Gladys Fies, S. W. A. An artist and teacher painted in watercolor medium for over 25 years.  She taught through adult education and recreation departments in Peninsula cities from  Burlingame to Los Altos. Gladys began her studies in pastels and oils.   She never returned to these mediums after her introduction to watercolors by her first teacher, local watercolor artist Ralph Ledesma.  Gladys loved the "clean, transparent and sparkling" effects she  could create with this medium.  She enjoyed a very wet technique where she allowed the natural flow of water to create colors in a soft fluid effect.

Gladys attended the Jade Fon workshop at Asilomar in Pacific Grove for thirty years.  She studied under many nationally known watercolorists, Millard Sheets, Rex Brandt and eight years with George Post who greatly influenced her work. Her paintings have been exhibited in many juried shows.   She has hung four times in the De Young Museum with the Society of Western Artist's annual shows.  Other galleries include the Rosecrucian Gallery, Pioneer Museum, Higgins Gallery and the Santa Cruz Art Guild.  She also exhibited at the San Mateo Floral Festival, the California State Fair and more. Gladys received the Society of Western Artists Signature Award in 1975.   She received numerous awards and ribbons, among them the best of show at the Redwood City Art Show, and a Purchase award from the City of San Francisco Art Show and Civic Center Festival. She was a chartered member of the Sequoia Art Group and the San Carlos Fine Arts Association and Peninsula Outdoor Painters.   She was also a member of San Mateo's Thirty and One Artists and Santa Clara Watercolor Society. She judged shows including SWA exhibits and the Marin County, Millbrae and San Leandro annual art exhibitions.  For many years she gave annual workshops in flower painting at the San Mateo and San Carlos Senior Centers.