Meet Lorraine Watry!

Lorraine is one of PPWS’ Featured Artists for October 2025!

Lorraine has been a member of PPWS since 1998 and is a Signature Member. She also works with ink and watercolor, pencil, and on a rare occasion, a little acrylic.

The first position Lorraine held with PPWS was creating the newsletter. She did it for for about 6 years. She was also Secretary for a couple of years and co-chair of the Signature Member Exhibition for two years. She held the position of President from 2005 and 2006.

Lorraine’s Bio:

Lorraine Watry is a native of Colorado and a graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. She and her husband live in Colorado Springs, CO, where she maintains her studio.
Lorraine is a Signature Member of the National Watercolor Society and the 2024/2025 NWS President. She is a Signature member of the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, American Women Artists, and other organizations. Lorraine is a juried member of the International Guild of Realism and the Society of Animal Artists. Lorraine’s paintings have been juried into many national and international exhibitions, including exhibitions across the United States, Italy, Canada, China, Taiwan, and Scotland.

Lorraine’s paintings are a part of private and corporate collections and have been exhibited in multiple museum exhibitions, including the Leigh Yawkey Woodsen Art Museum, The Loveland Art Museum, and Brookgreen Gardens. Her paintings are winners of prestigious awards from the National Watercolor Society, the American Watercolor Society, the Transparent Watercolor Society, and many others. Lorraine has featured articles in the International Artists Magazine (June/July 2019 and February/March 2023). She has also received recognition from art publications including The Artist Magazine and Pratique des Arts. Her paintings are featured in Splash – the Best of Watercolor book series 14, 20, 23, and 24.

Lorraine’s Awards:

  • 2025 American Watercolor Society 158th International, “Some of My Favorite Things” won the Paul B. Remmey Award.
  • 2024 Transparent Watercolor Society National Exhibition, “Jewels” won the Nita Engle Award of Merit.
  • 2024 Western Federation 49th Exhibition,“Rainy Day Rufous” won 3rd Place.
  • 2023 Northwest Watercolor Society International, “Looking Glass” won the International Artist Award.
  • 2021 Pikes Peak Watercolor Society International, “Spa Day” won Best in Show.

Lorraine’s favorite things to paint:

I paint a variety of subjects, from glass to metal, to birds in water, but a theme of reflective shiny objects runs throughout a lot of my paintings. Currently, birds in water and shiny hummingbird wings are of particular interest.

Lorraine’s favorite or most admired artists:

Monet. While I don’t paint in an impressionistic style. His sense of color and light has always intrigued me.

Lorraine’s Goals for next year:

I hope to find more time to paint. I will also continue to enter exhibitions and strive to find a new level for my work. I look forward to sharing my watercolor knowledge with students around the US.

FAVORITE ARTSY QUOTE

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”

Edgar Degas

Lorraine’s Tip or Trick:

I use masking tape to mask, except for very small shapes. I have a couple of videos on my YouTube channel that show the process. Masking tape gives me cleaner edges than masking fluid. Here are two videos from my YouTube channel:
How to Mask a Watercolor with Masking Tape
How to Use Masking Tape to Mask a Watercolor 

Lorraine’s Website and Social Media:

Website • Facebook • Instagram • You Tube