Aqueous 2023

July 27 through September 16, 2023
Exhibition Hours : Monday - Thursday 10-3 CST

KENTUCKY WATERCOLOR SOCIETY GOLD AWARD

KWS PRIZE $1,500 CASH

Ken Call, Northbrook, IL

“Sheltered Again”

$5,000, 31x40

JUROR’S STATEMENT

First, I want to thank the Kentucky Watercolor Society for the invitation to judge the national exhibition of Aqueous USA 2023. Second, I want to congratulate each one of the selected artists. The exhibition includes an impressive array of subjects, approaches, and techniques to the art of watercolor painting, and it was not an easy task to settle on the selections and awards within such a strong field. I found the range from controlled density to a beautiful use of negative space evident in many of the submissions particularly impressive. Also noteworthy is the range of textures deployed by the artists, which often also echoes or otherwise responds to the subject matter.

My criteria for judging the awards included, first of all, being drawn to the individual works, and then being rewarded by returning to them many times. A winner first had to stand out among its peers in the show, but I also wanted to be able to imagine it holding its own in a different context. I wanted the awards to incorporate the broad range of techniques and subjects that is so evident in the submissions, so the winners include representational and abstract compositions, densely layered pictures as well as works that exemplify the power of transparency, large and small paintings, urban scenes, forest views, still-life, human, animals and more. I also want to balance with some techniques like freedom of looseness and disciplined tightness, of course, the essence of the watercolor is its own visual language.

The beauty of any exhibition is that every visitor will have a different experience and respond in his or her own way. As a judge of the awards, I can only hope that I have provided a handful of artists with some small validation of their hard and sustained work and that visitors to the show will have some food for thought— or perhaps argument—as they enjoy the exhibition, I hope as much as I have. Thanks again for the opportunity for me to do the service and participation in one of the KWS’s great show!

Dongfeng Li

KENTUCKY WATERCOLOR SOCIETY SILVER AWARD

KWS PRIZE $1000 CASH

Chris Krupinski, Mainesville, OH

“Blue & Gold”

$5,000, 39x31

KENTUCKY WATERCOLOR SOCIETY BRONZE AWARD

JOHN & DAWN KELSEY FAMILY AWARD $500 CASH

KWS PRIZE $300 CASH

Christine Misencik-Bunn, Fredericktown, OH

“You Don’t Know Me”

NFS, 25x35

KENTUCKY SIGNATURE AWARD

BEAVEN FAMILY FOUNDATION $500 CASH

Sandra Carpenter, Corinth, MS

“Country Home”

$1,200, 25x30

kentucky artist award

BEAVEN FAMILY FOUNDATION $500 CASH

Connie Tucker, Lexington, KY

“Love”

$1,5500, 26x40

RAYMOND B. PRESTON FAMILY FOUNDATION $500 CASH PRIZE

Lance Hunter, Tahlequah, OK

“Requiem For A Dream”

$2,900, 27x39

THEO WILLIAMSON AT EDWARD JONES AWARD $300

Ken Buck, Highland Heights, KY

“Towards Light”

$4,000, 20x27.5

SILVER BRUSH MERCHANDISE AWARD

KWS CASH AWARD $100

Tom Poole, Bowling Green, KY

“Bison Herd In Yellowstone”

$590, 30x24

SILVER BRUSH MERCHANDISE AWARD

KWS CASH AWARD $100

Carol Steven’s, Medina, OH

“Carnival”

$1,600, 26x32

ROYAL & LANGNICKLE BRUSH CO. MERCHANDISE AWARD

KWS CASH AWARD $100

Benjamin Nay III, Shelbyville, KY

“Here They Come”

$7,60, 16x20

JACK RICHESON & CO. MERCHANDISE AWARD

KWS CASH AWARD $100

Sue Hinkebein, Louisville, KY

“Tree Sculptor”

$1,500, 34x24

JACK RICHESON & CO. MERCHANDISE AWARD

Mark Bird, Louisville, KY

“The Shambles York, England”

NFS, 36x39.5

HAHNEMUEHLE GIFT CERTIFICATE

KWS CASH AWARD $50

Heidi Nelson, St. Paul, MN

“Line Of Sight II”

$1,850, 28x38

H.K. HOLBEIN MERCHANDISE AWARD

KWS CASH AWARD $100

Larry Hughes, Memphis, TN

“Redemption”

NFS, 32x27

HENDERSON SOCIETY OF ART AWARD $200

Lynne Kroll, Parkland, FL

“Letters From the Edge”

$1,200, 28x36

GOLDEN ARTIST COLORS GIFT CERTIFICATE

KWS CASH AWARD $100

Rebecca Krutsinger, Xenia, IL

“Flamingo”

$800, 24x30

AMERICAN FRAME GIFT CERTIFICATE

KWS CASH AWARD $100

Annie Strack, Kenneth Square, PA

“Point Guard”

$2,600, 30x24

PRESTON ART CENTER GIFT CERTIFICATE

JIM MCARTHUR CASH AWARD $100

Peggy Charmoli, Louisville, KY

“Sisters By The Sea”

NFS, 21x17

LOGAN GRAPHICS PRODUCTS MERCHANDISE AWARD

KWS CASH AWARD $100

Charles Jolly, Lexington, KY

“Two Sides of Light”

$1,400, 23x31

FLEUR DE-BLEU CREATIONS LLC - MIDWAY CASH AWARD $200

Joe Burchett, Prestonburg, KY

“Izzybells”

NFS, 18x22

H.K HOLBEIN MERCHANDISE AWARD

KWS CASH AWARD $100

Katheryn Sholly, Cadiz, KY

“Last Road Trip”

$500, 18x24

ARMADILLO ART & CRAFT MERCHANDISE AWARD

KWS CASH AWARD $100

Diane Ubelhor-Wunderlich, Newburg, IN

“Spotted By The Stripes”

$1,100, 30x38

CLAUDIA M. GEORGE MEMORIAL AWARD
CASH AWARD $500

Susan Stuller, Midlothian, VA

“Up, Up & Away”

$2,600, 37x29