News 'n' Shows | makoarts

So What's Going On?

AWS - Many thanks to the judges for the 159th Annual American Watercolor Society International Exhibition! My painting, 5 O'Clock Shadow, was accepted for the 2026 Exhibition at the Salmagundi Club in New York City in April! I will be headed up for the festivities, since this third acceptance earned me that elusive, coveted AWS Signature Membership! Woohoo!!!! For a watercolorist, it's like receiving a doctorate. Three more very big initials behind my name!

FWS - The 2025 FWS Convention & Trade Show was an amazing success! We had close to 400 registered for the festivities. We had even more at the very prestigious Orlando Museum of Art for the Opening Reception of the 54th Annual Exhibition! Happy Hour Squared, Happy Hour Series #54, was awarded FIRST PLACE - the coveted Guy Beattie Award - by judge & juror, Matthew Bird, and it was a show-stopper! That award is just behind Best of Show, won - not surprisingly, but deservedly - by Xi Guo. I still can't believe it! THANK YOU, MATTHEW!!! The show is a must-see! It will show through January 4th, 2026 at the Orlando Museum of Art.

NWS - Two Too Many, Happy Hour Series #51, was supposed to be my NWS entry last year, but I didn't finish it in time, so I entered it in NWS this year. Turns out, second time was the charm and the panel of three Jurors of Selection deemed me worthy! The day after Matthew Bird gave me that awesome award in FWS, I get a call from NWS, telling me that Carol Carter, the NWS judge of awards, ALSO awarded me a BIG combination cash & merchandise award: The Harriet & Arthur L. Kaye Memorial Award, Combined Cash Award, Michael Harding Watercolor Award, Jerry's Artarama Award, Silver Brush Award, and Royal Talens Award! HOLY GUACAMOLE!!! I'm over the MOON!!!! Thanks to the 2025 NWS Jurors of Selection & especially to Carol Carter for this honor!!!!

VAC - I entered the Visual Arts Center's Biennial Exhibition for the first time, and just received word that Two Too Many will be headed to Punta Gorda, FL for the Exhibition! Yay! I'll be teaching a workshop there on March 13th - Kickin' Glass: Painting Glass & Shiny Stuff - so I'll be able to see the show. Thanks to judge, Teresa Kirk, for including my painting in the show. Only one-in-four entries were accepted.

TaWS - I was thrilled to receive word from Jennifer at the Tallahassee Watercolor Society that Happy Hour Campers, HH#52, won the Gold Award in the 2025 Brush Strokes Show at the Tallahassee City Hall! Thanks so much to judge, Danielle Figueroa, and the TaWS board and volunteers who make these opportunities possible!

WPAG - I will be teaching a one-day workshop for the West Pasco Art Guild in January 2026! We did Kickin' Glass with them in 2024, so this time they wanted a custom, multi-faceted workshop. We're doing Outstanding Watercolor Compositions: Design & Application Techniques on January 17th. The venue is in New Port Richey, FL. It's an honor to be asked back! I will put the information on my Workshop Page. See you there!

Workshops & Judging - Speaking of which, I just added 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 within three hours drive in Florida, nothing online. Not set up for it...yet.

Updated January 1st, 2026