more exhibits

 I'm totally thrilled to announce that my painting juried into the Southwest Watercolor Society 61st annual exhibition!

I'm Listening, 12x16 watercolor

I painted this during one of my online teaching sessions earlier this year, using Sennelier watercolor and Dynasty brushes on Hahnemuhle paper. I working on scheduling some more workshops and classes, both online and in-person for next year. Stayed tuned for details!

Ciao, baby!

Pennsylvania Watercolor Society

 I'm totally thrilled to learn that my painting "Over my Shoulder" juried into the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society 45th International Juried Exhibit, earning my Signature Status in PWS! 

Over my Shoulder, 16x12 wc by Annie Strack

Last weekend I went to the plein air event at Mt Cuba Center and enjoyed a great day of painting in the gardens. 

Mt Cuba, 9x12 wc by Annie Strack

Both of these paintings are painted with my favorite art supplies, Sennelier watercolors and Dynasty brushes on Hahnemuehle paper. 

All about watercolor paper, part III

 

Part III – Weight

Watercolor paper comes in various thicknesses and these are labeled by weight, with prices being lowest for the lightest weights and higher for the heavier weights. 

The most common weights of watercolor paper are 90 pound (light), 140 pound (medium), and 300 pound (heavy) – although there are many other lower and higher weights available. These numbers refer to the weight of a ream of paper – not an individual sheet. Keep in mind, too, that heavier paper will come out of the pressing process with more texture than lighter papers. 

It’s important for an artist to choose a paper weight that will accommodate the size of the work and the amount of water they use in their painting techniques. 

A small painting that is painted without using a lot of wet techniques will work fine on a lightweight paper, but larger paintings and wet techniques require heavier papers. 

If a painter intends to use a lot of water or heavy washes, then a heavier weight paper must be used. Paper should never be “stretched,” and the reasons why will be discussed in the next chapter. 

Read the previous articles in the series: All About Paper - Part II -- Sizing Matters and All About Paper - Part I -- Surface and Texture 

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Annie Strack is an industry trained expect in the uses and properties of artist materials, and is an Artist Ambassador for Hahnemuehle paper and many other companies. She travels around the world to teach in art centers, schools, and artist supplies stores. 

National Watercolor Society

 This is the final week of entries for the 104th International Open Exhibition of the National Watercolor Society! The deadline for entries is Friday May 31st at 12 noon PST. Artists may enter one painting at CaFE', and find the full prospectus with rules and information here. This is my 4th year working on this event for the National Watercolor Society, and I'm proud to be the Director of Exhibitions for such a prestigious organization! 

Three Faces of Annie, 14x20 watercolor by Annie Strack

The exhibition takes place in October in the NWS gallery in San Pedro, California. I hope I see you there!

Open Studio Weekend

 This weekend is the Annual Open Studio! Once again, I am hosting five other artists to share my studio for this event, Karen Fratalli, Nicki Wandersee, Barbara Tlush, Patsy Keller, and me. Come out and see us at my studio at 105 Kabob Lane in Kennett Square, May 19-20, 2024. 

workshops and awards

 I just received this wonderful email from the Watercolor USA Honor Society...

"Dear Annie, Congratulations! We are very happy to inform you that your painting “Disconnected” has been selected to receive the Watercolor USA Honor Society George C Harkins Memorial Award in this year’s Watercolor USA.

The jurors of awards, WHS Board Members Carole Hennessy and Gary Johnson, had quite a challenge to select the Watercolor USA Honor Society’s award winners this year. We believe that the submissions were of the highest caliber we have seen to date." 

Disconnected, 14x20 watercolor by Annie Strack

Last week I taught a workshop at the Howard Pyle Studio in Delaware about the textures of watercolor paper and how to use them. I always enjoy going there to teach, and this was one of the most enjoyable workshops yet. Everyone painted a simple loose floral still life three times, on hot pressed, cold pressed, and rough papers. This workshop introduces artists to the different surface and explores how the surfaces react to different techniques. All the paper was generous supplied by Hahnemuehle. 

And I'm thrilled to announce that my painting "Low Tide" juried into Colorado Watercolor Society national exhibit! 

Low Tide, 12x16 watercolor by Annie Strack

Next week I'll be painting plein air, live in person, at the Bourbon & Bluegrass event at Winterthur. The following week is the annual studio tour and I'll post more about that later, but save the date -- Saturday and Sunday, May 19-20. 

demos and paintings

 Last week I demonstrated plein air painting at Valley Forge for the Philadelphia Watercolor Society, and also at the Wine Trail event at Winterthur. 

Annie Strack PWCS plein air painting at Valley Forge

Valley Forge, 9x12 plein air by Annie Strack

And in other news, I'm thrilled to announce that my painting "Toes in the Water" juried into the Southern Watercolor Society National Juried Exhibition!

Toes in the Water, 14x20 Watercolor by Annie Strack

Later this week I'll be at the Howard Pyle Studio in Wilmington, Delaware, to teach a watercolor workshop. 

PWCS plein air painting at Valley Forge

 I'm thrilled to announce new painting demonstration coming up in April! On April 18th, I will be demonstrating plein air painting at Valley Forge National Historical Park for the Philadelphia Watercolor Society during their Spring Paint Out. This event is free and open to the public, click here to register. 

PWCS plein air at Valley Forge, April 18, 2024

All artists will receive FREE samples of Hahnemuehle watercolor paper and a free tube of paint! There will be lots of door prizes for other art supplies, too! 

Annie Strack painting en plein air

This event is generously sponsored by Hahnemuehle who is providing watercolor paper for to give away to all the artists. 

More Exhibitions!

 This week I'm framing and boxing up more paintings to ship off to juried exhibitions around the country. My painting "Weight of the World" is juried into the Illinois Watercolor Society International Exhibition. 

Weight of the World, 9x12 watercolor by Annie Strack

I'm thrilled that my painting "Every Which Way" juried into the Society of Watercolor Artists International Exhibition in Texas. 

Every Which Way, 12x16 watercolor by Annie Strack

And I also learned that my painting "Disconnected" juried into the Watercolor USA Honor Society exhibition in Missouri. 

Disconnected, 14x20 watercolor by Annie Strack

And in other news, the National Watercolor Society begins accepting entries for the 104th International Open Exhibition on April 1st! Get ready for another great exhibit in San Pedro, California in October and November of this year. We have lots of exciting activities to go along with the exhibition, so be sure to put it on your calendar. 

All About Paper, Part II - Sizing

 All About Paper -- Part II – Sizing

Sizing is an additive to watercolor paper to make it a more durable surface for painting. It reduces absorbency and adds stiffness to paper. Without sizing, it would be like painting on a paper towel – the moisture would soak in and spread throughout the paper. Sizing can be added to the pulp vat for internal sizing, or it can be applied to the surface of the paper, or both – some papers have sizing added to the surface and also internally. There are two common products that are used for sizing, and there are pros and cons to each of them. 

The Collection, Watercolor Paper by Hahnemuehle

Vegetable sizing is STARCH, and animal sizing is GELATIN. Think of a vegetable starch, like a cornstarch -- it can be easily and quickly dissolved in cold water. Gelatin, on the other hand, is much harder to dissolve and requires boiling water and a lot of effort. That's why it is also used as a glue and as a surface preparation for oil painting (in it's form of rabbit skin glue), as well. 

Annie Strack pulling handmade watercolor paper in Fabriano, Italy

When dried, the starch products are easily reconstituted but the gelatin products require much more effort to reverse or dissolve. So, as a paper sizing, vegetable sizing will not hold up to a lot of "abuse" -- scrubbing, multiple layers, lifting, masking, over-working, etc., whereas traditional gelatin sizing is much more durable. 

testing different mediums on a paper

Vegetable sizing is much brighter, whiter and doesn't discolor, while gelatin sizing often causes a warmer tint. Gelatin is a byproduct of meat production (animal hides, usually bovine) so vegans and some religious doctrines avoid it. These are the pros and cons to consider for each, and it’s up to the individual artist to decide which is best for them. 

Read the other articles in this series: All About Paper - Part I - Surface Textures

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Annie Strack is an industry trained expert in the uses and properties of artist materials. She is a Brand Ambassador for Hahnemuehle Paper and several other companies, and teaches at art centers, art supply stores, and workshops around the world. 

new car old car

After weeks of online research and shopping, we finally bought a new car this week. This is Brian's new ride -- not quite as nice as his old car, but it's new and he likes it, so we're happy.  

It's replaces the lovely silver Mercedes that I bought eons ago. That car would have lasted forever if he hadn't wrecked it. 

In other news, my dryer quit right in the middle of washing sheets. It's been raining steady for weeks, so I had to hand the sheets up in the garage to dry until Brian could order the parts and fix it.  

The laundry was piling up and I was happy when the parts came and he was able to put it back together again. 

More juried exhibits

I shipped off my painting "Sharing Secrets" that was juried into the Arizona Watercolor Association National Juried Show, earning my Signature Status in AWA! 

Sharing Secrets, 12x16 wc by Annie Strack

I'm totally thrilled to learn that my painting "Shallow Dance" juried into the Georgia Watercolor Society 45th National Exhibition, earning my Signature Status with GWS -- this is the 30th Signature that I've earned! 

Shallow Dance, 12x16 wc by Annie Strack

Both of these paintings were painted with my favorite art supplies; Sennelier watercolors and Dynasty Brushes on Hahnemuhle paper, because it takes great art supplies to make great art. 

Proper cropping for entry to juried exhibits

The entry period for the National Watercolor Society's Member Exhibition is in full swing, and as the Exhibition Director I see all the entries - both the good and the bad. Some entries won't proceed past the initial vetting process and are culled for various reasons, such as being outdated, concerns over originality, or the payment of fees. The most common problem that is encountered is the insufficient cropping of the photograph. It is absolutely imperative that the photo shows only the painting, with no background, frame, mat, or other distractions. 

I've posted a few examples here to help other artists understand the difference between what is acceptable, and what is not. 

This first photo needs cropping on the right side - you can see a sliver of background on the top right. Although it's small, the juror will see it and will score this painting lower. The sliver of background is dark and this will show terribly if it is printed in an exhibit catalog. This image is unacceptable as an entry, and will declined if entered into a juried exhibit.  

Needs cropping, upper right

The next photo is cropped correctly, and ready to enter.  

properly cropped and ready to enter

Another example: This photo below needs to be cropped on the top edge. It is lighter, and might not be noticeable against a light page, but it will be glaringly obvious against a dark background. Again, this photo can not be accepted for entry to any art exhibit.  

needs cropping on top edge

The bottom photo is cropped correctly, and ready to enter.  

properly cropped and ready to enter

Proper cropping of images is a screen-out element for almost every juried exhibit. It is the most common reason for entries being declined. An imperfect edge might not be that noticeable, but curators and jurors will notice it and decline the entry. 

Free Online Demo - how to mount paper onto boards!

 I'll be demonstrating how to mount watercolor paper/painting onto boards and framing them in my next online demo for Art Chat. The demo will include how to adhere the paper to the board, seal it, and frame it. This technique can be done with finished watercolor paintings on paper, and also with blank watercolor paper that can be painted after it's been mounted. 

I mastered this technique many decades ago, long before it became popular. As an experienced and trained Art Materials Expert, I can explain why certain materials are used, and why some materials should NOT be used in this process. Many untrained artists have been teaching improper methods, and I will dispel some of the myths and demonstrate the correct procedures to produce archival results. 

To attend this free online demo, click HERE to register and get the link. The demo will be recorded but will not be public - only people who have registered may watch the recording. You won't want to miss this exciting and informative demo -- I hope I see you there! Feb 8th, 7 pm Eastern Time. 

Listen to Me, 12x16 wc, Annie Strack

And in other news, this is my most recent painting. I demonstrated how I painted the background in the live online demo that I did for Cazenovia Watercolor Society, and then while that dried I moved on to a different painting of seagulls to demonstrate my techniques for painting the birds. This has been a fun series of demos, and paintings! 

New painting and another boat!

 My online watercolor demo for the Cazenovia Watercolor Society was a great success, although we were only about halfway through it when the power went out due to the storm. The lights had been flickering, so I warned everyone that we would continue the demo at the same time, on the next evening. Thankfully, the power came back on the next afternoon and I was able to resume my demo on time! It lated just long enough for my demo, however, and went off again early the next morning. It's back on again now, but more extreme weather is forecast tonight and again next week, Well, at least this one is done! Painted with Sennelier Watercolors and Dynasty Brushes on Hahnemuhle paper. 

three faces of Annie, 14x20 watercolor

While I was waiting for the power to be restored, I went out shopping. I got this really nice kayak at the Goodwill store for just 19.95! 

There are several places to put in and paddle around here, and it's light enough for me to pick up and load it onto my car by myself.