Each month, the winners are asked to share a few words about their experiences associated with their paintings. Below, we present what they shared.

First Place - Palmetto by FONTAINE JACOBS

Palmetto started as a small Plein Air painting sketch at Maas Nursery that I used as a reference for the larger version finished in my studio. With Yupo, it is a challenge to make flat washes, which I overcame by painting in one direction from the center outwards with just the amount of pressure on my brush to avoid lifting the paint. I was inspired by the repeating elements and added the complimentary red for interest.

Second Place – Cedar Creek, Wimberly by Erik Sprohge

This was on our last Geriatric Art Society (GAS) trip. GAS is an offshoot of WASH. We would meet twice a year in different places in Texas or surroundings and paint. I love the hill country, the clear water, the rocks, the hills. This scene is of the bridge off highway 12 right before you get into a little cluster of shops and restaurants in Wimberly.

Third Place – Grapevine by Zahid Shaikh

I'm out of my comfort zone here, not my usual style. Inspired by Jean Haines, British master watercolorist, I did the background first using deep, rich colors and lots of water, then lifted the pattern of leaves and vines. Finally, I painted the grapes with a little more definition. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process!

Honorable Mention – Sophie by Robin Avery

My painting, Sophie, expresses my love for our wonderfully sweet, loving, funny labradoodle. This painting is a Valentine’s gift to my husband. He’s her personal trainer, chef, medical assistant…and Make-up Artist (He takes her to the groomer!) I hope the love we feel for her is genuinely expressed.

Honorable Mention – Lazing on the Llano by Kathleen Church

I have always loved loose and colorful watercolor landscapes. There is something about the fresh color, the hint of impressionism, the reminder of just how beautiful our natural world is that makes me happy. In this little scene along the Llano River where a few friends and I spent a long weekend at the beginning of Covid, I was drawn to the fields and river. The parallel lines of rock, low-water bridge, fields and distant tree line are broken by the S curve of the river and the large tree emerging from the shoreline on the right. And then of course there were the cows roaming around in the field to make it a perfect Texas scene! The rocky shore is beautiful. Long layers of stone required being creative with grays. My palette was simple: Sennilier Permanent Yellow, a mix of cobalt and cerulean for the blues in the sky, with some darker ultramarine in the river. There’s a touch of quin gold in the fields as well. I mixed the blues on the palette and some quin gold for the tree to keep it unified. While I did this version in my studio, the first was en plein air, my favorite way to paint. I love the immediacy of painting on location.

Honorable Mention – Trail Creek Winter by Fred Kingwill

Trail Creek Winter is an effort by me to express the emotions and joy I have when traveling (usually by snowshoes or skis) through the glorious winter forest along trail creek which is just on the border of Wyoming and Idaho. The painting has no white paint but lots of masking fluid (Pebeo). It was painted on 140lbs cold press D’Arches papers and was a “rejected” painting in WASH's International Show!

Honorable Mention – Love Locks at Sunset by Nan Wright

My daughter-in-law is a wonderful photographer and a romantic! When I saw this shot from their recent California trip, I knew I had to paint it... obviously I'm a romantic too!