"Home Again" by David Devenot ($1,000).

Watercolor worldviews

THE world looks different in the brushstrokes of a watercolor painting. Muted angles and trans-lucent color make for settings and subjects softer and moodier than the real thing.

Yet the diversity of the medium is strikingly displayed in Hawaii Watercolor Society's 43rd Annual Members Show. Anne Irons's employment of vibrant color contrasts dramatically with the lighter tones of Ruth Pistor, whose use of patterns adds interest and depth to her work. A pensive "Dole Street at Dawn" by Roger Whitlock has the traditional "soft" look of the medium, while "Home Again" by David Devenot looks sharp in its angles and color contrasts.

Roger Whitlock captured a street scene in "Dole Street at Dawn" ($1,500), the "Best in Show" winner.

The juror assessing all this variety was Ong Kim Seng, a world-renowned watercolor artist from Singapore. Seng selected 64 works from a pool of 136 entries. In all, 52 artists were represented and 10 works earned awards. "Best in Show" honors went to Whitlock for "Dole Street at Dawn." Pistor won the Arches Paper Award. Steve Bettman's "Boat Blisters" earned him the Pegge Hopper Gallery Award, and a floral portrait won Min Chong Kim the Sunshine Arts Hawaii Award.

Hawaii Watercolor Society's show continues through April 30 at The ARTS at Marks Garage, located in downtown Honolulu at 1159 Nuuanu Ave. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays. For more information, call 521-2903 or e-mail info@artsatmarks.com.

Ruth Pistor's "Woman in Grid" ($300).

"Ready to Please" is by Anne Irons ($1,250).