News

Meet Your Neighbor: Kris Parins
By Donna Anderson for the Pelican Cove News
April 2017

The community has enjoyed a wonderful opportunity to both meet Kris Parins and view her watercolors this season. She spoke at the February Art Club meeting on the 7th, and on the 17th, the club honored her achievements with a reception and a solo exhibit at the Wilbanks. The collection stayed up through the Art Show weekend in March. It is a lot of notice for a self-confessed introvert.

Perhaps that social constraint is one reason Kris’s work communicates so well. Her watercolors have been shown in Juried and Invitational Exhibits in 35 competitions, including two in Canada and Thailand. She has been chosen for some of those as many as five times over, and several as the solo artist. She has been honored with dozens of awards and featured in several professional magazines, including three covers, a “Ones to Watch” article, and two that she authored about the...

Art Center Manatee of Bradenton, Florida has placed an ad in Working Title Magazine's January 2017 issue which features the artwork of the art center's members Jenny Medved, Jean Cormier, John Mascoll, Kris Parins, Donna Morisson, and Grant Jefferies. The publication's circulation is about 7000 and is delivered to high end hotels & galleries.

This interview appears on the "Artist's Road" website, where Kris was featured as "Artist of the Month" for December 2016. http://www.theartistsroad.net
Kris Parins brings to her watercolor paintings bold colors and a strong sense of design. She credits her early college study in textile design and her career as a graphic artist in influencing her watercolor paintings today. Parins is a signature member of the American Watercolor Society, the National Watercolor Society and the Transparent Watercolor Society of America. She was invited to participate in the first World Watercolor Exposition Thailand hosted by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture in Bangkok and the first International Watercolor Exhibition Canada held in Vancouver. She has received many awards and has been published in multiple arts publications. Parins maintains studios in northern Wisconsin and Sarasota, Florida.

We asked Parins the question we had previously asked ten top watercolor artists in...

Area artist Kris Parins has been awarded Signature Status in the American Watercolor Society. Each year, jurors select about 100 paintings from the approximately 1200 submissions from artists throughout the world. The inclusion of Kris Parins� painting was the third time she had a piece juried into an AWS exhibition, and qualified her for Signature Membership and the use of the initials AWS after her name.

In April Parins and her husband Richard Parins traveled to attend the annual awards event and the 149th AWS Exhibition held at the Salmagundi Club in New York City. �This was a lifetime goal of mine, and I couldn�t be more thrilled by the honor,� said Parins. �I am challenged by the randomness and spontaneity of watercolor. The swirl of transparent color mixing on the paper, creating its own nuanced atmosphere, provides endless inspiration.�
Parins� painting�Breakfast with Tiffanys was given the Fred E Albrecht Award by the jurors. The inspiration for the painting is a...

WAUSAU, WISCONSIN: Mesmerizing artwork by 123 of the world�s most talented artists serves as a fitting tribute to this year�s milestone 40th annual �Birds in Art� exhibition on view September 12 through November 29 at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum. Varied and accomplished depictions of avian life, from regal poses, lively gatherings, and calm repose to sculptural statements and whimsical �trompe l�oeil� works highlight why throughout four decades �Birds in Art� has earned international esteem.

The 2015 exhibition includes the work of 102 artists, selected by three jurors, and 21 who have been named Master Artists during previous �Birds in Art� exhibitions. Artwork from 607 artists was submitted for the 2015 jury�s consideration. The 2015 jurors were Danny Bills, curator of collections and exhibitions, Wichita Falls Museum at Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, Texas; Virginia Eichhorn, director and chief curator, Tom Thomson Art Gallery, Owen Sound, Ontario,...

by Terri Bryce Reeves, Times Correspondent 9/2/15

Artist Libit Jones, the current president of the Florida Watercolor Society, is "learning to let go."

Of her backgrounds, that is.

To create her award-winning style � one layered with lively patterns and textures � she paints over the initial rendering until only a trace of the original watercolors or objects remain visible.

"It's hard," she says. "I fall in love with my backgrounds, but it's a jumping off point."

See her watercolor painting, Together, a pictorial of her sister and two nieces walking through Central Park, during the Florida Watercolor Society's 44th Annual Exhibition at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art.

The juried art show, featuring 100 chosen watercolor paintings from Florida artists, opens Sunday and runs through Nov. 1.

Many of the pieces are for sale, including Dean Mitchell's Morning in the Quarter, a photo-like rendering of a New Orleans streetscape...

Splash 16 - Exploring Texture
The Best of Watercolor
By Editor: Rachel Rubin Wolf
Format: Hardcover

Two paintings by artist Kris Parins are included in the newly-released "Splash 16." The first, "Salute to the Sun", depicts the wooded view from her northern Wisconsin studio. The second, "Nine Bicycles" depicts a scene glimpsed in Salzburg, Austria. Parins' award-winning work has also been selected for previous Splash volumes 9, 13, 14, and 15. She has earned signature status in several societies, including the National Watercolor Society and Florida Watercolor Society. Her work can be viewed at www.krisparins.com.

The 16th book in the Splash series captures the best of contemporary artists while exploring texture in every subject matter. Nature produces an unending array of texture that artists can either copy or be inspired by. Some artists take creative licenses while others work slowly and deliberately using simple and pure watercolor techniques. The...

Esteemed artist and juror Dean Mitchell of Tampa, FL selected pieces for the exhibit by the members of the Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society held at Art Center Sarasota through January 16, 2015. Mitchell also was the juror of awards.
First Place: Kris Parins "Breakfast at Tiffanys" (image shown)
Second Place: Vladislav Yeliseyev "Day on the Beach, Anna Maria"
Third Place: Mary Louise Ringers "Going Nuts"
Merit Awards: Roger Parent "Peggy�s Cove, Late Afternoon", Gail Ribas "Jersey Boys", and Judy Saltzman "Art of Cooking".

The Longboat Key Guide and Map for 2015 features a detail of a watercolor painting by Sarasota artist Kris Parins. The painting titled "Trio", depicts trillium, a type of wild lily. The printed material will be distributed throughout the area for the coming year. The work was selected by Richard Berg�re, Creative Director and CEO of Madison Ave Advertising of Bradenton FL.
The original painting is 14" x 21" and is available for sale from the artist. To contact Kris Parins or to see more of her work, go to krisparins.com or email kris.parins@gmail.com.

Sarasota Observer
Date: December 10, 2014

Photo Caption: Kris Parins, local artist and member of the Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society, won first prize at the FSWS's latest juried exhibition.

BEAUTIFUL MINDS
by: Nick Reichert | A&E Editor

No matter where Kris Parins goes, ideas are always swirling all around her. She�s always looking for her next painting: the way the light hits an object, the way colors pop out of a landscape.

With a father who loved to paint watercolor and an uncle who worked in the graphic design field, Parins� interest, passion and talent for art was all but inevitable.

When she moved in 2003 to Sarasota after a career in advertising and design as a graphic artist, Parins found the perfect outlet for her creativity in the Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society, which she joined as soon as she heard about it.

�I was blown away by how organized, welcoming and supportive they are,� says Parins. �It�s very...

By Staff Report , Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Thursday, November 13, 2014

Winners of the Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society have been announced in advance of Saturday's reception at the Englewood Art Center, 350 S. McCall Road, Englewood.

First place went to "June Tune" by Kris Parins.

Anne Abgott's "Working on the Pink Palace" took second place, and third prize was presented to "Tennis Anyone" by Mary Louise Ringers. Merit award were given to "Adobe Views" by Jill Krasner, "Iris I" by Sharon Lennox and "Balancing Act" by Lovina Page. Honorable mention awards were made to "Harbor Glow" by Roger Parent, "Conflicts of Interest" by Diane Schmidt, "Hungry Koi II" by Judy Saltzman and "Cape Cod Reflections" by Arnold Parios.

The reception is from 2 to 4 p.m. Nov. 15. Light refreshments will be served. For more information: 474-5548.

Hosted by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture of Thailand, the invitational exhibit includes watercolor artists from over 30 countries. Among the 17 participating artists from the U.S.A. are Linda Baker, Laurin McCracken, Mark Mehaffey, Barbara Nechis, Kris Parins, John Salminen, Thomas Schaller, Nicholas Simmons, Antonio Masi, Frank Webb and Mary Whyte.

The exhibit takes place from June 11- July 20, 2014 at the Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Center (RCAC), Bangkok, Thailand. The aim is to create a new space for watermedia artists and strengthen cooperation between oversea art institutions and artist networks so as to provide opportunity for artists to enhance their skill and technique, as well as to display their competency and creativity on an international stage.

The image shown here, "Light Traffic" by Kris Parins, is one of two paintings from her New York series to be included in the exposition.

The Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society is holding its annual Open Aqueous Exhibition March 3 - 29, 2014 at Art Center Manatee, Bradenton FL. Juror Carol Frye selected 90 paintings from a field of over 140 entries, and chose the following awards: First Place, Kris Parins; Second Place, Diane Schmidt; Third Place, Jerome Chesley. Merit Awards were given to Polly Boston, Nancy Colby, Kathy Durdin, and Fran Mangino. The exhibit coincides with the American Watercolor Society Traveling Exhibit, also at Art Center Manatee.

PBS station WEDU features the 2013 National Watercolor Society's Traveling Exhibit as it makes its only appearance in the Southeast at King's Mountain Art Center in North Carolina.
http://video.pbs.org/video/2365001139/

Click the information button below for the full article in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Selections from the Florida Watercolor Society�s 42nd Annual Exhibition can be seen at the Appleton Museum of Art November 23, 2013 - January 19, 2014.

"City Light", a watercolor painting by Sarasota artist Kris Parins, depicts a busy corner of New York City and is part of her Times Square Series. The painting also received the FWS Society Award in the 42nd Annual Exhibit at Art Center Sarasota.

The Traveling Exhibition will present 35 of the best watercolors produced by artists from Florida and around the country. With over 1,100 members, the Florida Watercolor Society is one of the largest state-based watercolor societies in the United States. Membership is open to all artists residing in the state of Florida. Juried by the internationally-renowned watercolorist Linda Baker AWS, NWS, this exhibition represents a choice selection from FWS� 2013 Annual Exhibition in Sarasota.

Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E Silver Springs Boulevard, Ocala, Florida 34470-5001...

The twelve months of the year are depicted in vivid watercolor paintings by award-winning artist Kris Parins. The included paintings were inspired by her travels from Europe to the Rocky Mountains, Wisconsin to Florida, and points in-between.

The oversized 13.25" x 19" calendar is printed on premium stock, with an easy-flip coil binding. Parins will have copies of the calendar available for purchase in her upcoming workshops and art festivals, or they may be ordered at http://www.lulu.com/shop/kris-parins/2014-kris-parins-watercolor/calendar/product-21167240.html.

The editors of the "Splash, the Best of Watercolor" series have chosen a painting by artist Kris Parins for inclusion in the recently released volume, "Splash 14: Color and Light." The included painting is titled "Floaters", a watercolor depicting canoes, executed using a pouring technique. "I enjoy allowing the liquid paint to blend and flow on the paper. It gives a luminous effect of brilliantly blended color that I can't achieve with a brush," explains the artist. She has had a painting included in Splash 8, and will have a series of three works in the next volume, Splash 15.

From the North Light website:
"This 14th volume in the series from North Light continues the tradition of showcasing art from the best contemporary watercolorists. Each painting is accompanied by a caption that shows readers something about each artist's processes pertaining to the theme of light and color. Artists speak to other artists, sharing what they have done and how they have done...

The National Watercolor Society has awarded Kris Parins Signature Status at their annual exhibition in San Pedro, CA in October. Her painting "Against the Light" also received an award and was selected for the NWS Traveling Exhibit.

The Traveling Exhibit, made up of a subset of the Annual Exhibition, visits museums and art centers across the country over the next year.

"Against the Light" is part of a series by Parins depicting crowds crossing an intersection at 44th and Broadway in New York City. She employs a pouring technique that creates an atmosphere of filtered sunlight in the paintings. Other works in the series have received awards in national exhibitions.

The 92nd Annual NWS Exhibition features 93 paintings, chosen from over a thousand pieces entered by artists from the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States, and will be on display until December 2nd, 2012. The Juror of Selection and Awards was Barbara Nechis.

NWS Gallery
915...

Artist Kris Parins watercolor painting "Last Stand" appears on the cover of the Spring 2012 issue of American Artist Watercolor magazine. Writer Halle Kiefer interviewed Parins for a 10-page article which includes several of her paintings and a step-by-step series of how the cover painting was created. Parins was contacted by the magazine editor, Naomi Ekperigin, several months in advance to plan the article and set up a phone interview with the writer. Parins submitted all of the photos.

"I had quite a moment at the mailbox when I saw my painting on the cover," said Parins, who did not know that her work was being given such a prominent spot. This is the second cover for Parins, whose work was recently featured on another publication, Watercolor Artist magazine's November-December 2011 issue.

She paints primarily in watercolor, and has received national attention for her unique combination of techniques. While employing computer technology in the preparation and...

The Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society has awarded Kris Parins' painting "Floaters" the First Place Award in their Open Aqueous Exhibition, held at the Carrollton Cultural Center in Tampa FL. The juror for the show was Pat Weaver. The exhibit will be open until April 1, 2012.
The painting of a cluster of canoes is part of a series by Parins. "The graphic quality of the composition, the flat areas of color and high contrast, combined with the translucency of the subject captured my attention. I have completed two paintings from this inspiration, and have at least one more in mind. Sometimes there are too many options on a theme to explore them all in just one painting."
Parins has signature status in FSWS, an active group that covers 7 counties on Florida's Suncoast.

Watercolor artist Kris Parins will be exhibiting in the Gallery Event of the Fine Art Society's Creators and Collectors Tour. She will be present throughout the event to meet with art lovers and answer questions about her own work. She will show an assortment of her large paintings as well as several smaller pieces. The annual gallery event takes place Friday and Saturday, March 9-10, from 10 am - 4 pm at Ringling College's Student Center in Sarasota. For more information and tickets, please visit the Society's website.

Watercolor artist and instructor Kris Parins has scheduled a number of painting workshops in 2012. Her popular sessions vary from two to five days in length and are geared to painters who are at an intermediate to advanced level in their painting experience. Course descriptions and registration information can be found at the web addresses listed after each date below.

The subject of all of the workshops is "Splash, Splatter, & Pour Watercolor", with the exception of the June workshop in Door County WI. That session is "From Pixels to Paint" and includes all painters, not just watercolor; the topic is learning to use digital tools to plan and analyze one's work.

Kris Parins Workshops 2012
Www.krisparins.com
Kris.parins@gmail.com

February 16-17, 2 days
Pouring Watercolor Layer by Layer
Master Class
Longboat Key, Florida
Longboat Key Center for the Arts
More Information: www.ringling.edu/index.php?id=1324#c11756

March...

Artist Kris Parins earned Signature Status in the Florida Watercolor Society with the acceptance of her watercolor painting "Let the Good Times Roll" in the 40th Annual Exhibition of FWS. John Salminen served as the exhibition juror, selecting 80 paintings from over 600 submitted by FWS members for the competition. The 2011 show is at Art Center Manatee in Bradenton, Florida and is open to the public until October 29, 2011.

Signature Status is achieved when an artist has work juried into three of the society's exhibitions, at which point the artist may add "FWS" after their signature. Parins' work was accepted in the 2006 and 2009 exhibitions. She also has earned Signature Status in the Southern Watercolor Society, Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society, and Wyoming Watercolor Society.

Watercolor Artist Magazine features a painting by artist Kris Parins on the cover of the December 2011 issue. Titled "Snowbound," the watercolor was inspired by the artist's first winter spent in Wisconsin after eight years in Florida. It serves as an illustration for her article "Creativity Challenge" which describes the ways she uses her computer to maintain the freshness and excitement of experience while working in the studio.

"Snowbound" is the first of seven paintings in Parins' snow series. The original painting is in the collection of Jack Richeson.

West Bend Mutual Insurance Company has purchased a painting by Kris Parins to add to their corporate art collection. The watercolor, entitled "Main Street West Bend", was commissioned by the company and depicts the downtown in early morning light. The old marquee of the West Bend Theater is prominently featured in the scene.

Parins, originally from Green Bay, WI is a well-known artist whose work has received national recognition. She is a signature member of several watercolor societies, writes for art publications, and was recently named �One to Watch� by Watercolor Artist Magazine. Her work is exhibited in galleries in Wisconsin, and in Florida where she has a winter home. She also teaches workshops for watercolor painters. To find out more about the artist, visit her website at www.krisparins.com.

The West Bend corporate collection, one of the largest in Wisconsin, containing more than 600 pieces that are either created by Wisconsin artists or have a connection to...

May 13, 2011
From The Peninsula Pulse: Door County's resource for the arts, news, and entertainment

The Yupo Paintings of Kristine Parins

Inspired by travel or the forested landscape around her, Kristine Parins' watercolor paintings reference the look of silk-screens and woodcuts. Her watercolors will be on display at The Flying Pig Gallery in Algoma throughout the 2011 season.

"I enjoy the inevitable surprises that occur when working with watercolor," Parins said. "In order to encourage that element of surprise, I sometimes work on Yupo." Yupo is a sheet of plastic � a state-of-the-art synthetic material. When paints are applied to Yupo, the watercolors are not lost in the paper; they float on top and playfully interact. The hard surface repels water so only the watercolor pigment adheres via the lengthy process of evaporation. "It's a waiting game," said Parins, "as it can take several hours for each application to dry � you never know what you have...

The Southern Watercolor Society has granted artist Kris Parins the designation of Signature Member, which is earned when an artist has been included in three of the Society's annual exhibitions. Parins may now use the designation "SW" after her name to indicate her achievement. She previously had paintings in the 2008 and 2010 exhibits. Juror Eric Weigardt has chosen Parins' painting �Let the Good Times Roll,� as one of 90 paintings to exhibit in the 34th annual show. There were 491 entries from the 19 states included in the Society. The exhibit will be at the Greenville Museum of Art in Greenville, NC from April 16 - May 20, 2011.

Watercolor Artist Magazine December 2010
�Ones to Watch�

Ten brilliant artists steal the watercolor spotlight with their unique, innovative styles.

Kris Parins' rural paintings are a gut response to nature: the timelessness, the textures, the effect nature has on her soul. She lives in a rural area and finds inspiration in the change of seasons, lake reflections, and the overlapping shapes in the landscape.

Urban subjects are her reaction to the hustle and bustle of society. She likes to explore architecture and how it relates to the human figure - the story it has to tell - and the challenge of capturing a moment in time.