By Karen Stopnicki, President

Dear WAS-H Friends,

Hello 2024 and Happy New Year! I hope you had a gentle and warm end to last year and are looking forward to a new year, with new activities and new adventures. We have so much planned at WAS-H, so keep some space on your calendar open for joining us this year.

Our January Paint-In on the 6 with Les McDonald is almost full, so hurry and register if you are interested. The February 3 Paint-In with Alison Hendry teaching textures is now open for registration.

The January General Meeting on the 7 will feature award winning artist Cheryl Evens. Cheryl is not only an accomplished artist, she also happens to be the Education Director for WAS-H. Following the meeting and demo, we will have the January Gallery Show awards presentation and reception with juror Katherine Rodgers. Come and ring in the New Year with your art family at WAS-H!

Right around the corner is the deadline to enter the International Watermedia Exhibition (IWE) on January 13. With over $10,000 in awards and acclaimed watercolor artist Vladislav Yeliseyev serving as juror and judge, this is THE year to enter. Read the details prospectus HERE.

In conjunction with the IWE, we will host a workshop taught by Vlad Yeliseyev. The workshop, Mastering Watercolor, is full, but you can get on the waitlist by registering HERE.

We have many classes open for registration and will be adding more in February. See our full class list HERE. Registering for a class is a great way to enjoy the camaraderie of other artists and enhance your artistic skills. Our standard events such as Open Studio, Model Lab and Senior Group are continuing in the New Year at full force.

Every year, Pantone introduces its Color of the Year. Last year it was a rich magenta. This year, it is light peach. To say I have never heard this much controversy about the Color of the Year is an understatement. I’ll be brave and offer my own opinion. While I have no plans to redecorate my home using this year’s color, I like to think of the color as a slice of a beautiful Texas sunset and find the joy in that.

I want to extend a special thank you to everyone who donated to our Annual Fund. Our organization relies on the generosity of donations to operate, as our membership dues and portion of proceeds from classes and events do not meet our operational needs. It is not lost on me that the support you have offered makes us the wonderful community that we are. Thank you with tremendous gratitude.

I hope you will join in more activities at WAS-H, and to see you soon. Thank you for being a part of our wonderful arts community!

 

Warm Regards,

Karen Houston Stopnicki