About Jean Beck

Artist Statement

Jean Beck finds joy in painting on location – "en plein air" – in watercolor. A fourth generation native of Bisbee, Arizona, she traces her love of outdoor painting to childhood memories of winding streets and broad hillside vistas.

Architecturally educated, she wields an intuitive depth of observation, and displays a fully realized sense of color. Inspiration starts with “Wow, look at that!”  Her paintings evolve carefully and thoughtfully from there.

Her tender sensitivity for historic places infuses her art with poetic feeling. The works evoke clean airiness, a sense of great space, serenity and mystic glow.

Beck lives in Tucson, Arizona.

Professional

Jean is a signature member of the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild and belongs to the Arizona Watercolor Association and the Tucson Branch of the National League of American Pen Women. She has had paintings in numerous juried art competitions, in Arizona, California, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C. and Italy as well as the multistate Western Federation of Watercolor Societies Show. She has numerous awards, and her work is in many private and corporate collections.

Personal

Her logo was assigned in an AutoCAD computer class. She created it after seeing her grandmother’s monogram from the 1880’s.  Straight Arrow was added because she does not smoke or drink. It was designed as a North arrow stamp and a humorous future architectural firm logo.  Now, it is her art logo.

She worked for architects, engineers or designers about 15 years, on banks, hospitals, microchip manufacturing facilities, a Lake George (New York) boat house, a kidney dialysis center, a hospital birthing room, a municipal swimming pool, single and multifamily residences.

Artist Resume

Honors /Invitational Exhibits

· Exhibit in Terni, Italy; Invitation 2002

· Tohono Chul, invite 5/5/2009– 9/1/09

Awards

· La Pilita, 2nd Place: "Menudo Window"
  2012

· Signature SAWG, “Restore-Renew”2011

· La Pilita docent’s award, post card, 2008

· Excellence in the professional category,
  “Fox King’s Stair, France,” SAWG 2007

· Honorable Mention 2006, Small Pictures,
  “Trader’s Joe’s Next?” SAWG

· Best of Show, “Old/New Glory,” Tubac   Center of the Arts Members' Show, 2004

· First Place, “Stickers,” Ironwood Gallery,   ASDM, 2002, Fiesta Sonora

· Juror’s Award: “Lost Island,” Tubac   Center Arts, S A Watercolor Guild, 1999

· Four first prizes: watercolor, oil, pastel,   ink; 1962, Kearny, Arizona, art show

· Fourth prize, first grade, crayon circus,   Cochise County Fair

Solo Exhibits (and Restaurants)

· Tohono Chul Tea Room, summer May-
  Sept. 2009

· Both Café A La C’Art (TMA Restaurant   twice) until 2007

· Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2001

· Northern Trust Bank, 2000

· DeGrazia Little Gallery, 1997

Juried Exhibits

· ASDM – Fiesta Sonora 2012

· Arizona Aqueous XXV 2011

· Arizona Sonora Desert Museum,
  1995-1996, 2000-2007, 2009-2010

· Mountain Oyster Club 2009-2010

· Tohono Chul, 2004, “Looking In I”

· Empire Ranch Fund Raiser, ‘04, ’06, ‘09

· Western Federation of Watercolor,
 “Step Up,” Albuquerque, NM, 2002

· Tohono Chul Show, Desert After Dark,  “Jimson Weed,” Summer, 2002

·Tubac Center of the Arts, 1999, 2000,  (featured artist, January 2001), 2004

Galleries

· SAWG at Williams Centre

· Tohono Chul Gift Shop (invitation)

· Noebel Galleries, La Placita, Tucson, '74

Education

· U of A, Bachelor of Architecture 1979
· UA, BS, Interiors, Fashion Design 1965

Special Achievements

· Pima County Recorder’s calendar 2006

· Artist-in-residence, Tucson Metropolitan   Ministries, 2001, 2002, 2003 (children)

· Amer. Pen Women, watercolor guilds (2)

· Architect’s Registration, 8 parts passed

· Former docent, Tucson Museum of Art

· University Heights School - National   Register of Historic Places (process)

· YWCA playground (Chair – 3 volunteer     groups)

Group Exhibits

· Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild,   Tucson, Arizona, 1995 to 2013

· Traveling exhibit, Tucson arroyos, 2005

· Arizona Watercolor Society, 1998

· So. Arizona Artists Guild Gallery, 2002

· UofA Alumni Show, featured artist, 2001

· DeGrazia Little Gallery, ‘01 (3 Artists)

· Stillwell-Twiggs House 2000, 2001

· Pittsburgh Open Aqueous, 1998

· Murphey Gallery, 1996, two artist show

· Noebel Galleries, La Placita, Tucson , ‘74

Workshops:

Judy Patti (2011-2013), Highlands
K. Chang Liu (2008,'09,'10,'11,'13), Carla O’Connor (2008), Tom Lynch (2007), David Schwindt (2003,’06), Helga Flower (2002,’05), Timothy Clark (2001,10), Judi Betts (‘99), Sarah Schmerl (several foreign), Frank Webb (‘98), James G. Scott, Raleigh Kinney, Chris Unwin, Pat Dedman, Martha Mans, Jose Sanchez, Joe Bohler, Virginia Blackstock , Diane Maxey, Dan Burt  

Teaching:

Occasional private & group lessons
Blue Raven Art School 2013
Highlands 2011, 2012
Mountain View Retirement Village 2007
Learning Curve, St. Philip’s 2004, 2005