Our Mission
We promote watercolor and water media as an important and recognized medium in the arts community and provides support as well as educational opportunities to watercolor artists - whether beginners or professionals.
We offer a variety of educational opportunities including eight (8) monthly meetings with demonstrations and lectures by renowned national or prominent local artists. In the Fall and Spring, we host three-day water media workshops with nationally recognized artists.
We recognize and encourage artistic excellence through juried exhibitions in the Fall and Spring.
Click to - Read more about JWS, Board and Committees, and History
Access Calendar of Events for list of all upcoming events and meetings.
General Meeting
Tuesday, January 28, 2025,
6pm to 8pm
Guest Artist: Nancy Melia Banks
Watercolor Techniques for Painting Beach Scenes - Demo
Cypress Village, Egret Room
Join us for Nancy Banks' demonstration "Painting Beach Scenes" featuring how to render clarity and feeling in the water, sky and beach.
Nancy’s award winning watercolor paintings have been accepted in numerous juried shows including Tallahassee, Panama City, and Jacksonville Watercolor Societies. Her paintings have hung at many prestigious locations including the Cummer Museum of Art, the Jacksonville Art Museum, and the rotunda of the Florida State Capital building. Nancy is a member of the JWS and FWS and an honoree of the JWS Artist of the Year Award in 2015.
Before retiring from Florida State College Jacksonville, Nancy taught watercolor painting classes and other subjects. Her work can be seen at Coastal Artist at Archway Framing and Gallery, Atlantic Beach, FL .
To learn more about Nancy and her work, see her website nancymeliabanks.com and https://americanwatercolor.net/artist-spotlight-nancy-banks/
Come early at 5:30 to socialize with fellow artists. Refreshments will be served.
Please note: Our general monthly meetings are at Cypress Village, 4600 Middleton Park Cir E, Jacksonville, FL 32224 in the Egret Room.
To see more about monthly meetings, locations and upcoming schedule, click here.
Membership Campaign Poster
Thank you so much for all of the wonderful submissions to our very first poster contest to encourage new people to join JWS. We received 15 submissions and through a round of anonymous voting from the JWS Board, two paintings were selected to represent JWS in our efforts to spread the word about our Society! Congratulations to Heather Hill for her "Pallet Paint" painting and to Lois Newman for her "In my Corner" painting! We are very excited to have the posters printed and displayed in various locations such as libraries, art stores or other locations that will give the public more information about JWS. We will also be printing postcards and pamphlets! Feel free to reach out to Heather Hill if you have any suggestions for locations to place our posters/postcards! Below, the two winning posters will be finalized shortly and available to see in full by clicking on either image. Additional information on the other paintings and artists' submissions will also be available by clicking here.
Pallet Paint Poster
In my Corner Poster
Shows
2025 Spring Juried Show
The 2025 JWS Spring Juried Show will be exhibited at the St Augustine Art Association from February 7 to March 1.
Key dates to remember:
Opening reception and awards - Friday, Feb 7, 7:00 pm.
Online entries, Jan 24 to Jan 30, 2025.
Delivery/Take-in of framed & matted paintings-
Tuesday, Feb 4, 11 am to 1 pm.
Jurying and judging by Mary O. Smith, Tuesday, Feb 4.
Take-down/pickup - Sunday, March 2, 12 pm to 1 pm.
Click here to see more about this show and other shows including paintings from past shows in the gallery.
2024 Fall Juried Show
The 2024 JWS Fall Juried Show was at Christ Episcopal Church in Ponte Vedra from October 18 to December 2.
Click here to see this show and other shows including programs and winners from past shows in the gallery.
The 2024 Student show can be viewed on the student shows gallery page.
Publications & Events
Fall 2 Day Workshop
February 5 -6, 2025
Mary O. Smith
"Plein Air Watercolor Techniques"
Learn how to take your watercolors outdoors. Mary O. will share with you the techniques she uses to stay loose and expressive while keeping to a plan. Limited seats!
Members $250 and Non-members $285.
For more details and to register go to Workshop page.
Newsletter
Read the latest newsletter by clicking on the image of the cover to the right.
Click to
See more about our communications for members, the latest trifold and calendar of events, past newsletters, and links to websites of interest to members.
Artist of the Year - 2024
Barbara Holt is the 2024 recipient of the Jacksonville Watercolor Society Artist of the Year. She has served as VP of Shows for JWS for 8 years and has introduced a student show to the Pine Forest Elementary School for the Arts. She volunteers at Westminster Wood Retirement Community as an outreach program for JWS teaching watercolor to the residents. Barbra is a well-trained, accomplished award-winning artist.
Click to See more about Barbara Holt, AOTY award, guidelines for nomination, and previous recipients.
Donations
JWS recently received a generous donation in the name of a long term member who passed away. Over years, we have received other donations as well as art materials and supplies that honor past and current members. We appreciate the generous support of JWS and its mission. To help with future donations, we have provided instructions and contacts on our membership page. Please go to the bottom of the membership page for more information on donations.