It’s no secret that Beaufort County has a thriving community of artists, but lately local watercolorists are making waves with recognition from the Watercolor Society of North Carolina.

At the WSNC annual membership meeting held on Oct. 12 in Wilson, 70 works were selected by juror for an exhibit representing the best of the best of North Carolina watercolor artists. Of the 237 artists who submitted work, three make their homes in Beaufort County. It’s no mean feat being juried into the show, much less to win an award, according to Isabel Farrell.

Farrell’s stark painting of birds on crossbeams, “Line Up,” was juried into the show, along with Jeffrey Jakub’s Times Square street scene “Kaleidoscopic,” and Bath resident Marcia Fischer’s delicate tulips, titled “Ruffles.”

Farrell’s “Line Up” was further selected to make the move to next year’s WSNC meeting location in Mooresville, as part of a 30-piece preview exhibit that will run in December. Jakub’s “Kaleidoscopic,” which won Best in Show at the 2013 Beaufort County Arts Council’s Fine Arts Show, was chosen as the recipient of the WSNC Eastern Region award, while Fischer’s piece earned the Armadillo Art and Craft award, one of the many awards sponsored by individuals and businesses across the state.

“This was the first time she entered and she got herself an award. That was nice. She’s a new artist — starting painting these last few years,” Farrell said. “For an artist just trying to enter the show for the first time, it’s pretty intimidating. She was thrilled to get into the show — number one — and, number two, to win an award.”

Both Farrell and Fischer have been students of Jakub’s, who was also given an honorary lifetime membership to the society at the recent meeting.

“Kudos to Jeffery: he’s a mentor for a lot of watercolorists here in town. … He’s encouraged all of us to put our stuff in front of the public. He’s a great nurturer in that regard,” Farrell said.

Farrell has also had another honor bestowed on her by the Watercolor Society of North Carolina: she was selected as Tarboro watercolorist and current President Russell Yerkes successor. Farrell will serve a two-year term. Both Jakub and another well-known local watercolorist, Pat Holscher, have previously served as the society’s president.

The Watercolor Society of North Carolina was organized in 1982 and has grown to nearly 500 members.