Brushstrokes, December 2015

Happy New Year!
The first meeting of 2016 is on the calendar for Monday, January 11.
As part of the Signature Series, your January program will feature “Intuitive Abstracts” by Linda Meyer-Wright. Stay tuned for details and supply list.
Also, members are always encouraged to bring their art work to share at every meeting.

Scholarship Donations
Wondering what to give a special person who has everything?  Think about a donation – in their name – to the Bloomington Watercolor Society Scholarship!  It’s easy to do it online at the Foundation for Monroe County Community Schools (FMCCS) FoundationofMonoreCountyCommun/OnlineGiving  Donations are tax deductible, and be sure to designate it’s for the BWS Scholarship.  Then paint a beautiful gift certificate, slip it in an envelope, add a bow, and off ya go – the perfect present.

The Art of Chocolate
With all the delicious holiday treats available, I hope you are capturing some on paper for our 2016 community project, The Art of Chocolate.    Paintings of chocolates, chocolate labs, sweets, treats, and more delights are welcome in the exhibit scheduled for February and March. The prospectus (guidelines) are posted further down this blog, and you can contact Jeanne at with questions. Delivery date for paintings is February 2. But don’t worry, you’ll get more prompts as we go along!  All sales pay the artist 50%, and the other 50% supports LIFEDesigns, an organization that supports people with disabilities.

A few of the cards

A few of the beautiful greeting cards created by members for the exchange.

Bob Ferguson and Charlotte Griffin with Jill

Bob Ferguson and Charlotte Griffin share a smile with friends.

CArol and Roger Rhodes talking with Nancy Metz

Carol and Roger Rhodes visiting with BWS president, Nancy Metz.

Connie Brorson and Tricia Wente with Candi Bailey watching

Carl Brorson, Candi Bailey, and Connie Brorson visit with Tricia Wente.

MEMBER ACTIVITIES
Holiday Party
The annual Holiday Party December 3 was lovely as always. Here are a few photos, with thanks to Claude Cookman for his photography. And thanks to Jo Weddle for her hard work arranging all the fun, Connie Brorson for being our Meadowood hostess, and the chef and staff for providing us with one delicious meal!
Congratulations
Tricia Wente’s pastel portrait of Purdue grad Retired USAF Astronaut Col. Mark N. Brown, Mission Specialist has officially been donated to the Columbus Learning Center collection for display in the Advanced Manufacturing Center of the Community Education Coalition.  The manufacturing center is shared by IUPUC, Ivy Tech, and Purdue College of Technology.
Tricia Wente Astronaut for CLC

Paint out Picnic at Lake Lemon November 2015

Riddle Point Park

Riddle Point Survivors by Kathy Barton 11-2015

“Riddle Point Survivors” by Kathy Barton

Plein Air Painting Group
Riddle Point 2015
By Kathy Barton
812-679-6353
“It was a chilly November morning with fog and 45 degrees when I made my coffee. I planned my layers of clothing for the day and headed out to Lake Lemon’s Riddle Point about 8:15am, carpooling with Sara Steffey McQueen, to meet the group, not knowing who would be coming today.
“When we arrived, we found an oil painter already on location and many trucks with boat trailers attached. We set up our work stations, each with a different view to paint, but within view of each other. It is reassuring to paint with the group.
“By lunch time, it had warmed to 57 degrees and we had 12 people set up along the edges of Riddle Point. Everyone liked the location and want to go back again in 2016.”
Note: The group will hold a planning meeting at 10:30 am on Thursday, January 14. Save the date and look for full details in the January issue of Brushstrokes.

NEWS and OPPORTUNITIES
Delphi Opera House

BWS friend, Rena Brouwer, sends the following:
“After nearly 6 years as resident artist of the Delphi Opera House, Alan, Deb and I (Rena) have reopened the gallery under new management – US! We are so excited to have the opportunity to bring to you our fine art and our guest artists. We hope you will join us this Saturday for our grand opening.”
A couple years ago, several BWS members took the tour at Twin Rocker Paper in Brookston, then popped over to visit with Rena at her gallery.  Then, we were privileged to get the grand tour of the waiting-to be renovated Opera House.  The renovation is done and wow!  Well worth the trip to visit the gallery AND the Delphi Opera House.
Microsoft Word - Open House flier.doc

The Lawrence County Art Association offers a paint-in every Thursday from 1:00 – 3:30 at their headquarters, hosted by Phyllis Westfall. All are invited to participate, and in any medium. Here’s the link to the home page: http://www.lawrencecountyart.org/index.html and you may contact Sandra Hudson for more information, sandra.hudson@yandex.com

5th Annual Artists Showcase – Booth sales have just opened!
Bloom Magazine and Ivy Tech Community College are happy to present the Local Artists Showcase on Saturday, February 20th, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. at the Bloomington/Monroe County Convention Center.
Sixty-seven booths for local artists are available at $65 each. Most booths are approximately 10′ x 6′ and will come equipped with a table and two chairs. If you do not wish to use the table and chairs, we can remove them from your booth space. There are some larger booths and some booths also have access to electricity. The booths will spread across the entire top floor of the Convention Center.
Booths are only available to local artists to sell their personal work. Booth reservations are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. So, if you have special requirements or preferences, you should sign up as soon as possible.
You may sign up by email (erins@magbloom.com), over the phone (812-323-8959 ext. 0), or in person at the Bloom office (please call ahead). Remember that you must present payment in full in order to reserve your booth and there are no refunds.
Contact Erin Stephenson, Assistant Editor, Bloom Magazine, 812-323-8959 ext. 0.

Recent work, Sara Steffey McQueen, BWS

Recent work, Sara Steffey McQueen

Wishing you all the joy of this wonderful holiday season,
and peace and good will to all people.

Ellen's Poinsettia

Brushstrokes is the (almost) monthly
newsletter of the
 Bloomington (IN) Watercolor Society
Jeanne Ellen Dutton, Editor
 BloomingtonWatercolor.org
WePaintBloomington.org