2026 All Member Exhibit The Meeting House Gallery

First Place: Glasswing by Karen Norman

This painting works on a number of levels. The composition is well thought out, the draftsmanship is perfect and masterfully rendered and the color choices work to make this a painting you can spend a lot of time with. It’s a great example of nailing the fundamentals while also bringing some intriguing narrative elements and mystery that really engage the viewer. 

Second Place: Tapestry by Craig Wright

This is a highly distinctive, labor-intensive portrait that immediately stands out due to its unique technique. The image is made up of individual threads, which look three dimensional, and this gives the painting a feeling of both modernity and historical artifact at the same time. The color palette is vibrant and harmonious; the yellow dress contrasts nicely with the purple. It’s bold, ambitious and original.

Third Place: Sunday Reading (Time for me) by Luis F. Perez

I love how the color temperature is captured in this painting, you really get a sense of the warm sunlight and the cool shadows. The figure is drawn well and the skin tones are complex, capturing translucency and depth. 

Honorable Mention: Geometry Lessons by Barbara Hutchings

I enjoy the abstract qualities of this painting. At a distance, or first glance, it is very non-object and geometric. This is enhanced when you appreciate the windows, the reflections and transparency of the glass.

Honorable Mention: Poppies by Rosanne Horowitz

Great use of color—the reds, greens and purples really draw your attention from across the room. The artiss also makes great use of the substrate (presumable Yupo), creating lovely textural effects to create depth and lifting out important details like the stems which helps ground things so there aren’t just red blobs floating around. I enjoy the subtle color shifts throughout, and this painting is a great example of letting watercolor do what it wants to do.

Honorable Mention: Petunias by Carolyn Councell

Two things I love about this painting are the use of color and the negative painting shapes. The color choices are probably what strike the viewer first: the ultramarines with the pops of pink and yellow. But it’s often said that color gets the credit when value does the work, and that is certainly the case here. There is a lot of depth, and the negative shapes, especially the dark abstract shapes are what make this painting come to life.

First Place: Mello Yellow by Diane Shipley

This is obviously another floral piece, but I appreciate that it’s zoomed in and composed in such a way where we can appreciate the edges and abstract nature of the petals. Mixing yellow and purple can result in a neutral grey, but they are handled just right in this case, preserving the luminosity of the pigments.

Second Place: Apple Martini by Connie Ennis

This is a lovely little painting showing rich vibrant color and a good understanding of values. The dark background adds drama, and the high contrast and red of the apples really draws the eye in.

Third Place: Apartments For Rent by Valerie Kutchey

This is a great street scene, capturing lovely architecture on a bright sunny day. I like the crisp details in the buildings mixed with the loose organic shapes of the trees. The cool grays in the foreground also add visual interest and fill that space nicely.

Honorable Mention: Peace in Bloom by Pat Weir

This painting has a lot of beautiful details to take in; the bright, warm yellow is very inviting. I also like the rich background, where the watercolor was allowed to move freely, creating soft edges and blooms.

Honorable Mention: Swan Lake by Joan Baccala

This painting successfully conveys tranquility. The soft lighting of the sunset, the glassy water and the graceful swans create a very calming feeling. The color palette is harmonious and I very much like the different blues and greens throughout.