Featured Artist

  

Cheryl Kellar first had a painting accepted into Mid-Southern Watercolorists Annual Juried Exhibition in 2011 and has since went on to be accepted seven times making her a Diamond Signature member. She has also won two awards in the exhibitions. She has been an active volunteer in the organization serving as hospitality chair, special exhibitions chair and workshop chair. Cheryl continues to be involved by leading one-day paint-ins and participating in the semi-annual workshops. In addition to her dedication to MSW, she leads fashion illustration workshops.

Cheryl paints watercolors in the nontradional dark to light allowing her to create bold and dramatic works. She also utilizes color pencils, collage assemblages, and fluid acrylics. She incorporates her love of fashion and women into her works. Cheryl has stated that “Through, the lens of style in art, I salute the creativity, individuality and strength of women.” She has been drawing women in elaborate clothes since elementary school.

  

Dixie joined Mid-Southern Watercolorists in 1971, just a year after its founding. She has dedicated much of her time volunteering. She served as president from 1975 to 1977, devoting countless hours to the exhibition committee, and to the newsletter. It is important to note that Dixie was happy to, and often did, lend her resources to all aspects of the organization. She is deserving of this recognition due to her dedication to watercolor and the arts.

She has elevated the stature of watercolor via education and her many works. Dixie has traveled and painted with Milford Zornes in Mexico and across Europe, and in turn, taught workshops across many other watercolor societies, painted with fellow MSW members, and even filled in for Polly Laibner’s AETN show. She enjoys painting “anything that is fun” landscapes, cityscapes, and abstracts. Dixie has been accepted into the Mid-Southern Watercolorists Annual Juried Exhibition

We would like to celebrate Selma F. Blackburn as Mid-Southern Watercolorists 2nd Featured Artist. Selma joined MSW in 1977 and has been an active member ever since. Mid-Southern Watercolorists and Selma Blackburn are synonymous.

She has volunteered countless hours in many roles and has been the driving force for many members to join and to assume leadership positions. Selma has served on the board as Secretary, President-Elect, President, Annual Juried Exhibition Chair, and currently serves as a Member-At-Large providing a guiding hand with priceless insights. Selma and her husband Jerry have often volunteered on the Annual Exhibition Committee by receiving entry forms, keeping files, returning painting correspondence, and record-keeping! She has been involved in the enrichment of watercolor by attending numerous MSW Major Workshops throughout the years and leading multiple MSW Mini-Workshops. In fact, she will be leading a one day workshop on using FC Squares in March of 2020

Marlene joined Mid-Southern Watercolorists in 1991 and has been a valuable contributing artist and volunteer throughout her tenure. Marlene is this June's Featured Artist for her outstanding dedication to the watercraft community. She has elevated the stature of watercolor via education and her many works of art. She has held many workshops teaching abstraction, portraiture, and design. She has been integral in dispensing information. She designed and maintained the MSW website from its inception. She also implemented the google groups email chain. Marlene has been accepted into the Mid-Southern Watercolorists Annual Juried Exhibition eighteen times and won several awards. She is also a member of the Louisiana Watercolor Society.

As a Hot Springs Village Arkansas artist, Marlene enjoys creating and designing in many mediums and has done so for over 35 years. Texture, color and light play an important role in what she designs be it in Oil, pastel, watercolor, collage, glass, polymer clay or jewelry. She enjoys working, manipulating and creating with her hands and experiments to see if she can come out with a pleasing artistic piece. “It sort of reminds me of being a child at play. I just enjoy having fun along with it being therapeutic for me”.

 
Visit Marlene's Website