Nov. 12

BWS meeting program focuses on Georgia O’Keeffe florals

Carol Rhodes and Nancy Metz will present an abbreviated sample of the class they teach for Ivy Tech’s Center for Lifelong Learning, “Paint Like the Masters.” The program will feature Georgia O’Keeffe, focusing on her abstract florals. After a brief presentation about O’Keeffe, members will practice composing abstract shapes, mixing and glazing colors, and different methods for veining. Bring watercolor paper, pencil, ruler, scissors, brushes and paint (cobalt or ultramarine blue, transparent yellow, quinacridone gold, permanent rose, and permanent alizarin crimson).

The business meeting starts punctually at 6 p.m. with a refreshment break at 6:45. The program begins at 7 p.m. The meeting is at the First Christian Church at the corner of Kirkwood and Washington in Bloomington. Please enter through the Washington Street door.

Sharing to be a regular feature of monthly meetings

Bring to the November meeting the botanical paintings you started at the October meeting plus any artwork you are working on or have recently finished. “We always learn and grow from seeing how and what others are doing,” BWS President Kitty Garlock said, “and it is a great way to share our expertise.”  So bring your work — finished or in progress — and display it (no presentation), so people can enjoy it and discuss it on break if they like.

By-laws revision and future meeting location

to be voted on at November business meeting

Bylaws revision

The BWS Executive Board received two proposals for by-laws amendments which would add two additional committees, and the board approved both. Due to recent re-evaluation the item to add the Portrait Group as a committee to the by-laws has been discontinued. Members will vote on the remaining proposed amendment at the Nov. 12 meeting. The current by-laws can be found at http://bloomingtonwatercolor.org/about/by-laws/. Jill Olshavsky, BWS secretary and by-laws chair, asks all members to consider the amendment and be ready to vote.

Amendment 1: Create a Finance Committee and add it to Article XI: Committees

The President, with the approval of the Executive Board, shall appoint standing and special committees as necessary to carry forward the objectives of BWS. Standing Committees shall include: Activities, Finance, Historian, Meetings/Programs, Membership, Newsletter, Nominating, Plein Air, Publicity, Refreshment, Scholarship, Shows, and Technology.

Rationale: A Finance Committee to assist the treasurer would be able to: provide a contingency in case the treasurer is ever unable to perform duties or attend external finance meetings, offer historical and organizational perspective, and witness the treasurer’s decisions. It would be a supportive deliberative body in cases of conflicting visions with regard to what is most important to the organization. The committee would be recommended by the treasurer and agreed upon by the board and, when Finance Committee meetings occur that may involve decisions that would affect some stakeholders, those parties could be invited.

Venue change

At the Nov. 12 meeting, members will vote whether to continue meeting at the First Christian Church (FCC) or to move BWS meetings to St. Mark’s United Methodist (SMUM), 100 N. State Road 46, Bloomington, a site researched by an ad hoc committee and approved by a nearly unanimous vote of the Executive Committee.

At the meeting, no more than five people will be allowed to speak to the benefits of FCC and five for SMUM alternately. Each person will be given one minute to speak. A silent ballot vote will be taken and counted that night with results being announced either that night or online the next day.

If you cannot attend the meeting, you may vote online at venuevote@bloomingtonwatercolor.org.

The following is a comparison of the two venues.

Parking

FCC: Some free parking in the nearby lots but people often have to use meters or walk long distances. The city’s new proposals for parking lot changes would also effect this issue.

SMUM: Private parking lot for the church and activities, all free and close to the meeting room. Handicapped entrance close to the handicapped parking area.

Cost

FCC: With the added service of a helpful custodian, the yearly cost for the space is close to $630 a year.

SMUM: Building cost is free to us. The custodian is in the building and available for assistance but table arrangement is easily done by our members since the standard room arrangement is set up just like we would have it. We may want to move the tables closer together.

Secure location

FCC: Street lights keep sidewalks well lit, but the back alley is dark and poorly paved. There is some apprehension about potential encounters with questionable sorts and scooters. Building is kept locked. Members must memorize a security code to enter.

SMUM: Location is on the Bypass with minimal pedestrian traffic for potential encounters. Walkways and parking lots are well maintained and lit. Building remains unlocked until 8:30 p.m. when our meeting time is over. We are expected to be out of the building by 8:30 p.m.

Convenience of the location

FCC: Location in the center of town lends to access from all areas; can be congested but rarely on Monday nights.

SMUM: Travel distance would be shortened considerably for close to 75% of our active members. The Bypass just before 6 p.m. can be a challenge with rush hour traffic for some people coming from the west side.

Promise of a designated space every month at the time we meet

FCC: Yes, with annual renewal fee

SMUM: Yes, with annual application. Building closes at 8:30 p.m.

Technology and acoustics

FCC: Presenters bring in their own equipment which can sometimes cause a lot of setup time and extension cords. No digital projector or screen. Two electrical outlets in the room. The wall used as back drop is very good, but there is no screen. Sometimes the emergency lighting is so bright in front of the wall that visibility can be limited. Minimal, if any, problems with acoustics. If need be that can be addressed with a microphone.

SMUM: With no experience at this yet, we may find problems later, but a screen and digital projector are in the room. Presenters can hook a laptop to a projector jack for showing Powerpoint or other presentation software. Personal device use is accelerated due to having access to WiFi. Electrical outlets every 15 feet or so (albeit along the perimeter of a very large room). Microphone use is a necessity in the room we will use due to poor acoustics, but mikes are also part of the equipment which is permanently set up and ready for use. We may have to invest in a portable mike if we find it necessary.

Adequate area, light, and durable tables

FCC: A bit congested, well lit, durable tables

SMUM: Plenty of space, well lit, durable tables

Break down/Set up

FCC: Available with a custodial fee at the same cost as room rental. Jo has often assisted with cleanup as late as 9 p.m.

SMUM: Unnecessary as standard room setup is good for our purposes — we could move the tables closer together if we like though, We would have to have things in order by 8:30 p.m.

Water

FCC: Not a problem

SMUM: Not a problem

Handicapped accessible

FCC: A bit of a challenge with steps at every entrance requiring lifts/elevators

SMUM: Designated handicapped parking has a convenient entrance to the room we would use.

Availability for workshops

FCC: Has the upstairs room with more expansive space — a bit dark in spots — extra cost?

SMUM: Same room available for fee. A One-Day Use application would need to be completed to set up a time to coordinate in to their main schedule

Kitchen facility

FCC: Has always met our needs. We do most of the cleanup except dirty dishes and floors. A kitchenette serves the meeting room. Full kitchen is upstairs.

SMUM: Full kitchen (on same level, about 20 feet from meeting room). Cleanup is required by the group using it. Minimal work but a small team — maybe people who brought refreshments — may be used for quick cleanup. (This January the kitchen will be unavailable due to renovation work being done.)

Area for supplies

FCC: Jo has always found room for us to keep needed materials

SMUM: Right now no such area is available but Carla is looking into it

Coffee

FCC: Yearly budget for coffee and hospitality is $90 — $50 for coffee and $40 for supplies. Used the church pots and hot plate.

SMUM: Coffee urns available, no coffee pots unless we bring our own (which we have to do for January anyway) Assume the yearly budget would be the same as for FCC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos and visits

We are familiar with FCC so pictures of SMUM and the distribution map (every x marks a place where a member lives — lists include people off the map) are provided. If you would like to see the facility before you make your decision, we have a list of people who are willing to show you around. Give us a time and we will see if we can set you up with someone. You can also visit on your own. The building is open from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Claire Schaffer is a secretary there if you feel you need to contact someone before you go. Her number is 812-332-5788.

 

Upland to plan 2019 activities

Upland invites all BWS members to its 2019 planning meeting and lunch social Nov. 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Sherwood Green Clubhouse, 985 E. Buckingham Street, just off Winslow Road in Bloomington.

Bring a potluck dish and one of your paintings to share as well as your ideas for next year’s programming. The meeting will start at 10:30 a.m., with lunch around noon followed by show and tell.

“We will discuss fun indoor ideas to keep us inspired through the winter (mid January – March) plus where to go painting this coming spring and beyond,” said Kristen Stamper, Upland chair. “Winter is a great time to shake things up a bit. How about at breakfast urban sketch at the new El Ranchero restaurant? Or afternoon refreshments and wine with an instructional video? Know an artist whose studio we could visit who is not from our group? Want to organize a field trip to the Indianapolis Art Museum or another destination?”

Stamper also welcomes Upland painters to teach what they have learned in a workshop or share an exciting technique.

“Your wonderful contributions in the past have gotten us into urban sketching, taken us to sketch ballet practice, educated us on paint pouring, Notan composition, and so much more,” Kristen said.

Email Kristen with your idea for hosting a session and a date request or other items for the agenda. You may also sign up at the meeting for a hosting date.

Celebrate at the BWS Holiday Party Dec. 5

BWS members will gather at the Meadowood Terrace Room Wednesday, Dec. 5, for its annual Holiday Party. Social “hour” is at 6 p.m. with dinner served at 6:30 p.m. The dinner menu, cost and reservation instructions will be announced at the Nov. 12 meeting.

To participate in the Painting Exchange, bring an original painting no larger than 8 x 10. The painting can be matted but does not have to be. Paintings should be a copy of a master painter or a painting in the style of a master painter. The name of the BWS member as well as the name of the master painter (and title of the painting being copied, if that is the case) should be on the back of the painting.

At the party, numbers will be put on the outside of each painting. A paper with the same number will be put in a drawing box. Each member who brought a painting will draw a number from a box and then claim the painting with the corresponding number. Everyone who brings a painting will go home with a painting.

We Paint … the Blues! 

The prospectus for our exhibit for the Week of Chocolate is now online at http://bloomingtonwatercolor.org/member-shows-workshops/show-rules/2019-art-of-chocolate-prospectus/.

The exhibit will be hung in time for the Feb. 1 Gallery Walk. All details are on the website.

The Vault and LIFEDesigns will sponsor a Best of Show prize package worth $250, including $100 cash and two tickets to the Keynote Event of the Week of Chocolate.

The deadline for submission of images for “We Paint … the Blues!” has been extended to Dec. 1. LIFEDesigns marketing for the Week of Chocolate will determine the image used, and one image will appear on the front cover of the program at the Art of Chocolate.

May Creek Farm

2018’s final Saturday Paintout

BWS Scholarship

The BWS Scholarship table sale met its goal of $300. Thank you to all who donated and to those who shopped. The leftover supplies were taken to the Teachers Warehouse, including the books, which will certainly contribute to art libraries in various schools around the county.

Portrait Group exhibits 50+ works at MCPL

Member news

Robin Edmundson has artwork in the 2018 Rose-Hulman fall art exhibit, “through her eyes.” The show at Moench Hall on the Rose-Hulman campus in Terre Haute runs through Dec. 20.

Betty Wagoner, Jacki Frey, and Ann Karine Bley are showing their paintings at the T.C. Steele site in the art show, Friends of T.C. Steele. Ann Karine and Jacki both won special awards for their paintings. The show hangs until Nov. 28.

Sara Steffey McQueen will be showing her “Mythological Stories” acrylics at the THOMAS GALLERY, 107 N. College St. in Bloomington, for the month of December. She will be sharing the space with a painter, Randy Rud-Cloud. The reception will be on First Friday, Dec. 7, 5 – 8 p.m. The show is titled “Intuitive by Nature.”

Betty Wagoner has had two watercolor paintings accepted in to the Richmond Art Museum 120th Annual Exhibit, Nov. 8 – Jan. 12. The juror for the show was Tyler Cann, curator at the Columbus Museum of Art in Columbus, Ohio.

Jacki Frey has a one-woman art show at the Bloomington Convention Center, 302 S. Walnut St. Dec. 1 – 28. The show has both watercolors and oils. The opening reception is on First Friday, Dec. 7.

Beyond BWS

The Kentucky Watercolor Society has published the prospectus for the 2019 AquaVenture, a regional exhibit open to KWS members and non-members 18 and older. The entry fee for KWS members is $35 for up to three entries and $55 for up to three entries from nonmembers. The show runs from March 17 to April 30 at the James Bourne Gallery, 137 E. Main St., New Albany, Indiana. The deadline for submitting entry form and digital images is Feb. 1. Work must have been completed in 2014 or later. For complete information, contact AquaVenture chair Trudi Bellou: 502-895-8881, 502-541-7543, tfb344@aol.com.

Workshops on the horizon

May 20-23 Anne Abgott Workshop, Kentucky Watercolor Society, $425 KWS members, $440 nonmembers. www.anneabgott.com

July 9-12 Don Andrews, “Landscape Color and Composition,” Watercolor Society of Indiana, $450 WSI members, $460 nonmembers, www.watercolorsocietyofindiana.org or email lhalcomb@indy.rr.com

Aug. 26-29 Paul Jackson Workshop, Kentucky Watercolor Society, www.Pauljackson.com.

Oct. 29 – Nov. 1 Soon Warren Workshop, Watercolor Society of Indiana, www.watercolorsocietyofindiana.org

IMO

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:

How do you know when a painting is finished? 

Kitty Garlock

In my opinion, a picture is done when there is enough information shared but it still has a bit of mystery for the viewers to do a little work themselves. Ultra realistic to simple geometric abstracts all have a tipping point — giving too much can backfire. And then, of course, there is a point where things get muddy or squeezed together or the freshness is gone — then it is too late!

Claude Cookman

I subscribe to the Japanese aesthetic called Wabi Sabi: “Nothing is perfect: nothing lasts forever; nothing is ever finished.” I understand the concern that too much fussy overworking can ruin a drawing or painting, but, rummaging through the clutter in our studios, we’ve all come across a work that’s a year or two old and immediately seen five or six additions and/or corrections we want to make. Our paintings are never finished because we are never finished.

Francie Agostino

After years of teaching art, I used to tell my students to look at their work and ask themselves these questions: Does my work have “Something short? Something tall? Something big? Something small? Something dark? Something light? Then my work should look all right!” I think every “finished” piece of artwork will fit this formula — albeit some better than others!

Meri Reinhold

I set my paintings up on an easel and “live with if for hours/days/weeks,” tinkering occasionally with areas that “bother” me. When I haven’t touched it for awhile, it is done.

Question for January:

What is your watercolor resolution for 2019?

Send your 1- to 3-sentence response to Nancy Davis-Metz by Dec. 15, and look for your opinion in the January issue. Please use IMO as your email’s subject line.