Artist's Statement
CHOOSING A PAINTING SUBJECT HAS NOT BEEN DIFFICULT – THE SUBJECTS SEEM TO FIND ME. WALKING, OBSERVING, SKETCHING, TAKING PHOTOS – ALL OFFER OPPORTUNITIES. ONE THING THAT THESE CONCEPTS HAVE IN COMMON IS THEIR ABILITY TO INSPIRE A STRONG EMOTIONAL REACTION. SOMETIMES THE SUBJECT IS SOMEWHAT UNCONVENTIONAL. I PREFER PEOPLE GOING ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS RATHER THAN POSING. I ENJOY CITYSCAPES WITH MOVEMENT, LIGHT AND COLOR.
SHAPE AND VALUE ARE PRIME CONSIDERATIONS. WHILE I PLAN AHEAD TO PLACE AND SAVE THE WHITE SHAPES BEFORE POURING THE TRANSPARENT WASHES, I REMAIN ALERT TO WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE PAPER. BEING OPEN TO CHANGE IS IMPORTANT AND MAY LEAD TO AN EVEN MORE EXCITING STATEMENT THAN THE ORIGINAL INTENTION.
SHARING MY FEELINGS AND REACTIONS TO SOMETHING, PEOPLE, PLACE OR THING, IS WHY I PAINT. MY METHOD OF POURING VEILS OF COLOR GIVES ME GREAT JOY THAT I HOPE TO PASS ON TO THE VIEWER.
Artist's Resume
JEAN H. GRASTORF AWS DF, NWS, TWSA MASTER
EDUCATION
ATTENDED ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, ROCHESTER, NY STUDIED PRINTMAKING AND LITHOGRAPHY AT THE SCHOOL OF CERAMICS, ALFRED, NY
MEMBERSHIP
SIGNATURE MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN WATERCOLOR SOCIETY, DOLPHIN FELLOWSHIP NATIONAL WATERCOLOR SOCIETY TRANSPARENT WATERCOLOR SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MASTER SOUTHERN WATERCOLOR SOCIETY, LIFE MEMBER ROCKY MOUNTAIN WATERCOLOR ASSOCIATION
PROFESSION
TEACHER AND JUROR FOR NATIONAL AND STATE WATERCOLOR SOCIETIES AUTHOR OF NORTH LIGHT PUBLICATIONS’ POURING LIGHT, LAYERING TRANSPARENT WATERCOLOR CONTRIBUTER TO ART MAGAZINES AND VIDEOS OF WATERCOLOR TECHNIQUES
EXHIBITION
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF DESIGN STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT ALFRED FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD INVITATIONAL EXHIBITIONS OF CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL WATERMEDIA MASTERS CURATED BY CHENG-KHEE CHEE IN NANJING, CHINA ANNUAL EXHIBITIONS SPONSORED BY STATE AND NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND WATERCOLOR USA SECOND SHANGHAI ZHUJIAJIAO INTERNATIONAL WATERCOLOUR BIENNIAL EXHIBITION
AWARDS AND HONORS
GOLD AWARDS FROM THE FLORIDA WATERCOLOR SOCIETY FIRST PRIZE FROM THE SOUTHERN WATERCOLOR SOCIETY SILVER STAR AWARD FROM THE NATIONAL WATERCOLOR SOCIETY THE FIRST AWARD FROM THE TRANSPARENT WATERCOLOR SOCIETY OF AMERICA HONORED BY THE AMERICAN WATERCOLOR SOCIETY WITH THE DON W. DENNIS MEMORIAL AWARD, THE ELSIE AND DAVID WU JECT-KEY AWARD, THE HOTEL OF ARTISTES MARIO COOPER MEMORIAL AWARD, THE WALSER GREATHOUSE MEDAL NAMED ONE OF AMERICA’S TWENTY BEST TEACHERS BY WATERCOLOR MAGAZINE