Carla O’Connor, AWS-DF/NWS
3619 47th Street Court NW, Gig Harbor WA 98335 art@carlaoconnor.com (253) 851-8882
Education
Carla O’Connor received her BFA in painting from Kent State University, Kent, Ohio. She has done additional formal
study at the University of the Americas, Mexico City; University of Dayton, Ohio and the University of Wisconsin,
Milwaukee.
Professional Affiliations
O’Connor is a signature member of the American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society and Northwest
Watercolor Society and is an AWS Dolphin Fellow. She is an honorary member of the Jiangsu Watercolor Research
Institute of Nanjing, China.
Juried Exhibitions and Awards
American Watercolor Society International Exhibition 1991 (Prize), 1996, 1997 (Silver Medal of Honor),
1998, 1999, 2002 (Prize), 2004 (Prize), 2009 (Prize), 2010 (Prize), 2011 (Prize), 2012, 2013 (Prize)
National Watercolor Society Annual Exhibition: 1996, 1997 (Prize and Traveling Exhibit),
1998 (Traveling Exhibit), 2004, 2008, 2011
NWWS National Exhibitions: 1992 (1st Place Award), 1993 (1st Place Award), 1994 (Prize), 1995,
1996 (Prize), 1997 (Prize), 1998 (1st Place Award) and 1999 (Prize), NWWS 60th
Year Exhibition, Frye Art Museum, Seattle – 2000, 2009 (Prize), 2010, 2013 (Prize), 2014 (Prize)
Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibition, 1998, 2008, 2012 (prize)
Peninsula Fine Art Center, Newport News, VA Exhibition “Watercolor! “ 2007
Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary International Watermedia Masters, Nanjing, China, 2007, 2009 and 2012
Shanghai Zhujiajiao International Watercolor Exhibition, 2010 – Invited Exhibitor
Shenzhen International Watercolor Biennial, China, 2013/2014
Workshops and Teaching
Carla has taught numerous watercolor workshops across the United States and Canada. In 2007 she taught in Prague, the
Czech Republic and in 2010 in Lucca, Italy. “In The Process” is the title of Carla’s instructional DVD released in July 2008
by CCP Videos, Inc.
Juror Experience
O’Connor has been a juror for numerous national and regional groups including the American Watercolor Society, the
National Watercolor Society, the Northwest Watercolor Society, the Arizona Watercolor Association; the Adirondacks
International Exhibition of American Watercolors, the Federation of Canadian Artists Exhibition and, the California
Watercolor Association, Watercolor Art Society – Houston and Rocky Mountain National Exhibition. She has been a juror
for the Artist’s Magazine, Experimental Category (December 2004 issue) and for Watercolor Magic Magazine, Portrait
Category in the Fall of 2005. O’Connor served as Chairman for the 2008 AWS awards jury, as a juror of selection for the
2010 NWS National Exhibition and a juror of selection for the 144th AWS International Exhibition in January 2011.
Publications
Carla’s work appears in “Splash5 – The Glory of Color” published by Northlight Books and “Exploring Color” and “The
New Creative Artist” (2006) by Nita Leland. Her article, “The Mark of Experience,” appeared in the August/September
2000 issue of International Artist Magazine and her work was included in “When Figures Emerge” in the Winter 2001
issue of Watercolor magazine. Carla also contributed to “Launching A Workshop-Teaching Career” by Beth Patterson in
the Fall 2002 issue of Watercolor Magazine and to “From the Inside Out”, June, 2004 issue of Watercolor Magic Magazine.
She was a featured artist in The Artist’s Magazine’s Summer 2005 issue and wrote for Watercolor Magic’s Studio Staples
feature in August 2006. . Her teaching was the focus of an article by Stephen Doherty in American Artist’s Watercolor
Magazine Summer 2008 issue titled: Modern Masters: Profiles of Watercolorists Who Inspire and Inform. Her painting
“The Courtesans” was included in Pratique Des Arts published in France in December 2009 and she was a featured artist
in L’Art De L’Aquarelle in June, 2011. She one of nine artists included in “Inspirations & Technical Breakthroughs:
Secrets from the Contemporary International Watercolor Masters, Volume 1 (Chinese language publication by Zhou
Tianya & Ruan Hoe), 2012
O’Connor’s Gig Harbor studio is open by appointment. A selection of her paintings can also be seen on the Internet at
www.carlaoconnor.com