Just Do It! has been accepted into the Watercolor USA 2024 exhibition at the Springfield Art Museum, MO.

June 8 - September 1, 2024

The artist as juggler . . . so many concerns! The technique here is loose, but the underlying drawing is sound. Painted quickly with lots of splats added—making art should be fun!

“. . . we hope you will be moved by the images, and that you will get to know the depth of these unique human beings; our kindred souls.” — Laura Madeleine, Executive Director and Curator, Souls Shot

My watercolor tribute was among the 18 works included in the Souls Shot Portrait Project 2023 Pennsylvania Exhibit. It traveled for one year to four locations, beginning with Susquehanna Art Museum in Harrisburg, then on to Goggleworks in Reading, then Lancaster Museum of Art, ending with Juniata College Museum of Art.

The gallery of 18 works memorializing those whose lives were lost may be viewed here. 

Order a copy of the show catalog with my painting on the cover here.

My painting is one of 30 from the Souls Shot collection now on display in the Pennsylvania Capitol East Wing in Harrisburg, during April and May, 2024.

In the Language of Flowers (watercolor, 23.5” x 12”) 2022

Portrait of Jerron E. Lewis

“I found it intriguing. It’s like she has a secret.”

That was one of the comments made by an artist choosing their favorite in the Baltimore Watercolor Society 2022 Mid-Atlantic Exhibit. Waiting was the clear winner of the Popular Vote prize.

Waiting (watercolor, 17” x 11.5”) 2022

  • Recipient of the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society award, and the Popular Vote prize, Baltimore Watercolor Society 2022 Mid-Atlantic

  • Included in the American Watercolor Society 2022 Associate Members Online Exhibition

  • Recipient of a $500 Sponsor Award, 14th Annual Signature American Watermedia International Exhibition: World of Watercolor & Beyond. On display April 1 - May 28, 2023 at Fallbrook Art Center, CA. View the gallery of 100 works here.

  • Honorable Mention in the 4th Annual Women in Watercolor International Juried Competition. 1800+ submissions from over 60 countries. See the 2023 award winners here.

“What is it about this painting that you find special?"

The comments below are among those sent by viewers of the Baltimore Watercolor Society 2020 Mid-Atlantic Online Exhibition who voted for Passing Through as their favorite.
“Anni’s use of the transparent media is extraordinary in this piece. It is full of emotion and evokes a mood. Simply lovely.”
“Passing Through made me stop and really look, not just ‘pass through.’ There is a lot of skill in this understated painting and the artist makes it look effortless.”
“I love the melding of line, form and color, lost and found edges and the balance of broad washes woven with some detail and line drawing. It’s a painting, not a portrait! Look closely at the color and brush work that define and build the face. The skillfully rendered gaze and mood of the subject makes me want to engage; what is she really thinking?”


Juror Linda Daly Baker commented:
“The beauty of this painting is in the ethereal quality the artist has captured. The pale colors add to the feeling with the repetition of the blue directing the eye. The interesting division of space and choice of color in the small orange shapes pick up the tones of the face.”

Passing Through (watercolor, 13.25” x 11.5”) 2020

  • Recipient of the M. Graham & Co. Award, Baltimore Watercolor Society 2020 Mid-Atlantic Regional Online Exhibit.

  • Recipient of the Watercolor USA Honor Society Fabriano Award, Watercolor USA 2021, Springfield Art Museum, MO

  • Juried into Art of the State 2023 at the Pennsylvania State Museum, Harrisburg.

    2-min video

Inside/Outside (watercolor, 11.5” x 17.5”) 2021

  • Recipient of First Place Watercolor, 2021 Art Association of Harrisburg Members Show: Duality

  • Included in Watercolor USA 2022, Springfield Art Museum, MO.

  • Recipient of Second Place, 2022 Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania Figurative Show (Juror: Sophie Brenneman, professor of visual art at Penn State's Altoona Campus)

  • Included in Lore Degenstein Gallery's 14th Annual Figurative Art Exhibition 2023

“Inside/Outside weaves technical skills with conceptual themes, evoking narratives about identity, self-reflection, and the passage of time.”

Juror Sophie Brenneman continued in her remarks: “Each side of the mirror-image composition is treated differently, creating a visually complex, yet balanced work of art. Matsick’s layering of line and shape, and her clever use of color and composition create a beautiful framework on which the narrative can unfold. The direct gaze of the figure immediately draws the viewer in and offers a peek into her psychology, which seems to be fluctuating between self-doubt and self-confidence. I think this piece touches on universal feelings of apprehension and excitement that accompany periods of transition and growth, highlighting the beauty and mystery inherent in life’s many phases."

“I would like to make some comments on artworks I would have purchased had I been a collector . . .”

. . . began juror Alberto Jorge Carol as he strode toward Anni’s painting in the 2019 Annual National Figurative Drawing and Painting Exhibition at the Lore Degenstein Gallery. He commented on 3 of the 69 pieces hanging. Here is the remaining transcription of his address at the opening reception regarding Welcome In:

“. . . For instance that watercolor, that’s a remarkable piece of art. It’s straightforward. To work with watercolor that’s something very difficult, believe me, and . . . it’s very spontaneous . . . the precise brushstrokes and looseness here and this young person’s expression, that’s a beautiful work of art.”

Welcome In (watercolor, 12” x 12.6”) 2019