An Oceanside artist is the first-place winner in the San Diego Watercolor Society’s March member exhibition, “Decisive Moments.”

Kathleen Scoggin’s painting, titled “Fire in Eden,” was selected by prominent local artist Richard Glassman for the honor out of over 230 entries, the San Diego Watercolor Society announced in a news release.

“I was drawn to this piece because of its focus on the act of painting rather than a devotion to subject matter,” Glassman noted in the announcement. “The color palette exhibits a real inventiveness.”

The exhibit runs through April 1 at the organization’s gallery, located at 2528 Dewey Road in Liberty Station.

Scoggin — a contemporary abstract artist and teacher who works in watercolor, acrylic and mixed media inspired by nature and organic subjects — received education in the fields of design, fine arts and art history at Oregon State University, Portland State University and Chemeketa Community College.

Paintings in the exhibit can be viewed and purchased from the gallery and at the San Diego Watercolor Society’s website: sdws.org/galleryart.php?cat=7015.