By Donna Van Fleet, WAS-H President

HOWDY! How does a small-town girl from the Pennsylvania coal region get to the Watercolor Art Society - Houston? It starts with a first grader whose passions are "coloring" and Saturday morning TV westerns -- Wild Bill Hickok, Roy Rogers, Cisco Kid, Lone Ranger, Hopalong Cassidy. While the other little girls named nurse and teacher as their aspirations, I said I wanted to "tame bad men in Texas."

Art started with a cherished Hopalong Cassidy coloring book and progressed through color-by-number sets first with colored pencils then paints, to a 30-cake watercolor set. In sixth grade I won a set of encyclopedias in a national newspaper coloring contest, and in eleventh grade, I proudly announced at the supper table that I would major in art in college, to which my mother responded, "Art is a hobby, you'll major in math." I did, and a 31-year career in computer development sent me to Texas where I retired and finally am "majoring" in art.

Now my passion, in addition to art, is being part of nonprofit teams striving to build from good to great to exemplary. WAS-H is exemplary, lauded by every nationally acclaimed artist who've judged our major exhibitions -- "WAS-H is always cited in conversations as the best-run watercolor society" . . . "best teaching venue" . . . "world-class gallery" . . . "exhibitions that rival the national ones" . . . "extensive curriculum" . . . "outstanding artists" . . . and on and on.

But the highest praise comes from our members -- "WAS-H is my community . . . when I'm at WAS-H, I'm home."  Thank you for the honor of inviting me to be home with you.

Donna Van Fleet

WAS-H President