East County Artist Wins Watercolor Award

SANTEE, CA — Nell Bartlett of East County won a third-place award in the San Diego Watercolor Society member's exhibition "Simple Pleasures."

Her painting, titled "The Way In," was picked by local artist and judge Thomas Franco among more than 200 entries.

"You have to get to the level where there is not a story, just good vibrations, design, color, pattern, and boundaries, all of which are exciting. It all works," Franco said.

Bartlett, a La Mesa resident, is a longtime member of the San Diego Watercolor Society and currently serves as its president. Her paintings are created using crayon, pastels, pencils, water, alcohol and fabric.

“This is an abstraction, and as such it has to meet the basic execution level of all paintings, with good bones and with design," Franco said.

The Simple Pleasures exhibit runs through Feb. 27. in Liberty Station, San Diego, CA. The gallery is located at 2825 Dewey Road in Liberty Station, San Diego, CA.