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Golden Anniversary

Selma F. Blackburn




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
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Selma Blackburn - 500x500
Selma’s paintings have been selected for inclusion in 34 Annual Juried Exhibitions and nearly as many Member Open Exhibitions making her an esteemed “Diamond Signature Member” of MSW. She has garnered dozens of awards for said entries. Selma has earned the honor of being a Signature Member of both the National Watercolor Society and the American Watercolor Society.

Selma primarily uses watercolor and gouache in her paintings and collages, although she paints with acrylics on canvas occasionally. She is drawn to themes of people, landscapes, whimsy, and various forms of abstraction. She has been known to incorporate line drawings, rice paper, crayon, wax, acrylic resist, and marker into her works. Her style can be described as running the gamut from non-objective to abstract to interpretative representation.

With an emphasis on design, composition, and critique, Selma has taught watercolor for 28 years via classes at the Arkansas Arts Center, Hendrix College, private instruction, and as assistant to Doug Walton at Louisiana Tech. Whether assisting with trips abroad or serving on her Unitarian Universalist Church’s aesthetics team, Selma F. Blackburn has contributed a great deal of knowledge to Arkansas watercolor culture. Mid-Southern Watercolorists are honored that Selma has chosen to be a pillar of our community.