The 2024 North East Watercolor Society Members’ Exhibition is now on view in Orange Hall Gallery through March 15. The excellent quality of the 74 works as well as how they are framed and displayed visually convey the standard set by the organization.
The versatility of this transparent and semi-transparent medium is demonstrated by the still lifes, genre paintings, land and seascapes, in styles from photo-realistic to semi-abstracts with variations of loose to detailed techniques.
The reception at which awards will be presented will take place on Saturday, February 3 (snowdate Sunday, February 4) from 1 to 4:15 p.m. Pianist Geoff Hamburg will start off the afternoon event at 1 p.m. by playing classical and contemporary music including a few pieces composed by himself. Then, at 1:15 p.m. a break will be taken for the presentation of awards by Janet Campbell, president of NEWS and Tom Hedderich, exhibit chair. Following awards reception attendees will be free to view the artworks and enjoy the refreshments.
Promptly, at 2:30 p.m., award-winning watercolorist and exhibit juror/judge, Hema Gupta, will give an hour-long demonstration, Painting a Street Scene En Plein Air.
As she paints, she will explain her “goal of capturing the mood and essence of a place or person in a manner that evokes an emotional response from the viewer.” Her plein air paintings show a loose, free, very transparent use of the medium. In addition to her live painting, she will reference the paintings in her 37-piece solo show, Watercolor Expressions: My Explorations in Landscapes and Portraits, on the wall of Orange Hall Gallery Fringe.
Please note: The reception, demonstration and exhibits are free and open to the public. Free parking is available in the lot #1 which is adjacent to Orange Hall at the corner of Wawayanda and Grandview Avenues, (GPS: 24 Grandview Ave.) on the Middletown campus of SUNY Orange. The winners of the 2024 North East Watercolor Society Members’ Exhibition are:
Best in Show: Pumpkin Peak by Alonzo Clarke
Elaine M. Garvin Memorial Award: Today’s Blooms by Christine Verga Maday
Excellence: Trastevere by Cindi Handy
Excellence: Rainy Morning on the Marsh by Leslie Waxtel
Excellence: Picnic for One by Lana Privitera
Honorable Mention: Lil’ Rusty by Ciro Attardo
Honorable Mention: Sunny Riverwalk Serenade by Gina T. Judy