Monday, February 11, 2013

Meet Artist Melinda Shook, Spring Obsession Theme Division artist

T-002  Dutch Treat by Melinda Shook  watercolor  30x24  $990
Melinda J. Shook
Artist Statement

Born and raised in Southern California, Melinda received her B.A. in Fine Arts from the University of California at Los Angeles. A year later she earned a K-8 General Teaching Credential. Her teaching career spanned thirty-six years, retiring in 2002. Art was always an integral part of her curriculum.

In 2005 Melinda renewed her interest in watercolor and began her painting career. Nature has always been deeply appreciated and a source of inspiration. With a love of photography, capturing images is an important and useful tool she employs in the painting process.

Melinda is a member of Watercolor Artists of Sonoma County (WASCO) and was juried into the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 Aqua Areas Exhibition in Santa Rosa.  Her painting, "Kyan," was awarded an honorable mention in '07. In '09 she received the People's Choice Award for her painting Pine Flat.  In 2010 her painting, Dutch Treat, was awarded the Glad Baker Memorial Association (CWA), Watercolor West (WW) and National Watercolor Society (NWS). In '07 and '08 she was accepted into the international transparent WW exhibitions.  In '07 and '09 she was an exhibitor in the national CWA showings. In the summer of '09 her image, San Zavier del Bac, was selected by the NEW jury to be three matted painting to apply for signature status. On October 10th she was presented at the Exhibition Awards Luncheon as a new signature member, a milestone in her career.  Being accepted into the 2010 CWA 41st national Exhibition, her third, made her eligible to apply for signature status.  On 5 May the CWA Board approved her application for signature membership.

Melinda is continually refining her skills through workshops, classes and employing new techniques in her painting. Several award winning artists have influenced her: Marge Gray, Judy Greenberg, Phyllis Rapp, Barbara Nechis, Joyce Faulknor, Tom Lynch, Jane Hofstetter, John Salminen, and Mike Bailey.

2011 thus far has been a truly rewarding year. I have been juried in to the NWS Member Show, the CWA 42nd National Exhibition, and the Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibition, in its 38th year, presented by Foothills Art Center in Golden, Colorado. I was the top poster contest winner for the WASCO Aqua Areas upcoming show in Santa Rosa.

My painting, Crested Butte, was selected for the 2012 Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibition from Sept. 14 - Oct. 28 at the Foothills Art Center in Golden, CO.

I was also accepted in the NWS 92nd Annual Exhibition Sept. 29 to Dec. 2 in San Pedro, CA. The juror of awards, Barbara Nechis, chose my painting, Artist's Row Mission Inn, for the 2013 Traveling Exhibition. It will be traveling in the U.S. for 12 months.

My landscape of Cathedral Rock, Sedona received an award in our annual Santa Rosa Aqua Areas Exhibition in Sept.

T-001  Cheaper by the Dozen  by Melinda Shook  watercolor  30x24  $990

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