PAINTINGS by a number of new artists will add vibrancy to this year’s exhibition hosted by the Water Colour Society of Ireland, which opens to the public in Dublin later this month.
This 162nd exhibition of the society, being held at the Concourse Gallery at the Dun Laoghaire County Hall, goes on show for one week, from Monday, September 26 to Sunday, October 2.
Eleven new artists from Dublin, Cork and other counties who have joined the society as members will be on show through their print and watercolour works.
As Ireland’s largest exhibition of watercolours and one of the country’s biggest group art shows, it features very fine watercolours by more than 120 leading contemporary Irish artists – the most ever in recent decades.
Additionally, the president of the Australian Watercolour Institute, David Van Nunen, will be showing two large works as an invited guest artist.
Over 300 paintings in watercolour, gouache and pastels, drawings and limited edition signed prints, will be on sale to the public at affordable prices at this year’s exhibition of the Water Colour Society of Ireland, an illustrious body founded as far back as 1870 that has included some of Ireland’s finest water colourists.
With so many top water colourists from throughout Ireland and overseas showing, including Royal Hibernian Academy and Royal Ulster Academy artists who are also members of the society, there will be a wide range of contemporary and traditional style watercolour art available.
Strong diversity is created by each artist exhibiting one or more works from selected submissions and the exhibition presents an immense variety of styles and subjects.
Landscapes, seascapes, still life, animal and life studies, as well as botanical, floral, architectural and figure work will feature.
A number of annual awards will be presented to exhibiting artists for works of distinction again, but this year a special prize is also being awarded in commemoration of 1916.
Runner-up paintings will be produced as commemorative postcards and will be on sale to the public during the exhibition.
The commemorative prize is being presented by Chris Shouldice, husband of Water Colour Society president Ann O’Clery, in memory of his father First Lieutenant Jack Shouldice of F Company, 1st Battalion, who fought bravely during the Easter Rising in an area that saw some of the most intense fighting.
His battalion occupied the Four Courts and its outposts, defending the barricades on North King Street and Church Street.
He was sentenced to death, but later the sentence was commuted to five years penal servitude in English prisons Dartmoor and Lewes.
A special Art Activity Day, open to the public admission free, will be held on Saturday, October 1.
Watercolour demonstrations by exhibiting artists take place in the morning, with a free valuation and assessment of watercolour works brought in by the public by fine art auctioneers Whyte’s in the afternoon from 1pm – 4pm.
Demonstrations will also be held on the Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Other artistic attractions open to the public free-of-charge include guided tours. Details of all events can be found at www.watercoloursocietyofireland.ie