robin lee makowski NWS, FWS, NMWS-MP, WFWS
fine artist | illustrator | author | instructor 

So What's Going On?

AWS - Will wonders never cease?!?  Apparently not... Received word in March that At the Corner of Olive & Onion WON an award in the 2024 American Watercolor Society International Exhibition!  OMG doesn't begin to cover it!  I've been trying to get in for several years now, so I was thrilled when I finally received that acceptance, but this puts it way over the top!  Many thanks to the judges and to AWS President, Antonio Massi, for the great news!  It was delivered to Lost Art Gallery last week in St. Augustine to find its collector.  I will miss that painting, but it's done its job for me.

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FWS - We're already preparing for the Florida Watercolor Society festivities in St. Pete in September 2024.  The Exhibition will be hosted by Creative Pinellas Gallery in a very large space.  We had take-in of the accepted work yesterday and all went well.  53rd Annual judge & juror, Stephen Quiller, did an outstanding job with his selections of the work.  It's a very strong show!  This will be my last year on the FWS board, but I will not desert them.  There are several projects that I will keep helping with, but this will free up my time for more painting and possibly teaching workshops.  

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NMWS - With criteria met, I was awarded Master Painter status with the New Mexico Watercolor Society, one of five people to initially achieve this honor!  A couple more initials to add to my pedigree.  They started the Master Painter program this year, so I got in on the ground floor!  Such an honor!

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WFWS - I was thrilled that Clarety was accepted to the 2024 Western Federation of Watercolor Societies Exhibition, hosted by the Arizona Watercolor Association (AWA) in Phoenix in April!  Many thanks to judge Stan Miller for including me in the show. We took a 16-day, 14-state road trip out to Phoenix which included attending the WFWS Awards Gala.  Sandy hosted us at her beautiful place in Tucson and took possession of Last Call, which she has had her eye on for a while now!  At the Gala, I got to see my NMWS buddy, Barbara, and meet her husband, Paul, and meet others I have an email working relationship with but have never met in person.  It was great fun to put faces to names!  WFWS will be hosted by West Texas Watercolor Society in Houston early next year and entries start in August already!  Better get busy...

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JWS - I will be judging the Jacksonville Watercolor Society's  Fall Show on October 22nd, and presenting a two-day watercolor workshop on the 23rd & 24th, Kickin' Glass: Painting Glass & Shiny Stuff.  If you're interested in taking the workshop, visit the JWS website.  You do not have to be a member to participate.

 

Workshops & Judging - Speaking of which, I'll be adding a page to the website outlining workshops I teach and judging credentials, if anyone is looking for those services.  Right now, I only teach in-person workshops, nothing online.  Not set up for it...yet.   

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Lost Art Gallery - Had three nice sales recently!  I took in three new pieces, including and At the Corner of Olive & Onion.  I had it at the gallery last year in between shows and Alex wanted to keep it then!  He kept Tee More Martoonies and sold it quickly.  I don't think Olive & Onion will take up wall space too long, either.  Gotta paint faster (or be less anal about it...)!  Awesome gallery!  So glad to be a part of it.

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Happy Hour Series - Proud to introduce number FIFTY in the Happy Hour Series - Pinkies Up!  This one, as with many in the series, features all garage sale and thrift store finds.  There are  a few pieces with earlier numbers I'm still working on, but this one is done and I'm happy to say it was accepted into the Florida Watercolor Society's 53rd Annual Exhibition!  It's bound for St. Pete next month.  Many thanks to judge Stephen Quiller for accepting my painting this year!

  Number 51 in the series is Two Too Many, and it was an absolute bear to get it done!  It was supposed to be my NWS entry this year, but I didn't finish it in time.  I entered it into the TaWS Brushstrokes for its (hopefully!) debut show in Tallahassee in September, so we'll see how that goes.  You'll see when I reveal it to the world why it took so long.  I just hope it works as hard for me as I did creating it!  I revisited some photos of old set-ups for reference, and while the painting is similar to the first one from 2010 when I originally shot the still life, the differences in the hand and skill level are remarkable! Now I'm working on #52, Happy Hour Campers, which is destined for entry into the NMWS Fall Show in Las Cruces.  It's a fun and colorful little piece.  The theme of the show is 500 Years of Agriculture in New Mexico, so I pushed the idea to the latter part of that 500 years!  All I have to do is finish it...

Updated July 30th, 2024