Works of Many Shades in Watercolor Exhibit

Visitors to the Brea Gallery’s watercolor exhibit this month will most likely be surprised by the diverse range of styles.

The 100 pieces in the 28th annual Watercolor West Juried Exhibition were chosen by recognized watercolorist Katherine Chang Liu from more than 900 entries submitted by artists in the United States and overseas.

The result is a broad range of paintings, from traditional watercolor technique to some works that are difficult to classify, said Georgia Freedman-Harvey, the gallery director.

“It shows the depth of what you can do with watercolors,” Freedman-Harvey said. “From the traditional to some very controlled, detailed pieces.”

Examples of this can be seen in the bright lizards of Jerry Bowman’s “Elements of Culture,” and the multicolored shapes of Lita Schwartzberg’s “Cyberspace.” More traditional painters are Beverly Nichols (“Lee’s Ladies”) and Victor Martinez (“The Grandfather”), who achieve their results with a more classic watercolor style.

The only requirement for the exhibition, Freedman-Harvey said, is that the watercolor paintings be “transparent,” using no black or white in the color palette. Those tones could only be achieved through mixing paints or leaving blank space on the paper, she said.

By coincidence, Freedman-Harvey said, 56 of the 100 artists reside in California, and several are from the Orange County/Los Angeles area.

“There’s a great deal of interest in watercolor in the Western states, so an exhibition like this tends to draw in a lot of local artists,” she said.

The gallery is hosting some ongoing special events to coincide with the exhibit, she said.

Watercolor seminars will be held on Saturdays through Dec. 7, with featured lecturers that include artists William McAllister, Marilyn Simandle, Ernest J. Velardo and John E. Koser. The seminars are $20 each, or $15 for people who live, work or attend school in Brea.

The gallery also features a children’s art space, where children accompanied by an adult can draw. Materials are available for children and adults to try their hand at creating a watercolor painting on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

The City of Brea Gallery is at 1 Civic Center Circle. Hours are Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., and Thursday and Friday from noon to 8 p.m. Regular admission is $1.

Information: (714) 990-7730.