Michael Garberick of El Cajon won third place in the San Diego Watercolor Society’s July 2025 Members Show, “Everybody Tells a Story,” for his painting “America’s Shipyard.”
The exhibit is on display at the society’s gallery at 2825 Dewey Road in Liberty Station. Local juror Julie Anderson selected Garberick’s painting for the award.
“This painting captured my attention because of its story,” Anderson said. “There is a shipyard, and there’s a crane, and there are some ghost-like figures up at the top who look like they are from a bygone time. They’re not wearing a current type of clothing, which leads me to wonder, what is the story he is trying to relate in this painting with those figures? The painting technique is superb with so many details accurately rendered.
There is a good range of values from white all the way to black, and beautiful pure colors.”
Garberick has frequently received honors at San Diego Watercolor Society shows and other competitive venues. He began drawing as a child and later earned an associate degree in illustration and design. He has worked in graphic design for 35 years and began painting in 1998 after taking an amateur watercolor class.
The exhibit runs through Saturday, July 26. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Paintings can also be viewed and purchased at www.sdws.org/galleryart.php?cat=7076. More of Garberick’s work is available at mgarberick.faso.com.
