The North East Watercolor Society’s 49th Annual Juried National Exhibition is now open for viewing. Come see these amazing watercolor paintings in person! The exhibition runs October 5th – 25th, at The Gallery at Kent Art Association in Kent, Connecticut. Gallery hours are Thursday – Saturday 1-5 pm and Sundays 12-4 pm.
Last spring I visited New Orleans for the French Quarter Music Festival. My latest watercolor painting is based on one of many photos I took of our trip.
Here is a slide show of my work in progress. As you’ll see, it started as a big mess! I protected the white of the paper with tape and scrap paper. I wanted the transparent colors to show through the background, so I started with bright, bold colors. The background took 5 washes, because I wanted it to be as smooth and even as possible. I think large, even washes are one of the hardest things to master in watercolors! I then worked one area at a time, while protecting the background with scrap paper. Willie’s sign also had many layers of watercolor, as I tried to make it as bright as possible. Painting the wires was last, and the easiest to do!
A big thank you to all my friends, family, and the Glens Falls/Queensbury community for the terrific turn out at my opening last night! It was a great evening!
There’s still time to see my show at the Stone Cottage Gallery! The show runs through October 5th, Thursday – Sunday, 1 pm – 6 pm, at 188 Chestnut Ridge Road, Queensbury, NY.
This Friday, September 26th, 5 pm – 6:30 pm, will be the opening reception of my solo show at the Stone Cottage Gallery! Located at 188 Chestnut Ridge Road, Queensbury, NY, Stone Cottage Gallery is a charming new gallery showcasing local artists. I will have the gallery filled with my transparent watercolors. The show runs the weeks of September 25th – October 5th, Thursday – Sunday, 1pm – 6pm.
It’s time for the 2025 Adirondack Balloon Festival! I will be part of a pop-up art exhibit during the festival. This Friday, September 19th (12-5 pm), and Saturday, September 20th (beginning 7 am, after the balloon launch), the Coffee at the Cottage – Hot Air, Hot Coffee, Fresh Air exhibit will be open at Stone Cottage Farm. Located just two minutes from the airport (188 Chestnut Ridge Road), it’s the perfect stop after the launch, to warm up with some coffee, and see some local artists’ work!
I will have my new Sugar Sacks series watercolor paintings on display for the first time!
I am so honored to announce that my painting, Threads of Friendship, has been awarded 3rd place in the North East Watercolor Society’s 49th Annual Juried National Exhibition! Many thanks to the NEWS Jury of Selection members, and to Soon Y. Warren, Juror of Awards. It is such privilege to be part of this amazing showcase of artists.
The exhibition runs October 5th – 25th, at The Gallery at Kent Art Association in Kent, Connecticut. Gallery hours are Thursday – Saturday 1-5 pm and Sundays 12-4 pm.
This one was a struggle! My latest watercolor painting, entitled Rack ‘Em Up, is based on a photograph I took at the Salmagundi Club, in NYC, earlier this year. The brightly colored, mismatched assortment of pool balls is what drew my eye. The deceptively simple composition was harder than I thought. The shelving perspective, along with the shadows on the pool balls which made the balls look distorted, was a real challenge to draw. Then, three plus weeks into the painting, I made a big mistake. My brush caught into a glob of pure, undiluted, Alizarine Crimson paint. Not knowing, I painted a large swipe of what I thought was a diluted glaze. As anyone who has ever painted in watercolor knows… this was bad. I tried every trick in the book to remove the paint and failed. I tried disguising the smear with additional coats of paint, but was unsuccessful in that as well. Then came the difficult decision to stop. The next week I started over on a new sheet of paper. Finally the painting is completed, and I’m happy to be done with this one!
Below is the final painting and a slide show of the work in progress (for the 2nd round of painting).
More great news this week for my painting, Nostalgia. I just learned I was accepted into the 6th Annual Women in Watercolor International Juried Competition!
“Congratulations! Your painting was one of 276 accepted entries this year out of over 1730 entries from 56 countries, from the best of the best women watercolor artists.”
Thanks to Women in Watercolor and the amazing panel of judges, Lynn D. Pratt, Daniela Werneck, Lana Privitera, Michelle Nixon, Silvia Monge, Lorraine Simonds, Jennifer Annesley, Marie Francoise Ingels, and Reyhan Ardakanian.
Artists Magazine’s Splash 26: The Best of Watercolor is now available in newsstands and online! So exciting to be a part of this amazing watercolor magazine. Many thanks to juror Stephen Zhang and Artists Magazine for selecting Nostalgia to be part of this showcase!
Just received some great news! My painting, Color Burst, has been awarded the Scott Chamberlain Memorial Award (donated by Kristin Chamberlain) in the 13th Annual Green Mountain Watercolor Exhibition! Many thanks to juror Thomas Bucci for the award, and for accepting both Color Burst and Purple Kitsch into the exhibition.
The exhibition opens this weekend in the Red Barn Galleries at Lareau Farm, Route 100, Waitsfield, VT, and runs through July 20th. Gallery hours are Thursday-Friday, 4-9 pm, and Saturday-Sunday, 12-9 pm.
Cindi Handy 