Winning Watercolors Brighten Sacramento Fine Arts Center

Urban cityscapes, idyllic country scenery and expressive portraits emblazoned in watercolor are now on display at the in Carmichael.

Forty paintings from the American Water Color Society's 143rd Annual Traveling Exhibition will be present at the center during most of the month of January.

Each year, the society selects its annual exhibition from thousands of entries from artists worldwide, said Joan McMurray, who is coordinating the exhibition for the center. This year, a panel of six jurors selected 96 paintings, 40 of which will travel to seven U.S. venues.

The exhibition at Sacramento Fine Arts Center is the fifth of seven stops on the annual tour – and the only show in California.

Paintings to watch for include three award-winners, John Salminen's gold medal-winning cityscape "Morning Fog," Dean Mitchell's silver medal portrait of young men entitled "Sunshine in New Orleans" and Susan Montague's bronze-winning expressive portrait of a woman "Far and Away."

Among the paintings in the exhibition is watercolor artist Robin Purcell's "The Hills Are Alive." Purcell painted the lush mountainous landscape two years ago after a particularly heavy rain in Mount Diablo State Park.

"The green was just unbelievably velvet," Purcell said.

Purcell's painting is inspired by her fascination with the geology of the Bay Area. Her interest was sparked by her move to Danville, Calif. from Connecticut 15 years ago.

Living in California has allowed Purcell to focus her painting on outdoor open space landscapes, she said. Prior to her move, many of her paintings were done indoors because of the bad weather. She now finds inspiration in the natural scenery of the region, she said.

"I feel like where I live is the perfect place to paint," Purcell said.

Purcell said she planned to attend Thursday's opening reception. The public can view the watercolors today through Jan. 30. The Sacramento Fine Arts Center will be open to from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for viewing. A $5 donation is suggested.

The Sacramento Fine Arts Center is dedicating the entire month of January to watercolor art. A local watercolor club will show their art in an adjacent gallery at the center.

Live music will be piped through the building during a Second Saturday reception this Saturday. The center will hold extended hours from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Artist Steve Walters will hold a water media painting workshop Jan. 14 and 15. The workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the center. Walters will give an explanation of direct color mixing techniques and use of vibrant color with bold fluid brush statements. The cost is $120 for members and $150 for non-members.

The center will celebrate the close of the exhibition Jan. 29 and 30th with an "Art Song" concert by violinist Michelle Xiao and soprano Donna Helmich. The Saturday show will begin at 8 p.m. and the Sunday matinee will begin at 4 p.m.