Escoda Signature Brushes Available!

The brush is more than a tool. It is the decisive and final connection to the painting surface, transmitting the artist's soul to the viewer -- now, and forever. Properly and lovingly handmade, it is a work of art in itself, the product of generations of tireless dedication to perfection. Escoda epitomizes the level of commitment and excellence I strive for in my own work, and I am proud to exclusively use the best artist brushes available today. -Nicholas Simmons

 Escoda Nicholas Simmons signature brush sets available from Dick Blick and other retailers for an incredible price:

http://www.dickblick.com/products/escoda-signature-brush-sets/

http://www.in2art.com/store/product/101993/Escoda-Nicholas-Simmons-Brush-Set-%231/

http://www.in2art.com/store/product/101994/Escoda-Nicholas-Simmons-Brush-Set-%232/
 

Prime Meridian

Close-ups of some paintings set to 3 minutes of original music. Hope you enjoy it, and remember to crank the volume -- the louder the better! 

Creative Catalyst Productions Blog Feature

A big thank-you to Kelly Powers and Creative Catalyst Productions for this feature on the CCP blog. A late addition to the news is my participation in the upcoming 3rd Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary International Watermedia Masters, taking place in Nanjing, China, October 20-26. More information on that soon. 

In the meantime, CCP is runnning a great sale on my Innovative Watermedia DVD!

Interview - Konstantin Sterkhov blog

Last December I was interviewed by Russian watercolorist Konstantin Sterkhov, for publication on his fine blog, Art of Watercolor. Konstantin is not only a great painter himself, he has generously provided space to feature many of the world's best watercolorists. Check out, for example, his interviews with the incredible Lars Lerin, and Barbara Nechis, one of my early mentors. A big "spasibo" to Kostya, and I look forward to crossing paths someday, perhaps on a return visit to wonderful St. Petersburg. Pokah!

2012 Shanghai Zhujiajiao International Watercolour Biennial

There is one more month to enter the 2012 Shanghai Zhujiajiao International Watercolour Biennial, the world's largest watercolor exhibition. Please read the Biennial website for complete information. No entry fee. The Quanhua Watercolour Art Gallery will frame all accepted paintings at no cost to the artists, and will pay return shipping of unsold work. Fantastic prizes, expense-paid trips to Shanghai, and an amazing venue! This year the judges will be Janine Gallizia, Alvaro Castagnet, Ong Kim Seng, Xidan Chen, Nicholas Simmons, and the Chinese judges. 

  2012 Shanghai Zhujiajiao International Watercolour Biennial website.

  Photos from 2010 judging.

  Photos from 2010 opening.

Watercolor Critique - Facebook

I've been back on Facebook for quite a while now and noticed there wasn't a critique group for watercolorists. Lots of watercolor groups, but not a critique group. So I started one. In a couple weeks we got 200 members, many of them among the best watercolorists out there. Some are even participating! Hopefully more and more people will post work and contribute opinions, and the page will continue to generate useful discussion. With so many fantastic painters to choose from, I'm thinking of having a Guest Critique every so often  - let people submit paintings, and have a name pro choose one to critique. The page is open to all seeking serious discussion about their work. It will also be a welcome relief for people tired of other forums run by inept moderators/administration. No absurd rules, no community threads, no nonsense - just art!

Watercolor Critique Facebook Group

Cutting Remarks

Many times over the past few years I have been asked how to cut from a roll of watercolor paper. It never dawned on me this could be a problem until I was made aware of the very awkward and inefficient ways some people go about it.  Let's make it quick and easy, shall we?

My favorite paper is Fabriano Artistico,  140 lb. hot press or cold press. It measures 55" (140 cm) wide, and 30' (914 cm) long.  

1.  Place the end of the roll under a carpet, rug, or anything heavy -- books or a piece of wood can be used.

2.  Unroll it to the desired length and stop it with something heavy. Again, books or a piece of wood (shown) can be used. Be careful not to dent or mark the paper.  Now the important part:  spray a light mist of water on the surface. Wait a few minutes. This will relax the paper and prevent it from rolling up again.

3.  After deciding the best way to orient the desired shape within the roll (I try not to waste paper), measure the dimensions. I usually make the piece a bit larger than the actual painting will be so I have a border to work with, and to give me more options in framing. 

4.  I usually make two marks with the pencil - one on each side -  but if you don't have a straight edge long enough, you might need to make three.

5. Use a long straight edge to draw a pencil line across. 

6.  Cut with scissors or utility knife. You can also fold and tear if you prefer a deckle edge.  I save the scraps and let my daughter paint on them. The roll then goes back in the box, propped up in the corner of my studio, until I need the next piece.   

Note:  It has come to my attention that some people invest in a roll and proceed to cut it into a variety of sizes, or even cut it to standard 22 x 30 pieces. This completely misses the point of buying a roll of paper. The purpose of the roll is to do large paintings that can't be done on standard available sizes. My advice is to only cut pieces as you need them. 

2012 Exhibitions - Judging - Workshops

This year started off with a bang exhibiting here at Strathmore Mansion, and I'll be showing new work in Shanghai, Narbonne (Fr), Estaimbourg (Bel), and more biennials with NAWA (first in Colombia). I return to China to judge the Shanghai Zhujiajiao International Watercolour Biennial again, the biggest and best watercolor exhibition in the world. I'll be in Nanjing, China in October for the opening of the 3rd  Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary International Watermedia Masters. I'm also judging the San Diego Watercolor Society annual, a major international show; the Florida Watercolor Society annual, another major; and the Utah Watercolor Society and Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society annuals. Each of those includes a workshop, demos/lectures, and in the FWS convention, I'll be playing a concert. In addition, I'm the senior judge again for the PTA Reflections program art competition, with 166,000 entries, the largest art contest in the country.  Several more workshops and Photoshop seminars are pending and will be added to the schedule in coming weeks, as well as events for DaVinci Paint, Escoda Artist Brushes, and another sponsor to be announced soon. . Check the workshop page of the Nicholas Simmons website for updates. 

Exhibition - North American Watercolor Artists - Strathmore Mansion - Bethesda, Maryland. January 8 - February 4.


2-day workshop - Plaza Art - Rockville, Maryland. February 4-5.
Contact: 301-770-0500


2-day workshop - Newton Watercolor Society / New Art Center - Newtonville, Massachusetts. March 24-25.
Contact: Kristi Woodworth 617-964-3424


4-day workshop - Waterloo Watercolor Group of Austin - Austin, Texas. April 2- 5. Demonstration April 1.
Contact: Nancy Charbeneau 512-795-0203


Lecture/demonstration - Waterloo Watercolor Group of Austin - Austin, Texas. April 1.

Judge - Waterloo Watercolor Group of Austin  34th Annual Spring Member Show

Photography For Artists Seminar - Baltimore Watercolor Society - Ellicott City, Maryland. April 21.
Contact: Diane Gibson 410-357-0464


Judge - PTA Reflections "Diversity Means..." Visual Arts Program - April.


5-day workshop - Utah Watercolor Society - Salt Lake City, Utah. April 30-May 4. Demonstration May 1.
Contact: Joyce Baron 801-375-4933


Judge - Utah Watercolor Society 2012 Annual Open Juried Exhibition. April 2012.


Judge -  Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society Spring Show. March 2012


4-day workshop - Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society - Buffalo, New York. May 14-17. Demonstration May 17.
Contact: Carol Case Siracuse 716- 867-9044


Lecture/demonstration - Burchfield Penney Art Center - Buffalo, New York. May 17.


Judge - 2nd Shanghai Zhujiajiao International Watercolor Biennial. June 2012.


5-day workshop - Manoir de Maison Blanche - Dordogne, France. June 18-22.
Contact: Manoir de Maison Blanche +33 553 56 90 55


3-day workshop - Idyllwild Arts - Idyllwild, California. July16 -18. Lecture July 18.
Contact: Idyllwild Summer Program 951- 659-2171 x 2365


Lecture - Parks Gallery, Idyllwild Arts - July 16.


Exhibition - Parks Gallery, Idyllwild Arts - July 16-20.


4-day workshop - Acadia Workshop Center - Mount Desert Island, Maine. July 30-August 2.
Contact: Gail Ribas 207-460-4119


Exhibition - International Watercolour Biennial - Belgium 2012. Estaimbourg, Belgium. August 11 - September 2.


4-day workshop - San Diego Watercolor Society- San Diego, California. August 13-16.
Contact: Alice Kayuha (619) 876-4550


Lecture/demonstration - San Diego Watercolor Society - San Diego, California. August 14.


Judge - Florida Watercolor Society Annual Exhibition. August 2012.


4-day workshop - Florida Watercolor Society - Orlando, Florida. September 10 -14.
Contact: Jane Collin - 954-532-0017


Lecture-demonstration - Florida Watercolor Society - Orlando, Florida. September 13.


Concert - Florida Watercolor Society Gala - Orlando, Florida. September 15.


Judge - San Diego Watercolor Society International Exhibition. October 2012.


Exhibition - Biennale d'Aquarelle de Narbonne - Narbonne, France. October 3 - 28.


Exhibition - 2nd Shanghai Zhujijiao International Watercolour Biennial - Shanghai, China. September 29 - November 10.


Exhibition - 3rd Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary International Watermedia Masters - Nanjing, China. October 20-26.


3-day workshop - Amelia Island Artists Workshop - Fernandina Beach, Florida. October 26-28.
Contact: Mikolean Longacre 904-415-3900


4-day workshop - Greentree Studio - Lawrenceburg, Indiana. November 2 - November 5.
Contact: Sandy Maudlin 812-539-4505


3-day workshop - Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society Workshops - San Jose, California. November 12 -14. Demonstration November 11.
Contact: Jeanne de Campos-Rousseau

Strathmore NAWA Opening

Self-Portrait: Breathe

On Sunday, January 8, the six members of North American Watercolor Artists met as a complete group for the first time in Bethesda. Strathmore Mansion hosted the opening of our Stepping Over The Line exhibition, curated by Harriet Lesser. Exhibiting at the same time on the second floor of Strathmore is Shahla Arbabi. We had a chance to stretch a bit in this show, unconstrained by the limitations imposed on us by the various biennials. I introduced a couple of new ones, ¡Barcelona! (which sold at the opening, thank you!) and Self-Portrait: Breathe.

¡Barcelona!

A great crowd at the opening, and Strathmore did a wonderful job of putting it all together. Many thanks to Holly Haliniewski, Director of Fine Art Exhibitions, and of course to Harriet for her expertise, encouragement, and enthusiasm.  

I'm very grateful to my colleagues for making the trip:  Kathleen Alexander from Hawaii, Keiko Tanabe and Tom Schaller from California, Carol Carter from St. Louis, and Mark Mehaffey from Michigan. On Monday, a few of us went to the National Gallery in D.C. to meet with the curator of works on paper, and were shown twenty-five watercolors from the collection. Sargent, Homer, Wyeth, and many others of note -  all without glass, but with firm instructions about not sneezing!

NAWA's next stop will be Colombia, stay tuned.

Strathmore
Art Talk on Saturday, January 21 at 1 PM
Children's Talk and Tour at 10:15 the same day.
Stepping Over The Line hangs until February 4.

Hot Plate Boogie!

Here's a funny song I wrote a long time ago in about 30 minutes. Recorded it the next day with my buddy Duane Freeman, who put down a very entertaining vocal. Finally got around to making a video. Crank it and smile!

Hot Plate Boogie (words, music, all instruments by Nick Simmons)

My mama never cleans but Lord she loves to cook all night
No huffin' or a-puffin' or a rubbin' and a-dubbin' in sight
She just stand up in the kitchen hopin' everything will be alright


You see the rent's not paid so they took it all away, dunno where
Except for the kitchen you'd be bitchin' that there ain't nothin' there
But my baby sees it different and at dinnertime she don't care


She do the Hot Plate Boogie
And it goes somethin' like this


The children got no shoes so they gotta walk to school real slow
When in times of trouble it's their stomach that's the last to know
She says a well-fed baby never worries where the money goes


Well she should be cryin' but my baby will be fryin' tonight
Pork chops, green beans, anything you like she just might
That ol' hot plate glowin' and a-smokin' to my baby's delight


She do the Hot Plate Boogie
And it goes somethin' like this

Southern Caribbean 2011

Olga, Larissa, and I spent a glorious 11 days on Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas in late November. From Cape Liberty in New York Harbor to beautiful Labadee in Haiti, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Antigua, and St. Kitt's. Olga's brother Denys (see above) is First Officer on the ship, serving under the most famous captain in the business, Olav Nyseter. As in previous voyages, we were privileged to be on the bridge during a departure, and Capt. Nyseter let Larissa sound the horn -- something she nor the island of St. Maarten will forget anytime soon! We were also honored to sit at the Captain's table for a very elaborate dinner. Lots of sun, fun, and adventure. "Tak" and "spasibo" to the Captain and First Officer for making our vacation so memorable!

NAWA at Strathmore Mansion

North American Watercolor Artists (NAWA) was formed in 2010 to represent the United States in international watercolor exhibitions, and is the only group of its kind in the country. Kathleen Alexander, Carol Carter, Mark Mehaffey, Thomas Schaller, Nicholas Simmons, and Keiko Tanabe have already shown their paintings in Mexico City and Madrid, and continue to receive exhibition invitations from around the globe.

Each member has gained a reputation as a leader in the development and critical acceptance of the watercolor medium, and each has been highly recognized for their art, garnering prestigious honors and media attention. NAWA enjoys a combined worldwide audience that includes virtually every watercolorist working today.

Their backgrounds -- personal and professional -- are as eclectic as their paintings, which demonstrate an impressive range of genre and approach: realism; impressionism; abstraction; figures; city, land, and seascapes; florals and botanicals; images depicting locations and cultures from Europe to Asia, as well as compositions that defy category or description.

Contemporary watercolor is a demanding and intensely competitive field, requiring one to maintain a personal vision amidst countless painters who consistently expand the limits of technique and creativity. That six artists should unite with a shared purpose is a testament to the camaraderie and mutual respect fostered by their common bond. Standing on the shoulders of the greats who have preceded them, they blaze a trail that promises a bright future for their beloved medium.

Strathmore website

NAWA feature in The Art of Watercolour #5

¡Barcelona!

The Escodas extended a warm welcome to Barcelona and their factory in Sabadell where the world's finest artist brushes are produced. The people, the food, the culture, the music, Gaudi -- wow, what an experience! I had wonderful guides around the city in Angela Barbi of Enjoy Painting Catalonia fame, and Anna Morales Puigcerver, a cyber-friend artist I've been wanting to meet for a few years.

The highlight, of course, was the tour of Escoda Sabatés, S.A. which was fascinating. I've always wondered how a first class brush is made, and I observed the process from start to finish. Many of the artisans have been at Escoda for decades, and their skill is as impressive as the product. Most of the machinery was designed long ago by Josep Escoda himself, and is still in use today. But it's talented hands in concert with technology that make it all come together, and every time I pick up an Escoda I'll be thinking of these dedicated people.

My signature series of five brushes is not available quite yet, but they presented me with a mock-up of one of the packages. I also got a preview of the new catalog which will feature pages devoted to Alvaro Castagnet, Charles Reid, Joseph Zbukvic, and myself. This recognition has given me a new confidence, and I'm ready to embark on bigger and bolder watercolor adventures. More details to follow regarding the availability of my series.

I will be returning to Barcelona and Sabadell, sooner rather than later, and also am planning a workshop there through EPC. Actually, I have no choice -- a drink from the fabled Font de Canaletes on La Rambla demands it!

Si bebes agua de la fuente de Canaletes, te enamorarás todavía más de Barcelona y no importa lo lejos que vayas, volverás otra vez'. (see last pic)

A huge thank you once again to Ricard Escoda and family, Angela Barbi, Tom Dix of Global Art Materials, Inc., and everyone who made me feel so at home.

New Escoda website coming soon

(posted from the Explorer of the Seas, somewhere in the Atlantic. See you in 10 days!)