Fred Leach "Winter Landscape"/Watercolor on Buff Colored Paper 29"x37" Framed / Circa late 1960's-1970's

I noticed the picture stacks were getting very thin lately at Volunteer's. Everyday I'd walk in and see lots of empty space. I saw a large floral print and this was behind it. Now I had seen this previously and dismissed as a print also. The thing is tomorrow is half price day and people tend to hide things and wait till that last Tuesday of the month. So it made me curious to take a closer look. Yep, a real watercolor on buff colored textured paper. A nice winter landscape perfect for this time of year. Beautifully framed with non-glare glass and for once the back wasn't torn off. Turns out Fred Leach is a listed local (Avon, Ohio) artist and was a member of the " The American Watercolor Society". There's no date, but he was awarded the Dolphin Fellowship in 1980. He would have added the DF after the AWS on his signature. So this was probably painted before 1980, either the late 60's to 70's. Several of his paintings have been through auctions and while they don't fetch huge sums (a few hundred to a bit over a thousand), this was a great find for less than twenty dollars. There is a gallery in southern Ohio in Amish country that is looking for his works and to contact them if you have one you'd like to sell. That's a two hour drive from where I live so I just might pay them a visit :) -Mike-

Fred Leach AWS DF / American Watercolor Society /Dolphin Fellowship

Fred Leach, a fantastic watercolor artist from Avon, Ohio, lived from 1924 to 2006. He was elected as a lifetime member of the American Watercolor Society in 1964 and he was awarded the Dolphin Fellowship in 1980.

The American Watercolor Society is a nonprofit membership organization that began in 1866 to promote the art of watercolor painting in America. Each year the Society holds a juried exhibition of watercolors from artists throughout the world.

The Dolphin Fellowship
The Dolphin Fellowship has been established to encourage artists to create more award-winning paintings and for the advancement of the art of watercolor. The AWS had come of age, and we feel this fellowship will add new luster to the American Watercolor Society.
Unlike some fellowships where candidates have to be sponsored by other Fellows to achieve membership, membership in the Dolphin Fellowship is obtained by merit alone in accordance with the point system. The points required to be a Fellow are five and must be won by AWS members at one or more of our national annual exhibitions.

Frederick Leach (from an artist supplied vitae)( 1924 - 2007 )
Education : Butler Institute of American Art ; Cleveland Institute of Art.

Awards : 1964 elected a lifetime member of American Watercolor Society; 1980 awarded the Dolphin Fellowship ; 1985 Watercolor Honor Society Watercolor USA.

Holdings : Butler Institute of American Art ; Springfield Art Museum ; Canton Art Museum ; Lumber Specialty company ; Frye Museum of Art ; Znaesville Art Institute ; Lorain community Hospital.

Honors : Cleveland Museum of Art; Watecolor USA; American Watercolor Society; Virginia Beach Boardwalk Show; Canton Art Show; Hudson Rotary Show ; Lakewood Arts Festival ; Alliance Arts Festival ; Ohio Watercolor Society ; High Winds Medallion ; AWS 1982-83 Best of Show; Boston Mills Arts Festival; 1985 Grumbacher Gold Medal; Ohio Watercolor Society.

Juried : Watercolor USA ;Regional Shows in Youngstown ; South Western Regional Society; Wichita Centennial Watercolor Exhibit