As a realistic painter who happens to work in watercolors, I am challenged, and often, surprised by the capricious nature of the medium. My aim is to capture the light and mood of a subject, and translate what I see and feel into paint - bringing the viewer into familiar, and unfamiliar, places. I paint what moves me, often finding beauty in the everyday. The bulk of my works are landscapes, most notably of the San Francisco Bay Area, but I also do some figurative works, slice-of-life narratives and still lifes. My influences include 19th and 20th century American realists and artists from the French Impressionists.
I am a Bay Area native, and have expressed myself through art since I can remember. I majored in Graphic Design with a concentration in Illustration and graduated with a Bachelors degree from San Jose State University. I have worked for many years as a Graphic Designer and currently live in Fremont, California.
News / Mentions:
2022 Transparent Watercolor Society of America, Kenosha Public Museum 7/2022, Juror's exhibition walkthrough with Linda Kemp and Andy Evansen - Linda mentions "Woman with a Mask" (at 4:07 - 6:10)
Pleasanton Weekly 7/2021, p16, article on Alameda County Fair Art Competitions
KTSF Business & Lifestyle 10/2019, interview for Chinese TV show
KTSF Business & Lifestyle 2/2019, interview for Chinese TV show (in English with Mandarin translation)
KTSF Business & Lifestyle 1/2018, interview for Chinese TV show - quick watercolor demo
KTSF Business & Lifestyle 1/2018, interview for Chinese TV show - quick watercolor demo
KTSF Business & Lifestyle 8/2017, interview for Chinese TV show (in English with Mandarin translation)
Good Times 8/2017, Santa Cruz news article on Santa Cruz Art League's landscape exhibit
Signature Status
CWA California Watercolor Association
PWS Pittsburgh Watercolor Society
WW Watercolor West
Exhibits / Awards
2023
Salon @the Triton
"Lobos"
Alameda County Fair
"Down in the Valley" (Second Place, Watercolor), "Forest for the Trees" and "Ohlone Sundown"
Watercolor West 2023 International Exhibition: Michael Reardon
"Thunderclouds Over Picacho Peak"
Harrington Gallery Fresh Works 11 Juried Exhibit
"Cedar St"
Pacific Art League "Works on Paper" Exhibit
"Angel" and "Dresden" (Honorable Mention)
Tracy Art League - "Expressions 2023" Show:
"Afternoon in the Garden", "Sedona Evenglow", "Forest for the Trees", "The Secret Life of Statues", "Life Goes On" and "Palms at Sunset"
California Watercolor Association 53rd National Exhibition: Gary Tucker, Awards - Uma Kelkar
"La Jolla Morning" - SF MOMA Award/Flax Award
2022
Philadelphia Watercolor Society 122nd International Exhibition
"The Secret Life of Statues"
Pennsylvania Watercolor Society 43rnd International Juried Exhibition Pittsburgh Watercolor Society Aqueous Open 2022 Carnegie Arts Center Alameda County Fair Georgia Watercolor Society 43rd National Exhibition 2022: Mark Mehaffey Tracy Art League - "Expressions 2022" Show: Deanna Hunt Pacific Art League "Ode to California" Exhibit: Jim Caldwell Watercolor Art Society - Houston 2022 International Watermedia Exhibition: Mark Mehaffey New Museum of Los Gatos (NUMU) 2022 Greater Bay Area Open: Preston Metcalf, Julie Ericsson Western Colorado Watercolor Society 2022 Rockies West National Exhibit: Lorraine Watry California Watercolor Association 52nd National Exhibition: Andy Evansen 2021 Santa Cruz Art League 91st Annual Statewide California Landscape Exhibition: Carolyn Lord Pittsburgh Watercolor Society Aqueous Open 2021: Carla O' Connor Philadelphia Watercolor Society 121st International Exhibition Pennsylvania Watercolor Society 42nd International Juried Exhibition Alameda County Fair San Diego Watercolor Society 41st Annual International Exhibition: Michael Holter Georgia Watercolor Society 42nd National Exhibition 2021: Linda Baker California Watercolor Association 51st National Exhibition: Frank Webb 2020 Transparent Watercolor Society of America 44th National Exhibition National Watercolor Society 100th International Open Exhibition: Katherine Chang Liu, Dean Mitchell & John Salminen Missouri Watercolor Society 2020 International Exhibition: Thomas Schaller Watercolor Art Society - Houston 2020 International Watermedia Exhibition: Eric Wiegardt Georgia Watercolor Society 41st National Exhibition 2020: Linda Baker Western Colorado Watercolor Society 2020 Rockies West National Exhibit: Ken Call Santa Cruz Art League 90th Annual Statewide CA Landscapes Exhibition Hayward Area Recreation and Park District 42nd Area Artists' Annual Juried Exhibition Tracy Art League - "Expressions 2020" Show California Watercolor Association 50th National Exhibition: John Salminen & Michael Reardon 2019 Watercolor West 2019 International Exhibition: Keiko Tanabe Pittsburgh Watercolor Society Aqueous Open 2019: Frank Eber Stockton Art League 6th Annual Juried Exhibition Philadelphia Watercolor Society 119th Anniversary International Exhibition: Joseph Zbukvic Pennsylvania Watercolor Society 40th International Juried Exhibition: John Salminen New Museum of Los Gatos (NUMU) 2019 Greater Bay Area Open: Ric Ambrose Missouri Watercolor Society 2019 International Exhibition: Mike Bailey Alameda County Fair Red River Watercolor Society National Juried Watermedia Exhibition: Iain Stewart Artworks Downtown, San Rafael - "Coastal" Tracy Art League - "Expressions 2019" Show Santa Cruz Art League 89th Annual California Land & Sea Exhibit Western Colorado Watercolor Society Rockies West National Exhibit 2018 San Diego Watercolor Society 38th Annual International Exhibition: John Salminen Santa Cruz Art League 88th Annual California Land & Sea Exhibit The Haggin Museum, Stockton - "Juried Exhibit at the Haggin" Valley Art Gallery, Walnut Creek - "Bay Area Life 2018" Olive Hyde Gallery, Fremont - "Hidden Treasures / Local Talent" Harrington Gallery Eighth Annual Fresh Works Juried Exhibit Adobe Art Gallery, Castro Valley - "The View From Here" Tracy Art League - "Expressions 2018" Show 2017 Arts Benicia - "Gems IV" Show STUDIO Gallery, San Francisco - "Tiny" Show Pacific Art League "Landscape, Seascape and Cityscape" Exhibit Marin Society of Artists "The Golden State" Exhibit Santa Cruz Art League 87th Annual California Land & Sea Exhibit STUDIO Gallery, San Francisco - "94109" STUDIO Gallery, San Francisco - "City Streets 2017" New Museum of Los Gatos (NUMU) 2017 Greater Bay Area Open: George Rivera Harrington Gallery Seventh Annual Fresh Works Juried Exhibit
"Life Goes On"
"Sedona Evenglow" and "China Cove Rocks"
"Afternoon in the Garden" and "Wash Day"
"Filoli Fountain", "The Outsiders" and "Three Persimmons Intimidating a Tomato"
"Ethereal Morning"
"Secrets" - First Place (watercolors), "Goat Buffet" - Purchase Award, "Below Hidden Falls", "Canyon Shadows" and "Ohlone Sundown"
"Filoli Fountain" and "These Hallowed Hallways" - Third Place Award
"Pandemic Boredom"
"La Jolla Morning" - First Place Award; Watercolors
"Moon Over Mission" - Jack Richeson Award
"China Cove Rocks"
"Afternoon in the Garden" - Third Place Award
"Secrets"
"Piazza Navona"
"Past and Future"
"Hidden Away" (Best of Show), "Neighborhood Colors" (Second Place, Watercolor)
"Pandemic Boredom"
"Writing's on the Wall"
"Secrets"
"Wheel Man"
"Pandemic Boredom"
"Piazza Navone"
"Writing's on the Wall"
"Manhattan Brownstones"
"Waiting in the Courtyard"
"Sunrise in the Headlands" and "Santa Cruz Eucalyptus"
"Three Bells for Father Serra" and "Easy Rider" - Honorable Mention award
"Everyday Relics" - 1st Place (watercolors), "Quiet River", "Path", "Reflect" and "Almost Dry"
"End of the Line" - M. Graham and Co. Award
"Island Dancer"
"These Hallowed Hallways" - Frank Webb Award
"Room with a View", "Ohlone Willow" and "Easy Rider" - Second Place
"Manhattan Brownstones"
"Low Tide Shrimpers" - Merchandise Award
"Fall Run (Carquinez)"
"Almost Dry"
"Carquinez Rust" (Silver Award), "Connected" (Silver Award), "Some Light Summer Reading..." (Honorable Mention), "Ho'okipa Sunbathers", Santa Cruz Eucalyptus" and "Venetian Window Display"
"Everyday Relics"
"Angry Pacific"
"Half Dome", "Yosemite Valley", "Venetian Window Display", "Doge's Palace Column Detail" and "Vintage Steel"
"Cathedral" - Honorable Mention Award
"Quiet River"
"Wash Day"
"Sea Salt in Carmel" and "Tidal Rhythms"
"These Hallowed Hallways"
"Marina"
"Hwy 1 Sunrise (Salinas)", "Christmas Barn" and "Lone Bird (Montara)"
"Scenic Commute - Hwy 237 Flyover" and "Chinatown Alley" - Honorable Mention Award
"Golden Arches"
"43558, 43560 and 43562" - Second Place (watercolors), "Carquinez Rust" - Honorable Mention (watercolors), "Benicia Gold", "Winter Morning", "Cloud Break" and "Swirl"
"Brook" and "Gold"
"Catch of the Day", "Patterns", "Pious" and "Gnarled"
"Chinatown Alley" and "Paseo Padre"
"Hwy 1 Sunrise (Salinas)" and "Scenic Commute - Hwy 237 Flyover"
"Passing Storm (Alcatraz)" and "Lone Bird (Montara)" - Honorable Mention Award
"Walk (Van Ness & Pacific)"
"Fort Point Pier"
"Christmas Eve (Cupertino)"
"Bedlam (San Jose)" - Honorable Mention Award