And Even More Fun Pictures from Artists Choice!

Kathy Berls "Best of Show" Congratulations Kathy! We're so proud of you...

Display at the Cultural Center of the Award Winners

Bill Moore "Second Place" Congratulations Bill and thanks!!!

Award Winners! Congrats!

Mezzanine Level Gallery at Lakewood Cultural Center

Fun Pics from Artists Choice Reception

Merit award winner, Jeff Herring, and son

Harriet taking in the exhibit


Artists Valorie Snyder (and guests) and Saundra Galloway


Artists Lynnette Kupferer, Kathy Berls, and Barb Benik


Artist Miriam Ritter partaking of the great food!

LAC Founder Barbara Tobiska looking lovely in purple

Artists Choice Award Winners

Congratulations to all our award winners! Please stop by the Lakewood Cultural Center (on the mezzanine level) to see all the art up close and personal. While we attempt to photograph the artwork as best we can, the cultural center has a ton of reflections which makes it very difficult to photograph.

Best of Show
"Koi Splash" Oil by Kathy Berls

Second Place
"Red Hinge", Watercolor by Bill Moore



Third Place
"The Corner Bench", Watercolor by Jude Schmieder

Merit Award
"Warming Up", Oil by Barbara Benik

Merit Award
"Calliope", Photograph by Celeste Cottingham

Merit Award
"Sunflower", Wood by Jeff Herring

Merit Award
"Wild", Pen & Ink by Beth Vallieres

Interview with Artists Choice Juror, Janet Nunn

A Big Thank You to Janet Nunn who juried the annual LAC's Artists Choice Exhibit now on display at the Lakewood Cultural Center. More information about Janet and her colorful watercolors can be found at her website http://www.janetnunnwatercolors.com/.

Falling Leaves on Little Raven, W/C 30" x 41"

1. What art principles do you try to employ when you jury an exhibit?
One of the first art principles I tried to employ was design. In a few of the paintings the designs lead the viewer into the image to see all of the interesting parts of the piece. There were a few images that were outstanding, yet could have been better with a bit of design to invite more of the viewer.

Elk Parade,W/C 21" x 7"

2. I enjoyed looking at your exquisite watercolors on your website, and couldn't help but be enthralled by your use of color. For those artists struggling with the use of color, do you have any advice or pitfalls to avoid?

For those artists struggling with the use of color my advice it to be fresh with the paint, water, and the surface. Currently I have been using the Dr. Ph. Martin’s Hydrus Watercolors. These colors offer the freshest truest color in my use of painting. What I mean is in tube paints I spent so much paint squirting it right out of the tube only to have it dry in a few hours. With the Dr. Ph Martin’s paints they are fresh every time I use them because they are hydrated and ready to paint. Clean water is a must for watercolor painters! And the last thing is good quality paper or surface. If an artist is going to spend their time on a painting why not us good paper, or board. The mediums mix so well with good materials.

3. We would love to have your thoughts as you were jurying the Artist's Choice. If you have any words about the award winners that would be fabulous.

I was truly impressed at the group of artists and their variety of style. Half of the entries had to be rejected and that was a tough thing to whittle down. Getting rejected is tough, yet is a growing process. A lot of the artists were thinking of spring and I was truly happy with the variety of the floral entries. As for the award winners: Best of show has great design, wonderful use of color and playfulness in the painting with the Koi fish. Second place was a simple piece of a red hinge on a rotted piece of wood. The depth of the red against the detail of the old wood caught my attention. Third place was a group of flowers on a deck and was a nice piece. The way bits of white were used to separate the various blossoms was a nice show of painting skill. As for the merit awards the wooden sun was excellent in the design and the detail of work. This is truly an excellent display of a woodworker who understands their craft! The pen and ink of the horse was another fine display of craft of pen and ink. Every line in the drawing had a purpose. The photograph of the wood and leaves leads you to a change of seasons. The color of the fading leaves and the way the wind had blown them was intriguing. I had about 5 more pieces that I felt could have been award winners. The thing about the winners was the piece of art conveyed an idea that I personally enjoyed.

Frasier Valley, W/C 21" x 10"

4. What does a day in the life of Janet Nunn look like?
My day is a fun day. I enjoy the business side of being an artist. So I respond to many emails, call on vendors, find new vendors, and keep up with my workshops and classes. The craft side of being and artist means painting, drawing, and looking at the world in a different way. The painting and drawing I love to do at all times of the day and night. The looking at the world is fun with long walks on the golf course or cross country skiing in the yard to a bit of traveling. These all amount to how I view my surroundings.

5. Do you set artist goals? If so, what are yours for the next 3-5 years?

Yes, I set artist goals. Usually I find an area I want to paint. For example I have not put many people in my paintings over the years. So for the last few years I have been putting more of the people I see in my images. Another part to that goal is creating more animals in the paintings. There is a different learning curve in introducing new items in the landscapes. This is a bit scary but I always tell myself I have lots of paper so if I am not too happy with the final product I have learned a lesson along the way and I will start again. Another goal I have is to teach more people how to enjoy painting. Most people can and enjoy painting, however, they have become lost because of many reasons. Classes are a way to jumpstart those creative juices and find that inner joy in creating a piece of art. The classes are as rewarding for me as they are to the participants. Always learning means always growing as an artist!

Cascade of Roses, W/C 8" x 20"

Watching Kathy Change Out a Show

Thanks bunches to our guest blogger, Jane Dorsey,Tails of the Painted Cats Art Coordinator.




Out with the old and in with the new…in this case, the new being works depicting cats. Little cats, fat cats, collaged cats and painted cats. Little cats coming in the front door, big cats coming in the back door…if you weren’t at the gallery Saturday the 30th, you missed a great time. At the center of the organized chaos was Kathy Berls, calmly telling people to “put your piece over there and leave now, please”, sizing up colors and shapes, moving things to the walls they might fit on. “Oh, but look at all the KITTIES,” they would say…”Not now, you have to leave” “OK, we’ll be back…”



This was shaping up to be a pretty hot show. Considering all the folk that don’t admit to liking cats, paintings were coming out of the woodwork. Meanwhile, the big Cat Care Society Painted Cats were leaping out of Subaru’s and coming in from the alley (like cats do); perching on pedestals, crates and whatever else looked suitable. “That one can go here, no turn it this way, well, maybe turn it around, let’s put it here instead”. Our show choreographer wasn’t missing a beat as she sized it all up and brought it together with experience and grace.



Do we walk into a gallery and ever really think about the skill it took to hang the show? Do we appreciate the spatial relationships between the various dimensioned works? More than likely, we just look at the work because it’s a pleasing arrangement and flows well. That’s the way it should be, but what skill and experience it takes to do that. Give the average person (like me) a hammer, some nails, a ladder and a hundred paintings, and I would run screaming into the night.



So, I was back to see it Wednesday when I worked my monthly shift. It is amazing. Not that I haven’t seen the CCS cats before, since we’ve been hauling them all over town for two months now. But here they all are, majestically placed so that a visitor not only walks past the paintings; rather, you walk into and through the entire show with cats all around you. How cool is that?



While sitting downstairs that day, here are some of the comments I heard:

“Omigosh…they are all adorable…Dad, did you see this??”
“They kind of make you smile; you know we need more of that….”
“This show has heart.”
“It’s wonderful because people get to know their cats so well and can actually paint their expressions. “
“Have you seen the Cats show yet??? I swear it’s the best show we have had in years…”

Don’t miss that Cats show……Meow!