INTERNATIONAL WATERCOLOUR MASTERS 2022 BY JOE DOWDEN

Watercolour Came home to IWM2022 England

Article By Joe Dowden

This is only the second time the British Isles have hosted an international exhibition of the type we have previously seen only in major cities across the world, but never before in the UK. 

 

The first was also staged by David Poxon and was at Weston Park, Shropshire in 2018. It was a completely new experience for British Artists.

 

The 2022 IWM at Lilleshall Hall National Sports & Conference centre  repeated and surpassed it.

“IWM2022 was a truly glorious event staged with total precision and the organisational skills of a true Master”

Veneta Docheva (Bulgaria) arrives at stunning Lilleshall Hall Shropshire the venue for  IWM2022

The IWM 2022 audience admiring work completed during a live demonstration.

The IWM 2022 audience admiring work completed during a live demonstration.

Joe Dowden, Patricia Guzman and David Poxon (Left to Right)

“IWM 2022 was on a scale and quality which we have previously seen only in major cities overseas.”

Thousands of British , European, and visitors from around the world were able to see the biggest concentration of contemporary international watercolour talent the UK has ever witnessed.

 

For the first time, people were able to see world class demonstrations, time after time, breath-taking paintings done with breath-taking speed, and then be welcomed by these same masters to come and chat as fellow painters. The workshops were full.

 

It was highly noticeable that masters were enabling students to work to professional standards. I went into one workshop at the end of the day – and this story is repeated over and over – and I could see half a dozen students working to the highest professional standards I would expect in Britain.

“My expectations of IWM2022 were high.”

It exceeded all of them on many fronts and here are some of them:

The world class standard of work, the award winning curatorship by David Poxon including the introduction of new masters like Mona Omrani, and Veneta Docheva.

The chance to interact and converse with the masters, the encouragement, the levels of comfort and perfect organization, the workshops which were really true masterclasses.

The devastatingly good and fast demonstrations one after the other, and the numbers of people who came and enjoyed the show at this truly amazing venue.

People have been so much encouraged and have been given so much confidence in their painting.

David Poxon RI NWS Live TV demonstration during International Watercolour Masters England 2022

Here is what some of the participating Masters have to say
about International Watercolour Masters, England

"IWM 2022 SURPASSED ALL EXPECTATIONS. IT HAS BEEN A PRIVILEGE TO BE PART OF SUCH A MAGNIFICENT EXHIBIT. IWM HAS RAISED UP THE STANDARD FOR ANY PAINTING EXHIBITION WORLDWIDE (NOT JUST WATERCOLOUR) TO A MIND-BLOWING LEVEL.”

“ATTENDING IWM WAS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE. THE EXHIBITION VENUE WAS PERFECT, THE ORGANISATION FROM DAVID AND HIS IWM TEAM WAS SUPERB. I LOVED EVERY MINUTE.”

“I HAD THE PLEASURE AND HONOUR TO LIVE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE, TAKE PART IN THE EXHIBITION, AND MEET MANY FANTASTIC PEOPLE. THANKS TO DAVID & TARA FOR YOUR ORGANISATION AND INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS WORLD CLASS EVENT.”

“AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE. TOP ARTISTS, ORGANISED WITH A HIGH DEGREE OF PROFESSIONALISM, IN A STUNNING LOCATION. I ALWAYS FELT LIKE I WAS AT HOME. A TOP EVENT IN ALL ASPECTS.”

“A BEAUTIFUL EVENT AND EXHIBITION ORGANISED BY MASTER DAVID POXON. IT WAS FANTASTIC TO EXHIBIT WITH SO MANY OF THE GREATEST WORLD WATERCOLOUR MASTERS AT LILLESHALL HALL”

“THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS AMAZING EXPERIENCE. IT WAS OVERWHELMING WHEN I ARRIVED AND SAW IWM IN PERSON. THANKS TO DAVID AND HIS TEAM. IT WAS SPLENDID, UNIQUE, AND TIMELESS WITH GREAT DEMOS, WORKSHOPS, AND WATERCOLOURS.”

“THANK YOU, ENGLAND, FOR MAKING ME FEEL SO WELCOME, SUCH A WARM AUDIENCE, I PROMISE TO RETURN.”