“Walk Down the Street”- 148th Annual Exhibition of the American Watercolor Society
Sometimes you need to take a chance. One of my personal goals as an artist is to submit paintings to the top yearly watercolor shows. It’s fun to see how your work stacks against the top names in the industry. It’s frustrating when you do not get accepted in the show and think- “I just wasted $xx.xx entering this show.”
Rejections are what help me grow as an artist. I experience a little bit of anger. How could the juror not seen the “brilliance” in the piece? How could they not have “seen” my vision? Arrggh (in my Jack Sparrow voice).
Most show entries include a catalog of accepted paintings- including award winners. I study these catalogs later, trying to think why the juror chose certain paintings- analyzing compositions/colors.
Last week I noticed a lot of posts on facebook by artist friends. Their work had been accepted in the 148th Annual International Watercolor Exhibition of the American Watercolor Society. The AWS show is the most prestigious watercolor show in the USA- and entire world. You are allowed to enter one painting a year. I was entry #4005 or something, and this was several days before entries close. The show only displays 150 or so paintings- you can estimate my chances…
I hate it when fb friends start posting acceptances about shows I entered: especially if I have not been notified. This means they were notified of acceptance in the show. And if I was not notified of acceptance in the show before they were….
…well, you get that email/letter a little later. 🙁
Usually bad news.
I went to the AWS website and tried to find a list of accepted artists. No luck.
Then logged in to the AWS system.
I still can not believe it. My name was on the accepted list (see below):
2015–2016 EXHIBITORS
| Anne Abgott, AWS | Henrieta Maneva |
| Jennifer Annesley | James Maria |
| Ali Aryan, AWS* | Daniel Marshall |
| Denise Athanas, AWS | Antonio Masi, AWS |
| Mike Bailey, AWS* | Jinnie May |
| Linda Baker, AWS | Mick McAndrews |
| Ferenc Besze | Laurin McCracken, AWS |
| Glenn Blue | James McFarlane, AWS |
| Manon Boisvert | Jeannie McGuire, AWS |
| Denny Bond, AWS | Lynn McLain, AWS |
| Elaine Bowers | Pam McLaughlin |
| Cindy Brabec-King | Carol McSweeney, AWS* |
| Betty Brown | Mark Mehaffey, AWS |
| Chica Brunsvold, AWS | Robert Mesrop |
| J Henderer Burns | Joe Miller, AWS |
| Dan Burt, AWS | Dean Mitchell, AWS |
| Jim Camann, AWS | Jean-Luc Mossion |
| Sally Cataldo, AWS | Robert Nardolillo |
| Cheng-Khee Chee, AWS | Barbara Nechis, AWS |
| Chung-Wei Chien | Bob Noreika, AWS* |
| Barbara Jeffery Clay, AWS | Elaine Nunnally |
| Kathleen Conover, AWS | Robert O’Brien, AWS |
| Guy Corriero, AWS | Carla O’Connor, AWS |
| Tony Couch | Catherine O’Neill, AWS |
| Elaine Daily-Birnbaum, AWS | Thomas Owen, AWS |
| Don Dalton | Kris Parins |
| Walt Davis, AWS* | Monika Pate, AWS* |
| Pat Dews, AWS | Ann Pember, AWS |
| Frank Eber, AWS | Carole Pickle, AWS |
| Howard Eberle, AWS | Carlton Plummer, AWS |
| Debra Edgerton, AWS | Joel Popadics, AWS |
| L. S. Eldridge, AWS | Stephen Quiller, AWS |
| Robin Erickson, AWS | Steve Rogers, AWS |
| Cindy Evans | William Rogers |
| Andrew Evansen, AWS* | Chuck Rouse, AWS* |
| Cheryl Fausel | John Salminen, AWS |
| Z. L. Feng, AWS | Lois Sanders |
| Francesco Fontana | Prafull Sawant |
| JoAnn Formia | Lynn Schilling |
| Ryan Fox | Diane Schmidt, AWS |
| Frank Francese | Ong Kim Seng, AWS |
| Karen Frey, AWS* | F. Charles Sharpe, AWS |
| Leslie Frontz, AWS | Edwin Shuttleworth, AWS |
| Carol Frye, AWS* | David Smith |
| Louis Gadal, AWS | Jerry Smith, AWS |
| Qian Gao, AWS* | Sue St. John, AWS* |
| Jack Garver, AWS | Robert Steinmetz, AWS |
| Vi Gassman, AWS* | Iain Stewart |
| Jean Gill, AWS | Ron Stocke, AWS* |
| Ken Goldman, AWS* | Eileen Sudzina |
| Frederick Graff, AWS | Tan Suz Chiang |
| Jean Grastorf, AWS | Linda Thomas |
| Lane Hall | Susannah Thomer, AWS |
| Susan Hanssen | Gerry Thompson |
| Kiff Holland, AWS | Ron Thurston, AWS |
| Stephen Holland | Zhou Tianya, AWS |
| William Hook | Donald Van Horn, AWS |
| Xiao Xing Hu | William Vrscak, AWS |
| Hsiao-Hui Huang | Myrna Wacknov, AWS |
| Peter Jablokow | Carrie Waller |
| George James, AWS | Frank Webb, AWS |
| Russell Jewell | Susan Weintraub |
| Kim Johnson, AWS | Jennifer Wharton |
| Marilyn King | Stewart White, AWS |
| Chandler Kissell | John Wilkison, AWS* |
| Mike Kowalski | Jarrod Wilson |
| Christine Krupinski, AWS | Vladislav Yeliseyev |
| Alexis Lavine | Choon Seng Yeoh |
| Law Wai Hin, AWS | Sarah Yeoman |
| Deanne Lemley, AWS | Barbara Yoerg |
| Doug Lew | Donna Zagotta, AWS |
| Steven Lush | Steve Zazenski, AWS* |
Wow. My painting was accepted.
Though I have had success with regional and state shows, I never, ever, expected to get into AWS. Especially the third year I entered.
I would like to thank many of the artists on this list- many whom I have studied under via magazines, books, YouTube, internet, or workshop (thanks Iain and John for instruction in your workshops). Your teachings on subjects, compositions, and colors helped guide my work. Though you may not have known it, I am indebted you in many ways and honored to be included with your names in such a prestigious event.
Sincerely,
Ryan Fox
WSNC Signature Member
www.rfoxphoto.com
(919) 645-8345
ryan@rfoxphoto.com
P.S.- My other two entries were terrible! No wonder I was rejected.
Keep painting people- your master piece is coming.
