by Carla Scheidlinger
The August 2021 Members Show of the San Diego Watercolor Society (SDWS) is a virtual show, with the paintings available for viewing on-line only. Juror Robin Erickson selected paintings for the show with the theme “Lazy Days”. Her selections, and comments for the top awards, are shown elsewhere in the SDWS blog. This review takes the opportunity to highlight some of the other excellent paintings selected by this juror.
There were quite a few paintings of people enjoying aspects of the long days of summer. “Coconut Grove” by Beverly Tuzin depicts a woman in an attitude of relaxation sipping a drink from a coconut. “Connie Fetti” by Catherine Somers shows a somewhat more vibrant subject celebrating a summer event. Fishing, an activity illustrated in Chuck McPherson’s “Lake Murray Catch” is about as iconic a summer pastime as exists. And at the end of the day, a woman enjoys a “Margarita Moment” , painted by Michelle Clark-Cadwell.
Animals gotta relax too. Gloria Chadwick’s lion luxuriates in a long stretch in “Go Ahead, I’ll Catch Up”. A more domestic scene is “Leo Dreams” by Kelsey Worth.
We relax and rejuvenate in all kinds of settings. Some summer landscapes that invite casual recreation include “Anchor Beach Shoreline”, by Alannah Kern, where waves and beach stretch languidly into the distance. Marty Atwell’s “Tranquility II” suggests a setting as soft as a patio cushion. A somewhat more whimsical scene is shown in “Humbled by Hubbell”, Tim Coleman’s representation of bucolic “hobbit-town.
Cityscapes portray summer activities too. All San Diegans will recognize the scene of Luis Juarez’s “Balboa Park”, as most of us have spent wonderful summer days in one of its many locations. “Reading on the Charles” by Carla Obermeyer takes us to Boston, where the days of summer can be spent pleasurably along this placid river. And who hasn’t stopped in for refreshment after a bike ride, as the people are doing in “Coffee Brake” by Sylvia Smith?
The theme is a little harder to approach directly in an abstract, but I really liked “Calm Before the Storm” by Minnie Valero that captures the heavy energy of a pre-thunderstorm atmosphere. Still life too may not easily convey a lazy theme, but Drew Bandish nailed it elegantly with “Glassy & Half Full”. For a floral, take a look at Margaret (Margot) Wallace’s “Flower Fields” for a vibrant image of what those sunny days can produce.
Summer would not be complete without some amount of “messing around in boats”. Alice Picado captured a tranquil marina in two of her paintings, “Lazy Sunday at Oceanside Harbor” and “Sea Lion Siesta – Oceanside Harbor”. “Shelter Island Summer” by Susan Monte brings us right out onto the water with the kayakers. Keming Chen’s “Paradise Pier, Mission Bay” invites us along in a large variety of watercraft.
Finally, where we all want to go to beat the heat is to the beach, and our artists take us there in many different ways. “Dog Beach Date” by Bianca Romani lets us luxuriate in a late afternoon glow. Luis Juarez takes us to “Mission Beach” for a stroll or a bicycle ride. Sun and sand are featured in “Sunscreen” by Sylvia Smith. The waves beckon to surfers in “Sunset Swells” by Margaret (Margot) Wallace. We gaze just at waves and a few little birds in “Waters’ Edge” by Marcella Martin. But the true and incontrovertible evidence of a lazy day is in Sandie Linn’s “Shore Lines”. What’s a beach chair for if not to relax right up against, well, the beach!
So don’t take my word for it. Check out all the fantastic paintings in this fine virtual show at the SDWS website https://www.sdws.org/galleryart.php?cat=6970. To keep that grand summer feeling, select your favorite to come home to you by making a purchase!