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Letter from our immediate Past President:
I want to thank you all for allowing me to serve as President these past three years. It has been a privilege and a great pleasure.
Some of you may have noticed my absence from the newsletter as well as the holiday party. Unfortunately, a longer than expected hospital stay and an unexpected surgery prevented me from performing my duties. Fortunately, I’ve been recovering nicely!
I need to send out a big thank you to V.P. Eileen Hempel, for stepping up and taking charge, during my absence. Not only did she perform her duties, but also mine. Also, many thanks to Linda Luke, Marti Wensel, Connie Robinson, and Carol Kramer for their sweet care packages of healthy food and books to read. I do believe this kindness helped immensely in my recovery, not only in nourishment of the body but encouragement of the soul. You realize what really matters in times like these!
This is what being a part of a membership means. Meeting new people, making new friends, enjoying common interests, supporting and encouraging one another. I can’t think of a better place to be!
Wishing you All a Very Blessed New Year!
Juanita Green, Past President
Letter from our New President:
Let us welcome 2026 with excitement! The Annapolis Watercolor Club is perfect for using your creative talents. Join wonderful artists of all skill levels. Enjoy monthly meetings with art demos on our YouTube channel, attend the in-person April Spring Fling and December Holiday Party, and connect with others. We will also have plein air painting trips, exhibition opportunities, and workshops on Zoom and in person. I am looking forward to being your 2026 President and spending the year with you!
Linda Luke, President |
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Wednesday, January 14, 6:30-8:30 pm
Zoom Members' Meeting
6:30 pm Art Salon With Shannon Kelly
7:00 pm General Meeting with NEW President, Linda Luke
7:15 pm Painting Demonstration with Luc Boivin |
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Zoom Art Salon
With Shannon Kelly
6:30 pm, January 14
Please email your painting jpgs for the Zoom Art Salon to Shannon Kelly at skelly823@gmail.com, no later than Saturday, January 10.
Not only will Shannon create the PowerPoint slide show, but she will be the art salon host at this meeting.
Be sure to include your name, title of work, dimensions, and description of the work. Include your inspiration or purpose for the painting, process, or anything else you would like to share.
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EXHIBITS
Our exhibit at Ginger Cove is drawing to a close, but I am happy to report that we sold 5 paintings to date. The exhibit will continue to January 2nd, with pick up between 9 and 10 AM January 2nd. Thank you to all that participated, it was a great exhibit.
In April we will be exhibiting at One Petticoat Lane, an upscale consignment shop in West Annapolis. 2 Annapolis St, Annapolis 21401. The exhibit will be hung April 9, with a kick-off reception that evening. Approximately 25 paintings will be hung for the exhibit which will last through April 30. The exhibit will be entitled Moments & Impressions. Framed paintings should be no larger than 24 by 18 inches. So, start painting. |
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Address: 4000 River Crescent Dr. Annapolis 21401
Kris Angelis, Exhibits Chair
ka28lax@aol.com |
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Zoom Painting Demonstration By Luc Boivin
7:15 pm, January 14 |
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Luc Boivin is a self-taught painter and illustrator known for his vibrant colors, expressive characters, and intuitive style. Originally from Ottawa and raised in the Outaouais region, he discovered his love of drawing through his grandmother, Rose, whose oil paintings captivated him. He won his first drawing competition at age seven, igniting a lifelong passion for art.
Boivin graduated with honors in Architectural Technology from Algonquin College in 1981 and pursued a career restoring historic buildings. His architectural training sharpened his visualization skills and strengthened his ability to compose compelling images.
He has illustrated several books, including My Violin (1981), Cases Closed (1993), and The Library, a Place of Work (2006).
In 2015, Boivin embraced watercolor, a medium that immediately revealed a fresh artistic voice. His work Girl and Her Bear appeared in Leisure Painter in 2016, and in 2020 he exhibited SWEET at Fabriano in Aquarello in Italy.
With over 500 paintings created, Boivin continues to share his expertise through bilingual workshops and demonstrations, inspiring artists to explore watercolor’s expressive potential.
You can explore more of his work at https://lucboivin.art/ and on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/luc.boivin.509
(enjoy his reels of demos) |
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WE HAD A WONDERFUL
ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY! |
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The Annapolis Watercolor Club celebrated our Annual Holiday Party on Wednesday, December 10, from 1-4 PM, at Seelos Hall behind St. John Neumann Church.
Lunch was provided by Wegman's, brought by our VP, Eileen Hempel, and we had many elves helping with the layout and serving of food and drinks. Connie brought blue and white decorations, along with lights for the art salon tables. Thanks to all who helped decorate and greet our members!
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Jan Morris and Wendy Braithwaite organized the food spread, along with Carol Kramer and Cyndy Marlette. All helped Connie decorate the room |
Michelle O'Brien was our greeter, and Eileen Hempel helped with art envelopes and raffle tickets |
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Many art gifts were donated by our members to support the Annapolis Arts Alliance effort to fill back packs for needy local children with their Art Buddies program. Thank you for your generosity.
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Michelle O'Brien helped distribute painting
(see samples below) |
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Eileen asked fun questions for fun answers |
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DJ Feather also pulled art envelopes as part of exchange |
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Many Members Came and Enjoyed The Company and Good Food! |
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DJ Feather (L) with our
NEW Secretary, Marti Wensel (R) |
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Let's Do This Again In December 2026!
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A Special Thank You to Fr. Patrick Woods, Pastor of St. Mary's Church and St. John Neumann Church:
Three years ago, Connie Robinson asked Fr. Patrick Woods if the AWC could use Seelos Hall for our in-person meetings, and he graciously said "yes." Since then our Board decided to give the church $400/year for the gift of allowing us use of the room for meetings and demonstrations. Recently, Connie presented Fr. Woods with a check for the last two years with our THANKS.
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Plein Air Events
By Jan Morris, Sketching/Plein Air Chair: pleinair@annapoliswatercolorclub.org
There are no plein air events planned for January. Look for an announcement in
the February 1st newsletter for an in-door plein air experience.
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Featured Artist
Barbara Brower
Barbara is an artist and designer from Annapolis with a love of natural beauty and watercolor painting. Her inspiration comes from her surroundings including her garden, those of her family and friends, her travels across America, and most important, a passion for boating on Chesapeake Bay. All of her artwork is painted from life, either from observation, or from her own photography.
After graduating with a BFA in Fine Arts from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, she began a career as a designer of wallpapers working for some of the finest companies in North America including Seabrook Wallcoverings, F. Schumacher &Co, and Wallquest, Inc. Now she teaches middle school art at St Annes Day School in Annapolis and paints when she is not at school. Her creative philosophy is: “I believe that part of the spirit of the artist remains within the image when art is created by hand from personal experience.” |
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Barbara with her winning poster for the
Eastport Yacht Club Parade of Lights 2023
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Barbara is a member of The Annapolis Watercolor Club, a signature member of the Baltimore Watercolor Society and a member of Maryland Federation of Art. She currently has work on exhibit in the Lowe House exhibition with the MFA and will be in the upcoming BWS Signature Member Exhibit in Monkton, Maryland, at the Manor Mill Gallery. The show begins March 14.
You may contact her at barbarajbrower@gmail.com. See more of her work at barbarabrowerdesigns.com |
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What Are Our AWC Members Up To? |
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Kathy Strouss is Demonstrating Batik Painting
Gallery 57 West, (57 West St., Annapolis) is presenting “A Day of the Arts” on Sunday, January 11, from 1-3 PM. Visitors are invited to enjoy live, in-gallery demonstrations by two featured artists, Kathy Strouss and Robert Neales as they share their creative processes and unique techniques. Kathy will demonstrate two batik processes, wax and watercolor on Japanese rice paper and a “tape” batik with acrylics on Yupo. Robert Neales will show how he transforms sheets of aluminum into bold dynamic works with beautiful layered inks inspired by Africa, dance, sea life, people and animals. Contact Kathy Strouss at 703-798-4467, if you have any questions. |
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Teatime at Rubens Tape Batik - Kathy Strouss
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Turtle Batik - Kathy Strouss
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Ballet Blues- Robert Neales
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Seagulls Tape Batik - Kathy Strouss
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Do you have an article to submit?
Any friends having an art exhibit?
Did you read something art related to share?
Send the article or link to Connie Robinson, Newsletter Editor,
constancejr@comcast.net |
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WEBSITE AND MEMBERSHIP
Happy New Year! Why not make a New Year’s resolution to volunteer for one of the open positions on the AWC board? If that’s too much, then help with individual events is another great way to contribute.
We closed the year with 248 members; that’s 30 more than last year! Thank you to all of you who have already renewed your membership for 2026. Our membership year begins on January 1st, so if you have not done so yet, you will receive a third reminder on that day. If you mailed a check, you may still get a reminder if your payment hasn’t been credited yet, since these payments need to be processed by hand.
If you have not already renewed your membership, please go to the website and do so now, so you don’t miss out on another great year with AWC! To renew, go to https://annapoliswatercolorclub.org/Sys/Profile and log in, using your email address as your user name and select ‘Forgot password’ if you don’t remember your password or have not logged in before. If payment has not been received by January 21, your membership status will be changed to "lapsed," you will stop receiving AWC emails and newsletters, and you will need to renew your dues before registering for any members-only events. At $35 per year, with ten meetings per year and artist demonstrations at almost every meeting, as well as opportunities for workshops, exhibitions, and plein air events, it has always been a great deal.
Liz Grimes, Website administrator
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SUNSHINE CLUB
New Year! New Ideas! New Paintings! New Possibilities! And a New Chance to recognize a friend or fellow member with a beautiful Jacquie Lawson e-card to acknowledge New Milestones, New Awards or New Achievements! Just send name and occasion to sunshine.AWC.dw@gmail.com, and an appropriate e-card will be sent as needed. And remember the service is also available for Good Luck, Feel Better or Cheer Up if needed. Happy New Year, Dina Weavers |
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Don't forget that you can always find art supplies at the Art Things store in Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, 801 Chase St, Room #108, lower level.
The new owners are: Meg Brennan and Katie Grasso. Let's give them our support.
410-878-7786. Hours: M-W-F 10-3, Sat 11-2 |
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AWC CALENDAR 2025
(click here to print copy with more details)
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MEETINGS:
Jan 8 - 7:00 pm Board Meeting Jan 14 - Zoom Meeting
6:30 Art Salon
7:00 pm Meeting
7:15 pm Painting Demonstration
February 11 - Zoom Meeting
March 11 - Zoom (in person?) Meeting April 8 - In-Person Spring Fling Critique May 13 - Zoom Meeting June 10 - In-Person Meeting July & August - No Meetings September 9 - In-Person Meeting October 7 - In-Person Meeting November 11 - Zoom Meeting December 9 - In-Person Holiday Party
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EXHIBITS:
Nov 8, 2025 to Jan 2,
2026 - Ginger Cove
April 9-30 - One Petticoat Lane Shop
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PLEASE CONSIDER VOLUNTEERING! OPEN POSITIONS FOR
BOARD MEMBERS AND CHAIRS
As noted below, we have the following volunteer positions open.
Please consider serving a two-year term for one of these fun jobs!
PRESIDENT (beginning January 2027)
ART SALON ZOOM HOST
ASSISTANT NEWSLETTER EDITOR
ASSISTANT WEBSITE ADMINISTRATOR
WORKSHOP CHAIR
For more information or to express interest, send an email to Eileen Hempel at:
vicepresident@annapoliswatercolorclub.org
Or, email the person in the job at the present time. |
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AWC Needs Volunteers to Fill Key Leadership Roles
(SEE UPDATES IN RED BELOW)
The Annapolis Watercolor Club depends on the commitment and support of its volunteers. Many of our current leaders have served for years, keeping our programs, website, and newsletter running smoothly. We are sincerely grateful for their dedication and all they have done.
As we look ahead, it is time to give these long-serving volunteers a well-earned break and invite new members to step forward. To ensure the continued success of the club, we are seeking volunteers for several essential positions: President, Assistant Website Administrator, Assistant Newsletter Editor, Zoom Art Salon Host, and Workshop Chair.
These roles are crucial to the functioning of the AWC. If you have a little time to give each month, an interest in helping guide the future of our organization, or simply a desire to give back, please consider volunteering.
For more information or to express interest, send an email to Eileen Hempel at:vicepresident@annapoliswatercolorclub.org
Your willingness to help can make all the difference. Everyone who volunteers will be mentored. For descriptions of the positions, please see below. You can print out the descriptions here: Volunteer Positions
President: Provides overall leadership and direction for the organization, working closely with the Board and committee chairs to ensure smooth operations and support the club’s mission. This role includes presiding over monthly board and general membership meetings, coordinating with volunteers, guiding long-term planning, and representing the AWC to members and the broader arts community. The President also works in coordination with the Vice President to secure monthly demonstrators and maintain program continuity. Candidates should have a working knowledge of email and texting, and be willing to learn the ins and outs of the club’s Google Drive. As the central point of communication, the President helps keep the club organized, engaged, and moving confidently into the future. (Linda Luke has volunteered to be our President for 12 months, beginning January 2026. Why not consider volunteering starting January 2027?)
Treasurer: (Juanita Green, former President, is our NEW Treasurer)
Assistant Website Administrator: Works with the primary website administrator to oversee the maintenance, updates, and overall functionality of the club’s website using Wild Apricot, ensuring members and the public have access to accurate and timely information. This role includes posting announcements, updating exhibit details and event pages, managing links and online resources, and coordinating with Board members and committee chairs to keep content current. The Website Administrator should be comfortable learning the Wild Apricot platform, have basic computer and communication skills, and be willing to learn how to troubleshoot or coordinate technical issues as they arise. (Continued on next page)
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Assistant Newsletter Editor: Assists with the creation, formatting, and distribution of the club’s newsletter. This role includes working closely with the primary Newsletter Editor and Board members to gather content, edit submissions, and ensure the newsletter is visually appealing and accurate. Candidates should have a working knowledge of email and Microsoft Word, digital file management, PowerPoint software, and be comfortable working with formats such as PDFs and jpgs. Knowledge of AdobePhotoshop or other photo software is helpful. You will be mentored in creating the newsletter layout with our WildApricot database which we use to email newsletters and other notices to our members.
Art Salon Host(s): The AWC is seeking a volunteer—or two—to lead our Art Salon program, which may be filled as a single position or divided into an In-Person Host and Online Host.. (Wendy Braithwaite has agreed to be the In-Person Art Salon Host, but can use help. Thank you to Michelle O'Brien for volunteering to be our Greeter at our In-Person Meetings.)
The online role is for our Zoom Members’ Meetings (5x year) and requires a working knowledge of email and PowerPoint to manage digital submissions and prepare slide presentations. The host will narrate the slide presentation and read comments from the participating artists. Comments from viewers are encouraged in the Zoom Chat Room. If you enjoy supporting creative community and helping facilitate artistic discussion, we invite you to consider stepping into this rewarding opportunity.
Workshop Chair: (NEW LISTING) Do you enjoy learning from artists and helping create meaningful art experiences? The Annapolis Watercolor Club is looking for a Workshop Chair to help bring inspiring workshops to our members!
The Workshop Chair coordinates 2–3 workshops per year, held either in person or online via Zoom. You will work with our demonstration artists to schedule dates and times, discuss fees, and—when in person—help secure a venue suitable for 16–24 artists.
Don’t worry if this sounds like a lot—AWC has clear, easy-to-follow procedures, and current Board members will provide training and ongoing support every step of the way. While we prefer one main Chair, this role can be supported by one or two helpers to share responsibilities such as setting up and breaking down the workshop space.
This is a wonderful opportunity to:
- Work closely with talented artists
- Help shape engaging educational experiences for our members
- Get involved in a supportive, collaborative Board environment
If you are interested or would like to learn more, we would love to hear from you! Contact Eileen Hempel at:vicepresident@annapoliswatercolorclub.org
If you have questions about a particular role, you can also contact the person below that currently holds the position. Here is a link to print out this article: Volunteer Positions
By Eileen Hempel and Connie Robinson |
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Copyright © 2026 Annapolis Watercolor Club, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you “opted in” via our website.
www.annapoliswatercolorclub.org Our Mailing address is:
Annapolis Watercolor Club, PO Box 6030, Annapolis, MD 21401-0030 |
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