Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society Exhibit
Searle & Reid Hodges Galleries

On Display: Jan 30 – Mar 8, 2024

Opening Reception: Feb 1, 2024, 5:00-7:00

The Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society (FSWS) was formed in 1983 and has more than 200 members, many of whom have achieved statewide and national recognition for their work; it serves members who live along the Florida Gulf Coast. FSWS was formed in 1983 to foster the advancement of and promote excellence in the art of watercolor painting. Their intent is to inform and educate through exhibitions, lectures and painting demonstrations as to the best work currently being done in watercolor.

Image	Award	ID	Artist	Title
	1st Place	61	William Perry	Vista Street
	2nd place	96T	Gary Green	Savannah Blues Street
	3rd Place	5	Stuart Cantor	Strasbourg Reflection
	Transparent	68T	Greg Labrecque	Summer Shadows
	Merit	47T	Kerry Stratton Waltz	Winter Storm Warning
	Honorable Mentions	48T	Kris Parins	Icy Creek
		94T	Lyna Knight	Highland Hairy Coo
		14T	Ken Francis	Under the Banyon
		60T	Jerome Chesley	What’s For Dinner

Juror Statement Vladislav Yeliseyev is a renowned watercolor and plein air artist known for his ability to capture everyday scenes with a unique perspective. Originally from Russia, he brought his Classical Art education and a master’s degree in architecture when he immigrated to the United States in the 1980s. Vlad states “In my paintings I would like to express the beauty of landscapes through variation of natural light conditions and individual approaches to interpretation of color in real life. Traveling the world allows me to see my subjects from different cultural and emotional angles. I use a wide dynamic range of light to show the drama of the ordinary scenes smoothly transforming the dark tones into the light communicating to the viewers the life-leading affirmation.”

His participation in highly regarded invitational paint-outs and competitions has earned him numerous prestigious awards and accolades. His work has been featured in renowned publications, including Watercolor Artist magazine (2016, USA), PleinAir Magazine (2017, USA), and Art of Watercolour (2018, France) and others.

As you view the many wonderful paintings in this show, Vlad’s emphasis on light and drama in the ordinary world shows in the works he chose for the show and is most obvious in the paintings he selected as award winners.

Vladislav Yeliseyev, Juror