, show how composition and design play crucial roles in both abstract and representational work.

The 21st annual national juried exhibit took place September 30th through October 27th at the Bigfork Art and Cultural Center (BACC). It was a memorable show that generated many favorable comments from the numerous attendees.

Our juror Carole Barnes chose 75 paintings out of 279 entries from 130 artists. Artists from 27 states were represented in the show including thirty from Montana .

Carole Barnes selected the show award winners including the top Gold and Medallion Award and Vicky Campbell chose the President’s Award. Merit and merchandise prizes totaled over $5000 and included a Nancy Beelman Award, a memorial to our past president courtesy of her husband Dale Beelman. We are grateful to Dale and to all the merchants who contributed prizes and hope that our members will show appreciation by patronizing them in return. A complete list of the merchants and winners appears below.

I want to especially thank Bob Lindborg who worked hard to put together a beautiful prospectus followed by a catalog for Watermedia 2003; he also made beautiful mat board award plaques and name labels for the paintings.

Thanks also to the folks at BACC, especially Marnie Forbis who unpacked, hung, and re-packed the paintings as well as put on a wonderful reception for MTWS. It was a big, big job and they did it very well.

The Carole Barnes Workshop was attended by 24 artists, most of whom thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Experimenting with acrylics took many beyond their normal realm of creativity with stunning results. It was an adventure. I often entered the hall to find 24 people so wrapped up in their work that there wasn’t a whisper to be heard. Carole called that intensity, “being in your creative bubble.” The awards banquet was also a great time together with forty people attending. Everyone present contributed as either buyer or donor to the silent art auction. This money goes toward the watermedia prizes that are awarded each year by the society.

I was pleased with the good reception of the publicity postcards MTWS had printed for this show. Some artists requested batches ranging from 10 to 100. In fact, I had to ration them. For next year we will print them using a painting from the current rather that a past show. Modern Postcard can do the entire job in two weeks, making that quite possible.

The MTWS 22nd Annual National Juried Art Exhibition is October 5 -October 30 at the Bigfork Art and Cultural Center , Bigfork, MT. Juror of selection and awards is Jan L. Hart. The workshop description will be found on the Watermedia 2004 page soon.

Watermedia 2003 Opening

October 3 Friday 5:00pm BigFork Art & Cultural Center

Gallery Talk with Carole Barnes, Juror

Carole Barnes Workshop

Some Carolisms…

Set up a course of study for yourself for painting.

Smaller size paintings may sell better 12”x12” 14”14”

Work in a series

Give yourself an Essence word and a Caution word
or have a friend give one to you.
These will change as your painting style changes.

Think about Who Be You?

Longing makes the most successful paintings

In critiquing, don’t say what you think it is,
ask them to “Tell me about it!”

It is done when you can sell it but you want to keep it!

“Sign it and get out!”

MTWS Awards Banquet and Art Auction

MTWS General Membership Meeting

Please remember to patronize and to thank these merchants for their support of our Society.
The merchants who contributed prizes for Watermedia 2003 are:

Watermedia 2003

Watermedia 2003 Chairman: Jean Triol PO Box 367 Somers, MT 59932 406-857-3150 e-mail: jeantrio@digisys.net

Watermedia 2003 Opening

Carole Barnes Workshop

MTWS Awards Banquet and Art Auction

MTWS General Membership Meeting

Watermedia 2003 Chairman:

Jean Triol
PO Box 367
Somers, MT 59932
406-857-3150
e-mail: jeantrio@digisys.net