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Membership or Renewal Deadline: November 30th, 2022

Entries Accepted: October 3rd - December 7th, 2022

Artists who become new FWS Members, and Non-Signature Members who did not win an award in the 2022 Annual Exhibition, who renew their FWS Membership on or before November 30th, 2022, are eligible* to enter up to three pieces in the 2023 Online Show! Only one piece per artist may be accepted to show on the FWS website from mid-January through November 2023. Online Show Judge, Bob Burridge, will select up to 100 entries to show and choose the award winners.

• If you are a Signature Member of FWS, NWS, or AWS, you are not eligible to enter the FWS Online Show. Signature members of other local, regional, and state watercolor organizations are eligible.
• If you are not a Signature Member of FWS but you won an Award in the 51st Annual Exhibition, you are not eligible to enter the Online Show.
• If you are a non-signature FWS member in good standing whose dues are current or a new member* who joins by November 30th, 2022, prior to entering, you are eligible. *Residency restrictions apply - you must be a full- or part-time Florida resident.
• Eligible artwork is limited to water-soluble media (no water-soluble oil products or pastels). Acrylic and alcohol inks are acceptable. No India ink.
• All paintings must be on approved surfaces created for watermedia For example: watercolor or white rice paper, white tissue paper, flat or cradled clay-coated surfaces (Claybord, Aquabord), synthetic surfaces, (Yupo, Tygerag), and illustration board (paper mounted board) are allowed.  Eligible substrates mounted to cradles and varnished are allowed. Black or colored watercolor papers are not allowed. Canvas of any kind is not allowed.
• Source material must be original and not derived from published images. “Original” means the painting is the artist’s own idea, composition, and design, painted by hand, and is not copied from another artist’s or photographer’s work, in whole or in part, with or without permission, nor done in a class or workshop with the help of an instructor, nor repainted from another painting by the same artist from the exact same source image more than two years prior without substantial modification.
• All entries must have been completed after January 1, 2020, and not previously shown in any FWS Annual or Online Exhibitions.
• Collage is acceptable if it is created with eligible paper painted by the artist in water media in an aqueous manner.
• Photographs, reproductions, digital media, digital images, or work created digitally are not permitted.
• Submission of an entry that violates FWS rules will be deemed ineligible and will be removed from jurying, or the exhibit, as relevant. The artist will be issued a letter of reprimand and face possible suspension from entering FWS Exhibitions for a determined period. Length of suspensions follow the guidelines outlined by the Board and are at the Board’s discretion, whose decision is final. A list of violations and reprimands is available on the FWS website. Each artist and entry are thoroughly vetted for eligibility. There are no refunds of entry fees, no matter the reason. Permission to reproduce the painting for advertising this or other FWS shows, and/or for publicity purposes is granted with acceptance to the show.
• Permission to use the submitted digital images for educational purposes is granted. Permission to use the artist’s name and hometown is granted.
• New! A one time, one point upgrade toward Signature status will be given to award winners in this show. Work accepted into this show is not eligible for submission into other FWS Shows and does not otherwise constitute an upgrade in status.
• There are no framing restrictions for this show.
• Minimum image size: 80” square (8” x 10”).  There is no maximum size limit.

Eligibility:  FWS Non-Signature Members in good standing who did not win an award in the 51st Annual Exhibition, and whose dues are current by November 30th, 2022, may submit up to three (3) images for jurying (only one painting per artist may be accepted).  A non-member must first join FWS on or before the deadline and before entering this show.  Residency restrictions apply.  New members joining at Convention or during the rest of the year will enjoy FWS membership through 2023 (renew 1/1/24).  This does not apply to existing members whose renewal date is January 1st annually.

Entry Guidelines:  You must prepare your images as required: between 1800-1920 pixels on the long side by 72 dpi, saved as a jpeg.  There are no rules for labeling your images on CaFE.  If you don't know how to resize your images, resizing of your images is available for $5 per image. Pay for this service through the FWS website and then email your images to the Exhibition Director, exhibitiondirectorfws@gmail.com 

Entry fee: $15 per image, payable online through CaFE (Mastercard or Visa only) or PayPal at the time of submission.  Entries accepted from October 3rd through December 7th, 2022, 11:59 pm MT.  Please Note: All entries and artists will be vetted for eligibility before going to the judge.  Ineligible artists and/or artworks, and/or artists found to have clearly submitted ineligible work will have all their entries disqualified and will forfeit all fees paid. The decision of the Compliance Committee is final. See Violations & Reprimands on the FWS website.

Selection: The 2023 Online Show Judge, Bob Burridge, will select up to 100 images to show. Each artist may enter up to three (3) paintings, but no more than one (1) entry per artist may be accepted to show.

Awards:  $1000 will be awarded for First Place, $500 for Second Place, $300 for Third Place. Three (3) Merit Awards of $100 each will also be presented. Award-winners will be unveiled during an Exhibition Review by judge, Bob Burridge, time and date to be determined, but it will be before January 15th.  On or around January 15th, 2023, members will receive email notification that the 2023 Online Show is up on the FWS website.

Questions?  Contact your FWS Exhibition Director, Nancy Murphree Davis at exhbitiondirectorfws@gmail.com

Application Requirements

Eligible Artwork

• Eligible artwork is limited to water-soluble media (no water-soluble oil products or pastels). Acrylic and alcohol inks are acceptable. No India ink. See longer list below.
• All paintings must be on approved surfaces created for watermedia. For example: watercolor or white rice paper, white tissue paper, flat or cradled clay-coated surfaces (Claybord, Aquabord), synthetic surfaces, (Yupo, Tygerag, Terraskin), and illustration board (paper mounted board) are allowed. Eligible substrates mounted to cradles and varnished are allowed.  Canvas of any kind is no longer allowed. See longer list below.
• Source material must be original and not derived from published images. “Original” means the painting is the artist’s own idea, composition, and design, painted by hand, and is not copied from another artist’s or photographer’s work, in whole or in part, with or without permission, nor done in a class or workshop with the help of an instructor, nor repainted from another painting by the same artist from the exact same source image more than two years prior without substantial modification.
• All entries must have been completed after January 1, 2020, and not previously shown in any FWS Annual or Online Exhibitions.
• Collage is acceptable if it is from paper painted by the artist in water media in an aqueous manner.
• Photographs, reproductions, digital media, digital images, or work created digitally are not permitted.
• Submission of an entry that violates FWS rules will be deemed ineligible and will be removed from jurying, or the exhibit, as relevant. The artist will be issued a letter of reprimand and face possible suspension from entering FWS Exhibitions for a determined period. Length of suspensions follow the guidelines outlined by the Board and are at the Board’s discretion, whose decision is final.  A list of violations and reprimands is available on the FWS website.  Each artist and entry are thoroughly vetted for eligibility. There are no refunds of entry fees, no matter the reason. Permission to reproduce the painting for advertising this or other FWS shows, and/or for publicity purposes is granted with acceptance to the show.
• Permission to use the submitted digital images for educational purposes is granted. Permission to use the artist’s name and hometown is granted.
• Work accepted into this show is not eligible for submission into other FWS Shows and does not constitute an upgrade in status.
• There are no framing restrictions for this show.
• Minimum image size: 80” square (8” x 10”).  There is no maximum size limit.

Eligible Media (what you use to create the image)

Pencil lines only to draw out painting

Watercolor - transparent to opaque

Gouache

Acrylic

Watercolor Pencil

Watercolor Crayon

Watercolor Inks

Acrylic inks

Alcohol inks

Gesso

Wax resist for batik (wax removed)

Eligible Substrates (what you paint on)

Watercolor paper, any brand

Mounted watercolor paper

Watercolor board; illustration board

Aquabord, Claybord & other flat or cradled panels

Panels coated with watercolor ground or gesso

Unframed Cradled boards, painted directly/mounted onto, 1.5"-2"

Framed flat 1/8" or cradled 3/4"-7/8" Aquabord, Claybord, etc.

White tissue paper (for collage only)

White rice paper

White handmade paper

Eligible Presentation

Traditionally framed under Plexiglas (acrylic)

White top mat

Floated on white with no top mat

Floated on a color with a white top mat

One-quarter inch colored inner or floater mat

Plexiglas (acrylic) glazing

Coated wire preferred

Varnished cradled board

Varnished painting on paper (mounted or framed)

Floater frame for flat varnished panels

Acrylic varnish (spray can)

Wax varnish

Ineligible Media (not limited to...)

Heavy graphite pencil

Water-soluble oil paint

Oil pastels or crayons

Chalk pastels

Modeling paste

Acrylic texturing mediums

Foils

Glitter

String

Newspaper, magazine images

Wax-based crayons

Wax-based colored pencils

Gelli or other printmaking

Ineligible Substrates (not limited to...)

Black or colored watercolor paper

Drawing paper

Typing paper, copy paper

Cardboard

Any kind of canvas

Paper embedded with seeds or other materials

White tissue paper (for collage only)

Sculpted or textured paper

Textured boards

Colored paper

Ineligible Presentation (not limited to...)

Traditionally framed under glass

Matted work without acrylic glazing

Linen liners, lip liners

Sawtooth hangers

Screw eyes for wire (D-straps preferred)

String, fishing line, or other wire substitutes

Gaping frame corners

Blemished, marred, or discolored mats

Colored, painted, or ornate frames

Colored top mat

Scratched. marred, or damaged frames

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility:  Artists who become new FWS Members, and Non-Signature Members who did not win an award in the 2022 Annual Exhibition, who renew their FWS Membership on or before November 30th, 2022, are eligible* to enter up to three pieces in the 2023 Online Show!  Only one piece per artist may be accepted to show on the FWS website from mid-January through November 2023. Online Show Judge, Bob Burridge, will select up to 100 entries to show and choose the award winners.

If you are a Signature Member of FWS, NWS, or AWS, you are not eligible to enter the FWS Online Show.  Signature members of other local, regional, and state watercolor organizations are eligible. 

FWS Non-Signature Members in good standing who did not win an award in the 50th Annual Exhibition, and whose dues are current by November 27th, 2022, may submit up to three (3) images for jurying (only one painting per artist may be accepted).  A non-member must first join FWS on or before the deadline and before entering this show.  Residency restrictions apply.  New members joining at the Convention or during the rest of the year will enjoy FWS membership through 2023 (renew 1/1/24).

Please read the longer version (at the top) for complete eligibility details.

Reprimand Chart