Northwest Watercolor Foundation

The $3500 Award was presented to Jaime Crain, is a 22 year old senior at Whitworth University in Spokane WA. Jaime lists an impressive variety of art studies taken, including drawing, painting, photography, graphic design, book design, history and more. She has been involved in numerous activities within the Whitworth Art and Design Department, the University’s Artists Cooperative and the yearbook editorial team and is completing a double major in fine art and graphic design, as well as a minor in creative writing.

Her application was submitted along with a prepared statement, biography and annotated list of 5 paintings, all done in a very professional presentation. She states that her work explores the intensity of certain emotions, memories and dreams, using the human figure.

Her paintings showed a consistent body of work, with figuratives painted on larger wood panels, incorporating the wood grain into the art.

In his very complimentary letter of recommendation, her professor said Jaime will be one of the very few President’s Cup recipients this Spring, with a flawless grade point.

The 2021 NWWF Scholarship and Barbara Pitts Award in the amount of $3500 was presented to Jazmin Martinez, a 19 year old sophomore pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Arts at Boise State University in Boise, Idaho.

Jazmin says that being an artist is the ability to find art within every individual person. The thoughtful inspirations behind the paintings she sent in with her application were well formed and provoking.

Her professor describes her as intelligent, serious, talented and ambitious and notes she was one of the more successful students to participate in his classes.

The 2020 NWWF Scholarship and Barbara Pitts Award in the amount of $3500 was presented to Zachary Ross, a junior attending Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington.

He states that because of growing up enjoying the outdoors he feels most at peace in nature and finds beauty in living creatures. When painting animals or people, he imitates the form of the figure while using exaggerated colors and brushstrokes to leave the viewer with the same sensation they would feel if they were there in real life.

His professor stated that he spends more time than any other student in the studio outside of class time, and also informed us that in addition to being an art major, Zachary is enrolled and completing pre med requirements.

We are pleased to announce Kylee Wiseman as the recipient of this year’s $3500 scholarship, awarded by the Northwest Watercolor Foundation, which is associated with the Northwest Watercolor Society.

On Tuesday, April 30, 2019 Kylee was honored at a dinner hosted by the Foundation Board of Directors, attended by Kylee, her parents and the friends and family of Barbara Pitts, in whose honor the award was given this year.

The scholarship was presented afterward at the general meeting of the Northwest Watercolor Society in Bellevue, Washington where Kylee was received warmly by the attending artists.

Ms. Wiseman is a sophomore at George Fox University in Portland, Oregon, working towards a degree in Studio Art. Fascination with painting birds began at a very early age. Time spent in a hospital as a child dealing with problems that threatened the use of her hands has given her purpose to create art for children in medical situations that provide distraction and soothing. The art below titled “Birds of Oregon” is already on exhibit in the pediatrics ward of a hospital.

We are pleased to announce Tammie Dupuis as the recipient of this year’s $2500 NWWF Scholarship Award, awarded by the Northwest Watercolor Foundation, which is associated with the Northwest Watercolor Society.

Tammie was honored at a dinner hosted by the Foundation Board of Directors, following which the scholarship was presented at the general meeting of the Northwest Watercolor Society, held in Bellevue WA on April 24, 2018.

Ms. Dupuis is a Junior, pursuing a Bachelors of Fine Art Degree at the Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. She has also studied at the Gage Academy of Art and for many years had a career as an in-house digital graphic designer.

She describes herself as a representational narrative painter who also paints still life and works on sculptures created with non-traditional materials. The scholarship jury was impressed with her thoughtful description of the symbolism in her painting “Original Sin” and the cohesive style shown in her pieces of art.

The Northwest Watercolor Foundation is pleased to announce Mari Shibuya as the winner of the 2017 NWWF Scholarship Award in the amount of $2000.

Ms. Shibuya is in her third year of study with the Kang O’Higgins Atelier at the Gage Academy of the Arts in Seattle, Washington. She was selected based on the skill of her imaginative and provocative drawings and the maturity and clarity of her statement and biography. She also serves as a teaching assistant and teaching artist for the Teen Art Studios at Gage and would ultimately like to earn an MFA, combining her interests in philosophy and art as a college professor.

An award dinner was held for Ms. Shibuya on April 25 and the scholarship was presented at the NWWS general meeting in Bellevue.

We are pleased to announce Seattle artist Sullivan Giles as the winner of the $2000 2016 NWWF Scholarship Award Scholarship Award presented by the Northwest Watercolor Foundation.

Ms. Giles is in her third year of a four-year atelier program at the Gage Academy of Art with plans to apply to the New York Academy of Art upon graduation. She actively serves in several capacities at the art school that include scheduling, communication and organization. An active artist for several years, Sullivan states she enrolled in the Kang-O’Higgins Atelier Program to seek out additional learning opportunities and move into a full-time career in the arts. In her submitted artist’s statement she speaks of the importance of light and illumination, strong female figures, magic and power. The jury of professional artists felt her images were commanding, cohesive, skillfully crafted and impressive in size.

Ms. Giles and her parents attended a dinner in her honor, followed by the presentation of her award at the general meeting of the Northwest Watercolor Society held April 26, 2016 in Bellevue, Washington.

The Northwest Watercolor Foundation is pleased to announce this year’s winner of the $1500 NWWF Scholarship Award. Alysa Phan is a student at Oregon State University currently residing in Corvallis, Oregon.

Alysa submitted a clear and interesting autobiography beginning with a poem, stating she is pursuing a double degree in graphic design and fine arts. In her artist’s statement she addressed the meaningful theme of her submitted art, explaining how it is influenced by her Asian heritage. Images of her submitted work show skillfully rendered screen-prints with strong design, color, value and creativity.

Alysa was chosen to receive this award by a jury of experienced members of the NWWS. Her award was presented at the Gala Banquet of the NWWS 75th Diamond Anniversary Celebration, held July 11 at the Crowne Plaza – Seattle, WA.

The Northwest Watercolor Foundation is pleased to announce this year’s winner of the $2000 Gold Grant Scholarship and John Ringen Award. Jonathan Matteson is a student at Washington State University, currently residing in Pullman.

With a background in commercial art, music and marketing, he is now looking forward to pursuing an MFA and becoming an art educator. His abstract artwork exhibits interesting textural and color usage. Combined with a well-written biography, an artist’s statement and a strong letter of recommendation from faculty, Jonathan was chosen to receive this award by a jury of Signature members of the NWWS.

This year’s scholarship was enlarged by the addition of funds collected in honor of past Northwest Watercolor Society president John Ringen.

The award was presented at a general meeting of the NWWS, held April 22nd at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Bellevue, WA, following an awards dinner held in Jonathan’s honor.

The Northwest Watercolor Foundation is pleased to announce that Daniel Johnson, a senior at Oregon State University was awarded the Foundation’s $1500 GOLD GRANT AWARD at the general meeting of the Northwest Watercolor Society, held in Bellevue, Washington on April 23rd, 2013 and preceded by a dinner in his honor.

This year the Foundation reviewed 25 applications from art majors in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Every scholarship applicant submits five art images, a biography, an essay on what being an artist means to them, and a letter of recommendation by faculty at the school they attend.

Daniel Johnson’s art focuses on landscapes of his southern Utah home and now Oregon, which he paints in multiple mediums. He also paints figuratives, abstracts, and works in sculpture.

Already an exhibiting artist, he intends to pursue art full-time upon graduation. In addition to his art studies, Daniel is studying French and Spanish and speaks a total of five languages.