Announcement Date: Wednesday, August 6, 2025
The initiative for the promotion of contemporary watercolor “Color in Water” invites painters to express their interest in participating in its 12th international exhibition with the theme “Autumn: colors of the earth”.
The exhibition will take place at an established art venue in Athens at the end of September in physical form, while it will also be available internationally online via the ARTgrID platform. The official languages of the exhibition are Greek and English, and a commemorative catalogue–book will be published in digital form in both languages. Audience awards will be given to participating artists.
Exhibition curator: Paris Kapralos.
Theme and type of works. To participate in the exhibition, you may submit paintings on paper that are watercolors, with exclusively water-soluble media on paper being acceptable (watermedia, watercolor, water-soluble inks, watercolor pencils, powders, natural water-soluble pigments, as well as alternative media—e.g., tea, coffee).
The artworks may engage with the theme in any way the artist deems appropriate.
If selected, you will be asked to send your works on paper (unframed), as the organizers will frame them for the exhibition, provided the works are equal to or smaller than 38×56 cm or 56×38 cm (internationally known as “half imperial paper size”). You may also submit works of larger dimensions, but if selected, you must frame them yourself at your own care and expense.
Eligibility. Artists who are 18 years old or older and live anywhere in the world, regardless of origin or nationality, may participate in the exhibition.
Conceptual framework. Autumn in watercolor is not merely a matter of color but a conversation between nature and light, matter and time. Historical understanding and technical mastery in the use of earthy and seasonal tones offer the artist the ability to capture not only the appearance of autumn but also the deeper psychology of transition.
The colors of the earth and autumn in watercolor have been a timeless source of inspiration for painters, as they combine the sense of change with the material texture of nature. Historically, artists such as William Turner and John Constable highlighted the autonomy of the technique; earthy tones—Yellow Ochre, Raw Sienna, Burnt Umber—formed the foundation for conveying seasonal atmosphere. In the autumn palette, warm yellow-brown tones and deep reds (Venetian Red, Burnt Sienna) converse with cool gray-blue skies (Payne’s Grey, Indigo) and soft purple shadows (Cobalt Violet, Ultramarine Violet), creating a chromatic tension unmatched in any other season of the year.
Historically, the autumn palette has been associated with rural themes and the romantic depiction of nature. In Chinese and Japanese watercolor, warm and earthy tones were balanced with negative space, suggesting not only materiality but also the passage of time. In the Western tradition, especially after Impressionism, watercolor ventured into purer and more saturated color choices, without abandoning the classic harmony of earthy tones.
Today, these same shades continue to captivate contemporary watercolor painters, regardless of school or style. The atmospheric quality of autumn, with its shifting light and the rich palette of leaves, offers endless possibilities for experimentation, both in realistic and abstract approaches. Many artists incorporate these earthy pigments into contemporary mixed media works, while others use them with minimalist economy, proving that autumn remains a subject of deep emotional and visual power even in the digital age.
What you must submit. You must send by email to colorinthewatergr@gmail.com with the subject “CIW12” the following:
(1) Photos of up to 2 available works, each in a separate large-size jpg file of good clarity and high resolution.
Note: the works are not indicative. If selected, you may exhibit exclusively the work(s) you submitted. Works on paper must be photographed without frame/glass.
(2) Information about the works, with each one referenced by the filename (e.g., A1.JPG), listing in this order, separated by commas: Artist’s full name, Title of work, Medium and technique, Dimensions (in cm, Height x Width if wall-mounted or, if sculpture, Height x Width x Length), Year of completion.
(3) Your contact details: Full name, Email, phone number, place of residence.
Important notes
– Clarifications, queries, and questions strictly regarding the submission process must be sent in writing by email to the above submission address and will be answered within 24 hours.
– Information about the event’s execution and the proposal you will receive if and when selected will be given only to the selected artists, after their submission and selection—not before. Submissions that do not include all requested items or do not follow the indicated format and method of sending will be ignored.
– If selected, we will contact you immediately with a reply email containing full details on the participation procedures.
– The submission deadline is not given exclusively for you to create new works. You may also submit works you already have, provided you wish to, consider them representative, relevant to the theme, and would like to present them in the exhibition.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Until Sunday, August 31, at 23:59.
