February meeting

Try nontraditional approach to composition

At the Feb. 12 BWS meeting, Anne-Karine Bley will demonstrate an abstract approach to composition that introduces harmony, balance, and beauty of proportion from the onset. “I will propose a few exercises developed by Arthur W. Dow that when done thoughtfully and over time should help folks become more conscious of their art-making process as well as demonstrate the power of simplification,” Anne-Karine said. “We will talk about the qualities of lines and the purpose of shapes. Hopefully, we’ll have time to introduce the concept of ‘notans.'”

Bring pencils and erasers. A straight edge and Sharpie are helpful but optional.

Jeanne Dutton also promises A Big Reveal of the “We Paint … Jazz” painting LifeDesign’s has selected for its Week of Chocolate program cover

The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the First Christian Church, 205 E. Kirkwood Ave. Anne-Karine’s program will start following a brief business meeting.

We Paint … Jazz

by Jeanne Dutton

Katya Alexeeva’s “Jazz Spirit” earned Best of Show honors.

BWS kicked off the 2018 Week of Chocolate with its opening reception for “We Paint … Jazz.” Twenty-one artists submitted pieces of various mediums, including watercolors, oils, acrylics, collage and mosaics.

Katya Alexeeva was awarded Best of Show for her oil painting, “Jazz Spirit.” Her award included $100 plus two tickets to the Week of Chocolate Murder Mystery, a new event this year. The Best of Show award is sponsored by John La Bella of the Vault at Gallery Mortgage, who also provides the exhibit space and refreshments.

Candi Bailey’s shell mosaic took runner-up honors, earning her two tickets to the Art of Chocolate event Feb. 10.

Robin Edmundson, Bob Burris, and Cassidy Young won pairs of tickets provided by LIFEDesigns to the Art of Chocolate.

Kyle Schardt, Philip Wailes, and Connor

“Floppy Hat,” a shell mosaic by Candi Bailey was runner up.

Evans, all students or graduates of the Jacobs School of Music, provided entertainment. Gabe Colman of The Venue Fine Art and Gifts, provided curatorial support in organizing, hanging, and judging the exhibit.

Gallery hours are 9-5 Monday – Friday at the Vault, 121 E. Sixth St. Look for the BWS sign in the window.

For information about all Week of Chocolate events, link to http://lifedesignsinc.org/week-of-chocolate-2/.

Upland enjoys urban sketching,

announces winter schedule

Ten Upland painters gathered for an afternoon of urban sketching. Kitty Garlock arranged for Cassidy Young to talk about her restaurant and cafe sketch project as the group reviewed the urban sketching concept at the Banneker Center. Then they dispersed to various locations and enjoyed being creative.

Urban sketches

See the schedule below for more urban sketching dates and opportunities to recharge and explore your creativity.

Urban sketch by Katya Alexeeva

Hopscotch Coffee, a work in progress by Kitty Garlock

Blooming Tea by Kathy Barton

Winter Upland schedule

Tuesday, Feb. 6: Thomas Schaller DVD; hosted by Robin Edmundson and Babette Ballinger

Tuesday, Feb. 13: Urban sketching; hosted by Jacki Frey

Tuesday, Feb. 27: IU sketch, lunch in the IMU Tudor Room; hosted by Babette Ballinger

Tuesday, March 6: T.C. Steele Studio paint-in or -out; hosted by Betty Wagoner

Tuesday, March 13: Wylie House Museum; hosted by Kristen Stamper

Tuesday, March 20: Abstract demo; hosted by Jacki Frey

Tuesday, March 27: Watercolor glazing DVD and bread baker; hosted by Kathy Barton

Friday, March 30: Nude model at IU Fine Arts; hosted by Claude Cookman

Saturday, March 31: Turn in paintings for “Hidden Treasures of Indiana.” 10 a.m. – noon at Wylie House Barn

BWS’s Upland Exhibition

to hang at Wylie House

All BWS members are eligible to enter work done at any Upland or BWS paintout in “Hidden Treasures of Indiana” at the Wylie House Museum’s Bradley Education Center April 3 – May 9.

The show will feature 2D work in any medium except photography, i.e., watercolor, acrylic, drawing, collage, oil, pastel, etc. The artwork must be created at least 60 percent in plein air paint-outs sponsored by Upland or BWS. For example, on-site work should — at the least — establish the composition and color notes. Completing final layers later is permitted. Work must be created without the help of an instructor and suitable for public display.

“Hidden Treasures” offers opportunities for those “who paint small as well as large,” said Kathy Barton, show committee member. “The location is well suited to many small pieces in 8″X10″ or 10″X10″ frames. We also welcome pieces in 11″X14″ frames or similar and a few larger pieces up to 35″ outside frame width.”

Members may submit one artwork plus an extra that will be hung, space permitting. Members are asked not to submit more than one piece larger than 20″ wide including the frame.

Flat hangers must be used; sawtooth hangers and screw eyes are not permitted. Tightly stretch the hanging wires and attach them about a third down from the top. Glass or Plexiglas is acceptable for works on paper.

Kathy suggests using work already created at a paint-out. A 5″X7″ greeting card fits into a precut mat for an 8″X10″ frame, she said, and both Hobby Lobby and Michael’s offer reasonably priced frames with mats and glass as a single unit as well as precut mats in standard sizes.

Paintings do not need to be for sale, and no commission is taken on sold works, Potential buyers will be directed to contact the artist directly. Any artist who sells a piece during the show may replace it with another artwork.

An artist reception is scheduled for 2 – 4:30 p.m., Saturday, April 14 at the Wylie House Museum Bradley Education Center.

Show timeline

Feb. 12 or March 12: At the BWS meeting sign up to participate in the show and pay a $5 commitment fee. Funds collected will be used for a People’s Choice Award.

March 31: Deliver artwork to Wylie House Museum Bradley Education Center, 307 E. Second St., between 10 a.m. and noon.

April 4: Pick up any unhung work between 10 a.m. and noon.

April 14: Reception, 2 – 4:30 p.m.

May 10: Pick up artwork between 10 a.m. and noon.

For more details, consult the show prospectus at www.bloomingtonwatercolor.org.

BWS Spring Workshop

Dale Popovich

April 28

First Christian Church, Bloomington

$145, Member registration opens March 24

BWS Portrait Group schedule

Portrait Group sessions are open to all BWS members and their guests. Participants are welcome to work in any medium. Typically models pose for 20- to 25-minute segments, alternating with 5-minute breaks. Those who attend share the cost of the models, with a minimum of $3 and a maximum of $5 charged for each session. Sessions are every other Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m. With occasional exceptions, the location is the Banneker Community Center, 930 W. Seventh St.

Feb. 22 Connie Brorson

The next session will be at Meadowood with Connie Brorson, BWS charter and signature member and a great watercolorist, will be the model. Connie was originally scheduled for Jan. 11 but had to cancel because of the flu.

March 8 Brycen Veach

Brysen, who is majoring in fashion design at IU, is a student in BWS President Jane Matranga’s fashion illustration course. Brycen represents a type of model we have not had yet, a male in his early 20s. He has a warm, open face, great smile and billows of black hair.

If you would like full details including maps, directions, parking information, etc., email Claude Cookman.

Mark your calendars

Spring meeting programs

Feb. 12: Nontraditional Approach to Composition, Anne-Karine Bley

March 12: Plein Air Painting, Alice Sharp

April 9: “From ‘Ladies’ Medium’ to Color Field: A Short History of Watercolor Painting in America,” Nan Brewer, Lucienne M. Glaubinger Curator of Works on Paper, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

May 14: Mixed Media Abstracts, Sara Steffey McQueen

June 11: Collaborative Art and Silly Portrait Exercises, Cassidy Young

The FAR as it will look at April Gallery Walk. Image by Malane Benedetto

Excerpt from Limestone Post

New FAR Center joins

arts community at 4th & Rogers

by Claude Cookman

On Bloomington’s Near West Side, a spry nonagenarian is undergoing a facelift — a new look for a new role, wedding aesthetics, education, and social interaction. David and Martha Moore, owners of Pictura Gallery, are repurposing an old grocery at the southwest corner of Fourth and Rogers streets into the FAR Center for the Contemporary Arts. When it opens in April, they hope you’ll call it FAR.

As they collaborate with a wide range of artists to offer exhibitions, installations, and performances, they’re certain this new, larger space will let FAR take on a life of its own.

“We just know things are going to happen in this space,” Martha says. “Great things are going to happen that we can’t even imagine yet.”

Construction, which started in June 2017, is on schedule.

“On the First Friday Gallery Walk in April 2018, we’ll cut the ribbon and invite the public in,” David says. That date honors the 10th anniversary of the opening of Pictura on the Courthouse Square. The old gallery hosted its Final Friday on December 1 and went dark a few days later. The staff remains busy with the move and planning exhibitions, but visitors must wait until April 6 for their Pictura fix.

Read more of Claude’s article at http://www.limestonepostmagazine.com/new-far-center-joins-arts-community-4th-rogers/.

Member news

Above: Young Seamen Haul Lines. Right: Young Seamen of Tongue Point. Both paintings are by Phyllis Taylor and on display in Astoria, Ore.

BWS member Phyllis Taylor, who moved to Astoria, Ore., a few years ago recently spent a day aboard the buoy tender ship Ironwood. Her new watercolors capture the energy of the Tongue Point Job Corps crew and are on exhibit at TEMPO in downtown Astoria. “The Tongue Point Job Corps trains poor inner city kids to become trained seamen and (provides) very nice starting salaries,” Phyllis said. “It was fun to spend a whole beautiful sunny day out on the ship with these young adults.”

Lynne Gilliatt and Susan Savastuk, both BWS members, are showing their artwork at Lennie’s, 1795 E Tenth St., this month. Lynne is showing her pastels, and Susan is showing her oils. Together, they are showing more than 30 pieces.

Lynne Gilliatt with one of her 13 pastels now showing at Lennie’s

Susan Savastuk with some of her oils on display at Lennie’s

Beyond BWS

Rena Brouwer and Cheryl Kaldahl will conduct a special workshop, “Realm of Expression,” Saturday, March 17, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Brown County Art Guild in Nashville. Register online at http://www.bcartguildshop.com/product-page/realm-of-expression-workshop-1. The registration fee is $75.

Brown County Art Guild will offer a free workshop, “Have Sketchbook Will Travel” with Jeanne McLeish and Jerry Smith March 31 from 1 – 3 p.m.The expert plein air painters will share their best tips and advice on supplies and equipment as well as how to use plein air studies to create studio paintings. The event is open to the public and no registration is necessary. Those attending are urged but not required to make a donation.

Check out a free weekly newsletter at https://americanwatercolor.net/ambassadors/.

If you’ve ever dreamed of painting at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico or taking an art adventure abroad, check out Darla Bostick’s website, http:”www.darlabostick.com. She has information about spring and fall retreats at the Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu and a summer trip to Copenhagen, Denmark, Hamburg, and Berlin.

IMO (In My Opinion)

Social media users recognize IMO as an abbreviation for “In My Opinion,” and each month we close by giving you the chance to share your opinion on a specific question. This month the question is:

In your opinion, who is the best watercolor artist of all time and why?

Kristen Stamper

What a tough question as I’m such a newbie to watercolor. I pick John Singer Sargent, who has offered me tremendous learning opportunities through studying his very energetic plein air watercolors, created during his travels, The public library (MCPL) has a six-volume coffee table sized set that has been a fantastic glimpse into the mind of one of the most prolific and admired of our American painters.

Claude Cookman

What a challenging question, akin to: “Which of your children do you love best?” Notwithstanding my admiration for Winslow Homer and John Singer Sargent, I choose Andrew Wyeth, who’s best known for his highly detailed tempera paintings but often did watercolor studies and finished watercolor paintings. I was lucky to see a Wyeth exhibition at the National Gallery a few years ago and was struck by the lighting, texture, and composition in his 1962 watercolor, “Frostbitten,” showing a quartet of apples on a weathered window sill.

Kathy Barton

Theodore Clement Steele was an innovator and a leader in American painting and famous for being one of the Hoosier Group of Painters. … His treatment of landscapes had many influences from many places. He created techniques, was generous with his time to serve as judge and juror on many shows, and put Indiana landscapes on the map.

Lynne Gilliatt

My favorite watercolorist is August Macke, a German painter. I love his Tunisian watercolors and drawings. … Colors vivid, he was lighthearted and wanted to do oils from these studies.

Robin Edmundson

In my opinion, Andrew Wyeth was the best watercolor artist of all time. He was a genius with light and a limited palette. I love his combination of very wet, spare “shorthand” strokes and his very complicated drybrush work.

March question for IMO: If you could paint anywhere in the world, time and money being nonfactors,where would it be and why?

Send your 1- to 3-sentence response to Nancy Davis-Metz by Feb. 21 and look for your opinion to be published in the March issue. Please use IMO as your email’s Subject Line.