Acrylics, gauche, ink and watercolor are all types of water media, but each requires its own tricks and techniques to utilize it to the fullest. Currently at Nevin Kelly Gallery are accomplished artists celebrated by the National Society of Arts and Letters (NSAL) as career award recipients for their use of water media on paper in NSAL's 2007 arts competition.

Formed over 60 years ago to help promote young artists at the beginning of their career, the NSAL has chapters all across the country that host career competitions in art, dance, drama, literature, music and musical theater. The 2007 competition was open to young artists ages 18 to 29 working in water media on paper. Nineteen chapters held competitions, where the winners at the local level then went on to compete at the national level. The 2007 competition was NSAL’s first painting competition in 20 years (the 2008 competition will focus on voice).

Top prize of $10,000 went to local watercolor artist Jenny Davis, a student at Saint Mary's College. Davis was asked to enter the NSAL competition by a local chapter member. Her winning entry, Portrait of Tess (pictured), is striking. It is a soft watercolor with subtle color shifts that makes her subject almost too perfect to be real. Her style is tight and controlled. Davis said she enjoys portraiture because she likes to "explore eye contact and body language."

Comparatively, amongst the top prize winners, Portrait of Tess is the natural standout. The rest of the traveling show is a mixed bag, with chapter winners covering a wide range of subjects and talent. Thommy Conroy's and Morgan Canavan's entries are paintings that deserve mention and present a puzzle as to why they did not place at the national level over some of the ones that did.

Conroy's Chickens is a small, warm, sepia ink painting of headless chickens stamped across the paper. Deliberate ink blots add texture and depth to his painting. A burn hole marks where the head of one of the chickens should be. The decapitated head lies off to the side, painted in red, emphasizing its decapitation. The piece is crisp, earthy and very modern.

Construction by Canavan is a busy composition of a typical city construction site that keeps your eye moving. Her use of the medium, employing a warbled line, typifies watercolor. The scene is done mostly in muted colors but bright primary colors bring interest to the piece. The effect is sophisticated, making a mundane everyday cityscape, elegant.

Portrait of Tess, courtesy of Nevin Kelly Gallery.

The touring show of the National Society of Arts and Letters water media on paper winners is on display at Nevin Kelly Gallery through March 23. Nevin Kelly Gallery is located at 1517 U St. NW and is open Wednesday 12 to 6 p.m., Thursday through Saturday 12 to 8 p.m. and Sunday 12 to 6 p.m.