Founders Award – Citrus Watercolor Society

Simple Stencils, Dramatic Effects by Darla Goldberg – October 13, 2023

Press release by Dori Sullivan
September 2023

Back by popular demand … Artist Darla Goldberg will present a demo on the use of stencils to enhance your painting as well as a one-day workshop to make unique stencils and create the promised “Dramatic Effects” in your painting. The demo will be held immediately after the Citrus Watercolor Society meeting at noon on Friday, Oct. 13 at the First Christian Church of Inverness at 2018 Colonade, Inverness. The workshop will be held at Whispering Pines Recreation Building Sat. Oct. 14 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The cost is $95 for members, non-members fee is $115. The demo is free to members and a $5.00 donation is appreciated from guests. is an award winning artist and I’ve enjoyed her presentations and workshops immensely. She is a fun instructor who works closely with those in her classes. All levels are welcome. Darla’s specialty is photo realistic eyes based on her professional history as an oculist who designed prosthetic eyes. Her artwork has been enhanced with unique techniques and “painterly” ways of creating beautiful backgrounds to make her work (and yours) “pop”. It’s been my observation that textures, enhanced colors and other striking additions to your artwork is the way to go. When you visit local galleries and art centers, look closely at what paintings attract you. Today, an addition of a variety of techniques has become popular and adds to the excitement of modern paintings. With all of CWS workshops, there are many new techniques you can learn to give your painting the spark it may need.

CWS offers its members opportunities to learn not only at our workshops and through our demonstrations, but by interacting with our artist/members during our pre-meeting “social hour” that begins at about 11:15 in the Family Center at First Christian Church. Light refreshments are provided and individuals who wish to bring in their painting for an “Artist of the Month” competition are asked to bring their work by 11:30 for the viewer’s choice vote. We have both beginners and longtime artists within our membership and we provide helpful hints just for the asking. Our library is crammed full of resources, both books and DVDs that are available for your use. We also have those important plastic “sleeves” for matted paintings and cards for sale.

Looking ahead, we will once again host Art in the Wildlife Park Show and Sale at the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Wildlife Park, Saturday and Sunday, November 18th and 19th ,2023. Admission to the show is free and a percentage of the artist’s sales are donated to the park. Mark your calendars now and come to the show and sale, just in time for holiday gifts.

In September, it was my privilege to present the CWS Founder’s Award to Darla Goldberg for her stunning watercolor painting of a blooming cactus flower. We want to thank the following for participating in the competition and sharing their inspirations and techniques used in their work. They are Gingi Martin, Jeanneine (Cole) Chesnul, Polly Boston, Darla Goldberg, Dori Sullivan, Signian McGeary, Judy Snow, Aileen Croly, Yvonne Brunelle, Judy Miller, Heather Doherty, and Ellen Hines.

Be sure and check out our website at www.citruswatercolorsociety.org for all the latest news about our activities. Annual dues are only $35 and the benefits are many. We’d love to have you become a member of the “friendliest little watercolor club anywhere”! Until next month, stay well and enjoy the inspirations that drive you to painting.

Dori Sullivan

Members Show & Tell- September 8, 2023

Press Release by Dori Sullivan

Yes! It’s September and on Friday the 8th, Citrus Watercolor Society will host their membership’s annual “Show and Tell” which includes the CWS Founder’s Award. It’s been a long, hot summer and we’re excited about seeing your latest paintings.

You did spend time in air conditioned places painting, didn’t you? Please bring a single piece of your artwork to our meeting by 11:30 AM so they can be displayed and sign-in if you wish to share a bit about your work. We’d love to know about your techniques and inspirations. We’ll meet in the Family Life Center at the First Christian Church at 2018 Colonade, Inverness. Light refreshments will be served as you enjoy seeing the paintings and mingling with the artists.

The competition for Best in Show, Second and Third place are awarded by “viewer’s choice” so please be sure to vote for your favorite. The Founder’s Award is a cash prize and certificates are awarded to the runners up. Please bring your original watercolor or water medium on paper, no prints.

Our membership is growing and we invite our readers to think about joining the “friendliest watercolor society” in Central Florida. Annual dues are $35 payable to CWS and, in addition to seeing free demonstrations throughout the year, you receive a members’ discount for our workshops. We have an exciting line-up of artists who will be providing a variety of techniques during our busy months in 2023 and 2024. Some names may be familiar to you – Sue Primeau, Jerome Chesley, Darla Goldberg, Lionel Sanchez, Libit Jones, Bev Yankwitt and more. All are talented and fun workshop leaders. Our workshops follow our regular monthly meeting on the second Friday of the month, either for one or two days at the Whispering Pines Recreational Building. Workshops are a fun weekend spent with artists like you!

In September, the Florida Watercolor Society will be having their 42nd Annual Convention in nearby Ocala. We’re pleased to announce that three of our members, Kim Shields, Judith Callison and Polly Boston have been accepted into the Convention’s Exhibit. For more information about the FWS Convention, please explore their website: http://FloridaWatercolorSocity.org for details.

Congratulations to Judi Miller who won the Artist of the Month award for August. Her striking watercolor floral painting was determined winner by popular vote at our recent meeting.

Looking ahead, we have some big news. In November, CWS members will present a Show and Sale at the Homosassa Wildlife Park. The show will be judged and 20% of the artist’s sales is donated to the wildlife park. So, tell your friends about our fund raiser for the State Park, home to many Florida birds and animals. It’s always a great time to visit and November 18th and 19th a great place to shop for the Holidays.
Please check out our website https://CitrusWatercolorSociety.org for all the latest updates as well as membership and workshop details.

Thank you readers, we appreciate your continued support.

Dori

Announcement, September 2023

President Dori Sullivan presented the Founders Award to Darla Goldberg for her stunning cactus flower painting.

Peg LeFebvre -October 14, 2022

Citrus Watercolor Society Invites You…

Press Release by DORI SULLIVAN

Please join us Friday October 9th at the monthly meeting of the Citrus Watercolor Society at 11:30 for refreshments, followed by a brief business meeting at noon after which we’ll have a demonstration by Peg LeFebvre entitled “Introducing Figures Into Your Watercolors”. The meeting and demo will be held in the Family Center of the First Christian Church of Inverness at 2018 Colonade Street, Inverness.

Color, dimensionality and narrative are the strengths of Peg’s watercolor paintings. And at our next meeting, she will demonstrate how to include figures in your watercolors to add excitement and focus. CWS members and guests will find new ways to put figures in our paintings to add to the story we want our paintings to tell. For example, in your painting with a road disappearing into the forest or the cityscape with empty streets, you will learn how to add images that will enhance your artwork. Sound simple? Well, to some, not so much – but at our October meeting artist, Peg LeFebvre will show us her secrets and you’ll be delighted with the results.

Peg Lefebvre is a well-known, award-winning Florida artist who shared her autobiography with us.

“Brilliant colors are what originally attracted me to watercolor painting. Dad introduced me to the medium at the kitchen table when I was 6 years old. That love of vibrant color is a cornerstone of my work to this day.”

“Sculpting convincing images on a two-dimensional surface is another primary pursuit of my work. Much of my bachelors study was in three-dimensional art. Re-immersing myself in 3-D and mentally seeing the subject in the round helps guide my brush to form sculptural images. One challenge is to avoid sacrificing the vibrancy of the color in the quest of modeling a form.”

“Recently, my work is driven toward telling the story that I see/feel/imagine in a particular subject. I strive to communicate what I found to be important about the person or event. It is exhilarating when a viewer comments on the subject’s personality or occupation, involving themselves in the story that I narrate through paint.”

Peg LeFebvre – Founders’ Award for her watercolor “Puddles”
of a rainy day in Luca, Italy

Peg is also a member of CWS and at our recent “Show and Tell” event was awarded the annual Founder’s Day Award for her painting of a rainy day in Luca, Italy. Her painting of “Puddles” began with an earlier vacation when it rained almost daily. Years later, she re-discovered her work and added improvements that brought out the reflections of that day.

We encourage you to come early to our Friday meetings to mingle with fellow artists and enjoy sharing thoughts and ideas. Guests are always welcome at our demos for the small donation of $5.00. We offer workshops throughout the year with CWS members receiving significant discounts on the workshops. Membership ($35 annually) is available to watercolorists and artists of all levels. For more information about CWS and to find an application for membership, visit our website www.citruswatercolorsociety.org

I’m looking forward to seeing you in October. Stay well and enjoy the cooler weather! Dori

DEMO by Peg Lefebvre

Peg mostly did portraits in 2016, but tired of it and turned to more challenging compositions, focusing on design elements to keep eye within the paintings and concentrated on figures. Peg demonstrated how she obtains skin tones, shading and contrast. She shared her composition board and techniques and mentioned several artists of note for the membership to check out: Carol Carter at the Villages; Ken Call, Ann Abgott, and John Salminen. Peg reminded the group that workshops are invaluable and to invest in ourselves if we want to progress.

A few photos from Peg LeFebvre’s wonderful demonstration about addng figures to our paintings. Thank you, Peg! Awesome!

Show and Tell- Sept 9, 2022

CWS Invites You to Our “Show & Tell”

Press Release by DORI SULLIVAN

Citrus Watercolor Society will meet on Friday, September 9th at the Family Center of the First Christian Church of Inverness at 2018 Colonade Street, Inverness with light refreshments at 11:30AM and the CWS General Meeting at noon. In September, we host our annual “Show and Tell” event where all members are asked to bring their latest works of art.

It’s one of my favorite programs. I really enjoy seeing the creativity of our members! Everyone is encouraged to bring in their artwork and I hope you will join us. What did you create over the summer? Was it a beach scene, Florida wildlife, a city scape from your travels? No matter, we invite you to bring it to our September meeting so you can not only show your painting but tell us what special techniques you used or what inspired you to create this particular subject.

There will also be an opportunity for those who wish to enter the “Painting of the Month” contest where members will vote for their favorite. The Founder’s Award (a cash prize) will go to the artwork with the most votes from our members.

Looking ahead, our scheduled demonstrations and workshops for the 2022-2023 year include some great local and nationally known artists. In October, Peg Lefebvre will demo how to introduce figures in your watercolor painting. In November Sue Primeau will be the guest artist for our Friday demo and that’s always a surprising, fun program. December brings back Tom Jones with a demo at our Holiday Luncheon followed by a 2-day workshop. In January Lionel Sanchez will also provide a 2-day workshop based on his Friday demo. Abstracts are the subject for the demo and two-day workshop by Bev Yankwitt in February. In March Darla Goldberg will demo “Using Brusho”. Please check in with our website to see details about these programs and future programs. Our website is www.citruswatercolorsociety.org or look for news in the Citrus Chronicle publication. Our meetings are always on the second Friday of the month and if classes are scheduled, these are usually held in Whispering Pines at the recreation center for the day(s) of the workshop.

We encourage you to come early to our Fridays and enjoy light refreshments while mingling with your fellow artists. Guests are always welcome at our demos for a small donation of $5.00. The fee structure for the workshops varies with members receiving a significant discount. Supply lists and details are available when you register.

One more thing! Congratulations to CWS members for being juried into the prestigious Florida Watercolor Society Annual Convention competition. They are Judy Callison for “Red Storm Rising”, Nancy Dias for “Endeavor” and to Roberta Romeo for “Casting Shadows”. Barbara Fife was selected as an alternate. The convention and exhibit will be held in Punta Gorda FL, September 22-25, 2022.

I’m looking forward to seeing you at our “Show and Tell” meeting September 9th. Until then, stay healthy and keep painting! Your work reflects the exciting world you live in!
Dori

Photos below courtesy of Dori Sullivan

SHOW & TELL; Founder’s Day – Article by Deb Newman

There were 13 entries for Show and Tell, and the membership enjoyed hearing from their fellow artists regarding inspiration and techniques. Some of the highlights include:

Julie Jamison, a former sign painter whose thoughtful watercolor floral cards will be presented to her neighbor on her 96^th birthday.

Dori Sullivan, our publicist took Lionel Sanchez’s workshop and learned the importance of thumbnail value sketches. Her photo of an old Georgia shack was accepted into the Virtual Art Society of Ocala exhibit.

Dick Carlton, Facilities – was Darla Goldberg’s neighbor and she invited him to take classes at the Franklin Gallery where he began his watercolor journey.

Gerri Santor, is new to watercolor. She took a series of photos of covered bridges and has learned from making more than one attempt at a subject.

Marjorie Bannish – after taking Susan Jane Donahoe’s texture workshop, was inspired to paint a cute hairy sloth using the techniques she picked up in class.

Gingi Martin – presented a plein air monochrome value study. She finds focusing on the subject, the light and values instead of color matching to be liberating and allows her to explore depth and value.

Ellen Hines – Don’t be afraid to use other mediums, such as colored pencils, pen and ink to enhance your watercolors. Don’t give up, keep trying!

Ron Lancaster – fell in love with abstracts at an artist’s demo, and she inspired him to produce 40 paintings in one month. Not all were masterpieces, but the perseverance helped him learn and progress.

Susan Strawbridge – shared her from a series of 20 paintings of leaves with the focus on color and light.

Peg Lefebvre – While on vacation in Luca, it rained daily so she made the best of it and sketched and painted. Coming back to the piece years later, she worked on making improvements, and succeeded.

Mel Rustom – Retired from snowy New York, Mel presented silhouetted palm trees against a beautiful sherbet orange Key West sky.

The membership voted on all the pieces, and the winner was Puddles, by Peg Lefebvre. Peg was awarded a cash prize in honor of our Founders Day, who graciously donated it back to the club. Thank you, Peg!

Founders Award -2021

September 10, 2021 – Members’ Annual Show & Tell

Chuck Chesnul – Dora’s Flowers
1929 Model A Delivery Truck

Jeanneine Cole accepts the Award for her husband from President Darla Goldberg

Members’ Annual Show & Tell

CWS Founders’ Award Awaits a Winner

September 2021

Press Release by Norm Freyer

The program for the Citrus Watercolor Society (CWS) meeting on September 10th is entitled, “Show and Tell”. The reason that the CWS continues this program in September of each year, is to allow members of the society, old and new alike, get a chance to present their creations to their fellow artists. The meeting format allows some outstanding watercolor paintings to make their appearance. The works of our member artists are impressive, and they get better each year. It is also an opportunity for members to praise and to provide helpful critique on how to improve the work that one creates. I think that you will find that there is an appreciation for the time and effort that each artist has put into the creative piece of artwork. You will feel good about presenting your work to the CWS members. After a review of all the artwork is presented, the Society will present the CWS Founders cash award of $50 to the winning artist exhibiting at this meeting. So – Bring your latest masterpiece and show it off!

Do you find yourself asking, “Where did all this time go?” The life journey to date has been interesting, not without hiccups and disappointments, but all in all, a good life. This brings me to the loss of a CWS artist who left us this summer. Lou Friedman was a long-term member of the Citrus Watercolor Society, Lou served as the CWS Treasurer for a number of years. He possessed a great sense of humor and was an all-around good guy. He strove to be a better artist and was recognized with his paintings in the CWS “Painting of the Month” competition. Lou was also a member of the Art Center of Citrus County. The second loss, and at an age too young, was Florida artist Kim Minichiello. Kim has demonstrated at the CWS monthly meetings and was an internationally recognized, award-winning artist, whose career in art and design has spanned more than 30 years. Kim was a signature member of American Women Artists and the Georgia, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Florida Watercolor Societies. She was also the 2019 President of the Florida Watercolor Society. Even though we as artists find that our place on earth is limited, art on the other hand is immortal. The art of Dali, Picasso, Minichiello, Witt, Jowers, Kansky, Friedman and Krall will live on, perhaps not to the extent of those famous masters, but still there to be enjoyed by others in the future.