2026 Personal Expressions in Watercolor

An exhibition of artwork by TSCArts participants featuring watercolor paintings.
To purchase a piece or if you would like more information about the TSArts Program, please contact heathhilary.mcrae@talgov.com.
To register for art classes, please visit: www.tallahasseeseniorfoundation.org/art-classes
Click on the images below to view a larger version of each piece. Enjoy!

YOUR VOTE MATTERS!
People’s Choice Ballots will be available the evening of the reception and winners will be announced as the reception draws to a close. Please come join us in the auditorium on Wednesday June 10, 5 – 6:30pm.

Participating Artists:
Beverly Harding, Tom Friedman, Les Lonsdale, Rachel McAllister, Connie Lechnar, Gail Bauman, Rachel McAllister, Joyce Raichelson, Albert De Prince, Cathy Neel, Jennifer Vrynios, Chip Townsend, Debra Lachter, Allison Edwards, Marcia Rosal, Teresa Miller, Debra Smith, Mary Liz Tippin Moody, Maria Barker, Harry Neel, Gail Poteat, Mark Fletcher, Nancy Clements

Join us for an Artist Reception on Wednesday, June 10 from 5 to 6:30 PM celebrating the artists featured in the current exhibitions. Meet the artists, enjoy light conversation, and experience the artwork up close. Music and Refreshments will be provided.

ARTISTS’ SPOTLIGHT

Beverly Harding

Beverly Harding’s watercolor paintings are inspired by observation, emotion, and personal interpretation. Her featured works, “Sassy Woof” and “Elevated,” each began with memorable moments that sparked reflection and imagination.

Sassy Woof was inspired by a dog costume contest at Proof Brewing Co. benefiting the Tallahassee Animal Shelter Foundation. For Beverly, the painting celebrates the happiness, love, and joy pets bring into our lives.

Elevated emerged after a walk around Lake Pedrick, where she spotted a lone Canada goose perched high on a tree limb while a flock honked overhead. To Beverly, the image could represent happiness, independence, alienation, or simply being “out on a limb.” She leaves the meaning open to the viewer’s interpretation.

Watercolor is still a newer medium for Beverly, making each painting both a challenge and an opportunity to learn. Growing up in rural Oregon with little access to formal art instruction, she taught herself to draw using Walter Foster guidebooks. Years later, after raising three daughters and studying with respected artists in Atlanta, she fulfilled a lifelong dream by earning her BFA from the Atlanta College of Art in 2001.

After moving to Tallahassee during COVID, Beverly found community through the Monday morning portrait class at the Tallahassee Senior Center. She describes the class as welcoming, encouraging, and deeply meaningful, sharing that finding the program “literally saved my life.”

Charles Townsend

Charles Townsend’s watercolor paintings are influenced by a lifelong appreciation for fine art and the artists he has encountered as a collector. Inspired in part by Miami artist Dave Lebo, Charles explores bold color, simplified forms, and playful storytelling through watercolor.

His painting “Old Blue” transformed a black-and-white template into a vibrant impressionistic image, capturing the feeling of a familiar companion through expressive color and shape rather than detailed realism.

In “Checker Crab,” Charles combines humor and technique. Inspired by the old Checker taxis once common in major cities, the piece was created using only four colors, with each painted shape touching only a different color. The result is both playful and visually striking.

Charles hopes viewers appreciate the simplicity and accessibility of watercolor and feel encouraged to try the medium themselves.

Though his professional background was in engineering, Charles developed a passion for fine art through collecting. In 2017, he began taking classes through the Tallahassee Senior Center, where studying the techniques of admired artists deepened his appreciation for the skill behind their work. He continues to find inspiration through the Center’s supportive instructors, students, and creative community.

Teresa Miller

Teresa Miller’s watercolor portrait “Suss About Grandma” captures a playful moment between grandmother and grandson. Inspired by artists who can suggest personality through color and brushwork, Teresa focused on conveying emotion through subtle expression.

The subject came naturally. Teresa loves observing her grandsons in their honest, unguarded moments, and this child’s expressive eyes immediately drew her in. His playful pout leaves viewers wondering whether he is truly suspicious of Grandma or simply charming her to get his way.

For Teresa, the eyes became the emotional center of the painting, while the hand proved to be the greatest technical challenge.

Although she enjoyed art in high school, Teresa’s creative journey reignited in 2016 during a Plein Air workshop in Yosemite. Since joining classes at the Tallahassee Senior Center in 2021, she has embraced watercolor with curiosity and joy.

Through painting, Teresa has learned to let go of perfection and enjoy the process itself. Her advice to new artists is simple: “Do it and don’t worry. It’s about learning, being playful, and enjoying the experience.”

“Artwork”, Watercolor

Cathy Neel

Cathy Neel approaches watercolor with curiosity, experimentation, and play. Her featured works each began as opportunities to explore new techniques and let the paintings evolve naturally through color and process.

In “The Guardian,” an abstract pouring experiment using red, yellow, and blue watercolor unexpectedly revealed the outline of a wolf. Using negative-space painting, Cathy gradually brought the image to life while leaving portions open to the viewer’s imagination.

“Humming Along” was inspired by the loose watercolor style of Jean Haines, while “Patchwork Bunny” explored the “Four Color Theorem” technique, where only four colors are used and no matching colors are painted adjacent to one another.

For Cathy, every painting is a chance to experiment, learn, and enjoy the creative process. She paints not for perfection or hidden meaning, but simply for the joy of creating.

After retiring from teaching, Cathy took her first art class at the Tallahassee Senior Center and finally had the opportunity to fully pursue watercolor. What she values most is the camaraderie and encouragement shared among artists. Her advice to others: “Everyone can make art. Every attempt is a learning experience.”