Third Place Award of Excellence sponsored by Artist Guild Member Billy Moro-Wey, Brooklyn, NY Takeover: Small-Scale Works by Members of The San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild Live at SHIFT Gallery, 4847 Newport Avenue, OCEAN BEACH November 3 – December 17, 2026 Online through December 2024: www.sdmaag.org Juror: BARBARA SEXTON Artist/Professor of Fine Art, San Diego Mesa College (ret.) Congratulations to our Third Place Award of Excellence Winner
Barbara Leitzel Barbara was awarded the third place for her watercolor on paper Maybe. About Barbara: Barbara Leitzel acquired her love of art from her Great Aunt Rose, an artist and teacher. She earned a B.S.Ed. and M.A.Ed. at Southern Connecticut State University. She emphasized sculpture, figure drawing and photography. Her master’s thesis consisted of a one-artist exhibit of seven ceramic sculptures at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. Over the following twenty-five years, Barbara designed and taught elementary, college, university and adult level classes as well as gifted and learning disability programs. She created and exhibited sculptures, serigraphs, paintings and fabric art on the east and west coasts. After a second career as a registered nurse, Barbara resumed her art career, primarily in water media. Her objective is to encourage each viewer to pause and reflect on something they might have missed or overlooked in their otherwise busy lives. Some of Barbara’s more notable exhibitions include: • Thousand Oaks Art Association 2024 Open Juried Art Show, (When Our Eyes Met (awarded Honorable Mention), watercolor, • California Watercolor Association 55th International Exhibition, 2024, (Here’s Uncle, watercolor) • Highlights from the San Diego Museum of Art Artists’ Guild Membership Exhibition at MOPA&SDMA, 2024, (ER ANXIETY, watercolor) • Arts Council of the Conejo Valley, Summer Open Show 2025, (97 MPH, Ground Flower Study No, 610 (awarded Honorable Mention), watercolors) • Valley Watercolor Society, 2026 Annual Juried Exhibit, (ER ANXIETY (Special Honors), Hotel Window, First Words, Morning, May’s Farmhouse, watercolors) • Thousand Oaks Art Association 2026 Open Juried Art Show, (Five Sisters, Dazzle, acrylics; Crisp Luffs 2, serigraph; Dazzle was chosen for Second Place.) • North American Watercolor Society, 2026 International Online Exhibition, (Misspoke, watercolor on paper) About Maybe: This image is of my grandniece superimposed on a storm in a desert. It is a time of maximum chaos caused by Covid. She was completely confused and questioned her future. I created the texture by placing plastic wrap over glazes. Then I added and subtracted positive and negative shapes to superimpose the image of a young woman.
Second Place Award of Excellence 16 and Under/ Takeover: Small-Scale Works by Members of The San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild Live at SHIFT Gallery, 4847 Newport Avenue, OCEAN BEACH November 3 – December 17, 2026 Online through December 2024: www.sdmaag.org Juror: BARBARA SEXTON Artist/Professor of Fine Art, San Diego Mesa College (ret.)
Congratulations to our Second Place Award of Excellence Winner Will Gibson Will was awarded the second place for his Platinum/Palladium Photograph Passages. About Will: After spending seven years in medical research, Will Gibson turned his photographic hobby into a vocation in 1979. He opened his own studio a year later. By 1999, the business was a full-service commercial studio with a full wet lab and one-stop desktop publishing. What followed next was a three-year sojourn based in Columbus, Ohio, where he concentrated on his personal photography, traveling the art fair circuit all over the American east. Returning to Escondido, California, Gibson began teaching photography at Palomar College, and later also at UCSD Extension. During the next fifteen years he taught fifteen separate class titles, including Alternative Processes, Portraiture and Commercial Photography. He continued to exhibit his work in group and one-man shows, was a founding member of the PhotoArts Group in Escondido, co-produced six Best of Nature shows at the San Diego Natural History Museum and has been a speaker and juror in photo clubs in the greater San Diego area. Gibson is currently showing his varied work in his Escondido studio and exploring wet-plate collodion and digital infrared photography. About Passages: Passages (and “Three Doors”) were photographed in Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Culture National Historic Park in New Mexico. Chaco Canyon was the center of the early Puebloan culture (Anasazi) between roughly 850 and 1150 AD. This view captures many of the unique features of this amazing structure. It was captured on film and printed in platinum/palladium on hand coated Arches Platinum paper. This process originated in 1873 as platinum printing. Palladium was an added option later. Commercially available coated papers were available until the first world war commandeered the supply of platinum. A revival of the process came in the late 1970’s and has continued where practitioners now coat their own papers and process the images by hand. Website: www.willgibsonphoto.com
First Place Award of Excellence 16 and Under/ Takeover: Small-Scale Works by Members of The San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild Live at SHIFT Gallery, 4847 Newport Avenue, OCEAN BEACH November 3 – December 17, 2026 Online through December 2024: www.sdmaag.org Juror: BARBARA SEXTON Artist/Professor of Fine Art, San Diego Mesa College (ret.)
Congratulations to our First Place Award of Excellence Winner Jo Ann Bray was awarded the first place for her acrylic painting Between Brush Strokes.
About Jo Ann: I am a figurative artist inspired by the work of John Sloan, Richard Diebenkorn, Eric Fischl, and Edward Hopper. My paintings explore the relationship between people and the spaces they inhabit, from cafés and city streets to quiet interiors and familiar gathering places. I am drawn to the stories that unfold in these environments—the subtle interactions, fleeting expressions, and everyday moments that reveal our shared humanity.
Working primarily in acrylic and oil, I have recently expanded both the scale and expressive range of my paintings. Through bold color, dramatic contrasts, and expressive use of light, I seek to capture the atmosphere of a place and the emotional connections between people and their surroundings.
My work has been exhibited throughout San Diego County. Most recently, a painting was included in the San Diego Watercolor Society’s International Show. I have received awards and recognition from Art on 30th, San Diego County Fair, North Coastal Art Gallery, Escondido Art Association, Foothills Gallery, and Reigning Cats and Dogs.
About Between Brush Strokes: My painting, Between Brush Strokes, was inspired by my own experiences as an artist. I tend to work quickly, but over time, I have come to appreciate the value of slowing down, reflecting, and becoming more intentional about what I want to communicate through my work. Although the painting is not a self-portrait, it draws from my personal journey as a painter and my growing awareness of the balance between spontaneity and thoughtful expression.
Website: https://www.joannbray.com
Congratulations to our
Third Place Award of Excellence Winner
CHRISTINE AMES
Christine was awarded the third place in The San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild's 2026 ONLINE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION juried by Tina Yapelli
Professor of Art and Design, Senior Curator University Art Gallery School of Art and Design, San Diego State University
for her Mixed Media At The Edge of Quiet.
Please view the exhbition on the Artists Guild's Online Gallery on the Guild's website: http://www.sdmaag.org
About Christine:
Christine Ames was born Christine Ishikawa in Chicago, Illinois to parents of Japanese descent. In high school, she had a wonderful teacher/mentor who inspired and encouraged her to enter a student group art tour competition. Christine’s artistic talent impressed the review committee and was selected to exhibit in a worldwide tour sponsored by the Art Institute of Chicago. Christine went on to obtain a B.S. in biology, an M.B.A. and pursue a career in research, sales and marketing. Many years later she returned to her artistic passion and now resides between Oceanside, California, and Rome, Italy. Christine is a Mixed Media Abstract Artist. Her work is a process-oriented journey; a journey that focuses on line, color, and shape, and their relationships to each other. Her overall goal in a painting is compositional balance.
Her subject choice is never intentional, but because inspiration comes from nature, science, and architecture, she embraces these elements, which are sometimes apparent in the end result. Her hopes for the viewer are to see that the arrangement of shapes are interrelated, motivating the eye to wander, and to speculate the aesthetics of the placement of these elements which are captured on canvas.
Recent Exhibitions:
COAL Gallery, 75th anniversary open exhibit, Carlsbad, CA
Brooks Theater Gallery, Oceanside, CA
Biblioteca Nidle Loti - solo exhibit, Rome, Italy
Zanon Gallery, Rome .Italy
La Vaccarella Gallery Rome, Italy
Oceanside Museum of Art
About At the Edge of Quiet:
This piece is about serenity shadowed by unease. The botanicals in green, ochre, and coral sit on a shelf, which is more like a threshold than a surface. Two loosely sketched blossoms drift on top of a near black wall, unfinished on purpose. Scraping back, drawing wet into wet, layering pattern over form, and calm painted areas, were used to achieve both quiet and unrest at the same time. It's not only about the silence, but also the point in time right before it, where everything is moving just under the surface.
Websites:
http://christineames.weebly.com
www.yessy.com/christinelames
Second Place Award of Excellence Winner
STEPHEN VON MASON
Stephen was awarded the second place in
The San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild's
2026 ONLINE JURIED INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION
juried by Tina Yapelli Professor of Art and Design, Senior Curator University Art Gallery School of Art and Design, San Diego State University
for his
Oil on Canvas Guardians of Light.
Please view the exhbition on the Artists Guild's Online Gallery on the Guild's website: www.sdmaag.org
About Stephen:
Stephen Von Mason is an American painter and printmaker whose work explores African American history, cultural memory, resilience, love, and the possibility of healing through art. Born in South Bend, Indiana, Mason earned a BFA in printmaking from the John Heron School of Art in Indianapolis and an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute, where he studied painting and printmaking. His artistic practice has been shaped by a lifelong engagement with the history and lived experiences of African Americans, as well as by his belief that art can challenge cultural erasure while creating space for reflection, connection, and renewal. Based in the Bay Area, Mason has exhibited widely and has spent much of his career both creating and teaching art. His vibrant figurative paintings bring together intense color, symbolic imagery, nature, and human relationships to explore the enduring strength of identity, community, love, and the human spirit.
Recent Exhibitions: 2026 National Art League Annual, New York, NY 2026 & 2019 - Venice Biennial Project, Venice, Italy 2025 - Sausalito Center for the Arts Open, Sausalito, CA 2024 - Whitelock Art Center, (Excellence Award Winner,) New York, NY 2023 - The deYoung Museum of Art Open Triennial, San Francisco, CA
Upcoming Exhibition: 2028- Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, MAH, Survey, Santa Cruz, CA
About Guardians of Light:
Guardians of Light celebrates love, companionship, and the sacred relationship between humanity and the natural world. At the center of the painting, a couple stands together within an abundant landscape filled with birds, flowers, trees, and animals, their presence suggesting that they are not simply inhabitants of this world but its caretakers and protectors. The vibrant colors and luminous forms transform the landscape into a place of possibility, where nature becomes a metaphor for renewal, growth, and hope. The couple's quiet connection represents the strength found in loving partnership—the understanding that we are not meant to journey through life alone. For me, the "guardians" are those who protect what gives life: love, family, community, memory, beauty, and the natural world. Guardians of Light ultimately asks us to consider what we choose to preserve and what kind of light we will carry forward for those who come after us.
Website: https://vonmasonart.com
Congratulations to our First Place Award of Excellence Winner
LORI MITCHELL
Lori was awarded the first place in
2026 ONLINE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION juried by
Tina YapelliProfessor of Art and Design, Senior Curator University Art Gallery School of Art and Design, San Diego State University
for her Watercolor on Paper Place de Vosges.
View her award-winning work on the Artists Guikd website in our Online Gallery: www.sdmaag.org
About Lori:
Lori received her BFA from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Lori's work has been featured in juried exhibitions, galleries and museums. She taught Drawing and Composition at Palomar College for fifteen years and currently teaches Pen & Watercolor through the Athenaeum in La Jolla. Lori illustrated ten books, including the award winning Different Just Like Me, which was featured on the Oprah show. She has three murals and a three-panel watercolor on display at Warwick’s, the oldest family-owned bookstore in the United States. Lori also was just chosen by the San Diego Museum of Art as a Centennial Honoree to create a piece of artwork using the Museum facade as inspiration for the 100 year celebration. Lori’s artwork Lady in Red can be seen at the 34th Annual Athenaeum’s juried exhibit until October 9. 2026. and she has another work, Oreos and Milk, at the National juried exhibition at Woodward Contemporary gallery until September 12, 2026. She also has a piece, Women in Art, that will be on display in the 46th International Exhibition at the San Diego Watercolor Society from September 26 - October 3, 2026.
About Place de Vosges:
My husband and I like to travel. As we were wandering around Paris, we came upon this lovely little park, Place des Vosges. We spotted the woman with the wonderful red hair and stripes on her pants and shirt. My husband sat down on the other end of the bench she was sitting on, and I managed to get a photo with her in the frame. I loved the color of her hair next to the green of the leaves. I see so many people usually looking at their phones, so it was very refreshing to see her reading a book. It was just such a nice little moment that I wanted to capture.
Web: https://www.lorimitchellart.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/lorimitchellart/
The San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild
2026 ONLINE INTERNATIOAL EXHIBITION
Juror: Tina Yapelli Professor of Art and Design, Senior Curator University Art Gallery School of Art and Design, San Diego State University
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR AWARD WINNERS:
FIRST PLACE:
Lori Mitchell, San Diego, California
Place de Vosges
Watercolor on Paper
SECOND PLACE:Stephen Von Mason, Vallejo, California
Guardians of Light Mixed Media
THIRD PLACE: Christine Ames, Rome, Italy
At The Edge of Quiet
Mixed Media
HONORABLE MENTION:Carolyn McLeod, Chico, California Great Blue HeronDigital Photograph Laurie Batter, Carlsbad, California The Pause BetweenMixed Media
Jacquelyn Giuffre, San Rafael, California EdwardCast Bronze
Yoshie Kato, San Jose, California UtopiaAcrylic on Canvas
Opening May 30, 2026 5pm - 7pm
Solo shows for 12 local artists. In the upper hallway, Steve Harlow is showing 40 pieces from his ongoing painting cycle, "DEMOGRAPHICS."
Techne Art Center 1609 Ord Way, Oceanside, CA
Exhibition continues through August 1, 2026 Thurs, Fri, Sat 12 noon - 6pm
Email Us:
President@sdmaag.org
Address:Mailing Address:P.O. Box 122107San Diego, CA 92112-2107
