Paul Shain Art Update Sept. 2025 (#11)

August was very busy for me. I missed getting a newsletter out while creating new work for Annual Members Exhibit (AME) at the Watercolor Art Society-Houston (WAS-H) and Judy Woods’s Art for Good workshop. The good news is you received one less email.

This month’s exhibit at WAS-H is titled “Stories We Tell”. I entered the three pieces below. The show runs through September 27.

Gotta Cut Loose, watercolor, fine liners, watercolor markers, acrylic markers on paper, 9”x12” (matted, in a 12”x16” frame). ​ ​I painted this on an outing with Urban Sketchers. It is my view of Cutloose on Westheimer in Montrose from Agora’s second floor while I enjoyed their delicious coffee and pastries. Pleading for Harmony IV, acrylic, collage, oil pastel on gesso cradled panel, 12”x12”. This is one of a series of four paintings which share a common color palette and incorporate elements related to music, math, physics, and language. I did a few things differently with the collage elements to meet the AME’s strict requirements.

Pearls V, acrylic and collage on paper, 9”x9” (mounted on a 10” panel). The pieces in the Pearls series were part of a large piece which didn’t work out to my liking. It’s not the first time I’ve cut a piece into parts and kept the part I liked. I use larger parts as paintings and smaller parts as collage elements. I say, “Nothing goes to waste,” you may say, “Pack rat.”

The WAS-H AME runs October 5 through 29. Join us for the opening reception on the fifth to see the entries. My Reflections IV was accepted into the show.

Reflections IV, acrylic on paper, 12”x16” (matted, in a 16”x20” frame). This is one of a series I created for a show titled Reflections at WAS-H earlier this year. Its sibling, Reflections I, was awarded Honorable Mention.

I produced this piece during the Art for Good workshop. It started as three 12”x12” pieces on paper which I mounted on a 36”x12” cradled panel. A True Dichotomy, acrylic, collage, oil pastel, colored chalk (Conté) on paper, 36”x12”.

The Menil Collection foyer installation – The Magritte installation was great and is now gone. The current installation is pop art which runs through March 30, 2026. I look forward to seeing this also.

The Menil Drawing Institute Wall Drawing Series – I attended the opening for the current piece. This mural was created by Gladys Nilsson and will be on display through August 9, 2026. It is impressive not only for its size but it's whimsical execuation. I recommend it highly and also recommend watching the (as yet unposted) discussion between the artist and the curator on YouTube.

Two events in Houston where I and others will display our artwork

October 18, 12-6: WAS-H Art Market (1601 W Alabama St). Many members will offer work in watercolor and acrylics. There will be other arty-crafty items such as notecards and paperweights available.

October 26, Art Square Studios on Almeda Open Studio (5301 Almeda Rd, parking available behind building off Oakdale). About 20 artists in my building will open their studios to the public. There is parking on the street and in the lot behind the building.