"Watercolor Magic" at Watershed office

MARGARETVILLE, N.Y., July 11, 2008 - The watercolor paintings of three members of the Windham Arts Alliance are now on view at the office of the Catskill Watershed Corporation, 905 Main Street, Margaretville.

Works by Sheila Trautman, Mary Ann Heinzen and Karen Rhodes are highlighted in "Watercolor Magic," a colorful display of 24 landscapes, many of them featuring water in its many moods and guises.

The show is open for public viewing weekdays through September 12 (except August 8 and September 1) from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Sheila Trautman takes her inspiration from the magnificent mountains, streams, lakes and towns of New York. She studied art at Music and Art High School in Manhattan, and Queens College (CUNY). A teacher by profession, she incorporated her love of art into all of her lessons. She worked with the Metropolitan Opera Guild to create original operas for children, and still volunteers with the New Jersey Opera, contributing lesson plans for teachers for their arts in education program.

She is a member of the Boards of Directors of the Windham Arts Alliance, and of the Greene County Council on the Arts. Her watercolors have been exhibited in galleries and shows on the Mountain Top, in Catskill and Hudson.

Originally from Long Island, Mary Ann Heinzen lives in the Hudson Valley painting and teaching. She works in both representational and abstract styles, where her use of light, contrast and color combine to create dynamic and bold visual statements. Whenever possible, she prefers to work plein aire, bringing her paints when traveling and hiking.

Her work has been exhibited through the tri-state area and has received awards from the National Association of Women Artists, the Salmagundi Club in Manhattan, the Northeast Watercolor Society, the National Art League, and Best in Show at the Nassau County Museum of Art’s "North by South" exhibit.

Karen Rhodes is a practicing psychologist and director of the Deerkill Day Camp. A potter and a painter, she considers herself an impressionist and believes that an artist must convey an emotional response to the subject.

Karen divides her time between Palenville and Rockland County. She draws deep inspiration from her hikes in the Catskills and the historic sites and buildings in the area. She also loves gardening and enjoys painting the flowers from her gardens and meadows.

A member of the Greene County Council on the Arts and a frequent exhibitor in its Windham and Catskill galleries, the award-winning artist has also exhibited in Manhattan at the A.I.R. Gallery.

The Catskill Watershed Corporation is a non-profit local development corporation which runs several environmental protection, economic development and education programs in the New York City Catskill-Delaware Watershed. www.cwconline.org