El Ciruelo (The Plum)

  The Mexico Series

  The Number Series

  Experimental Series

  Traveling with
  Watercolors

Welcome to Ara Leites Awards History 

“When I teach drawing or painting, I am teaching how to see and how to love. As an artist and painter, I am reminding the world of the potential of beauty. As a teacher and artist, I hope that I convey how much I love the world and my life. The world is a wonderous creation. Living in it means I've had to grasp that it represents itself as 50% 'good' and 50% 'less good.' Sometimes the need to create ones own beauty from inner responses to this environment outweighs the need to reproduce recognizable and/or realistic subject matter.”
—Ara Leites

2008   Experimental Artists of AmericaOn-Line Show                Award: $200 Loew-Cornell Merchandise Award(NJ)          American Watercolor Society                Award: Travel Show Selection 2007  Blossom - The Art of Flowers                Award: Susan K. Black Foundation Finalist          Missouri Watercolor Society National Show                Award: Award of Achievement with $100.00          Georgia Watercolor Society National Show                Award: Dr. P.H.Martin Hydros F.A. Watercolors($250.00)          International Society of Acrylic Painters Exhibition                Award: Savoir Faire Acrylic Paint Set          Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors                Award: The Segual Family Award of $250.00          The Artist's Magazine 24th Annual Art Competition                Award: Finalist in Experimental Category           Taos National Watercolor Exhibition XI                Award: Noted for Recognition           California Watercolor Society                Award: Savoir Faire Materials ($200) 2006  Oklahoma Watercolor Society (2006-2007)                Award:  Honorable Mention          Missouri Watercolor Society Member Exhibition                Award:  Third Place with $350.00          Adirondacks 25th National Exhibition of American Watercolors                Award: The Gurdon & Mildred Evans Memorial Award/$250.00                          : Travel Show Selection          Oklahoma Watercolor Society(2005-2006)                Award: President's Award          Society of Watercolor Artists 25th National Exhibition                Award: Colson Art Printing Award of Excellence/$250.00                            Signature Membership 2005  Adirondacks National Watercolor Exhibition                Award: Burness Memorial Award                            Travel Show Selection          Arizona Aqueous 20th Annual National Watermedia Exhibition                Award: Award of Excellence with $500.00          Texas Watercolor Society 56th Annual National Exhibition                Award: Award of Merit with $50.ooMerchandise/Cheap Joes                            Travel Show Selection          2004 23rd Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors               Award: Dr. Donald & Helen Budd Burness Memorial Award                           Travel Show Selection         Fall Catelog of Daniel Smith Catelog               Award: Employees Choice Award         Artist's Magazine Annual Art Competition               Award: Finalist: Experimental Category, see December issue         National Oklahoma Watercolor Exhibition               Award: Cheap Joe's Art Stuff Award with $100.00 2003  WATRMEDIA 2003 - Houston, TX               Representing International Society of Experimental Artists         Arizona Watercolor Association National Show               Award: Selected for AWA Postcard Announcements         Pennsylvania Watercolor Society National Exhibition               Award: Winsor-Newton Prize         Artist's Magazine Annual Art Competition               Award: Finalist in Experimental Category, see December Issue                           Selected for the 2004 Artist's Magazine Calendar, month of May 2002 Society of Watercolor Artists               Award: Chirman's Award-Most Experimental Painting and $300.00         Georgia Watercolor Society               Award: Georgia Peach Award(to a Signature Member) with $100.00         Rocky Mountain National Watercolor Society               Award: Signature Membership          Society of Layerists in Multi-Media               Award: Signature Membership          Oklahoma National Watercolor Society               Award: Best of Show with $1500.00          Eastern Washington Watercolor Society                Award: Merit Award with $100.00 2001 Watercolor Society of Alabama                Award: Signature Membership         Taos National Watercolor Society                Award: Honorable Mention                            Signature Membership         Pennsylvania Watercolor Society                Award: Signature Membership         San Diego Watercolor Society                Award: First Place with $1000.00 2000 Society of Watercolor Artists-Ft. Worth               Award: The Artist's Magazine Merchandise Certificate                Watercolor 2000-Houston               via American Watercolor Society               via National Society ofor Painters in Casein and Acrylic            Watercolor 2000-Huntsville, AL               via Watercolor USA Honor Society Member Show         Santa Cruz Art League Member Exhibition                Award: Small Group Show 2000-01         Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors 2000                Award: Travel Show Selection         Federation of Canadian Artists-Aim for the Arts                Award: Opus Framing and Art Supply Award($1000.00)         National Watercolor Society                Award: Esther Wells Collection Award($300.00)         Montana Watercolor Society                Award: Signature Membership         The Artists Magazine                Award: Finalist in Experimental Category 1999 Arizona Watercolor Association                Award: Dick Blick Materials Award of $100.00         North Valley Art League(CA)                Award: Award of Excellence with $100.00         Society of Watercolor Artists                Award: The President's Award of $500.00         American Watercolor Society                Award: Edgar A. Whitney Memorial Award with $750.00                            Travel Show Selection         American Women Artists' Competition - New Mexico                Award: Work of Merit Certificate         Georgia Watercolor Society                Award: Signature Membership         Mississipi Watercolor Society                Award: Signature Membership          Audubon Artists                Award: Nicholas Reale Memorial Award of $100.00                            Signature Membership 1998 Chico Art Center, CA: 1998 Watermedia National Juried Exhibition                Award: Award of Honor with $250.00         Montana National Watermedia Exhibition '98                Award: The Swede Johnson Memorial Award with $300.00              Kentucky National Watermedia '98                Award: Travel Show Selection         Oklahoma National Watermedia Exhibition                Award: Second Place with $500.00         Philadelphia Watercolor Club National Exhibition                Award: Selected for Corporate Gallery Exhibit, Krasdale Foods, Inc, NYC 1999         The Artist's Magazine 1998 Annual Art Competition                Award: Finalist in the Experimental Category, see December issue

National Acrylic Painters Association-USA Annual International Exhibition                Award: Signature Membership in NAPA-USA         Mississippi Watercolor Society               Award: Karl Wolfe Award and $300.00                           Travel Show Selection         Eastern Washington Watercolor Society Award: Best of Show and $500.00 1997 Oklahoma Watercolor Society                Award: Tulsa Art Clubs Award and $75.00         Kentucky Watercolor Society                Award: Kentucky Watercolor Society Award and $50.00 Dick Blick                                        Materials Award of $50.00                            Travel Show Selection         Watercolor USA                 Award: Springfield Art Museum Purchase Award Membership in Watercolor                             USA Honor Society                Georgia Watercolor Society                 Award: Travel Show Selection 1996 Kentucky Watercolor Society               Award: Winsor & Newton Award                           Blue Grass Frame Award                           Travel Show Selection        The Artist's Magazine Dream Studio Competition               Award: Finalist                Society of Experimental Artists               Award: Honorable Mention 1995 Society of Watercolor Artists. Ft. Worth              Award: Merit Award 1994 Pittsburgh Watercolor Society              Award: Merit Award and $100.00         Arizona Aqueous               Award: Merit Award and $250.00 1993 Mid-Atlantic Regional Watercolor Exhibition              Award: Bronze Medal and $400.00        Texas Watercolor Sodety              Award: Travel Show Selection 1992 Society of Eperimental Artists              Award: Juror's Ribbon 1988 Art Horizons. New York City              Award: Certificate of Excellence in Drawing               National Works on Paper Exhibition. Nassau Community College Award:                Honorable Mention