England, Davis, Watson Take Top Awards in Member Show

The 2025 Anderson Artists Guild Membership Show will open with a reception on Friday, June 13, from 6-8 p.m. at the Anderson Arts Center. The juror was Michael Vatalaro, a ceramicist.

The show is comprised of 123 pieces by 66 members: Ellie Alasantra, Teresa Anderson, Peggy Arnett, Elaine W. Bailey, Sandra Bates, Sara Bates, Evelyn Beck, Patti Benjamin, Larry Bennett, Matthew E. Brophy, Rebecca Lawson Carruth, Kristin Cascio, Sue Cheney, George Crown, Melody Davis, Diane DeMont, Nathan DePue, Cindy Elder, Michael England, Kaylee Fair, Myrl Germent, Steve R. Garner, Carolyn L. Gibson, Linda Gordon, Kathe Harris, Jennifer Hawkins, Dawn Hayden, Mary Ann Horn, Julie Lamp, Chet Lawson, Sherry Lawson, Sara Leady, Jane List, David Locke, Hamed Mahmoodi, Matthew C. Martin, Baylis Maxwell, Mary McAlister, Anna Gallant McIntosh, Rosemary Moore, Kathy Moore, Al Morris, Vicki Mountz, Wesa Neely, Stan O’Bannon, Kathy Ogden, Donna O’Hara, Yvonne Park, Linda Pratt, Lou Rainey, Jill Hassall Rees, Beth Seavey, Diann Simms, Scott Smothers, Lori Solymosi, Carol P. Spencer, Bill Theriot, Clare Tomlinson, Armi Tuorila, Patricia Walker, Diana M. Walter, Gail Watson, Leslie Wentzell, Sue West, Judy Williams, and Akasha Wood.

Nineteen members won awards. First place went to Michael England for Sentinel (watercolor). Second place went to Melody Davis for Alone in a Crowd (acrylic). Third place went to Gail Watson for Vibrant Serenity (watercolor batik).

A $200 merit award was awarded to Scott Smothers for Underneath It All (Venetian plaster, ink). Merit awards of $150 went to Kathy Moore for Bearer of Luck (acrylic) and Evelyn Beck for Master Gardener (fiber).

Thirteen merit awards of $100 went to Nathan DePue for Beach City Baby (photography), Matthew Brophy for The Peacock’s Nest (ceramics), Chet Lawson for Open Door Policy (oil), Kristin Cascio for Veridian Sky (oil pastel), Larry Bennett for Solitude (photography), Hamed Mahmoodi for After the 2nd Martini (mixed media), Lori Solymosi for Arise from the Epidermis (mixed media), Linda Pratt for Picasso Perfect (bead embroidery), Beth Seavey for Look Both Ways (fiber), Wesa Neely for Mirrored Vase (watercolor), Sherry Lawson for Blankets (oil), Sara Leady for Riot Grrl (mixed media), and Armi Tuorila for Lounging (mixed media).

Donors for the merit awards included Polly Richardson, Sue West, Diann Simms, Wesa Neely, Chet Lawson, Linda Gordon, Carolyn L. Gibson, Barbara Ervin, Larry Bennett, Vicki Mountz, Elaine Bailey, Michael England, Jane Friedman, The Upstate Potter, The Anderson Arts Center, and an anonymous donor.

Thanks also to those who volunteered to help with intake and the reception, including Carolyn L. Gibson, Linda Gordon, Kristin Cascio, Beth Seavey, Armi Tuorila, Bill Theriot, Vicki Mountz, Elaine Bailey, Ellie Alasantra, Cindy Elder, Sara Leady, Diane DeMont, Myrl Garment, Matthew Brophy, Evelyn Beck, and Chet Lawson.

Here are reflections on their pieces by the top three winners:

Sentinel by Michael England

First Place: Michael England, Sentinel (watercolor)

“The tree is located close to a road not far from our house. My wife and I travel past it almost daily, rather like passing a neighbor you pass by coming or going. Seasonal  changes, especially  against the sky,  give the tree differing appearances. What struck me about the composition of the piece was the strong vertical of the tree against a winter sky, right after a dusting of snow, the start of sunlight on the field behind the tree, and the rolling colors of the trees behind the field—basically a strong vertical against several horizontal shapes/lines, with a strong blue complementing neutral browns, mixed with gray washes. I always use contemporary principles and colors in my painting,  And I will say that my paintings start as flashes of composition and color that are all around us, every day we just have to look or see them.”

Alone in a Crowd by Melody Davis

Second Place: Melody Davis, Alone in a Crowd (acrylic)

“We go to NYC quite often and I take a ton of photos because I know that this environment is subject rich. I love the city, being born in a similar urban environment—it is endlessly fascinating and loaded with subject matter.”

Vibrant Serenity by Gail Watson

Third Place: Gail Watson, Vibrant Serenity (watercolor batik)

“My reference photo for this piece was taken during our trip to Maine in the fall. The colors are always so bright and vibrant, especially the red maples. I wanted to draw and paint the scene without getting into a lot of detail. Watercolor batik is a great technique for this because the rice paper is very porous, so I can use hot wax as a resist to save each value layer, going from light to dark. This gives the painting depth and I can put in the darkest dark at the end to make everything stand out since all the other values have been preserved with the wax. Then I iron the paper between newspaper to remove the wax and fix any mistakes with additional watercolor.”