Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors 2025

I’m deeply honored to share that my painting has received the H. Samuel Slater Memorial Award at the 2025 Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors. The recognition means a great deal, not only because of the show’s long tradition of celebrating excellence in watercolor, but also because this particular award is presented for a landscape.

The piece, featuring one of my favorite songbirds—a spirited backyard visitor—was never intended to be about landscape in the traditional sense. Yet, for me, rendering habitat is inseparable from portraying wildlife. Every tuft of grass, every shifting shadow, every glint of light between leaves tells part of an animal’s story. I’ve always felt that to paint an animal truly, one must paint the world it lives in with equal care. The award feels like a celebration of that connection—the delicate balance between subject and surroundings, the way each compliments and gives meaning to the other.

To be recognized among so many remarkable watercolorists is both humbling and energizing. The Adirondacks exhibition has long been a gathering of artists who bring to life the spirit and versatility of this medium, and I’m grateful to have my work included. Watercolor has a voice all its own—honest, unpredictable, and full of quiet surprises—and I’m continually inspired by what it can reveal when patience meets curiosity.

I’m deeply thankful to the judges, organizers, and fellow artists who make this exhibition such a vibrant showcase of creativity. Most of all, I’m thankful for the natural world that continues to inspire endless stories, waiting to be told through paint and light.