From the Judge, Donna Morrison
Judge’s Statement
To my South Carolina watermedia friends, thank you for the opportunity to work together on this exhibition. As always, there were so many more beautiful and well executed paintings than I had awards to apply. I loved the variety of approaches and the caliber of the work.
As I looked through the entries initially, I made notes of the paintings that grabbed me for different reasons. Some because of the emotion and intrigue they created, some for the masterful techniques applied. Often times it is a challenge to pick a balanced show so not all images are representational or otherwise. There was no struggle with this group!
Thank you for the honor and I hope you enjoy the show.
Award Winners
First Place
Balancing Act by John James
I was immediately drawn into this painting by the contrasting values, textures and colors. The placement of the circles moves one through the painting along with the strategically placed textures and transitions of darks to lights. Great job!
Second Place
Waiting for Sun Tea by Lisa Pope
Precision in execution of detail, staying simple with basic primary colors offset with the white background, strong cast shadow and angles of metallic direction moved my eye through this and made me want some suntea! The lemons on the left anchored to the edge and the heaviness of the cast shadow helps keep the large tea container balanced in the picture.
Third Place
Sea Kayakers by Gayle Havens
The simple execution of this painting is what makes it powerful. Muted colors set the feeling of the day. The figures are united in movement and purpose. Consistent brushstrokes. This painter created an intriguing mood and tone . The one shoed figure makes you wonder what happened and draws you into the action
Honorable Mention
Bursting with Silent Song by Marcia Pyner
This magnolia bud is beautifully rendered. The vibrant color is very engaging, the smoothness of each pedal is truly felt. The lower diagonal line brings your eye traveling from one end to the other.
2026 Spring Digital Show Gallery
Below are the 2026 Spring Digital Show works. There are 118 works, which were submitted by 71 individual artists across the nation. To see the title and artist, simply hover your mouse over the image and the information will appear at the bottom of the image. To view a full screen enlargement of the image, simply click on the image itself.
We are thankful for all participating artists and the show we were able to curate thanks to their artistic prowess. If you have interest in acquiring a particular piece, please reach out to Anna Izard, at scwatermediasociety@gmail.com for more information.
