Fluid artistry
Local painters show work in watercolor exhibit
Several artists from the Tri-Lakes
Edition coverage area have work in the 47th annual Mid-Southern Watercolorists Juried Exhibition now on display at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock. Awards were announced Feb. 17 during the show’s opening reception, and three of the local artists were among the winners.
Richard Stephens of Hot Springs won the MSW Bronze Award of $900 for his painting Railroad Trestle.
Gary Simmons, also of Hot Springs, received the Jacquelyn Kaucher First Timer Award of $250 for his painting Arlington Arches. This award is donated by Robert L. “Bob” Snider of Little Rock. Gary Weeter of Hot Springs Village received the Dennette and James Woods Award of $250 for his painting Seen Better Days. This award is donated by Dennette and James Woods of Little Rock.
“It’s always an honor to have a painting selected for the Mid-Southern Watercolorists Annual Juried Exhibition,” Stephens said. “But to have your work win an award … well, that’s a real thrill. I take it as an affirmation that I am doing something right and headed in a positive direction with my work.” Stephens said his painting
Railroad Trestle is “a view of a minor landmark in my hometown of Hot Springs located on a shortcut used by locals between the north and south sides of town.
“It’s a very scenic ride for about half a mile,” he said. “Passing under the trestle adds to the excitement, as it offers only a very narrow opening for cars approaching from either direction, plus it is on a slight curve. For generations, teenagers have played a dangerous game of seeing who could speed the fastest going under the trestle without hitting the center or side supports. Close inspection reveals not all were successful.”
Stephens is retired from his commercial art business, and his main focus now is his work and his workshops.
He holds MSW Diamond Signature Membership, meaning his work has been accepted into at least five juried exhibitions. He won the MSW Silver Award in 2014, the MSW Bronze Award in 2015 and the MSW Silver Award again in 2016.
Simmons, who is a nationally recognized pen-and-ink artist, said this past year is the first time he has been involved with the Mid-Southern Watercolorists.
“Richard Stephens encouraged me to join and to enter the show,” Simmons said, noting that he and Stephens have been friends for many years.
“I had misgivings because I don’t consider myself a watercolorist and wasn’t sure my work was of a quality that would merit entering the competition,” Simmons said. “I was delighted, but surprised, to have won an award in the show.”
Simmons retired as Professor Emeritus of Art from Henderson State University in 2013.
“It is encouraging and will be an incentive for me to do more watercolor and to compete in the next show,” he said.
Simmons said his piece in the current watercolor exhibit is titled Arlington Arches.
“It is an attempt to capture the kind of moment I have so often experienced at the Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs,” he said. “With its wide veranda and high arches, it is often flooded with morning light, casting large shadows over the tiled floor. It’s a favorite place for visitors to sit and read over morning coffee, which is what the figure is doing in this painting. I never see this scene without reacting the same each time, loving the light and empathizing with the reader’s peace and solitude in a halo of sunshine.”
Weeter, who is both an architect and a watercolor artist, holds MSW Diamond Signature Membership. He is out of the country and was not able to attend the opening reception.
His work covers a wide range of subjects.
“However, because of my architectural background, my subject matter often includes some form of the built environment,” said Weeter, who is also a member of Brush Strokes of Hot Springs Village. “As I travel, I am always on the lookout for an interesting street or dilapidated building to photograph for a future painting.” Such is the case for his work,
Seen Better Days, in the current MSW show.
“This scene of a decaying building along Arkansas Highway 5 between Hot Springs and Benton has always captivated me,” he said. “At first glance, it appears to be just a dilapidated old building, but guarded by that mighty tree, it was, in its own way, stately as well. Alas, it was torn down just over a year ago. All that remains is that giant tree … and this painting.”
Works by three other local artists are included in the Mid-Southern Watercolorists Exhibition, which will remain on display in the Sam Strauss Sr. Gallery at the Arkansas Arts Center until April 16.
• Marlene Gremillion of Hot Springs Village had her painting Little Rock Bridge accepted into the show.
“My husband and I enjoy traveling and camping in our little travel trailer,” she said, discussing her painting. “One of our favorite places to stay is at the North Little Rock Downtown Riverside RV Park, right on the Arkansas River with a view of Little Rock and the river bridges. This painting is one such view in the early morning … such a peaceful, beautiful time in downtown.”
Gremillion holds MSW Diamond Signature membership. She is also a member of the Louisiana Watercolor Society and the Arkansas Pastel Society. She is listed in the Arkansas Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts’ 2017-2018 Artists Registry.
• Sarah Johnson of Benton has a painting titled
Russell’s Garden in the exhibit. “I have always been attracted to scenes with strong light sources, especially those that are backlit. When my husband brought in his tomato crop and placed it in the window, I immediately knew I was going to paint it,” she said.
“The complementary color scheme of red tomatoes and green shrubbery, as well as the highlights and shadows, drew me in. I was able to repeat the strong reds in the space below the window frame. The contrasting textures of the smooth tomatoes, aluminum tray and wood were a challenge, but I was satisfied with the result,” she said.
“In my early years, I began painting with pastels, moved on to oils and finally settled on my favorite, watercolor,” said Johnson, who is also a member of the Art Association of Central Arkansas. “I especially enjoy the transparency of water media and am sometimes surprised by an unpredicted result.”
• Ron Kinkaid of Benton had his painting Honeymoon Over accepted for the exhibit.
“I’ve been a member of MSW for over eight years and have seen this organization grow and become one of the finest in the nation. We have members who have won national awards,” he said.
“The competition is so great that just getting accepted is an honor for me,” Kinkaid said. “I’m proud to be a Diamond Signature member of the Mid-Southern Watercolorists.
“My piece Honeymoon Over is open to interpretation. My title suggests one narrative, but there are others, as the figures in the painting suggest. I will let the viewer decide.”
This is the third year in a three-year partnership between the Mid-Southern Watercolorists and the Arkansas Arts Center.
“This is our premier event, and we are pleased to be back here at the Arts Center,” said George Wittenberg of Little Rock, president. “This event
defines the MSW mission of enriching the stature and encouraging the recognition of water media.”
Michael Holter of Plano, Texas, served as the guest juror for the exhibit. He viewed 137 paintings by 70 artists before selecting the 29 works of art for this year’s show.
Holter is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society, the Southwestern Watercolor Society and the Society of Watercolor Artists. He is also a member of the American Watercolor Society, the Transparent Watercolor Society, the Outdoor Painters Society, the Portrait Society of America and the American Impressionist Society.
The Arkansas Arts Center is at 509 E. Ninth St. in Little Rock. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sundays. The museum is closed on Mondays and major holidays. There is no admission charge.
For more information on the exhibit, call the Arkansas Arts Center at (501) 372-4000 or visit arkarts.com.