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  • November 22, 2022 8:42 PM | Nancy Moody (Administrator)

    January 2023 Exhibit Theme: EXPERIMENTAL

    Artists are encouraged to use non-traditional ideas and materials for this month’s exhibit. Any surface is allowed but media must be at least 80% water soluble such as watercolor, gouache, acrylic, egg tempura, casein, charcoal or ink.

    The prospectus for January’s exhibit is HERE.

    February 2023 Exhibit Theme: FIRE & ICE

    Drama, passion! February is the month for both. Paintings are a way to express our emotions without spoken language. This month, we will try to make a connection with others through this outlet. Paintings can have general subjects and aim to convey an emotional aspect.  

    February prospectus will be available soon.

  • November 22, 2022 8:33 PM | Nancy Moody (Administrator)


    Come to the Gallery and celebrate a fabulous year of watercolor wonders! We hope you find connection and comradery here.

    We will have several activities you can participate in while at the party, to include:

    1. Contribute to a collaborative work of art with your fellow WAS-H Members (upstairs).
    2. Take a selfie at our selfie station. Cardboard Santa at your disposal!
    3. Create your Artist Profile to be posted on the WAS-H website. You can take your headshot at the selfie station and email a bio to the Artist Liaison. She will set you up on a new page called "Artist Profiles".
    4. Feast on one of the many "pot-luck" nibbles.
    5. Participate in our mini-program upstairs. We would like to invite members to share a 3-5 minute talent with the group. To be one of the selected mini-program presenters, email Katie Steck your name, describe your talent and estimated length of your presentation. Katie will notify you if you are selected for that day's agenda.
    6. Purchase a special painting for your holiday gift-giving! It's cash-and-carry in this month's exhibit, so get them while they last!
    7. Participate in our Silent Auction. We will have a variety of items in our Silent Auction. Auction winners will be notified via email/phone if they win.


    This is a "pot-luck" event, so bring a dish or treat to share. To ensure we have a variety of food, snacks, and drinks, email the Artist Liaison or click on This link to fill out a form with the item you plan to bring so we can ensure we do not duplicate efforts.

  • November 22, 2022 8:22 PM | Nancy Moody (Administrator)

    Artist Laura Spector has created three instagram videos with information about her upcoming virtual Gouache classes at WAS-H which are Dec 6 and Dec 13th, either afternoon or evening.  You can see them Here,   Here,  and Here.

    She also invites us to attend an exhibit at the Jung Center which runs through December 20th.   Details are below:


  • November 05, 2022 2:07 PM | Nancy Moody (Administrator)

    It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Emery Thomas "Tom" Kraycirik, at the age of 75, on October 24, 2022. Tom was a dedicated WAS-H Member, volunteer and friend.  Tom also served as the International Watermedia Exhibition Director for the past few years.

    The family is hosting two celebrations where memories and stories will be shared to honor Tom. 

    Saturday, November 5th from 2 p.m. - 5 p.m., 

    Home of Kate Kraycirik and Mike Smith, 

    2069 Southgate Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030. 

     

    Saturday, November 12th from 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. 

    Danevang Lutheran Church - Community Hall

    357 County Road 426, Danevang, Texas 77432

    As mentioned in his obituary HERE, the family asks that donations in memory of Tom should be directed to the establishment of the ET Kraycirik Memorial Prize, International Watercolor Exhibition, Watercolor Arts Society Houston (LINK HERE), 1601 W. Alabama St, Houston, Texas 77006. 

  • November 05, 2022 1:56 PM | Nancy Moody (Administrator)

    By Karen Stopnicki, WAS-H President

    Dear WAS-H Friends,

    I live in a house of sports fans, which is more apparent with the Astros in the World Series. I’ve been thinking about being a fan, and while I enjoy sports, and our hometown teams, I have decided that I am the biggest fan of art. And my favorite team is WAS-H. I suspect many of you are fans of art and team WAS-H, too. We don’t cheer loudly at good demos or drop peanut shells on the floors at exhibits, but we do “ooh and ahh,” and we feel great connecting with each other in support of our team WAS-H.

    We are looking forward to our Small Treasures Holiday Bazaar, entry deadline is Wednesday, November 2, and the opening reception is Sunday, November 6 following our General Meeting. The show will be up through December and feature smaller paintings priced to sell, making great gifts for friends, family or yourself!

    Our General Meeting on Sunday, November 6 begins at 2pm and will feature a great demo with Ed Pettitt, Urban Sketcher extraordinaire. A “must see” demo, Ed will show us how to map our personal reflections and environments with his unique tools and techniques. Our meetings are a great chance to get together with others in the WAS-H community.

    The last Paint-In for the year with Lynn Chatman is this Saturday, November 5, and has a wait list open. Joanie Hughes will be our January Paint-In instructor and Alison Hendry will be on the calendar for February. Keep an eye out for those to open for registration soon.

    The January Gallery Show theme will be Experimental and February Gallery Show theme will be Fire and Ice, so look for the prospectuses to be available soon. Speaking of shows, the International Watermedia Exhibit is now open for entry, the prospectus is HERE.

    As I close, I ask you to look for the letter we just mailed to members asking for your support. As a non-profit organization, we depend on you to donate funds to maintain our facility, put on our current programs, and expand with more. Donations are the primary form of revenue each year, followed by membership dues. The bulk of the revenue from our classes support our teaching artists – helping them continue their art practice and share their knowledge. We are grateful to have so much to offer at WAS-H, and we would be thankful for any support you choose to offer. If you like, you can donate online HERE.

    As we enter November, I am sending you my warm wishes from home to home and from heart to heart to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. I am appreciative to all of you for being a part of WAS-H. I hope to see you soon!

    Warm Regards,

    Karen Houston Stopnicki


  • November 02, 2022 11:06 AM | Nancy Moody (Administrator)


    WAS-H is thrilled to host multi-talented Ed Pettitt for a demo on using watercolor map-making to tell our stories.  After pursuing studio art in high school, Ed shifted to biomedical science in college, joined the Peace Corp to develop treatment programs in Africa, moved to Houston to complete his Master of Public Health degree, then pursued his interests in ethnography and urban development as a doctoral student in urban planning and environmental policy, where he uses watercolor sketching as a way to process, critique, and engage the changing urban landscape.  Don’t miss spending time Sunday at 2p.m. with Ed as he tells his story and demonstrates how to map our stories in watercolor sketching.



  • October 31, 2022 10:06 PM | Nancy Moody (Administrator)

    by Donna Schultz Van Fleet, IWE Chair

    For more than forty-five years, this globally recognized competition has attracted artists from as far away as China and India, and the corresponding, month-long exhibit has been a staple in the art community attended by art collectors and enthusiasts.  The 2022 IWE received entries from almost 200 artists from 34 states and 5 nations.  From the almost 400 submitted pieces of art, nearly 100 were invited to be displayed in what was described by culture and entertainment journalist Andrew Dansby as "a feast of astounding works."

    The 46th International Watermedia Exhibition will showcase artistic excellence of global participants from March 5 – March 30, 2023 at the WAS-H Gallery, and winners will be awarded over $10,000 in cash prizes.

    Acclaimed watercolor artist, Brenda Swenson, will serve as juror and judge for the event.  Additionally, Swenson will instruct a four-day workshop coincident with the exhibition.  A Signature Artist in WW, NWWS, SDWS and CWA, Swenson's art has been featured in several volumes of "Splash: Best of Watercolor", "Watercolor Artist", "Watercolor Magazine", "Watercolor Highlights", "Plein Air Magazine" and numerous other publications.  She is the author of two books and an active participant in the arts community as 1st Vice-President of the California Art Club, as well as having served on the board of directors for the National Watercolor Society and Watercolor West.

    Entries are submitted through Call for Entry (CaFE') at this link HERE

    The deadline for artist submissions is January 13, 2023, and invited entries must be received at the WAS-H gallery by 3:00 p.m. CST, on February 28, 2023, to be included in the exhibition.

    To view the Prospectus: Click Here 

  • October 31, 2022 9:55 PM | Nancy Moody (Administrator)

    By Laura Mossman, Artist Liaison

    In the months of November and December, we will have one Exhibit, entitled "Small Treasures Holiday Bazaar". This exhibit deadline to register online and bring in your paintings is Wednesday, November 2 at 3pm.

    Answering Your Questions

    This exhibit is different from our typical monthly exhibit and understandably we've received lots of questions. We will answer the most frequently asked ones here:

    Q: If I enter four framed paintings, can I also enter cards and unframed paintings? YES! The registration link is different, but it works the same way.

    Q: If I finish my holiday cards later than the deadline, can I still bring them in? Yes, if you have signed up to submit up to 30 pieces and you have not exceeded the 30-piece limit, you may bring in additional pieces throughout the month of November.

    Q: Do my framed pieces have to be wired? Yes, these pieces will be hung on the wall, so we need them to be wired.  

    Q: Do my unframed pieces have to be wired? No, these pieces will be placed in baskets in the gallery or hung differently.  They will not be hung using a wire.

    Q. How much do I charge? That's up to you. Remember that WAS-H receives 25% of what you charge and if framed, the frame goes with the painting.

    Q.  This exhibit is called "Small Treasures," does that mean that my paintings need to have that as a theme?  No, the theme of your paintings can be anything.  The only thing you need to keep in mind for this show is that your painting can be no larger than 15" x 15".

    Q.  Do the unframed pieces also have to be small?  Yes, the 15" x 15" size limit also applies to unframed paintings.


  • October 25, 2022 7:06 AM | Nancy Moody (Administrator)

    By Laurie Hammons, WAS-H Member 

    On Friday a group of friends visited an interesting exhibition of paintings. It was at the Julia Ideson (old) building at the Houston Public Library downtown. It's an eye-opening look at art in the 1930s in Houston and Dallas, the way the two cities developed differently due to the strong influence of two people. They each studied in Paris and Europe from 1888-1890, and then returned to Texas. Frank Reaugh in Dallas continued to paint in the impressionist/regionalist style, while Emma Richardson Cherry in Houston kept up with European and East Coast art movements as they emerged. These two people deeply influenced two generations of artists in their respective cities. It was fascinating to compare how each city's art scene evolved.

    There is no charge either for admission or the beautiful 80-page full color exhibition catalog, shown here:

    The exhibit is scheduled to run till November 5, subject to change.  The Ideson building has been beautifully updated since I last visited. It reminds me of some of the elegant museums I have visited -- at no charge to us! What a treasure.

    Find the link to the exhibit information HERE

    I spent some time today researching Emma Richardson Cherry’s life:

    • Born in Aurora, Illinois, 1859. Studied art in New York and Chicago, winning multiple honors for her work.
    • Moved to Kansas City in 1885, set up a studio, and helped establish the Kansas City Art Association and School of Design. (Met her husband while teaching in Nebraska.)
    • Left for Paris in 1888 where she studied in Europe for nearly two years.
    • Returned to the US and her husband in Denver where she was a founder of the Artist’s Club of Denver which eventually became the Denver Art Museum.
    • Their daughter Dorothy was born in Denver in 1892. 
    • In the early 1890s the Cherrys moved to Houston. They purchased the former home of William Marsh Rice and moved it to 608 Fargo St., in Montrose. (After her death, it was the first house to be relocated to Sam Houston Park, the Nichols-Rice-Cherry House.)
    • One of the organizers, in 1900, of the Houston Public School Art League (later the Houston Art League*). This group went on to develop plans for a fine art museum, leading to the opening of the Museum of Fine Arts in 1924.
    • In 1934 she was one of five Houston artists commissioned to create art projects (WPA?); she painted murals in the Houston Public Library (now the Ideson building).


    What an inspiring person!

  • October 21, 2022 12:01 PM | Nancy Moody (Administrator)

    Meet Katherine "Kat" Rodgers who will be teaching a four-week Introduction to Watercolor course on Tuesday nights (6:30-9 pm), beginning Nov. 1.

    A native Houstonian and a graduate from The University of Texas, Kat learned to paint 30 years ago at the Glassell School of Art. She works in oil and acrylic but prefers painting with watercolor for the transparency of the medium. 

    She is married to a US Army soldier and has found inspiration from the many locations that they lived to include Germany, Virginia, Georgia, Missouri, and Cuba. Kat is happy to return to Houston and is looking forward to teaching again and to being active with the WAS-H community. 

    You can see more of her work at her website by scanning the QR code or typing her website address into your browser Katherinerodgersfineart.com






1601 West Alabama Houston TX 77006
Gallery: 713-942-9966
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HOURS: Tuesday - Saturday, 10 am - 3 pm

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