DOWNEY — Downey’s own Willellyn (Willie) McFarland was recently honored by her watercolor class for a prestigious award bestowed in her name. The National Watercolor Society presented a $1,000 prize named the Willellyn McFarland Award at their recent membership exhibition.

Willie has been interested in art as long as she can remember. While attending the University of Southern California, she majored in painting and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. After college she taught on several levels.

While raising her family she continued to paint, along with teaching elementary school and adult education classes. During that period she became interested in watercolor and was accepted into the National Watercolor Society as a Signature Member. Since that time she has held several offices in NWS including serving as president twice. She was also elected Chairman of the jury of selection for one of their annual exhibitions.

Other groups in which she has held membership include Women Painters West, and Watercolor West. She has served as president of that group. She is a Signature member of that group as well.

She has received many awards including awards in the Watercolor West Annual Exhibition and San Diego International Exhibition. The Andre Agassi Foundation, New Horizons chose her as their featured artist at the foundation’s annual fundraiser in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The artist’s work has been published in The Artist’s Magazine, The Artistic Touch 3 and 4, and Artists of California.

The U.S. Forest Service has commissioned her to do several paintings for interpretative signs along the trails of the San Gabriel Mountains and she did a series of illustrations for the future children’s garden at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Center in Claremont.

She is also a member of Assistance League of Downey and is a past president.