Aqua Activated Watercolor and Gouache
Online Exhibition
December 6, 2020 to January 6, 2021
Cover artwork appears courtesy of artists. Top right: Warner LeMénager L–R: Karen Winters, Peter McDonald L–R: Tsvetelina Valkov, Ken Weintrub, Katherine Kean L–R: Rebecca H. Pollack, Leah Knecht, Kathleen Swaydan Copyright held by artist. All rights reserved. Cover Design by Karen Hochman Brown
Aqua Activited
Watercolor and Gouache An Online Exhibition December 6, 2020 – January 6, 2021 at ISSUU.com Definitions:
Wa·ter·col·or | (British watercolour)
noun (also watercolors) artists’ paint made with a water-soluble binder such as gum arabic, and thinned with water rather than oil, giving a transparent color: “a self-portrait in watercolor.” [count noun] : the technique involved the in use of watercolors. • a picture painted with watercolors. • the art of painting with watercolors, especially using a technique of producing paler colors by diluting rather than by adding white.
Gouache
noun a method of painting using opaque pigments ground in water and thickened with a gluelike substance. • opaque watercolor of the type used in gouache painting. • a picture painted using the gouache method.
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President’s Message Welcome to our first virtual watercolor/gouache exhibition, “Aqua Activated,” which includes the works of approximately 20% of our artist membership. A number of these artists have mastered other media. In many exhibitions, artists take pride in being selected by fine jurors; however, in this exhibition, the artists have selected their own entries. PSA regularly offers “artist choice” shows. My only experience with watercolor was in college, studying with the late George Tsutakawa of Seattle. He was a fine painter, yet well recognized for his bronze fountains. Mr. Tsutakawa suggested that we be patient and mindful as we approach a watercolor. He encouraged us to feel the water, and to touch the fine bristles of the brush and the paper. He was both deliberate and spontaneous, yet he stayed in the moment. I would like to share what other artists have said about watercolor: * Andrew Wyeth - “The only virtue to it, is to put down an idea about what you feel at the moment.” * Frank LaLumia (California watercolorist) - “Being in sync with watercolor requires a confident hand and a willingness to be on the razor’s edge. If you crash and burn, so what? Surely, playing it safe won’t take you where you want to be.” * Sharon Crosbie - “Water supports all our endeavors, from the simple task of making paint flow, to sustaining life.” * David Hockney - “With watercolor, you can’t cover up the marks. There’s the story of the construction of the picture, and then the picture might tell another story as well.” * Henri Matisse, known for his expressions in watercolor and gouache – “Creativity takes courage.” The artists represented in this exhibition reflect the values of the Pasadena Society of Artists: “the standard will be high and only work of real merit will be accepted” (PSA founding members, 1925). These artists are courageous and push the limits of creativity. I am pleased to be a member of this prestigious organization of fine artists, kind and gentle people. Thank you for visiting our exhibition. Victor Picou PSA President 2013-2021
About PSA Founded in 1925, the Pasadena Society of Artists is one of the area’s original professional artist groups. The Society is noted for its vigorous, active membership, wide diversity of artistic statement, and high professional standards. Membership is by juried submission. PSA is a non-profit organization whose mission is to present the works of its many talented and creative artists to the community of Pasadena and surrounding areas. Combining an active tradition of community participation and partnering with local community arts organizations, as well as philanthropic, humanitarian and educational institutions, PSA endeavors to enhance public awareness of art and the enriching qualities it brings to our lives. For more information about PSA, please visit www.PasadenaSocietyofArtists.org
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Table of Contents President’s Message & About PSA Table of Contents & Directory of Artists Marion Dies Darien Donner Katherine Kean Katherine Kean Leah Knecht Leah Knecht Warner LeMénager Warner LeMénager Peter McDonald Peter McDonald Rebbeca H. Pollack Rebbeca H. Pollack Kathleen Swaydan Kathleen Swaydan Barbara Thorn Barbara Thorn Tsvetelina Valkov Tsvetelina Valkov Ken Weintrub Ken Weintrub Karen Winters Contact the Artist PSA Board of Directors Catalog Production Team Call For New Members
Directory of Artists 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
The Pasadena Society of Artists wishes to acknowledge and thank the Jeanne Ward Foundation for its continuing support. The Pasadena Society of Artists wishes to acknowledge and thank the Pasadena Arts League for its support.
Marion Dies Morning Looking Upriver
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Darien Donner Old Cat Who Fought for a Sacred Space
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Katherine Kean Four Trees Storm Field
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Leah Knecht Bird of Paradise Camellia
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Warner LeMénager Autopsy of a Wind-Up Toy Car Seagull Reflections Peter McDonald In Flight Under the Pier
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Rebbeca H. Pollack House in Mazatlán Street in Mazatlán Kathleen Swaydan Sunlit Barrel Sycamore in the Arroyo
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Barbara Thorn Apricot Blossoms & Friend My Favorite Poppy
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Tsvetelina Valkov California Grown–Red California Grown–Yellow
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Ken Weintrub Solstice Stolen Moments Karen Winters Determination
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Morning Looking Upriver Marion Dies
Gouache on Watercolor Paper 11" x 11" NFS Drinking my morning coffee outdoors on the river bank at our cabin in the San Bernardino mountains, I noticed that the morning light creates a glow that silhouettes the alder trees upriver. I started the initial drawing, but left it unattended for a bit, and when I went back out, a gust of wind had blown the whole watercolor pad into the river. I was able to retrieve it and dry it out for another morning. I had to get up early enough to be painting by 8 am to capture the specific lighting conditions I had seen. Even by 9:15 am, the light was past the point that I wanted to capture.
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Click here to contact artist or for additional contact information visit page 25.
Old Cat Who Fought for a Sacred Space Darien Donner Watercolor 6" x 18" $245
Connie’s pet Old Cat was dying. Knowing that her cat was not going to be with her for much longer, she decided to welcome a new kitten into her home. As soon as the new kitten arrived, Old Cat gathered all its strength to chase the new kitten around to protect its space. Old Cat needed space for dying. The kitten was given no other choice but to cling to the curtains, which allowed Old Cat to depart undisturbed. From the series “Memorable Stories From the Infinite and Infinitesimal.”
Click here to contact artist or for additional contact information visit page 25.
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Four Trees Katherine Kean
Watercolor 15" x 11" NFS A bend on the path of the Angeles National Forest’s Switzer Falls trail revealed an intriguing geometry of trees and trunks straddling the creek. I was fascinated by the light filtering through the leafy canopy, presenting sparkling hues of green, contrasted with soothing, shadowed violets. My paintings aim to capture these fleeting moments in time and reveal the serene center that can arise in nature’s midst.
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Click here to contact artist or for additional contact information visit page 25.
Storm Field Katherine Kean
Watercolor 30" x 22" NFS As a painter, I seek moments of breath-taking transition in nature: a gathering of clouds or changing tides, times when the elements of the landscape combine with the alchemy of imagination to illuminate the world of heightened mood and sensation. My paintings aim to capture these fleeting moments in time and reveal the serene center that can arise in the midst of nature’s turbulence.
Click here to contact artist or for additional contact information visit page 25.
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Bird of Paradise Leah Knecht
Watercolor 6" x 6" $100 This is a little still life of a flower from my yard. I occasionally do watercolors as a way to relax, and to keep my skills from atrophying.
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Click here to contact artist or for additional contact information visit page 25.
Camellia Leah Knecht
Watercolor 6" x 6" $100 This is a still life from one of my many camellia bushes, which are ancient. We lost about four of the bushes due to a garage fire, so I treasure the ones we still have. Watercolor is such a fun and quick medium for me, unlike my usual fine art, which is more complicated and time-consuming.
Click here to contact artist or for additional contact information visit page 25.
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Autopsy of a Wind-up Toy Car Warner LeMĂŠnager
Gouache with Acrylic Media on Matte Board 15" x 20" NFS While studying at Art Center I had many unusual projects; this was one of them. It was to be a wind-up toy (not necessarily a car). In the presentation few but definite elements were to be incorporated; those being a complete overview and a semblance of the motion the toy would make. This cheap little toy today sits next to my computer; orange in color with a red wind-up key sticking out the back. This item is not for sale; I like it and the little toy I see every day reminds me of years far back when my studies were water-based paints for depicting architecture. Gouache and acrylic media could be used to stabilize the illustration. I painted this on matte board since I didn’t want to paint the whole background brown.
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Click here to contact artist or for additional contact information visit page 25.
Seagull Reflections Warner LeMĂŠnager
Watercolor on Arches 300# Cold Press Paper 8" x 19.5" NFS After my studies at Art Center, where my painting became extremely tight and detailed, I felt I was no longer using watercolor as an art form. Thus I tried for a while to loosen it up. I went to a local artist, Robert Uecker (1929-2005), a well-known painter at the time, to help me with my dilemma. He wasn’t from a strict form of watercolor prep (and the best materials) that I was used to; I was going to have to give up more than just my tightness. A fine artist, I admired his work, but not his technique. I went out on my own and this is an early attempt to break loose and may be the only piece I have left. This is not for sale since I have so few pieces of artwork from my artist days left; fine or crude. Click here to contact artist or for additional contact information visit page 25.
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In Flight Peter McDonald
Watercolor with Ink 18" x 24" $980 I dreamed as a boy of flying like the birds; more than fifty years later I cried watching a trapeze artist fly in circles at the end of an almost invisible cable. Today I know something is shifting in my art when I begin to paint aerial views as I did with “In Flight.” I have attempted to capture the freedom of birds sweeping and soaring on unseen currents. The change? That’s another painting.
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Click here to contact artist or for additional contact information visit page 25.
Under the Pier Peter McDonald
Watercolor with Ink 18" x 24" $1100 I love Santa Monica Pier, but not only for the merry-go-round, the stalls, the crowds and the cacophony of sound and color. One day a friend took me below the pier and opened my eyes to the eternal drama being played out there: the push and pull of the Pacific Ocean against the steadfast, resistant wooden piles. Every minute is different than the next with the ebb and flow of the tides and, alas, the ever-changing flotsam. Hopefully, this painting is worth a thousand words. Click here to contact artist or for additional contact information visit page 25.
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House in Mazatlรกn Rebecca H. Pollack
Watercolor on Arches Cold Press Paper 7.75" x 10.5" NFS My watercolor paintings are an exploration of color and pattern. I photograph all of my own reference material as I walk, hike, and absorb my urban and natural surroundings. I enjoy the vibrancy and subtlety of the medium. Occasionally, I paint layers of watercolor over my etchings and linocuts.
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Click here to contact artist or for additional contact information visit page 25.
Street in Mazatlรกn Rebecca H. Pollack
Watercolor on Arches Cold Press Paper 7.75" x 10.5" NFS I love wandering about and capturing images that speak to me along the way. It is like my own private treasure hunt. The moment of clarity can be in the detail of an insect wing, rusted metal, or soft light emanating from a window. Walking along the back streets of Mazatlรกn bathed me in a symphony of color. This is a watercolor of one of those streets.
Click here to contact artist or for additional contact information visit page 25.
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Sunlit Barrel Kathleen Swaydan
Watercolor on Paper 11.25" x 13.25" $225 I am a studio artist. My art focuses primarily on realistic still life and landscape paintings. I work in several media depending on the subject at hand. My art, whether watercolor, pastel, oil or graphite, is influenced by the ancient Greek and Roman tradition of landscape and still life paintings frequently found on the walls of guest quarters in private domiciles such as those found in Pompeii. These images provided a private devotional area and visual banquet for the guests and evoked an impression of hospitality and generosity. This ancient tradition is the undertone of my artwork. “Sunlit Barrel� was painted en plein air on a sunny summer day in the late afternoon. The setting was backlit by the sun, which gave a soft, glowing quality to the barrel and foliage.
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Click here to contact artist or for additional contact information visit page 25.
Sycamore in the Arroyo Kathleen Swaydan
Watercolor on Paper 14.25" x 11.25" $255 I am a studio artist. My art focuses primarily on realistic still life and landscape paintings. I work in several media depending on the subject at hand. My art, whether watercolor, pastel, oil or graphite, is influenced by the ancient Greek and Roman tradition of landscape and still life paintings frequently found on the walls of guest quarters in private domiciles such as those found in Pompeii. These images provided a private devotional area and visual banquet for the guests and evoked an impression of hospitality and generosity. This ancient tradition is the undertone of my artwork. “Sycamore in the Arroyo� was painted en plein air on a hot summer morning. In the painting, I tried to capture the glow of the sycamore leaves and the shadows cast by both leaves and trunk. Both the sycamore and the Pasadena bridge in the background are synonymous with Pasadena. This location is a favorite of plein air painters.
Click here to contact artist or for additional contact information visit page 25.
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Apricot Blossoms & Friend Barbara Thorn Watercolor 15" x 18" $395
This hummingbird was painted from a photograph that my friend took in her lovely backyard. She is an excellent photographer and sells her photographs online and in craft shows.
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Click here to contact artist or for additional contact information visit page 25.
My Favorite Poppy Barbara Thorn
Watercolor 15" x 18" $385 I love painting flowers and the Matilija poppy is one of my favorites. I have a bush in my front yard and have painted this flower several times. I feel this is one of my best.
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California Grown – Red Tsvetelina Valkov
Watercolor Monoprint 24" x 18" $380 This is a watercolor painting on a plexiglass plate, transferred once to Magnani Pescia paper with a printmaking press.
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Click here to contact artist or for additional contact information visit page 25.
California Grown – Yellow Tsvetelina Valkov
Watercolor Monoprint 24" x 18" $380 This is a watercolor painting on a plexiglass plate, transferred once to Magnani Pescia paper with a printmaking press.
Click here to contact artist or for additional contact information visit page 25.
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Solstice Ken Weintrub
Watercolor 18" x 24" $175 Even in Southern California there are seasons and the transition from autumn to winter is not the harsh one that one can experience in other climates. It is the transition from warmth to touches of coolness and from bright color to an infinite variety of subtle neutrals.
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Click here to contact artist or for additional contact information visit page 25.
Stolen Moments Ken Weintrub
Watercolor 15" x 22" $175 This painting is about those colorful moments that we have to consciously make time and room for in our lives. They can be large or small, covert or out in the open, but they add spice and variety to our existence and so they should be sought out and treasured.
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Determination Karen Winters
Watercolor 21" x 28" $1700 A watercolor portrait of a strong, determined woman.
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Click here to contact artist or for additional contact information visit page 25.
Contact the Artist Marion Dies marion.dies@gmail.com www.pasadenasocietyofartists.com Artist Profile FB: Marion.dies.1 IG: @marionsilverlake Darien Donner dariendonner@gmail.com www.pasadenasocietyofartists.com Artist Profile Katherine Kean katherine@katherinekean.com FB: KatherineKeanFineArt IG: @katherinekean_art TW: KatherineKean
www.katherinekeanfineart.com
Leah Knecht leah@leahknecht-art.com www.leahknecht-art.com FB: leah.knecht.3 IG: @leahknecht Warner LeMĂŠnager ilmigliore@earthlink.net www.pasadenasocietyofartists.com Artist Profile Peter McDonald
petermcdonaldart@gmail.com www.pasadenasocietyofartists.com Artist Profile
Rebbeca H. Pollack beckpollack@hotmail.com www.pasadenasocietyofartists.com Artist Profile FB: Rebecca Pollack IG: @beckpollack Kathleen Swaydan kdswaydan@gmail.com FB: kathleen.swaydan IG: @kswaydan
www.KathleenSwaydan.com
Barbara Thorn betotto@gmail.com www.pasadenasocietyofartists.com Artist Profile Tsvetelina Valkov lozenez1@yahoo.com www.pasadenasocietyofartists.com Artist Profile FB: Tsvetelina Valkov Ken Weintrub
kweintrub@gmail.com www.kenweintrub.com
Karen Winters karen@karenwinters.com www.karenwinters.com FB: karen.winters IG: @Kwintt
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Pasadena Society of Artists Board of Directors 2020 - 2021 President: Victor Picou President@PasadenaSocietyofArtists.org Executive Vice President: Robert Asa Crook VicePresident@PasadenaSocietyofArtists.org Vice President - Exhibitions: Lawrence D. Rodgers Exhibitions@PasadenaSocietyofArtists.org Recording Secretary: Rhonda Raulston Secretary@PasadenaSocietyofArtists.org Treasurer: Kathleen Swaydan Admin@PasadenaSocietyofArtists.org Director of Communications: Debbi Swanson Patrick News@PasadenaSocietyofArtists.org Director of Grants: Kruti Shah Grants@PasadenaSocietyofArtists.org Director of History & Archives: Robert Asa Crook Historian@PasadenaSocietyofArtists.org Director of Membership: Marion Dies Membership@PasadenaSocietyofArtists.org Director of Programs: Patricia Jessup-Woodlin Programs@PasadenaSocietyofArtists.org Member at Large: Art Carrillo MembersatLarge@PasadenaSocietyofArtists.org Member at Large: Liz Crimzon MembersatLarge@PasadenaSocietyofArtists.org www.PasadenaSocietyofArtists.org FB: PasadenaSocietyofArtists IG: @pasadenasocietyofartists 26
Catalog Production Team Exhibition Chair: Lawrence D. Rodgers Director of Communications: Debbi Swanson Patrick Editor: Alison Davies Treasurer: Kathleen Swaydan Technical Lead: Rhonda Raulston Instagram Content: Emily SuĂąez Facebook Content: George Paul Miller Webmaster: Fred Chuang Catalog Designer: Lawrence D. Rodgers Cover Design: Karen Hochman Brown
Artwork appears courtesy of PSA members. Copyright held by artist. All rights reserved. Š 2020 Pasadena Society of Artists www.PasadenaSocietyofArtists.org
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Call For New Members Are you an artist? Throughout Pasadena Society of Artists’ 95-year history, works by PSA members of have been sold at major auction houses, collected in important art collections, and displayed in museums throughout the United States and Europe. Our legacy is immense! Would you like to be part of our organization? We are always looking for new, dedicated members. Our artists work in all media and styles of drawing, painting, sculpture, and photography. All have been juried into the society. New Member Screenings for the Pasadena Society of Artists are usually held twice a year, in the spring and fall. Please go to our website at www.pasadenasocietyofartists.org for more information. Because of restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the next PSA New Member Screening will be conducted via a virtual, electronic process during the spring of 2021. If you are interested in becoming a member, please complete a Membership Inquiry Form, found online, and contact our Director of Membership, Marion Dies. Ms. Dies will notify you once the next screening has been scheduled. Qualifications considered for membership include the applicant’s dedication to artistic standards of excellence, professionalism, accomplishments, skills that benefit the Society, and the artist’s future potential. Applicants submit three pieces of artwork representing current media and style, created in the past two years. Artwork submitted is judged by presentation, talent, and originality. We encourage perseverance; a number of our members have been offered memberships after having been declined multiple times. Former members include Charles White, Walter Askin, Jirayr Zorithian, Conrad Buff, David Green, Enjar Hansen, Frode Dann, Jae Carmichael, Leonard Edmondson, Mildred Lapson, Paul Sample, Hanson Puthuff, Sam Hyde Harris, and many more.
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Pasadena Society of Artists P. O. Box 90074 Pasadena, California 91109
www.PasadenaSocietyofArtists.org Facebook: PasadenaSocietyofArtists Instagram: @pasadenasocietyofartists