Looking at Tony Armendariz’s painting, you can almost feel the chiseled, wizened skin of “Mr. Stripes,” a realistic portrait that won the $3,000 the Mary Bryan Memorial Medal Award for Watercolor. Armendariz resides in Palatine, IL, and was born and raised in Chicago to a graphic arts family, where he learned to create with textile, photography, drawing and painting. Graduating from the American Academy of Art in Chicago, he studied under renowned watercolor instructor Irving Shapiro. While still attending the academy, he began his employment in the corporate world for over 20 years as a graphic artist, illustrator and web designer.
--Michael Gabriele, Allied Artists of America Newsletter Editor
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