Up Close, Personal

Here are thirty close-ups of a bunch of paintings, old and new. Several of the shots are good examples of the effects of painting on gessoed paper (mostly Arches or Fabriano hot press). All are regular watercolor, "acrylic watercolor, " or a combination of both. The pic above (from the Misteria series) is a detail of granulation that resulted in a nice verdigris effect.

2010 Workshops

These are confirmed, there are several more pending, here and abroad. Have to say thanks again to all of the people who have signed up for the workshops the past few years, and I'm sure I learned as much as they did. I appreciate the word of mouth goodwill, and look forward to visiting more and more interesting places and groups of painters!

2010

2-day workshop - Plaza Art - Rockville, Maryland. January 30-31.
Contact: 301-770-0500

1-day Photoshop Secrets For Artists seminar - Plaza Art - Rockville, Maryland. March 21.

Contact: 301-770-0500

4-day workshop (6-day event) - Kanuga Watercolor/Watermedia Workshops - Hendersonville, North Carolina. April 11-16.
Contact: Robbie Laird 530-259-2100

3-day workshop - Art Escapes Vancouver - Granville Island, Vancouver, British Columbia. April 22-24.
Contact: Jamie Kelley 604-730-2776

2-day workshop - Plaza Art - Rockville, Maryland. May 1-2.

Contact: 301-770-0500

4-day workshop - Town & Country Fine Art Center
- Kettering, Ohio. May 17 - 20.
Contact: Leonard Williams 513-897-5222

3-day workshop - York Art Association - York, Pennsylvania. June 8-10.
Contact: York Art Association 717-755-0028

3-day workshop - Idyllwild Arts - Idyllwild, California. June 27 - 29.
Contact: summer@idyllwildarts.org 951- 659-2171 x2365

4-day workshop - Sandy Maudlin/Greentree Studio - Lawrenceburg, Indiana. August 6-9.
Contact: Sandy Maudlin 812-539-4505

1-day Photoshop Secrets For Artists seminar - Plaza Art - Rockville, Maryland. August 21.

Contact: 301-770-0500

5-day workshop - Enjoy Painting Catalonia - Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Spain. September 2-6.
Contact: Angela Barbi +34-972-221-879

3-day workshop - Art League of Ocean City - Ocean City, Maryland. September 27-29.
Contact: Ann Heslop 410-524-9433

4-day workshop - California Watercolor Association - Concord, California. October 18-21.
Contact: Karen Powers 510-502-6211

3-day workshop - Amelia Island Artist Workshop - Fernandina Beach, Florida. November 12-14.
Contact: Mikolean Longacre 904-415-3900

Bad & Beautiful

This is another track from the archives that I put together with some recent photographs. The string pad sound you hear is the Roland GR-1 synthesizer which allowed me to play my guitar with a MIDI pickup, triggering a synth. I was one of the clinicians for Roland on the GR-1 when it came out. The lead guitar is a Strat through a Marshall JMP-1 preamp. If you like certain Jeff Beck stuff, you might like this.

Sylvan Grouse Guild Medal

Thank you to the Board of the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society for awarding me the Sylvan Grouse Guild Medal. Six lifetime points are required for induction; I earned ten points in one year with consecutive wins at the annual PWS juried exhibition, 2008 and 2009. It is a really beautiful (and heavy!) engraved bronze medal, and I'm honored to receive it. I was also awarded Signature Membership in PWS.

Vernissage, Seneffe

The opening at Le Centre de l'Eau was a wonderful night. Large numbers of very enthusiastic and knowledgable art lovers began arriving 30 minutes early, apparently a Belgian trait(!). I've never experienced a crowd that displayed this kind of interest in watercolor, it was surprising to me...but probably shouldn't have been, considering the artists I was exhibiting with, and the person who organized the event, Janine Gallizia.

This was the first chance I've had to see Janine's paintings in person, and they are truly exquisite. As are, of course, Joseph's and the others'. You'll see from the photos that mine were too large to ship framed, so we did what has become a trend in some NY galleries with sizable works on paper, and simply attached them to the panels. Not ideal, but it's better than staying home!

The catalog that Janine put together is breathtaking -- it looks like something a major musuem would publish. The reproductions are outstanding, and each artist wrote about the others, which makes for very interesting reading. A nice touch. There is a dedication from one of the sponsors, Winsor & Newton, and a history of the exhibition and its connection with Seneffe. An excerpt from "A word from the town":

Thanks to the initiative and persistance of the creator of the show, Janine Gallizia, a second exhibition of the highest quality is now taking place. More international in style than the first one, as revealed by its title, "On The Water's Edge," it exhibits the work of six major internationally recognised artists of very different origins -- two Australians, one American, one French and two Belgians -- with a common passion for the infinitely subtle, delicate and at the same time fiery, art of watercolour painting. A wonderful invitation to the discovery of a major art, all too often neglected on the european continent.

I was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of people standing in line to speak with me, some with interpreters. They asked all kinds of detailed questions about what I'm doing, and told me they have not seen this approach to watercolor in Europe. I received very kind workshop invitations for France and Belgium, among other opportunities. I also signed a lot of autographs -- that hasn't happened too many times at shows back home, makes you feel appreciated!

The only disappointment is that I had to postpone my subsequent plans, and how weird is this -- I'm in Belgium and cancelled my visit to Spain; Joseph Zbukvic was in Spain and cancelled his visit to Belgium (family emergency). C'est la vie! I fly home tomorrow.

Artist websites:
Marc Folly
Janine Gallizia
Stéphane Heurion
Nicholas Simmons
Xavier Swolfs
Joseph Zbukvic

On The Water's Edge

I leave tomorrow for Belgium, exhibition opening on Friday. Then I'll spend several days meeting friends in Spain: San Sebastian, Bilbao, Burgos, Madrid, Toledo, and maybe Granada. I'll update the blog as time and access permits. Bon voyage and adios!

Walk On Water - Master Watercolors

I have two new friends in Belgium who have generously devoted space on their blogs to my work, in connection with the upcoming exhibition in Seneffe.

Catherine De Ryck has a fascinating watercolor blog, Walk On Water, that is well worth bookmarking. An award-winning professional artist with a very fine technique and eye for detail, she is influenced by Roland Palmaerts, and is well-acquainted with contemporary painters of note. Catherine also has a serious interest in the development of modern art materials, and mixed media approaches to watercolor.

Paul Scorpion has been running the Master Watercolors blog for a few years, highlighting a number of famous and respected artists. I've discovered some fantastic painters of the past and present I didn't know about thanks to him, including one of my current faves, José Parlá. Paul is an accomplished painter himself, and I expect one of these days he'll get talked into featuring himself on his own blog!

Thank you Catherine and Paul, and I look forward to meeting you both at the opening!

Shanghai Zhujiajiao International Watercolour Biennial Exhibition 2010

Much to my surprise, an invitation arrived from the Chinese government to join mega-heroes Guan Wei Xing and Ong Kim Seng on the jury of this new international exhibition, taking place in conjunction with the 2010 World Expo. I've longed to meet those two incredible masters, and never dreamed it would come about like this. It's probably the biggest honor I've received in watercolor, and I've also been asked to display an "American Nicholas Simmons painting"! I'll go over in March for the selection process, and then again in April for the opening.


Shanghai Zhujiajiao International Watercolour Biennial Exhibition website.

Ong Kim Seng and Guan Wei Xing

Wayne Roberts - l' Art de l' Aquarelle

The second issue of l'Art de l' Aquarelle is coming out soon with an article about Wayne Roberts. I was honored to write for that feature a small tribute, translation below. This issue will be entirely in French, but after that there will be an English version of the magazine available.

When I got back into watercolor six years ago, I spent a lot of time scouring the Internet to learn what had happened during my absence, and who was doing what. It didn’t take me long to discover Wayne Roberts, and when I did, it was something of an epiphany. Here was an artist who was pushing the limits of the medium, not just technically, but even more importantly, in terms of imagination and creativity. He seemed to be able to paint any subject in virtually any style, abstract to representational, at the highest levels. Rather than settling into one comfortable, formulaic approach -- a trap that countless artists succumb to -- he was “all over the map,” and in a way that suggested not superficiality, but rather, profound breadth. I revere this quality because to me the finest artists are explorers. Wayne is a tireless explorer who has blazed trails I had never seen in water media. As if that weren’t enough, I realized that some of the best ideas I ever had for a painting, Wayne Roberts had already done! And done so well, there was no point in my even trying. I started referring to him as The World’s Most Dangerous Man With a Brush.

How does he do it? I believe that artists of this caliber are born, not made. However, something more has to account for this kind of genius. Wayne’s deep interest in science, mathematics, medicine, and music keeps his mind in a constant state of assimilation and heightened awareness, which at any moment might channel a thought or emotion through the pen, the violin, or the paintbrush. Wayne’s insatiable curiosity about the world is reflected in his paintings, which deal with concepts of the large and small; the dark and light; the celestial and terrestrial; the spiritual and physical. As a musician myself, I was fascinated to learn that Wayne has devoted years to an ever-evolving work, The Principles of Nature, which, based on my understanding, is a sort of Unification Theory combining the mysteries of music and visual art through scientific analysis. This is something that has occupied my mind for many years, but I didn’t have the slightest notion how to go about organizing or expressing it. This type of monumental work is best left to the bona fide Renaissance Men of the world. Wayne Roberts is such a person, and I feel truly privileged to behold his many astonishing and unique talents.

For information regarding subscription email Sonia Seince at s.seince@megastar.fr

See the No. 1 issue July-September post.

Seneffe, Belgium Exhibition

I'm privileged to be exhibiting next month in the Seneffe, Belgium watercolor expo. Janine Gallizia, Joseph Zbukvic, Xavier Swolfs, Marc Folly and Stéphane Heurion will be participating, and I'm going over to meet them for the opening, October 16. The show runs through October 25, during which time I'll be going to Spain to meet with many friends from the Hispacuarela website, as well as doing research for a commission. I can't wait!

However, a few folks are bound to be less than enthusiastic about my involvement in this exhibition, as you'll see by clicking on the video below! Hope you enjoy it, feel free to rate and comment. :)

Katherine's World

Quite possibly the best part of the artistic life is the people you meet along the way. The shared interest in beauty and bringing beauty into the world, forges friendships that last among those who are true to the calling. Nobody knows this better than Katherine Lollar Rowland, a woman whose life has been dedicated to art, artists, and a search for the answer to the question of "Who am I?"

I'm so happy to have reconnected with Katherine after many years, and very touched to be remembered in her new book, Katherine's World.

This follows her 2006 memoir, A Painter and His Wife, which chronicled her life with her husband, Elden Rowland, and his pursuit to become a fine artist -- which he achieved with Katherine loyally at his side, and in a way that would be impossible to do in this day and age. I soaked that story up, as I learned so much about their inspiring saga, and it made numerous references to the burgeoning art community of Sarasota, Florida, starting in the 1940s.

The new work is an answered prayer for me, documenting the history and notable people connected with the Sarasota scene, particularly through and beyond the period when it was responsible for my own entrance into the painting world.

Katherine's expert running of the Hilton Leech Studio and formation of the Friends of the Two Arts and Sciences in Sarasota attracted renowned artists and photographers, among others, to visit, teach, and host a number of expeditions to adventurous ports of call. It would be no exaggeration to say that without Katherine's influence and organizational talents, I might never have picked up a brush; the Leech Studio is where I first encountered my most important painting mentors, Valfred Thëlin* and Barbara Nechis. I enrolled in workshops, won my first awards there, and took part in the Two Arts trip to Nova Scotia and Maine.

Katherine's World brings all of this together, and brings back cherished memories for me and countless others. A significant portion of the book is devoted not only to artists and photographers I knew or know -- Valfred, Barbara, Pete Carmichael, Margarette Mead, Nicholas Reale, Frank Webb, and Shirley Hummel, to name several, but a host of others I had heard of and learned about: Jerry Farnsworth, Dorothy and Hilton Leech, Bruce McGrew (whose outstanding watercolor graces the cover), Robert Sisson, Marc Moon, Judi Betts, et al.

In addition, the book delves into more history about Katherine's ancestry, the Shakers, her present extended family, and includes a selection of her glorious photographs and poems. The layout of the book is simply stunning, as are the reproductions. Highly recommended! See Katherine's website for information about ordering.

Katherine will turn 91 this month, and shows absolutely no signs of slowing down!

* * * * *

On page 66 is a full-page reproduction (in perfect color, thank you!) of me with my painting Summer Sonata.

On the facing page is one of my favorite photographs of Valfred, his gal Deidre, Shirley Hummel, and myself on a boat to Monhegan Island, experiencing some rough seas!

On page 64 Katherine wrote:

Since the Down East group was from Florida, most of our participants were from mid-to-retirement age. But there was one younger participant. Nicholas Simmons, a young musician from Iowa had seen Val's work in Sarasota and been so inspired by it, and Val's personality, that he added watercolor painting to his activities. Since that time, he's made steady progress with his painting and in 2007 his powerful "Fresh Sushi" won top award in the National Watercolor Society's Annual Exhibition, one of many honors he has acquired. He lives in the Washington, D.C., area of Maryland, and is married to Olga, from Ukraine, with whom he fell in love on a trip to Russia. They have a daughter, Larissa.

Thank you, Katherine, and when might we expect Vol. III?!

Katherine Lollar Rowland website.

Katherine Lollar Rowland Facebook page.

* I wrote a tribute to Valfred Thëlin in December of 2007, which can be seen here. Please read the Comments section and look for Katherine's contribution.

RM1

RM1 - 17" x 29"

Key To The Highway

The Big Bill Broonzy/Charles Segar blues classic, covered by everyone and his dog. I recorded this a long time ago, and I still like it - the solo is killin'! I put some old photos to it, in sepia, and added the film grain. And the vocal? Your's truly....believe it or not. Hope you enjoy it!

Saving Face

Thought I had deleted the Facebook account months ago, but apparently it only deactivates - until you get shamed into starting it up again. That place is an addictive time-waster, but I have found some long lost friends, and that has been a nice surprise. I probably won't be putting much art on there, leaving that for the website and blog.

Nicholas Simmons Facebook page

If you're on the Book, gimme a look!

"Innovative Watermedia" DVD On Sale!

Creative Catalyst Productions is offering a great sale price on my Innovative Watermedia DVD, celebrating the recent PWS award. See more on the CCP blog here.

If you are interested in more information about the DVD, or want to order, please use this link.

Thanks again to the great people at CCP, and thanks to all who have purchased the DVD and given us such wonderful feedback!

Why Spanish People Rule!

Down? Blue? Worried about the economy? Wondering what kind of world you brought your children into? Wishing Sarah Palin would just go away...forever and ever?

I know.

This fantastic song will cure what ails you, even if it gives you the bilirrubina! Keep your eye on the background singers - that's how I want to dance, and I'm learning how. That's all I want to do, and I'll be happy. Muy muy feliz!

PWS Gold Medal 2009

Nassau #4: Bay St. Girl - 38" x 38" (97 x 97 cm)

I learned this week from Debi Watson that this painting won the 30th annual Pennsylvania Watercolor Society exhibition, which is a major show with international entries. I got the same award last year for Tokyo Express, so I'm very surprised and of course very honored. There is some fantastic work represented: John Salminen (2nd), George James (3rd), and a number of other name painters. Carol Pickle, one of my favorite artists, judge.

The opening and awards are tomorrow at Goggleworks, a totally boss art center in Reading, PA.

PART II

The opening at Goggleworks was very well-attended, there must have been hundreds of people going through the Cohen Gallery and the rest of the complex. This show has a lot of outstanding work, I saw other paintings by Denny Bond, Dottie Burton, Jeanne Dobie, Z.L. Feng, Andrew Kish, Chris Krupinski, Jean Uhl Spicer (judge 2008), Mel Stabin, James Toogood, Patrick Varriano, and many other noted watercolorists -- too many names to list. Bay St. Girl is hanging at the entrance of Goggleworks, a nice location! Thanks again to PWS, Pat Cook (juror of selection), and Carole Pickle (juror of awards). The show hangs until September 11.

"Virtuoso Guitar Duos" Released!!!

August 1 is always a special date, being Tommy Bolin's birthday. I was invited by Johnnie Bolin to play the annual Tommy Bolin Fest in Sioux City which takes place today, but couldn't make it out there, and really wanted to be here for the release party of Manuel Barrueco's new CD, Virtuoso Guitar Duos. This spectacular recording also features young Italian superstar, Franco Platino. I'm very honored to have been asked by Manuel to do the cover of the CD, and we ended up using a painting of mine, La Vida Breve. I thought designing it around a mirror image of the painting would be appropriate for the duo concept, and I'm quite proud of the result. Even more so, as Manuel and Franco play a new arrangement of de Falla's La Vida Breve on the recording!

The party is today at Manuel's house, and among the guests will be some of the best young classical guitar virtuosos in the world - many of whom are or have been students of Manuel. As the guitar has been the major force in my creative life, and Manuel its acknowledged classical master of the modern era, you can imagine how thrilled I am.

Thank you, Manuel and Asgerdur. Abrazos!

The new CD is available here.

See the extensive (and autobiographical) post I made about Manuel a few months ago here.

Manuel.....Tommy.....what a day! I'll post some photos here tomorrow.

PART II

Well, it was everything I could have dreamed of and more. About 25 people arrived at Manuel and Asgerdur's house at 4:00, and I was the last to leave at 1 AM! Fantastic food, endless wine and champagne, heartfelt toasts, and a number of the best contemporary classical guitarists, from all corners of the globe. I would list the names, but I'd forget someone, and a few will soon be making appearances in this blog. And of course with Manuel himself, it really was Ground Zero of the classical guitar world. It was a beautiful evening, and eventually we all congregated outside on the deck overlooking the swimming pool and grounds of Casa Barrueco. There we were regaled with stories told by a humble and charming raconteur, the man who has brought unprecedented joy, inspiration, and wonder into our lives. I made a lot of friends last night, and realize the unique circumstances of our meeting created a bond that will never be broken.

Franco Platino, Manuel Barrueco, Nick

Creativity Workshop Winners

Congratulations to Elise Beattie and Kris Storey, and I'm very happy my June 2009 article in Watercolor Artist magazine generated some great ideas. Thanks to Sarah Strickley for working with me, and you can read more about this on the WA site.

"l' Art de l' Aquarelle"

A new French watercolor magazine, L' Art de l'Aquarelle, has just published its first issue, and I have an 8-page spread, with 6 full-page reproductions (first two pages shown below). This magazine spotlights the best watercolorists in Europe, so of course it features my friends Janine Gallizia and Joseph Zbukvic (cover), and another euro star whose work I love, Gottfried Salzmann. There is one other American in this issue - some guy named Andrew Wyeth! I have to say, it is a gorgeous magazine, printed on heavy glossy stock and loaded with articles and fabulous pictures. I believe the next issue will feature the great Wayne Roberts. After that, Guan Wei Xing. Where do you go from there???!!!

For information regarding obtaining this magazine, please email: redaction@lartdelaquarelle.com