Welcome to Women in Watercolor’s blog newsletter, Women in Watercolor Working Together!
2nd Annual Women in Watercolor Members Only
Online International Exhibition 2025
Entry is Open!
November 1, 2024 through January 8, 2025
Any WIW Member is welcome to enter the Members Only International Online Exhibition.
This is a non-juried online only members show.
The entry rules for our Non-Juried Members Only Exhibition are DIFFERENT than those of our International Juried Competition. Please read the FULL prospectus BEFORE entering.
**NEW AWARDS** – This is a non-juried show but we will have Viewer’s Choice awards added this year!
Our members spoke up and we listened! There will be AWARDS for this years Members Only Exhibition! We want to keep this as a non-juried show, so every member can still have a painting in it.
Once entry closes and images are
up on the website, the public will be able to vote for their favorite and monetary awards will be given for the top choices.
See More Details
Don’t forget to check out the over 300 entries in the 1st Annual Members Exhibition. Go onto the website to view the full show. The work is fantastic!
5th Annual Women in Watercolor International Juried Competition 2024
THE AWARD WINNERS ARE POSTED
All of the award winners are posted on the website, but here is a more in-depth interview with some our top award winners.
Daniela Werneck
Best in Show– $2200
Let The Light In
18 Inches x 24 Inches
USA
A little bit about Daniela: As a teenager, I took private drawing lessons for seven years, attending classes once a week. One day, after a lesson, I passed by a bookstore and was captivated by a small book about watercolor. I bought it and brought it to my drawing class, where my instructor suggested I copy all the watercolors from the book. I did just that, purchasing a simple, unknown brand of watercolor set and papers from the craft store at the university where I studied interior design in the early ’90s. I began making the copies, all in small sizes like the pictures in the book. I quickly fell in love with the practicality of carrying my materials in a plastic folder wherever I went. That’s how I started learning watercolor!
I had that watercolor set for years, and it was with its paints that I received my first watercolor award 20 years later.
Her Process: I photograph people I know in my home, creating a relaxed and natural atmosphere by talking with them throughout the session. This helps the girls feel at ease and appear more genuine. I take numerous photos and then do a quick edit in Photoshop. Most of my paintings are composed from two or more photos of the model, using elements like the head from one picture, the body from another, and the hand from yet another, piecing them together like a puzzle. The background is always a product of my imagination and is created spontaneously as I work on the painting.
Throughout my life, I’ve done a lot of freehand drawing. Nowadays, I don’t have as much time for it and feel no need to prove my drawing skills. Currently, I frequently use the dots technique to assist with my drawings, minimizing mistakes and keeping the white surface of the painting clean.
Tips for Beginners: 1- The brand of the material won’t make you a good artist. Only practice will.
2- Paint what makes you happy, not what others tell you to paint.
3- Take advantage of all the opportunities that come your way, and trust your instincts.
Marie Françoise Ingels
First Place– $1200
Abstract Category
Evasion
70 Centimeter x 50 Centimeter
Belgique
A little bit about Marie: I started watercolor in 2018. A friend had given me a watercolor box some time before. No doubt I told him about a watercolorist friend of mine who had exhibited in a beautiful restaurant in Brussels and who had impressed me a lot. The box remained in a drawer, I was a dancer and all my leisure time was devoted to this art. But slowly, over time, joint pain appeared and I had to realize that I won’t be able to dance for much longer. That’s how I went to find my watercolor box and started…
I am a passionate artist I paint everywhere and all the time. I’m constantly looking for new ways, new subjects, new colors or material… I paint on the beach, on the plane, on the boat… I won’t be able to do without it anymore… It has become vital for me…
Describe Your Painting Style: I walk between abstraction and figuration. I seek to express emotions, dreams, creations of the imagination and I hope that the spectators feel this emotion and I hope to make them dream a little… I think that art can bring joy, beauty and serenity…
I like to paint from nature.
I live several months in Corsica and its bright colors, the sea, the villages inspire me particularly but I interpret all this in a personal, more abstract way.
I can also start from mental representations of nature or any other subject. It is then the emotions that remain to me of these images. I like this way of creating as Monet or Johan Mitchell did.
Mary Schossow Schumaker
First Place– $1200
Animal & Wildlife Category
Koi, the Gathering
25 Inches x 19 Inches
USA
A little bit about Mary: In school, I was the kid that constantly doodled in her textbooks. Drawing was my venture into an imaginary world. As a young adult, I began painting in oils. With my family in tow, I moved to Fairbanks, Alaska where I completed my Bachelor of Fine Arts focusing on printmaking and oil painting, while working nights to pay the bills. With a relocation to Washington State, an opportunity presented itself that would change my preferred medium. My then current employer asked me to produce fourteen original paintings, framed and ready to hang. The catch was that I had less than two weeks to have them up on the walls of his newly remodeled business. I accomplished the task by switching my chosen medium from oils to watercolors. I have never looked back. Watercolor has opened my mind to endless possibilities which I continue to explore every time I pick up a brush.
Some advice to beginning watercolor students: First, do not be overly sparing with the amount of paint you use. Be brave and not timid. Load your brush and dive in, because that is where the learning starts.
Second: Paint with a variety of brushes, large and small, expensive and cheap, and a variety of shapes and styles.
Third: Learn about the characteristics of the individual paint brands and colors that you choose to paint with. Is the paint transparent or tend towards opaque? Is it velvety smooth or will it granulate? Will a particular wet color push away or recede from neighboring wet color? The same advice applies to your substrates. Learn about the characteristics of all the painting surfaces available to you. Every variety of painting surface offers different possibilities. This allows you to make informed decisions as you progress through your painting career.
Lastly, to all painters, learn about the principles and Elements of design and become be aware of their use in your work until they become second nature.
Sanghamitra Roy Majumder
First Place– $1200
Landscape & Water Category
Mountain Village
22 Inches x 15 Inches
India
A little bit about Sanghamitra: I am a self-taught artist from India. Presently residing in Kolkata city of West Bengal. I started my career as a professional artist in the last few years. Starting from my toddling days scribbling on the walls of my home; painting has ensconced into my soul. I always enjoyed my creative side most. I devoted myself totally in the practice of painting with different medium like acrylic, charcoal, pencil shades but specially with Watercolour medium. But it was very challenging at the beginning when I had given up my fulltime job. I was really clueless from where I should start. I tried different medium but Watercolour is something that I can connect most, it is not the medium to be controlled or manipulated. It’s transparency and spontaneity always very surprising to me. So, I pursing with Watercolour on a professional level.
Her painting style: As a landscape artist I believe each art piece is a tool of non-verbal story telling. Artist job is not to illustrate the world or depicted the way camera does. As Artist are born with some special quality to look beyond and show the world the inner beauty of universe. So I always try to show some unique technique that comes through my personal experience. Very specifically the kind of things that are resonate with me and how I transform them into my painting; so that my views can interpret my feelings; why I choose that particular colour, the contrast of light and shadow and the flow of the wash. I love to deal with some duality i.e., two opposite things collide together like as bright light with darkest dark, warm vs cool, manmade vs natural resources to allow the viewers to build their own stories to realize the actual life where two opposite always coexist.
Advice for new artists: I would suggest all the young dreamer keep patience and have faith in yourself. Painting is long process it’s a journey. So, one can’t be master in one day it takes lot of time and devotion. I think every artist has different ambitions. But in today’s world Artists who are motivated by financial success, the desire to socialize, and personal freedom that artist lifestyle affords; have all these right ingredients for success. The most successful artists, are motivated by all four aspirations. So being consistent and confident to grow more are the key to beat the challenges in the pursuit of their passion.
Reyhan Ardakanian
First Place– $1200
Still Life & Floral Category
Gold in the Gardens of Thought
54 Centimeter x 75 Centimeter
Iran
A little bit about Reyhan: I am Reyhan Ardakanian, a Watercolor artist born in 1983 in Mashhad, Iran. My journey into watercolor painting began in 1996 during summer art classes. Inspired by my cousin, who was a year ahead of me and had already embraced watercolor, I too was drawn to the medium’s unique qualities.
Describe Your Painting Style: My painting style falls within the realms of realism and sometimes Hyperrealism. As the human mind expands throughout life, I strive to express my experiences, discoveries, and comprehended concepts through my art, paying particular attention to the compositions I create. Tea serves as a central element in my works, symbolizing humanity and the essence of life. I find inspiration in the quiet moments of contemplation, where the complexities of existence can be distilled into simple, yet profound, visual narratives.”
How I promote Watercolor: Two years ago, I founded a Telegram group called ‘Watercolor Small Town’ which now boasts over two thousand Iranian members. Membership is free. I share daily watercolor tutorials and resources within the group. I refer to our members as ‘citizens’ of the ‘Watercolor Small Town’. I curate and share high-quality watercolor tutorials from YouTube, translating interviews into Persian and providing accurate Persian subtitles for videos on my Instagram page, ‘Watercolor Small House’. I have even dubbed many historical and technical watercolor films into Persian, aiming to introduce all watercolor enthusiasts in my country to the true essence of this art form. I believe everyone should have access to the techniques and knowledge of great artists. Every few months, I organize online watercolor exhibitions within the group, offering attractive prizes sponsored by various partners to encourage artists. Due to sanctions, watercolor magazines are inaccessible in Iran and the exchange rate makes purchasing them prohibitive. To address this, with the help of the ‘Watercolor Small Town’ community, we find PDF versions of these magazines. I then translate the entire magazine into Persian and share it daily within the group.
I believe watercolor offers endless possibilities for future generations to explore and innovate. My efforts are dedicated to fostering a new generation of watercolor artists.”
2024 International Juried Competition Award Winners
See ALL of the winners on the website!
Have questions? Check out our FAQ page.
2024 WIW Judges
Meet our amazing panel of eight talented judges from all over the world and all styles of watercolor. These ladies had the difficult job of choosing the award winners for the 2024 Juried Competition.
Learn more about the 2024 International Competition Judges
WIW News
Meet WIW’s New
Membership Director
Tanya Roberts
Women in Watercolor is thrilled to announce the addition of our new Membership Director, Tanya Roberts. Now that we have our amazing membership that is constantly growing, we needed an amazing person to help manage it. Tanya is not only extremely talented and great at what she does, but she is also a wonderful person!
Tanya has been instrumental in helping update our website with a log-in option for members so they can see all of their membership information and easily renew when needed. A members only section has also been added to the website with great new perks for our membership with more to be added soon. She will be the point person for members to make the most of all of the opportunities we offer.
We thank Tanya for joining our WIW team!
A little bit about Tanya:
Hello, my name is Tanya Roberts and I am excited to support Women in Watercolor artists! I work with watercolor artists everyday here in Indiana and live in Indianapolis with my husband of 24 years. We have a beautiful, smart, and funny 12-year-old daughter. We have 2 Shiba Inus, 3 cats, 4 urban chickens, and 1 fish. I have a passion for art, nature, animals, and color.
My professional background is in business, marketing, and event planning. I graduated from Purdue University with a degree in Economics, Sales & Marketing. I enjoy creating with watercolors, acrylics, oils, clay, glass, and mosaics. I have always appreciated artists. I believe it is important for artists to support one another, learn from each other, and celebrate art of all kinds. Which is why I am proud to be on the Women and Watercolor team!
Members Gallery
Don’t forget to check out our Members Gallery to see work from ALL of our amazing members. If you are not a member yet, and would like to join us, CLICK HERE for more info!
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Edited by Lynn D. Pratt
Women in Watercolor was created to help encourage, support, and promote the outstanding women that are working in this medium on an international level.
Through online competitions, and in-person events we will work together to build each other up, learn from each other and increase our individual and overall success.
Thank you for supporting the Women in Watercolor!
Lynn D. Pratt
