Frank Webb, AWS “Living Legend”

John Salminen’s address to American Watercolor Society, at April 12th 2019 membership and awards banquet.

Several years ago, Janet Walsh asked me if I would serve in the capacity as Regional Representative, and I asked “What’s involved in that”, and he said “Absolutely nothing”. I said “Then I’m your man”.

Dean (Mitchell) and I would serve as advisors. And we both were honored and flattered, and we would do it.  So technically we were on board.  But is was a bit embarrassing with the other board members, because  all these other people have jobs.  My suggestion was that we be named “Token” Board Members, but Dean objected to that, on historical grounds.

 So we are advisors. And in that capacity I learned some news that I found was very disturbing, and that was that Frank Webb was resigning as master of ceremonies, <Frank is asked to stand, he stands to great applause>

Frank is here with his family. His wife Barbara was unable to attend. Not too surprising she never attended.  She stated that she didn’t think his jokes were that funny. I think she should have come, she would have been in great company, none of us think his jokes were that funny. You know every year when we adjourned, someone would say “Oh those jokes were the worst this year”, and the response was “yeh, I can’t wait to hear what he does next year”. But I listen very closely, because I think Frank is one of the most quotable people that I know. One year he made a very serious observation about aging, he said that as you age, sometimes you have problems with your short term memory. And we call all certainly relate to that. And then he went on to say that another thing about aging is that sometimes you have problems with your short term memory.

I was very fortunate to meet Frank’s wife, Barbara, years and years ago when she and Frank came to Duluth Minnesota. Where Cathy and I live to do a workshop.  Where we have  the dreaded Sunday night Meet and Greet, where we were all standing around telling Frank about how much we were looking forward to the workshop, and Barbara said “Do you all paint with 2” brushes?”, to which we said “Ah sure”, and the next morning at 8AM we were all lined up in front of the University Bookstore to purchase our new brushes.  I used that brush for a long long time, and it finally wore out a few years ago.  Please tell Barbara that I now have a 3” brush. Some say I’m compensating for small hands.

At this workshop, someone asked Frank, “How do you paint fog”, to which he answered “I Don’t. I paint shapes, not things.” And that became the take-away from that workshop. That was the lesson that changed all of our thinking about painting.

Frank was giving a pleinaire demonstration. And I have to tell you a little something about Duluth, MN. It’s the terminus of the St. Lawrence Seaway, we are a world port, so we have ships coming and going. Through a canal that has a bridge that goes up and down.  People come from all over Minnesota to watch this bridge go up and down. Which tells you a lot, I guess, about us.

 Frank was giving this demonstration, when the bridge went up. And the local tour boat came thru, and we could hear the person on the tour boat with a bullhorn point out things, and I don’t know if Frank heard this, but when the boat came by we heard the tour guide say thru the bullhorn, “Paint shapes, not things”.  To this day, we don’t know who set him up to do that.

While he was in Duluth Frank was a guest of Chen-Khee Chee and Sing Chee and they were having dinner over at the Chee’s one night. And all the kids were there, the Chee’s have 4 kids. After dinner the kids went off to play. The adults were having coffee or tea and one of the kids came up and whispered something to Chee and Chee turned to Frank and said “The children have a question for you”. And Frank said “certainly”. So out came the 4 four kids, and they lined up in rank order.  And Frank said I understand you have a question for me, and the spokesman stepped up and asked ‘Why do you have hair in your nose?. And why do you smell like smoke?” This was several years ago.

And there was a reception, I’m not chronologically how this played out, but Tweed museum had a one man show of Frank’s work and some kind of affair in connection to that.  As Frank came to the event he was met by a handler who was very pleased with himself in telling Frank that he was to be “seated next to the cheese”.  And Frank told him that he preferred to be seated next to the wine.

I’m sorry that Barbara couldn’t be here tonight because she was instrumental in Franks decision to do what he does so well and in 1970 she said to him “why don’t you just concentrate on watercolor.” And I think that was a very very helpful piece of advice. When Frank is asked why he chose watercolor as his medium, he has a little different answer “I just love to cut mats”.

So painting shapes not things. That I think this is a lesson that we all learned from Frank, whether you took a workshop or not. This lesson has permeated the medium of watercolor, I think as we look around the room there isn’t a painting on the wall that doesn’t owe something to Frank Webb. He has been such an influence to all of us over the years. I would like to say on all our behalf’s, for his craft, for his intellect, for his teaching, and simply for the paintings he shared with us, thank you so much.  We are all so indebted to you.  And if you could come up for just a moment Frank.

I could go on and on. But as Winston Churchill once said, the mind can only absorb what the ass can endure. So we will go on. Frank has achieved something in his lifetime that we all like to achieve, that he has achieved name recognition within the watercolor profession.  And he has gone further than that, in that he has become a household word. So what’s left.

Well there was title recently vacated by Milford Zornes.  To qualify for this title, you must be a household word and quite elderly.  Frank is imminently qualified for both. It does require a quorum and a voice vote.  So I would like to ask you (the audience) at this time, to acknowledge Frank Webb as a LIVING LEGEND in watercolor. (audience rises to its feet in standing ovation).   

I think we call that a unanimous vote. John told me that there was one NAY emailed to him from watercolorist in Florida.  But I think we can just ignore that. Frank has a few words he’d like to share but before that, Tony (Masi) also has something that he’d like to say.

Tony – I wish he (John) would start talking more at the meetings. On behalf of AWS for your so many wonderful years of inspiration, I’d like to present this plaque to you.  It’s heavy.

Frank: I’ll say a few words.  My life is much more fascinating than I thought it was. (followed by Franks speech).