San Diego Watercolor Society

Congratulations to Robin Erickson! Her painting "Dubrovnic" won the MonPM Mentor Art Group Award AND the SDWS Exhibition Publicity Award in the SDWS 44th International Exhibition!

Don't miss this stunning piece! Experience it and the entire show at the SDWS Gallery any day this month from 10 am to 4 pm. Admission is absolutely free! Or join us for the Opening Recepttion this Friday, October 4th from 5-8pm, grab a glass of wine, mingle with the artists!

Our esteemed juror, Ratindra Das, has brought his exceptional expertise to this year's exhibition - making it one of our most impressive to date.

Thank you to the City of San Diego for financial support.

Congratulations to Frederick Graff, winner of the David M. Thayer Memorial Award for his stunning piece, "Treasures of the Past," at the SDWS 44th International Exhibition! 🎨

This year’s exhibition features renowned artists from over 20 countries, showcasing a diverse and inspiring collection of water-based media art. Don’t miss your chance to experience it!

🗓 Now through October 31st
🕙 Gallery Hours: Daily, 10 AM – 4 PM

Can’t make it in person? You can also explore the exhibition online: https://www.sdws.org/galleryart.php?cat=7050

Saturday October 12 Demo Paintout

ROCKETS, WAX SODA BOTTLES, CIRCUS PEANUTS, MOLASSES KISSES, BAZOOKA BUBBLEGUM, RED LICORICE, CANDY CORN and CANDY APPLES influence our watercolor palate during the fall season. Another big influence is the food and drink we desire. PUMPKIN SPICE, VANILLA, APPLE CIDER, CINNAMON, CLOVES, SWEET POTATOES, CRANBERRIES, PEARS, and NUTS.

The fall ambiance will be experienced at our demo location of Lake Murray in La Mesa. Lake Murray is a beautiful SLATE BLUE lake with SEPIA and OLIVE colored Eucalyptus trees. The underlaying brush has shades of GAMBOGE, AMBER, AUBURN and MUSTARD. Hidden among it all are colors of RUSSET, CRIMSON, and MAROON. All of it is surrounded by a bright COBALT sky! A perfect place to capture our feelings of fall and past Halloween memories!

We are spicing things up with our talented demo artist Sarah Sullivan! Sarah is an award-winning artist with her latest award being a, Juror’s Choice Award-Best Local Scene in the Plein Air show at SDWS! She painted it at a demo paintout! Sarah is a sought-after workshop instructor and has a workshop coming up, “Telling A story With Big Shapes, Edges and Colors,” on November 11 and 12. Sign up through SDWS.


Sarah will be demoing her Black Watercolor Paper and Gouache technique. Her focus will be “Simplifying with Light, Shadow and Value”. If the sun is bright Sarah will show us how to capture dramatic shadows. If you want to try painting on black paper Sarah will have Black Watercolor paper for one dollar a sheet but if you want to purchase your own watercolor paper she recommends 140 LB Legion Stonenge Black Watercolor paper that can be purchased on Amazon. Bring your Gouache paint or purchase a ten tube Student grade set of Gouache by Windsor Newton for $20.00 on Amazon. Of course you can paint with your regular watercolors!

Directions to Lake Murray 5540 Kiowa Drive La Mesa. Take 8 to La Mesa and exit onto Lake Murray Blvd. heading north. In a half mile take a Left onto Kiowa DR. Go left into the first large parking lot by the boat dock. We will be on the East side of parking lot.

The demo starts promptly at 9:00am with a review at 12:30pm. Fall is upon us and is the absolute best time for Plein Air painting! It’s the Golden Hour all day long! All levels of artist are welcomed. Pack up your morning hot chocolate or apple cider and come enjoy painting, friendship and FUN! The More you GO the More you GROW!

See you there! Lorri Lynch





Painting by Sarah Sullivan
Mountain Biking At Griffen Park

✨NOW SHOWING!✨ The doors are officially open for the 44th Annual International Exhibition at the San Diego Watercolor Society! This incredible showcase features stunning works from talented artists around the world, and we can’t wait for you to see it! ❤

📅 Exhibition Dates:
Now through October 31st
🕙 Gallery Hours: 10 AM – 4 PM daily

Plus, don’t miss the Opening Reception this Friday, October 4th, from 5–8 pm—an evening full of art, celebration, and connection! ✨

Mark your calendars and join us for this spectacular event! 🎨

Little Tommy, Michele Joyce & Roberta Dyer this morning at K**I pumping San Diego (and beyond) up for the SDWS 44th International Exhibition! Opening TOMORROW, Sunday, September 29th at 10am!

We can hardly wait to re-open the SDWS Gallery doors on Sunday! 𝐘𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟗𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐃𝗪𝐒 𝟒𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐱𝐡𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧! The Gallery will be open daily from 10am - 4pm through October 31, when the show closes. Admission is FREE!

Our esteemed juror, Ratindra Das, a Dolphin Fellow and a signature member of the American Watercolor Society, has brought his exceptional expertise to this year's exhibition -- it's one of our most outstanding shows yet!

Also featured here are the top three award winners:
"Tampa Bay Draw Bridge" by Dean Mitchell won FIRST PLACE
"The Space Between" by artist Jean Pederson won SECOND PLACE
“Take #19” by Robert Lee Mejer won THIRD PLACE

Congratulations to ALL the award winners and to every artist whose work was accepted into this world-renowned show!🌏

The 44th San Diego Watercolor Society International Exhibition OPENS THIS SUNDAY, September 29 – and runs through October 31! Make you plans now to attend this prestigious exhibition, showcasing leading water-based media artists from around the globe. 🌏 This is the most highly anticipated event of the year at SDWS, and your chance to explore and purchase stunning artwork!

Ratindra Das, Dolphin Fellow and Signature member of the American Watercolor Society, is this year's esteemed juror. It's one of our finest exhibitions yet!

DID YOU KNOW that SDWS has a Thursday informal FREE plein air paintout each week?! It's true! Join other artists and paint plein air! 🎨

This week the Thursday Paintout will be at the Casa de Estudillo Museum, in Old Town from 09:00 am - 11:30 am
The address is: 4001 Mason St, San Diego, CA 92110.

Here's a sneak peek of the dates & locations in October:
Thursday, October 3 = Kumeyaay Lake Campground
Thursday, October 10 = Balboa Park, Bea Evenson Fountain, Space Theater
Thursday, October 17 = Cabrillo National Monument, Tidepools
Thursday, October 24 = Lake Poway
Thursday, October 31 = Liberty Station, Goff Family Pumpkin Patch

Hope to see you there!

🔹Sneak peek!!!🔹 We're thrilled to announce that “Take #19” by Robert Lee Mejer has won Third Place in the SDWS 44th International Exhibition! Huge congratulations to Robert.

This is our most prestigious and highly anticipated event of the year, and we're excited to share it with you. We’re especially honored to have Ratindra Das, Dolphin Fellow and signature member of the American Watercolor Society, as this year's juror. His incredible expertise has made this exhibition one of our finest yet!

Renowned for showcasing excellence in water-based media, the International Exhibition will run from September 30 - October 31 at the SDWS Gallery. We can’t wait for you to experience it! The SDWS Gallery will be open for extended hours: daily from 10am - 4pm.

“In Her Garden” by Jean Silva earned a Juror's Choice Award in the SDWS September 2024 Members Show “Not the Obvious.” Congrats to Jean!

Juror Bob Burridge praised the work, noting, “The sketch and wash technique immediately drew me in. It evokes the feel of an early illustration for a contemporary dress design. The light, delicate touch is simply masterful.”

Explore this piece and many other stunning works in the exhibition by visiting the SDWS online gallery through the end of the month: https://www.sdws.org/galleryart.php?cat=7055

The 44th San Diego Watercolor Society International Exhibition is almost here! Save the dates: September 29 – October 31 for this prestigious exhibition, showcasing leading water-based media artists from around the globe. 🌏

This is the most highly anticipated event of the year, and your chance to explore and purchase stunning artwork!

With esteemed juror Ratindra Das—Dolphin Fellow and Signature member of the American Watercolor Society—bringing his expertise, this promises to be one of our finest exhibitions yet!

Make your plans to attend today!

The SDWS Gallery is temporarily closed in preparation for the 44th International Exhibition, which is open September 29th - October 31st! ✨ Gallery Hours for October will be Monday - Sunday 10 am to 4 pm!

However, the September "Not the Obvious" Virtual Member Exhibition is on display NOW - through September! View and purchase paintings via online gallery: https://www.sdws.org/galleryart.php?cat=7055
Be sure to check it out!

We look forward to seeing you back in person in October!

🔸Sneak peek!!!🔸 This beauty, "The Space Between" by artist Jean Pederson, won SECOND PLACE in the SDWS 44th International Exhibition! Congratulations to Jean Pederson!

We can't wait to share our most anticipated and prestigious of the year with you! We’re honored to have Ratindra Das as our juror for this year's exhibition. As a Dolphin Fellow and signature member of the American Watercolor Society, his remarkable expertise has elevated the show, making it one of our best yet!

The International Exhibition is renowned for its exceptional standard of excellence in water-based media art—you won’t want to miss this incredible showcase! It displays September 30 - October 31 in the SDWS Gallery. We can't wait to see you there!

A Juror’s Choice Award goes to “Relationships 18” by Su Yong Kown. Congrats to Su!

Juror Bob Burridge comments, "This painter loves to use paint and shows it. Strong, definite strokes, a variety of box sizes and muted hues gives this painting a very mature feeling."

View this and the rest of the September 2024 SDWS Virtual Members Show “Not the Obvious” online through September 30th: https://www.sdws.org/galleryart.php?cat=7055

The SDWS Gallery is currently closed in preparation of the upcoming & highly anticipated International Exhibition, which will open on September 29 and display through the month of October. Please plan to join us! Gallery hours will be daily from 10am - 4pm.

The 44th San Diego Watercolor Society International Exhibition is just around the corner! This annual showcase, running from September 29th to October 31st, has been a cornerstone of SDWS for over four decades. Featuring stunning water-based media artworks from artists worldwide, it's an opportunity not to be missed!

Our esteemed juror, Ratindra Das, a Dolphin Fellow and a signature member of the American Watercolor Society, has brought his exceptional expertise to this year's exhibition -- it promises to be one of our most outstanding shows yet!

The SDWS Gallery is currently closed, while we prepare for this highly anticipated show! But we'll have extended hours in October! The SDWS Gallery will be open daily from 10am - 4pm. See you there!

After the review. Great time for all!

And finally some of the great paintings from the paintout. Wonderful and fun day for 40 artists!

Some of the awesome artists at the Saturday Demo Paintout.

Our wonderful Demo artist Luis Juarez! Luis says “To have FUN while you are painting! Do a quick five minute paint sketch plan to see your composition and values and then go paint! Congratulations Luis on your SDWS signature!

Fourty artist out for an Aloha day at Shelter Island! The Saturday Demo Paintout featuring Luis Juarez! Sooo much fun!

Incredible, right? "Tampa Bay Draw Bridge" by Dean Mitchell is the FIRST PRIZE winner of the SDWS 44th International Exhibition! Huge congrats to Dean Mitchell! So well deserved.

We're getting so excited for this show -- our most anticipated and prestigious of the year! Ratindra Das is our esteemed juror. A Dolphin Fellow and signature member of the American Watercolor Society, he's brought his exceptional expertise to the show, making this one of our finest exhibitions yet!

The International Exhibition is widely recognized for its high standard of excellence in water based media art - you're not going to want to miss it! It'll run September 30 - October 31 in the SDWS Gallery. We'll be open DAILY in October with extended hours of 10am - 4pm. Make your plans to attend!

Third Place in the SDWS September Virtual Member Show "Not the Obvious" goes to “A Walk in the Park” by Edward Abrams. Congrats to Edward!

"A strong, peaceful and brief moment often recognized for its graphic composition and aroma of cut grass," comments juror Bob Burridge.

This show is available online through September 30th: https://www.sdws.org/galleryart.php?cat=7055

You still have two days to see the August show "Scintillation" in the SDWS Gallery before it comes down on September 15th for us to prepare for the always-incredible International Exhibition opening September 29th! So much to see at SDWS!

The Western Federation of Watercolor Societies' 50th Annual Exhibition's Call for Entries is OPEN through October 11th!

The West Texas Watercolor Association is hosting this 50th Annual Exhibition, which will be held Feb 1 - May 4th at the Texas Tech University Museum. The Guest Juror/Judge is Ken Call.

Prospectus and exhibition registration is available through CaFÉ (callforentry.org)

Accepted paintings will be delivered to our San Diego gallery for packing and shipping to Texas. They should be matted but NOT framed or Not under plexiglas. They will be uniformly framed in Texas. More info on all this if you are accepted! Get those paintings in!