Harmony resident Bill Perry is the featured artist of the watercolor exhibit opening today at the Associated Artists of Butler County Art Center at 344 S. Main St.

More than 120 of his latest and award-winning works will be on display through Sept. 22. An opening reception is planned for 7 to 9 p.m. today.

Perry sad he is inspired by the outdoors and his ongoing fascination with natural light.

"I find my inspiration in the nearby countryside where I roam with my always-present digital camera, looking for things that have been transformed by some special quality of light," he explained.

"This fascination with light and color is what distinguishes my most recent paintings," he said of the collection on display.

Not to be missed is "Snowscape."

"It is of a road near my home that I travel frequently. This particular morning the sun was casting a pink shade on the snow. It was glinting and I was intrigued," he said.

The painting features some hues of pink emerging from the rising sun, casting a shade on fresh snow.

Perry said he has been painting for as long as he can remember. He won his first painting award in 1957.

"In high school I received a scholarship to study painting at The Artists League Of Ligonier Valley in Rector, Pa., and when I graduated from high school my teachers wanted me to go on to New York to continue my studies," he said.

"But this was out of the question, as my family was much too practical to contemplate art as a career. They felt that one must have a marketable skill, and it was decided that I would become a teacher," Perry added.

He earned a bachelor's degree in art education from Indiana (Pa.) University. He then taught fine arts to gifted students in the Pittsburgh Public Schools system for 36 years.

For a while, painting took a back seat to family and career. In 1978, Perry took up watercolors because he thought them a faster process than the oils that he had been working in. His painting was sporadic until 1998, when he retired and not only got back to painting but also took an active role in the art community.

"I have conducted workshops recently with the Indiana Arts Association. Currently, I am conducting a series of workshops with the Tarentum Art Association," he said.

Unlike many watercolorists, Perry makes no prints of his works.

"I paint for me. I am compelled by a desire to make permanent those moments which stir my soul, and with each painting the challenge is to capture a specific moment in time," he said.

"As a result, I have decided that I will not make prints of my work. When one of my paintings strikes a resonance with you and you decide to make a purchase, rest assured that the connection between you, me, and that moment will always remain a very personal one."

All of the works in the exhibit, including award-winning pieces, are for sale and range in price from $170 to $800.

Val Dallos of the Art Center noted the other galleries at the center will not be utilized this month but will be prepared for ART 24 which begins at 4 p.m. Sept. 29 and continues nonstop until 4 p.m. Sept. 30.

"The center is in a bit of transition. We've got a new board that has some exciting ideas and we are all looking ahead to ART 24," Dallos said.

ART 24 is an art auction that raises funds for the center. Auction items will be accepted from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 27 and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 28.

<B>WHAT:</B> Associated Artists of Butler County hosting an exhibit of watercolors by Bill Perry<B>WHEN:</B> Opening reception from 7 to 9 p.m. today. The exhibit continues through Sept. 22. Regular gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. ridays, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays<B>WHERE:</B> AABC Art Center 344 S. Main St.<B>INFORMATION:</B> Call 724-283-6922 or visit the Web site, www.associatedartistsofbutler.org