To close out a busy month of judging and workshops, I flew up to Seattle to judge the Northwest Watercolor Society International Exhibition and teach a workshop for a large, vibrant group of artists.

The judging was a tough job. It is a very competitive show and had lots of incredible entries. It is heartbreaking to reject good work just because there is so much good work, but in the end, the award winners represent the best in watercolor. The award winners that were present at the award ceremony also received a bottle of wine from the Northwest Cellars, using a special label that included my painting, "Obsession".

The workshop was a big week of painting, making new friends and learning some new tricks. This group included a few from California, a couple of Canadians and a roster of fun people from the Seattle area. After five days they all felt like family and we didn't want to leave. Hopefully we can get back to the Northwest soon!

Ocean Springs workshop

I welcome any chance I can get to visit Ocean Springs, Mississippi. This is the most artist-friendly community in America. The people are wonderful, knowledgeable and appreciative of art. With the Walter Anderson Museum and the Mary C O'Keefe community center, evidence of the town's appreciation for the art is obvious. My workshop group was a nice collection of friends, both old and new. I was in my element and dashed off a fantastically challenging demo, while helping the rest almost get to the conclusion of their own glass painting. This was one of the tougher workshop demos I have planned, but this group was perfect for tackling it. The trip was too short, but I managed to have dinner at the Chimney's restaurant three times and I plan to get back to Ocean Springs again very soon. I miss y'all already!

A Toast To the Winners

I'll be judging the Northwest Watercolor Society National Exhibition later this month and the award winners will also receive a bottle of Merlot from the Northwest Cellars.

They have donated a case of their superb 2008 Merlot to be awarded to winning artists at the 2011 International 71st Annual Open Exhibition. The wine bottle features my painting, "Obsession" on the label. I almost wish I was competing instead of judging!!

Western Colorado Watercolor Society workshop

I'm on the road again and painting up a storm with new friends. After judging the Rockies West National Watercolor Exhibition I taught a three-day workshop on painting glass and shiny stuff in watercolor. There were artists from across Colorado in attendance. All were incredibly talented, even the beginners!I made a lot of new friends and will have to make Grand Junction a regular stop on my trips west.