Our Apologies
Our apologies to Ann Pember and Carla O’Connor. Ann and Carla also had works accepted into the 2010 American Watercolor Society Show. We somehow overlooked them in last week’s announcement. Above is Ann Pember’s AWS piece, Museo Majestoso. You can view Carla O’Connor’s award winning submission here.
Artist News and Notes
Congratulations to Cheng-Khee Chee, Saturated Wet Technique, for winning second place in Watercolor West’s 41st Annual Juried Exhibition. Cheng-Khee won with his piece, “Koi 2008 #1.” (Seen above.)
A second congratulation goes out to Frankie Ridolfi, How to Bind Books, for being nominated for the American Library Association Notable Videos for Adults list for 2009.
Congratulations Morris and Mehaffey
Here at Creative Catalyst Productions, we get excited when we have good news to pass along. Join us in giving warm congratulations to Mark Mehaffey and Judy Morris for being selected as jurors for 2010 American Watercolor Society show. They will begin selecting paintings in January of 2010.
Three CCP Artists Win Awards at PWS
Pennsylvania Watercolor Society
30th Juried Exhibition Winners
First Place: Nicholas Simmons
Second Place: John Salminen
Third Place: George James
From Behind the Camera
Creative Catalyst Newsletter
June 2, 2009
George James will be honored at a One Man Retrospective Art Show at the Coastline Art Gallery in Huntington Beach, California (USA) from July 9 to August 8, 2009. The reception is Friday, July 10, 5-7 p.m. The exhibition will present work that spans his career and will include some of his most recent award-winning paintings. In addition, James will teach a summer workshop in Alternative Surfaces. Registration forms are available at the Coastline Art Gallery and at Coastline Community College Costa Mesa Center Office, 10156 Adams Ave, Huntington Beach, CA 92646 or call (714) 963-8475 for more information.
Congratulations George!
From Behind the Camera – Why workshops?
People sometimes tell me they don’t watch videos or attend workshops because they want to discover their own style, independent of the influence of others. That got me thinking. What value is there in investigating how other people approach their creative pursuit?
Years of working with a variety of fine and craft arts artists has led me to believe that personal progress in art is more often a result of sifting through ideas from others than it is some sort of isolated brilliant insight developed on our own. We learn or borrow from others, then take what we’ve learned in a different direction. It is the sum total of all these influences and shifts that make up our unique vision.
I have never seen an artists work and thought to myself, “I want to paint exactly like that!” After the initial wow factor, I realize that some specific aspect of the work attracts me. I think I gain more awareness of what I want in my own painting by making note of what the exact “something” that attracted me is. It helps me get a better idea of paths I may take by learning the paths others have taken.
Here is a quick partial list of some of the ideas I’ve noted from the workshops. I learned a method of problem solving (Cobb), design options (Salminen, James), color theory (Jasper, Dalio, Archer, Mehaffey), symbolism (James) pigment qualities (Bourdet, Morris) how to render the face and figure (Kunz, O’Connor, Nelson, Hammett), patterning (Hammett, O’Connor, Bagby) and the bravery to listen to my own drummer (Das, Simmons, Hellmuth, Bagby, Trevena), and the fantastic techniques to make it happen (everyone!)
They all share a dedication to their art form. None of them suddenly woke up one morning to find they were talented. As Craig Nelson so aptly says, “You have to put in the brush miles. ” I would add that it frequently helps to be aware of our options to make an informed decision.
Cheers – Lynn Powers
What Customers Say
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“Your instructional DVD’s are consistently among the best out there — thank you.”
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“Your videos are far better than any other productions I have seen. “
Alyshia H., Kingsgrove, NSW, AU
Customer Comments
“I have wanted to do Art all my life. I have an incredibly busy life. I am hoping for solace. Art provides that to me. “
Ali Y., Vancouver, BC
+ + +
“Your instructional DVD’s are consistently among the best out there — thank you.”
Sydney Mc., Santa Rosa, CA
+ + +
“Your videos are far better than any other productions I have seen. “
Alyshia H., Kingsgrove, NSW, AU
AWS Winning News
The American Watercolor Society has been sending letters to award recipients. Up to now, we have heard that Mark Mehaffey won the AWS SILVER MEDAL OF HONOR award for (a.) ‘Blue Monolith’ and
Donna Zagotta (on our schedule to be filmed in April) won the SAMUEL LEITMAN award for (b.) “This Way”. We know that other CCP artists may have received awards but have not heard from them directly, therefore, we feel uncomfortable posting the news just yet.
On a personal note, I used to think people who won these awards were somehow different … anointed with special extra talent. Through our association and friendship with these artists, I’ve learned that they are ’simply’ hard working artists who have STUCK WITH IT and nurtured what talent they have!! There is no magic formula. Congratulations to all “¦ we are delighted to see them receive the accolades they totally deserve.
CONGRATULATIONS to Sue Archer
The painting filmed for Sue Archer’s DVD workshop, “Pineapple Top” won two awards. It won First Place in Watercolor at the Festival of the Masters at Disney and Award of Distinction at Daytona. And all this under the pressure of filming at CCP! Way to go Sue!
Congratulations to David N. Kitler!
David has again been recognized for his truly excellent work. David’s “Harpy Eagle Montage” was awarded first place in Artist’s Magazine’s, The Year’s Best Art (December 2007) in the Animal/Wildlife category. His piece is a combination of graphite and acrylic on a toned board.
David camped out for three weeks under a harpy nest in the Panama jungle observing and drawing their every move. He has since been a guest lecturer at the Cornell School of Ornithology as a harpy ‘expert’. David’s Creative Catalyst drawing workshop teaches his quick method of documenting accurate information. His acrylic workshop will be released next year.
Creative Catalyst Artists are Winners
Last week we reported that Nicholas Simmons took top honors at the National Watercolor Society. Mark Mehaffey and Donna Zagotta (all CCP artists with DVD workshops in various stages of production) were notified they had also won awards at the National Watercolor Society. Mark received the Janet Hilford Memorial award for Blue Monolith (1). Donna took a memorial award at NWS for Heart to Heart (2). Additionally, Donna won first place at the Rocky Mountain Watercolor Society for Morning Stroll, Key West (3) and fourth at the San Diego Watercolor Society with Big Yellow Taxi (4)
In addition, remember Claudine Hellmuth will be on Martha Stewart, September 12th.
ANOTHER WINNER! – Ann Pember
Ann Pember’s painting “Summer Solace” (14″ X 21″, watercolor on gel-coated paper) won the Trails and Streams Award & Medallion for a forest theme in the Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors, Old Forge, NY. Congratulations Ann!
Ann has two watercolor DVD workshops:
DVD workshop Vibrant Orchid
DVD workshop Painting In The Flow of Watercolor
Learn more about the technique Ann has developed for this style of painting in her DVD workshop.
News – September 4, 2007
This week opens with a holiday and beautiful weather here in Oregon. For all the many months of winter, with constant rain, this state redeems itself with the weather of summer and fall. It is just barely 80 degrees, clear skies and flowers everywhere. It’s 106 in my old haunts of LA….
I managed to get through last week with only one major blunder of misquoting the juror of the National Watercolor Society and editor of Artist Magazine, Maureen Bloomfield. I guess if one is going to make a fool of one’s self, there is no point in doing it in private….
Our week will end with filming Craig Nelson In Plein Air. Craig will paint a vista overlooking a local stream toward the neighbor’s barn. It will be our first workshop filmed ‘in nature’. We have thought of every contingency we can imagine. Time will tell. The report of an oncoming weather downturn is par for the course. We are charging our batteries, rounding up umbrellas and portable mics. What a blend of art and science!
Among other news this week, Nicholas Simmons, Mark Mehaffey and Donna Zagotta (all CCP artists with workshops in various stages of production) were notified they had won awards at the National Watercolor Society. Additionally Donna Zagotta won first place at the Rocky Mountain WC Society. Also, our very own Claudine Hellmuth will be LIVE on the Martha Stewart Show September 12.
- Lynn –
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO GET STARTED IN WATERCOLOR!
While we are keeping ourselves busy filming Carla O’Connor, a very energetic and fabulously talented gouache artist, we are very pleased to post an article contributed by watercolor still life artist, Laurin McCracken. Thanks Laurin!
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO GET STARTED IN WATERCOLOR!
In 1998, while I was living in Alexandria, Virginia, I used to visit the Torpedo factory on the Potomac River. It had 
actually been a torpedo factory during the First and Second World Wars, but today it is artist’s studios and galleries and an Art Institute. I was often attracted by the watercolors. I began to ask the artists with whom they had studied, and most often it was from Gwen Bragg, who taught at the institute. It got me thinking I should take a course. I had always wanted to know how to watercolor. I had not painted since I was in college, and all I knew about watercolor was that it was a technique driven medium and I could not do it because I knew nothing about it.
It took me until December of 1999 to get into one of Gwen’s classes. She is so good and popular that someone has to practically die before a slot opens up in one of her classes.
Here I am, a little over six years later, a signature member of the NWS and having had paintings on the covers of several of the nation’s leading watercolor magazines. This year I will turn 65.
I used to worry what I would be doing at this time of my life. I was afraid that I’d have to be going to an office the rest of my life. Now, I am looking at the prospect of a whole new career in watercolor.
I am in several wonderful galleries and my major paintings are selling nicely. I have achieved signature status in a number of watercolor societies across the nation. I have discovered I enjoy giving workshops.
I have even found that my over 30 years of marketing architectural and engineering services is proving me in good stead as I approach editors about writing stories about my work and in my relationship with galley owners.
What started out to be a hobby is turning into a full time business. But it is a business where I work for myself, where I determine the pace of production. I am looking forward to doing this full time when I give up my day job in about another year.
It’s never too late to start something new, and it never too late to be really serious about it.
Contributed by Laurin McCracken NWS, Watercolors, Fort Worth, TX. www.lauringallery.com
Mark Mehaffey Returns from France-June 29, 2007
CCP artist/instructor Mark Mehaffey took a lucky group of students to France. Here is a short description of the experience written by Mark!
The trip went off without a hitch, the group was willing to try 
everything I presented both conceptually and technically. They ranged from a beginner with just a month of drawing/ painting experience to folks that had been traveling and painting for years. There was so much to see and do that the hardest part of me was finding enough down time to actually 
paint. As an instructor I tried to cover all the bases for a painting and exploring trip…how to use the view finder of the camera to start the Artistic process, using the sketch book to record both written and graphic ideas of “place”, using the sketch book to define value and shape in preparation for painting,and using photographic references as a source. We actually brought a small printer so we could print a few photos everyday, it worked well! Demo’s included using watercolor over a pen and ink drawing, simplifying shapes and assigning value from photo references, Painting on site to “capture the essence”, using 
gouache to add the light ( the beginners really appreciated this lesson as they did not have to worry about “painting around” the lights a necessary procedure with transparent watercolor.) , using neutrals and neutralized color to create mood ….and the biggest lesson of all…how to eat all that fabulous French food and not gain a pound! -Lynn-
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