Bonnie
describes herself as a visual communicator. “Whimsy and imagination define my
style,” she said. “I live within the confines of dyslexia but refer to myself
as ‘reality challenged,’ an adult who continues to think like a child. My
paintings are inspired by dreams, song titles, famous quotes and twisted
misquotes.
Bonnie has
worked freelance for New York advertising agencies and animation design
studios. Her illustrations have appeared on greeting cards, posters, clothing,
rubber stamps, in magazines and children’s books. She will bring to the meeting
samples of her work.
“I hope to
teach how to draw like a melody maker, by weaving lyrical line and color on
paper,” Bonnie said.
Bring to
the meeting a dream (grab one by writing it down when you awaken), your
sketchbooks, watercolors, paper, your favorite (non-fugitive ink) drawing pen.
Unlike erasable pencil, your line will become part of your painting.
This presentation will start around 7 p.m., following a business meeting and refreshments that start at 6 p.m. The meeting is at St. Mark’s Methodist Church, 100 State Road 46.
Nina Ost sent these still life sketches inspired by Carol Rhodes’s presentation on Cezanne’s dynamic composition principles.
May 18
Daisy Garton Spring Plein Air Paintout is coming
Bloomington Restorations, Inc. (BRI) has invited members of the Bloomington Watercolor Society, its Upland Plein Air Painters, and artists from Art Alliance Brown County to paint Saturday, May 18, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hinkle-Garton Farmstead, 2920 E. 10th St., Bloomington.
Hinkle-Garton Farmstead, Photo by Bloomington Restorations, Inc.
Paintings created May 18 will be displayed and available for purchase inside the 1892 Queen Anne-style homestead at monthly Farmstead Open Days beginning May 25 from 1 to 4 p.m., and at events throughout the summer. Individual artists will donate 25 percent of the proceeds from art sales to pay for restoration of the Hinkle-Garton Farmhouse.
BRI members
will be present to assist with questions and information on the Paintout,
Farmstead, and BRI activities.
Upland Schedule
May 7, Henry’s Lake House, hosted by Henry Leck
May 14, Leslie Daniel’s Garden, hosted by Kitty Garlock
May 28, Cataract Falls, hosted by Kathy Barton
June 4, Upland organizational meeting, hosted by Kristen Stamper
BWS business
Finance Committee report
The Finance
Committee held its first meeting April 13 and will present a budget proposal
(including funds dedicated to workshops and visiting artists) to be approved by
the board this summer. Aside from normal ongoing expenses, a contribution was
suggested for St. Mark’s to be applied toward microphones. There were no
objections to the requests for funds from BWS committee chairs.
Member News
Jerry Harste would like to thank whoever in BWS suggested to the Bloom Magazine editors that he be honored as a featured artist in the current issue. It is much appreciated.
Above Left: Jo Weddle holds her Roy Lichtenstein-inspired abstract. Above Right: “Bear” was painted by Chris Flask. Jo and Chris showed their work last month at an exhibit of work produced in a recent “Painting Styles of the Masters” class at the Waldron.
Jacki Frey’s “Market Day Provence” received third place honors in the Indiana Artists Club’s juried show, which will hang through June 1 at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields.
Nancy Davis Metz was awarded a first place for “Early Morning Drive” and a fourth place for “Judith’s Patchwork Barn” in the watercolor division of Paoli’s Tri Kappa Art Show.
Lory Winters and Kristen Stamper have paintings juried into the Arts Illiana Gallery’s Anything Goes Show in Terre Haute. This five-state, all media exhibition runs from May 3 through July 19.
Penny Lulich as been painting her way around Germany.
Hamburg City Hall Square by Penny Lulich
Lake Starnberg by Penny Lulich
Beyond BWS
The Watercolor Society of Indiana has announced May 10 as the entry deadline for two shows: the 2019 Membership Show and the annual Juried Exhibit. Entry forms and additional information are available at http://www.watercolorsocietyofindiana.org.
The entry deadline for the Kentucky Watercolor Society’s Aqueous 2019 is July 1. This national show will be juried by Paul Jackson, a signature member of AWS and NWS. Write to KWS, P.O. Box 7125, Louisville, KY 40257-0125 for more information and a prospectus. Or you can email kentuckywatercolor@gmail.com to request a prospectus. The exhibition will hang at Actors Theatre in Louisville from Sept. 6 to Oct. 31.
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:
What is your favorite paintbrush? It may be the one you reach for the most, or it could be one that meets a very specific need. Identify the brush and tell why it is your favorite.
Jeanne Dutton
My favorite
paintbrush, and the only round brush I ever use anymore, is the Escoda
Versatil. It holds a beautiful point and lots of paint, and is also available
in a travel set. I have found that it meets, if not exceeds, the performance of
sables, even by the same company.
Carol Rhodes
My favorite brush is a Casaneo #2 quill. This synthetic brush can be used on an entire painting; it not only holds an immense amount of water to perform as a large-area mop, but it also comes to a tiny point for detail. I dab it on a damp cellulose sponge to help moderate the water.
Jill Olshavsky
One of my favorites is the #12 Lowe-Cornell 7020 Ultra Round synthetic brush. It’s inexpensive but keeps a great point.
Question for June:
What do you want to ask your BWS colleagues? I’ve been writing most of the questions for the last two years (with an occasional welcome assist from readers/leaders). So now it is your turn. Ask about subject matter, inspiration, techniques, supplies – just keep it watercolor-related, please. I will use your questions for this column in the upcoming year.
Send your 1- to 3-sentence response by June 1 to Nancy Davis-Metz. Please use IMO as the subject line of your email.
The March 30 Judy Mudd workshop on Atmospheric Landscapes was a sellout. Front row: Penny Lulich, Jo Weddle, Peggy York-Garcia, Meri Reinhold, Judy Mudd, Betty Wagoner. Middle Row: Norma Davis, Sarah Ward, Robin Edmundson, Linda Trowbridge, Kitty Garlock, Charlotte Griffin. Back row: Jacqueline Fernette, Bess Lee, Barbara Coffman, Nancy Davis Metz, Char Dapena, Susan Failey, Patty Uffman, Maura Stanton, Katya Alexeeva.
April 8
Weaving Depth and Direction into Your Painting:
Lessons from Paul Cezanne
Take your knowledge of composition to a new level by learning the ideas of Post-Impressionist and “father of modern art” Paul Cezanne. In this session, Carol Rhodes will instruct members how to manipulate objects by manipulating planes, forms, and shapes using dynamic versus static tension. Since Cezanne developed his techniques, famous artists have used these concepts in subtle to radical ways to create energetic compositions of all types of subjects — landscapes, still lifes, animated forms, and more.
During the demonstration each table will create a still life, manipulating the various objects in specific ways to demonstrate movement and energy.
As such, please bring one object you would like to see in a still life (to be shared with your table), plus a sketchbook and drawing implement.
Carol’s presentation will follow a brief business meeting that starts at 6 p.m. The meeting is at St. Mark’s Methodist Church, 100 State Road 46.
Letter from the BWS President
At our March meeting we asked for input from the group as to how we can best use our funds to support the goals and mission of our organization, which are as follows:
Article II — Objectives of the Organization
To promote the interest of the Bloomington Watercolor Society.
To increase the effectiveness of artists through education and activities about watercolor painting.
The definition of watercolor is “aqua media on 2-dimensional substrate.” The term “watercolor” shall be deemed to exclude encaustic or oil. Watercolor paintings can include other water-based mediums, e.g. collage, pastel, ink, etc., if the total does not exceed 50% of the painting. Official, member-only BWS shows may invoke stricter definitions, depending on specific show rules.
Keeping these in mind, we will be discussing at our meeting the following ideas from the response sheets we received last month.
Become a non-profit so that we can apply for grants
Reduce the cost of membership dues
Cover a percentage of the cost of a workshop, so the cost to members can be minimized
Organize more shows
Invite more artists from outside the organization to do workshops and demos for our programs (which will/may incur a stipend)
Purchase of a portable display wall for pop-up shows
It is important to note here that this is a fact-finding, consensus-building effort to go forward with ideas and suggestions favored by as much of the group as is possible and to keep us a fulfilling, progressive organization. The discussions we will be having will address next year’s budget planning.
The finance committee will be meeting this month for a review of the past year’s budget and to make considerations for next year’s. With this feedback they will be able to discuss the impact of our suggestions on our budget and to provide our leadership team and new executive board with a clearer idea as to how to move forward when they gather this summer.
Please come next Monday with your ideas and open minds to help us establish ideas as to how our monies will be spent.
Hope to see you there.
Kitty Garlock
BWS President 2018-19
A Signature Collection:
Bloomington Watercolor Society
Eight of Bloomington Watercolor Society’s Signature Members are exhibiting their work at the Indianapolis Airport till mid-July. The exhibit includes 24 pieces from Tricia Wente, Bob Burris, Sara Steffey McQueen, Donna Whitsitt, Cathy Korinek, Jacki Frey, Jerry Harste, and Nancy Davis Metz.
This is the culmination of a nearly two-year process started when Tricia Wente applied to IndyArts for the venue. The group had to first pass a selection review, the Signature Members then self-juried each other’s work to choose the final exhibition works, and finally IndyArts had the final say on pieces to be hung.
The exhibit is on the Airport’s Departure Level between the ticket counters and the Food Court.
May 4
First Saturday Paintout of 2019
Shake off the chill of winter, get out your paint materials, and join fellow painters for BWS’s first plein air experience of the year at Musgrave Orchard, 8820 N. Old State Road 37. Besides the blooming apple trees, there is a lake, a lot of barns, and a garden. The paint out starts at 9 a.m. and continues till 1 p.m. Painters are welcome to bring their lunch and stay longer.
MarySueSchwab and Kyong Foy demonstrate a wax resist technique at a winter Upland event.
The resulting painting
Daisy Garton Spring Plein Air Paintout
BWS to paint, exhibit
at Hinkle-Garton Farmstead
Plein air painters will gather at the Hinkle-Garton Farmstead on East 10th Street at the invitation of Bloomington Restorations, Inc. (BRI) Saturday, May 18.
Members of the Bloomington Watercolor Society, its Upland Plein Air Painters, and artists from Art Alliance Brown County will paint from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Farmstead, 2920 E. 10th St., Bloomington. The Hinkle-Garton Farmstead includes two historic homes, farm land, gardens and outbuildings. Paintings created May 18 will be displayed and available for purchase inside the 1892 Queen Anne-style homestead at monthly Farmstead Open Days beginning May 25 and at events throughout the summer. Individual artists will donate 25 percent of the proceeds from art sales to pay for restoration of the Hinkle-Garton Farmhouse.
The Hinkle property was settled in 1886 and grew to 82 acres which included a dairy farm and later a flower farm. As the city of Bloomington grew, land was sold to various buyers such as the Illinois Central Railroad. In addition, land was sold for the building of the U.S. Post Office and to developers for an apartment complex. The Farmstead today contains 11 acres.
Daisy Hinkle Garton was born on the Farmstead in 1908 and remained connected to it until her death in 2003. In the 1940s Daisy and her husband, Joe Garton, moved back to the Farmstead. Daisy and Joe had both studied music at Indiana University. Upon their return, Joe taught in the Indianapolis schools, and Daisy taught in the Bloomington schools and also gave private lessons in the home. Daisy loved the land, her students and tenants, art and sharing her heritage with others. Upon her death, she left the property in her trust to a not-for-profit organization that would preserve the Farmstead and operate a museum within the main rooms of the first floor of the farmhouse. The Farmstead retains the history and bygone charm.
Artists who have been invited to paint are excited to bring life to paper and canvas with images that recall the times, flowers, the music and the historical buildings of the Hinkle-Garton Farmstead. BRI members will be present to assist with questions and information on the Paintout, Farmstead, and BRI activities.
Betty Wagoner (left) hosted the first Spring outdoor Upland event at Bryant Lake.
Upland
Spring destinations announced
With the weather a bit warmer, Upland Plein Air Painters has switched to outdoor painting events. The 2019 outdoor schedule kicked off March 26 at Bryant Lake shelter house in Morgan-Monroe State Forest, complete with a campfire lunch thanks to Betty Wagoner. A spring goal is to catch the spring glory with some great gardens and the blooming apple trees at Musgrave Orchard.
Upland generally meets from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays, but as morning temps may be chilly, start times may be shifted later. Be sure to get the final details on times and locations with a quick email to upland@bloomingtonwater.org.
April 2, Strahl Lake Brown County State Park, hosted by Claude Cookman
April 9, Gnaw Bone Camp, hosted by Jane Matranga
April 16, May’s Greenhouses (local) or Azalea Path (long distance–bring bag lunch), hosted by Kathy Barton
April 23, Musgrave Orchard or Paynetown SRA, hosted by Katya Alexeeva
April 30-May 2, Retreat at Waveland (long distance), hosted by Betty Wagoner
May 7, Henry’s Lake House, hosted by Henry Leck
Obituaries
Carolyn Waldman
Carolyn Waldman, a former but long-term member of BWS, died Friday, March 8, after a long battle with cancer. She was active in this organization’s early years, participating in workshops and painting with BWS friends.
Sammye Dina Smith
Sammye Dina Smith, also a former BWS member, died March 31 after more than four years of declining health. Bruce Smith, her husband, asks that any memorial contributions in her name be made to the Greene County Humane Society, 1026 N 1375 W, Linton, IN 47441.
Works by Steve Edwards have been juried in to two shows. His painting in the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society Member Exhibit received an Honorable Mention Award from juror Yachiyo Beck. There were 504 entries. Steve also has a painting accepted in the “[untitled] exhibit” at the Athens Art Gallery in Crawfordsville, Ind. LuAnn Lamie selected 83 paintings from 543 entries for the show, which will hang from April 6 to May 4.
Beyond BWS
The Watercolor Society of Indiana has announced May 10 as the entry deadline for two shows: the 2019 Membership Show and the annual Juried Exhibit. Entry forms and additional information are available at http://www.watercolorsociety of indiana.org.
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:
As spring turns our world green again, what are your favorite greens to paint with? Please provide tube/pan colors, pigment codes, or “mixing formulas” you prefer.
Betty Wagoner
One way to gray a green is to mix yellow with Payne’s Gray. Winsor Newton’s “neutral tint” when used from the tube provides a gray green that can be used as a base color or tree trunks or late winter grass.
Meri Reinhold
The only tube green I use direct from the tube is from American Journey: Earthen Green. Otherwise I mix Permanent Sap Green (W/N) with a dark blue such as Ultramarine or Phthalo (various brands), or various yellows.
Jeanne Dutton
Mayflower and Tulips by Jeanne Dutton
My favorite green is Sap, but I use it as a starter green. Add some lemon to make a sunny green or blue to cool it down. When I paint leaves, I often blend the colors on the paper and drop in a touch of the flower’s color, just to add some interest.
Deborah Rush
I always use Winsor Newton paints: Green Gold as a base, and Perylene Green for darks. I occasionally add my staple colors Opera Rose, New Gamboge, or Indigo to shift the greens one way or another. I know these are oddball colors compared to what others use, but I never use anything else for greens, no matter what I’m painting.
Jo Weddle
I have accumulated many tubes of green paint. It seems the one I use the most is Sap Green though most of the time I use it as the starter color and then add different yellows, blues, neutral tint (and/or others) to get the shade I want. One artist whose workshop I attended a long time ago said he never bought tubes of green but achieved what he needed by mixing blue, yellow, and/or whatever else gave him the results he needed.
Jerry Harste
I really dislike most tube greens, and I’m not a big fan of greens generally. When I do use green, I almost always add blue (Ultramarine, Cobalt, Turquoise) or yellow (Cadmium Yellow Deep, Lemon Yellow, or Aurequne) to vary the shade and never stay with one color for very long. I’ve gotten sucked in to buying Skip Green, Jadeite Genuine, and any quantity of other greens but am always disappointed. I am really hoping to learn something useful from other people’s answers to this question.
Question for May:
What is your favorite paintbrush? It may be the one you reach for the most, or it could be one that meets a very specific need. Identify the brush and tell why it is your favorite.
Send your 1- to 3-sentence response by April 21 to Nancy Davis-Metz, and look for it in the May newsletter. Please use IMO as the subject line of your email.
At the March meeting, Claude Cookman will help members achieve perspective in their paintings. “In realistic art, we try to create the illusion of three-dimensional space on a flat, two-dimensional surface by mimicking how our eyes and brains perceive spatial depth in the three-dimensional world,” Claude said. In his presentation, Claude will illustrate, demonstrate, and guide us in hands-on practice of the six principles to achieve spatial depth.
Supplies needed: vine charcoal; large, inexpensive sketch pad (newsprint is fine); soft cloth, paper towels or chamois; kneadable eraser.
Claude sends this image as homework for the March session. All six aspects of spatial depth are located in Gustave Caillebotte’s 1877 “Paris Street on a Rainy Day.” Can you identify them?
March 11 meeting
St. Mark’s United Methodist Church
100 State Road 46, Bloomington
6 p.m.
President’s message
By Kitty Garlock
As many of you know, at our February meeting we decided to switch our location to St. Mark’s United Methodist Church. This move not only frees us of having to spend time looking for parking spots but it also frees up $630 a year. The big question, therefore, has been asked: “What is our focus?” That great question connects directly with how we should use our funds.
Some of the ideas I have heard people share are to reduce the dues back to $25, fund half the cost of a workshop to make them available to more people, pay a small stipend to our program presenters, advertise our paintouts and gatherings to promote new membership and community awareness, create another set of cards, broaden our choices for potential gallery venues, become an official nonprofit, and more.
So I put this out there to you as a group of invested members: Where are we going with BWS? How will our monies be spent?
The finance committee meets this month for next year’s budget planning, and a discussion of these ideas will take place at our March meeting. Come with your ideas.
However we answer these all-important questions, I know our group and its corresponding board committees will choose wisely.
Penny Lulich, Jeanne Dutton, and Linda Branstetter painted greeting cards and sold them at the Art of Chocolate gala last month.
Upland
Check out these fun, creative opportunities
Upland Plein Air Painters is busy this month with indoor events to keep your artistic juices flowing. Come out and join us for workshops and the first paintout this spring. We generally meet from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays, but be sure to get the final details on times and locations with a quick email to us at upland@bloomingtonwatercolor.org.
March 12, Cuba Watercolor Workshop, hosted by Jacki Frey
March 19, Wax Resist Workshop, hosted by MarySue and Bill Schwab
March 26, Bryant Lake Shelter, Morgan-Monroe State Forest, hosted by Betty Wagoner
April 2, Strahl Lake Brown County State Park, hosted by Claude Cookman
Upland painters gathered at El Ranchero for an eat-feast-paint-in. Two new members joined the group, Barbara (far left) and Judy (far right).
Two Saturday paint-outs in May
The first Saturday paint-out in May will be May 4 at Musgrave Orchard when the apple trees should be in bloom.
The second paint-out will be May 18 at the Hinkle-Garton Farmstead, 2920 E 10th St, Bloomington. Painters will be on site 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and are invited to paint in any medium. Participants are then invited to finish and frame paintings by Wednesday, May 22, for a show that will be displayed at the Farmstead Museum. Delivery will be between 10 a.m. and noon May 22.
Watch for more information in the April and May issues of Brushstrokes.
Member News
Sweet Iris by MarySue Schwab
Turquoise Barn by Robin Edmondson
MarySue Schwab and Robin Edmundson have had paintings juried into the Kentucky Watercolor Society’s Aquaventure Show, which will hang at the James Bourne Gallery in New Albany from March 16 to April 30.
Robin Edmundson has a show at the Lawrence County Art Center from March 22 – April 22. The Artist Reception is March 22 from 5 to 7 p.m. Lawrence County Art Association is located at The Wiley Art Center, 1402 J St., Bedford.
Market Day Provence by Jacki Frey
Market Day Provence, a watercolor by Jacki Frey, has been accepted into the Indiana Artists juried show at the Indianapolis Museum of Art from April 5 to June 1.
Beyond BWS
The Watercolor Society of Indiana has posted its Prospectus for its Exhibit 2019 to be held at Newfields, Indianapolis Museum of Art Aug. 4 – Sept. 29. The Postmark Deadline for entries is May 8. And the deadline for receipt of entries to the WSI office (CDs, flash drives or emails) is May 10. The Prospectus is at https://www.watercolorsocietyofindiana.org/juried-exhibit/.
The Bloomington Environmental Commission has announced “Lakes, River, & Streams, Oh My!” as the theme of its 2019 Eco-Heroes Art Contest. This theme is intended to encourage participants to express the important role of water and water bodies play in our environment, our well-being, and our community. Participants are welcome to work collaboratively or individually. Entries using recycled or reused materials is highly encouraged. All entries should be delivered to the Department of Planning & Transportation in Showers City Hall, 401 N. Morton St., Suite 130, by 5 p.m. Friday, April 5. For more information, email Kate Corcoran (corcoak@bloomington.in.gov) or Erin Hatch (hatche@bloomington.in.gov).
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:
Why? Why are you drawn to watercolor? What is it about this medium that keeps you interested?
Kitty Garlock
I started with watercolor because my husband and I so enjoyed viewing that kind of artwork with its flowing line and easy, skillful mix of color, image, and imagination. The investment was minimal and easy to supply so equipment I got years ago are still what I use today. I stick with it because I am still challenged to do the kind of work that drew my husband and me to it in the first place!
Claude Cookman
Because one could spend three life times and still not exhaust all the challenges, possibilities and delights this medium offers.
Phyllis Taylor
The fluidity of watercolor keeps me hooked. Plus, I love transparent washes to control visual “temperature,” especially in portraits.
Jo Weddle
As I view artworks done by many artists, those done in watercolor always catch my eye and are my favorites. Watercolors on the page to me project warmth; I love the colors and shades, and they touch me with a sense of softness and tenderness more than any other medium does. That is the challenge that keeps me interested: trying to paint pieces that will give my viewers those same emotions.
Question for April:
As spring turns our world green again, what are your favorite greens to paint with? Please provide tube/pan colors, pigment codes, or “mixing formulas” you prefer.
Send your 1- to 3-sentence response by March 21 to Nancy Davis-Metz, and look for it in the April newsletter. Please use IMO as the subject line of your email.
It is important that everyone is aware that we will be trying out St. Mark’s United Methodist Church for the location of our Feb. 11 meeting, located off the Bypass just west of Starbucks. Take Seventh Street off the Bypass and drive around the building to the parking lot. For those wanting to use a GPS, the address is 100 State Road 46, Bloomington. The meeting starts at 6 p.m.
We have bantered about the possibility of moving to this location for several months now and want people to experience it before we vote. It does have a few adjustments we will have to make, but ease of parking and the fact that it is a free venue may make it worth a few inconveniences.
However, a big consideration is the lighting, and though we do not know exactly how this will be, we want to be as prepared as possible. Thus, we are asking people to bring a lamp for their use at a round table. (Probably each table will need only one lamp.) It would be good to have a battery-operated lamp, but we will have extension cords and power strips that we hope can be arranged to work for people to plug into.
As with all changes, adjustments will need to be made and old ways changed to new, but sooner or later the new becomes what we are used to and life goes on. This I am feeling will be no different.
Feb. 11
Jane Matranga presents program
on head count-figure proportion
Jane Matranga introduced gestural figures at the January meeting. She will present Part Two of figure drawing this month, focusing on proportions.
This presentation will demonstrate how to use the head as a unit of measurement for calculating figure proportions. “Learning the locations on the body for each head will help artists build a figure without looking at a model,” said Jane Matranga, who will present the program. Bring a sketchpad (the larger the better), a ruler or straightedge, pencil, and eraser.
The program follows a business meeting that starts at 6 p.m. A refreshment break is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. with the program starting at 7 p.m.
March 30
Judy Mudd to present workshop
on Watercolor Landscapes
Judy Mudd
In this one-day workshop, attendees will work from photographs to complete one or two landscape paintings. Beginning with an urban scene, workshoppers will explore the process of creating an artistic vision including atmosphere, design, and composition, simplifying and expanding to improve the subject and how to say more. Painters will work on developing various elements of a street scene, including simplified figures and vehicles, poles, signs, and more. If time allows, the workshop will also include a simplified rural scene.
Judy Mudd is a full-time artist and has been a watercolor instructor for over 10 years. She is a juried member of numerous watercolor societies and has just been named Kentucky Watercolor Society’s Watercolor Artist of the Year for 2019.
The workshop runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at the First Christian Church, 202 E. Kirkwood Ave. The fee is $92 for BWS members and $100 for non-members. The class has a maximum number of attendees of 20. BWS will fill the class with members first and if slots are available after March 9, non-members will be registered.
“Playing the Blues” by Bob Burris will be featured on the Art of Chocolate’s program cover.
The opening reception for “We Paint … the Blues!” was a great success, thanks to many people:
Artists who braved the amazingly cold weather to drop off their paintings
Gabe Colman of The Venue Fine Art and Gifts and Anne-Karine Bley, BWS Show Chair, and their crew who hung the show
Judges Gabe Colman, John LaBella, and Julie Roberts
John LaBella of The Vault at Gallery Mortgage for providing us the space and his awesome red beans and rice, served at the reception along with lots of goodies.
Stephanie Shelton of LIFEDesigns for inviting BWS to be a part of the Week of Chocolate.
The art lovers who purchased hand-painted greeting cards and one of the paintings on display
Congratulations to Claude Cookman, who won Best of Show; Bob Burris, BWS signature member, who won runner-up; and Nancy Metz who won the drawing for two tickets to the Art of Chocolate Feb. 9.
The show will be up until March 29 with a second reception 5 to 8 p.m. March 1 during Gallery Walk. The Vault at Gallery Mortgage, 121 E. Sixth St., is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Bob Burris’s painting will be featured on the cover of The Art of Chocolate program for the Art of Chocolate gala event Feb. 9.
Bonus content
How the Best of Show painting came to be
by Claude Cookman
Image 1
Image 2
I audited an IU drawing course last fall with Professor Caleb Weintraub, who encouraged us to be expressive and experimental. By the time the course project was assigned, BWS had announced the theme of “The Blues” for its exhibition at The Vault. So I decided to combine the two. I submitted the first image for the course project in mid December. I kept working and submitted the second image for our exhibition. I finished it late Tuesday night. More precisely, I stopped working on it; nothing is ever finished. Then I framed it Wednesday morning.
I had never done an homage before and wanted to honor Joel Washington, a truly great Bloomington artist who has created hundreds of such paintings, all of them much better. Anything of value in my painting goes to his credit.
Technical details: The base layer is gouache with pumice to which I added blue watercolor. Washington paints with acrylic. My painting is pastel, and that makes it more difficult to get crisp edges.
Contents: The polka dots and stars evoke designs on the socks and handkerchiefs Hooker wore in his later years. The capital and lowercase Greek letters reference the Mississsippi Delta where the blues were born.
If you’ve never heard Hooker’s signature number, “Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom,” I encourage you to check out this version from the 1980’s movie “The Blues Brothers”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUUyFrHERpU.
Check out these fun, creative opportunities with Upland
The first 2019 Upland event was at Hopscotch Cafe where many people showed up to loosen up with some quick sketches.
Upland Plein Air Painters is busy this month with indoor events to keep your artistic juices flowing. Come out and join us for urban sketching, special opportunities with a live model and the IU ballet rehearsal, breakfasts out, and art viewing in Nashville. We generally meet from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays, but be sure to get the final details on times and locations with a quick email to us at upland@bloomingtonwatercolor.org.
*Feb. 8 Live model at IU Fine Arts Building, hosted by Claude Cookman. Note that this is a Friday.
Upland’s next gathering was at Babette Ballinger’s to hear about and share color palettes and brushstrokes of artists from Impressionists to Fauvists.
Feb. 12 Urban Sketch at Inkwell, hosted by Katya Alexeeva
Feb. 19 Breakfast and Urban Sketch at El Ranchero, hosted by Kristen Stamper
Feb. 26 Breakfast at the Art Colony with Brown County art tour, hosted by Babette Ballinger
*March 5 Ballet rehearsal sketch, hosted by Barbara Edmonds. Note that this is 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. rehearsal times.
Another wonderful experience was at Henry Leck’s home where Troy Kilgore, a local plein air oil painter, gave us a demonstration and answered questions. All photos by Kitty Garlock
Member News
The Great Egret by Meri Reinhold
Meri Reinhold writes that it is cold in Florida, although not as cold as Indiana. She says she did a “very bad painting” at a plein air event sponsored by the Brevard Watercolor Society and then went home and painted this one.
Needmore Coffee Roasters is displaying works by Susan Savastuk and Katie Mysliwiec this month. Needmore, 104 N. Pete Ellis Dr., is open 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
This book features paintings by BWS members Jeanne Dutton and Phyllis Taylor.
A Summary of the Cemeteries in Monroe County, Indiana features two watercolors by BWS members. Jeanne Dutton’s painting of the Bethel Old Fashioned Chapel at the corner of Hinkle Road and Bethel Lane is on the cover, and Phyllis Taylor’s painting of Dunn Cemetery is inside. Both of these were done for the “We Paint … Cemeteries” calendar project several years ago. The $18 book is available only at the History Center. It is full of color and black-and-white photos, maps, history, GPS coordinates, and lots of trivia about Monroe County.
Beyond BWS
Kristen Stamper at the Southside Art League in Greenwood, where her solo exhibition “Fresh Air” hung last month. Photo by Kathleen Barton
Up your eye for value, color, and more with a two-day workshop for oil and acrylic with BWS member Kristen Stamper at the Brown County Art Gallery Feb. 16 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Feb. 17 from 12:20 to 3:30 p.m. Learn when to make specific decisions as you develop your painting; then let go and play. These techniques are excellent for plein air, still life, and any application where your goal is painting quickly and with confidence. Class size is limited, so register today. Call 812-988-4609 by Feb. 10. The cost is $130. Snow dates are Feb. 23 and 24.
The Missouri Watercolor Society is holding its 2019 International Exhibition in St. Louis June 15 through July 27. Awards are expected to exceed $13,000. The prospectus is at www.mowsart.com, and the deadline for entry is midnight March 21. Michael Bailey, AWS, NWS, will serve as judge of selection and awards. He will also teach a four-day workshop June 24 through June 27.
Pikes Peak Watercolor Society of Colorado Springs, CO, has announced that its biennial International Watermedia 2019 Call is now open for entry at https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=6212. The organization is also having a three-day watermedia workshop taught by Martha Mans, AWS, June 12 through June 14. Contact Mary Piche at watermedia2019@gmail.com.
The Springfield Art Museum in Missouri has announced its call for Watercolor USA 2019 entries. The annual show highlights the very best in contemporary American watermedia. This year’s exhibit will run from June 8 through Sept. 1. The deadline to apply is Feb. 27. For full information on entry rules. fees, and how to submit artwork, go to www.sgfmuseum.org.
The Arts Alliance of Greater Bloomington will conduct its annual meeting 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, at the Bloominton Playwrights Project, 107 W. 9th St. Everyone is welcome, but only members can vote. You can join online or in person at the annual meeting. For more information, contact info@bloomingtonarts.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:
What is your best method for getting out of a painting slump? We all have them; what do you do when the creative spirit is not moving you?
Steve Dawson
I find looking at artwork gets me fired up and ready to paint; I do this either by going to a gallery or looking at art books or magazines such as Plein Air Magazine. Instagram is another source as I follow many painters and artists there. Seeing other people working on their craft sends that message to me that I need to get to work!
Claude Cookman
Artist’s block, like its cousin writer’s block, often stems from not knowing what to do next; so if you’re working on a long-term project, always stop while you know the next two or three steps and can pick up your trajectory at the next session. If you have no project in the works, try warm-up exercises, especially gesture drawings — just enjoy scribbling with your tools/paints with no end product at stake. If you’re bored, change mediums, subject matter, formats, styles, etc.; discover the fun of taking a totally new tack.
MarySue Schwab
This is inspiring when one is in a slump! Very good ideas that give you a jump start and may give you a new perspective! He has a second book out, too.
Tricia Wente
I head to the local art supply store, handle the brushes, then check out new materials, and that always does the trick! Usually I end up making a few purchases, and of course that is stimulation enough just to get things going on new paper or canvas; it makes me curious to see what can be done with something different. Recently, I have been playing with assorted watercolor paper textures and just experimenting has kept me busy!
Robin Edmundson
The way I get out of a slump is to choose a subject and do small drawings or paintings of it over and over again. It takes the focus off of “What do I paint?” and on to “How can I do this in an interesting way?” If I use scrap paper, then I don’t have to worry about creating a masterpiece or things getting too precious, and I can just explore/experiment.
Meri Reinhold
I usually draw instead. I’m more confident about my skills with pencil and paper than I am in paint. Sometimes I look through my collection of photos that I call “inspirations” and that gets me going again.
Char Dapena
Deadlines help me pick up a paint brush. Getting a painting done in time for “We Paint … the Blues!” got me out of my last painting slump.
Kitty Garlock
When I am in an art slump, it really helps me to go to an Upland paintout or a portrait group session. The enthusiasm I see in others and the inspiration of the samples of their work is very encouraging. Also, lately I have been looking at some art magazines and online videos, and it is amazing how helpful they can be.
Question for March:
Why?
Why are you drawn to watercolor? What is it about this medium that keeps you interested?
Send your 1- to 3-sentence response to Nancy Davis-Metz by Feb. 21, and look for your opinion in the March issue. Please use IMO as your email’s subject line.
Jane Matranga will present a program on figure drawing with an emphasis on gesture drawing. Gesture drawing is a type of sketching that is employed to capture a subject’s (usually a figure’s) basic form and illustrates movement. Practicing gesture drawing of figures can improve hand/eye coordination, drawing speed, and expressive mark making. Quick, fluid gesture drawing is used to capture the essence of movement and a figure’s pose. Bring a large sketch pad, and a pencil, pen or crayon to the meeting.
The business meeting starts promptly at 6 p.m. with a refreshment break at 6:45 p.m. and Jane’s program at 7 p.m.
The January meeting is at First Christian Church on the corner of Washington Street and Kirkwood Avenue. Please use the Washington Street door.
As always, members are invited to bring any artwork they have been working on.
Playing the Blues by Bob Burris
Feb. 1 – March 29
We Paint … the Blues! exhibit
Each BWS member may submit one framed artwork in any medium to the “We Paint … the Blues!” exhibit for the “Week of Chocolate,” benefiting LIFEDesigns. The works will hang Feb. 1 to March 29 at The Vault at Gallery Mortgage, 121 E. Sixth St., Bloomington.
The opening reception is Friday, Feb. 1, 5 to 8 p.m. Gallery hours for the exhibit is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
All entries must be for sale; a sales commission of 50 percent will go to LIFEDesigns. A $100 Best of Show Award is sponsored by John LaBella at The Vault. The winning artist as well as the runner-up will each receive two tickets to the Keynote Event Feb. 9. Other participating artists will be entered into a drawing for a pair of tickets to the Keynote Event.
Delivery of artworks is Wednesday, Jan. 30, from 10 a.m. to noon at The Vault.
Betty Wagoner was awarded Signature Member status at the November meeting by 2nd Vice President Charlotte Griffin.
Meri Reinhold (left) also received her Signature Member certificate and pen from Charlotte Griffin.
Upland winter season includes
Urban Sketching and education programs
Upland event details are shared a few days prior to the event. If you would like to join us, please email upland@bloomingtonwatercolor.org to obtain information for a specific date.
Jan. 8 Urban Sketch at The Hopscotch, corner of S. Morton and W. Dodds, hosted by Kitty Garlock
Jan. 15 Impressionist & Fauve Palettes, hosted by Babette Ballinger
Jan. 22 TBD, hosted by Henry Leck
Jan. 29 Preparing for “Show Season,” hosted by Anne-Karine Bley
Friday, Feb. 8 Live model at the IU Fine Arts Building, hosted by Claude Cookman
Feb. 12 Urban Sketch at Inkwell, hosted by Katya Alexeeva
Holiday Party
Candi Bailey and Connie Brorson
Cassidy Young and Deloris Schneider
Babette Ballinger holds the painting by Deborah Rush (left) during the painting exchange. Members painted their own subjects in the style of a famous painter; those paintings were then distributed randomly.
MarySue Schwab draws Santa’s hat. Members were each assigned one item to draw — blindly — on Santa or on the Grinch.
Santa?
The Grinch?
Activities chair Katya Alexeeva and program chair Jo Weddle planned the Holiday Party.
Obituary
Vi Working helped establish BWS Scholarship
As a BWS member, Vi Working was a program presenter and influential member of the original Scholarship Committee. A retired art teacher, she was influential in helping determine the criteria and standards for the BWS scholarship. Vi was a gracious hostess, welcoming many BWS members in to her home.
Vi loved creating art as well as teaching. She won awards in juried competitions in Columbus and Toledo, Ohio, and in Sampson County, N.C. She had solo art exhibitions in Bloomington, and her work was accepted in juried shows in Indianapolis. In 2012, she and her husband, Russ, published “Art Lesson Handbook, a Guide for Teaching Art in the Classroom.”
Vi died Dec. 23 in Bloomington. Memorial contributions may be made to the Indiana University Foundation for the Russell A. Working Science Teaching Education Scholarship, School of Education, Indiana University.
Member News
Wild Women by Sara Steffey McQueen
Sara Steffey McQueen‘s “Wild Women” linocut will be published in the We’Moon Datebook for 2020.
An American Beauty by Kristen Stamper
Kristen Stamper will show her “Fresh Air” inspired oil and watercolor paintings in a solo exhibition at the Off Broadway Gallery at the Southside Art League in Greenwood, Ind., Jan. 3-30. The address is 299. E. Broadway St. The artist reception is Friday, Jan. 11, from 6 to 8 p.m. The gallery is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Please call SALI to arrange for viewing by appointment at any other time at 317-882-5562.
Bartholomew County ornament for State Museum’s 92 County Tree by Bob Burris
Bob Burris has created a Columbus-themed paper ornament for the 92 County Tree on display through Jan. 6 at the Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis. Bob created a six-sided paper ornament depicting six Columbus sites: The Commons, Bartholomew County Courthouse, Large Arch, First Christian Church, Round Lake, and the covered bridge at Mill Race Park.
Jacki Frey is exhibiting her work at the Bloomington Convention Center through Jan. 13. The Convention Center is open regular business hours Monday through Friday. Artwork is displayed on the main floor near the front desk.
Beyond BWS
The deadline for entering the Kentucky Watercolor Society’s Aquaventure exhibit is Feb. 1. The exhibit will hang March 16 – April 30 at the James Bourne Gallery, 137 E. Main St., New Albany, Ind. The entry fee is $35 for KWS members for up to three entries and $55 for non-members for up to three entries. the juror of acceptance and awards is Daniel Pfalzgraf, curator for the Carnegie Center for Art & History in New Albany. For more information and a prospectus, contact Chairperson Trudi Bellou at tbf344@aol.com or phone 502-895-8881.
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:
What is your watercolor resolution for 2019?
Kathy Barton
My watercolor goal for 2019 is to submit to juried shows and work on signature status for 2020.
Carla Hedges
Just do it! Get my paints out and go for it!
Patty Uffman
Set up different color palettes for different subjects and seasons of the year.
Dawn Cartwright
I would like to challenge myself to paint at least once a week.
Meri Reinhold
Paint more often!
Bess Lee
To look, listen, learn from our local “masters,” art museums and images and … to practice, practice, practice!
Question for February:
What is your best method for getting out of a painting slump? We all have them; what do you do when the creative spirit is not moving you?
Send your 1- to 3-sentence response to Nancy Davis-Metz by Jan. 21, and look for your opinion in the February issue. Please use IMO as your email’s subject line.
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.
Jo Weddle, Deborah Rush, and Claude Cookman work on their botanical paintings at the October meeting, when Suzanne Thorin presented the program.
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.
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
Distribution map
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 painted in Nashville, Ind., last month.
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.
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
Sara Steffey McQueen (l) hosted the final Saturday Paintout of 2018 at May Creek Farms. With her is BWS President Kitty Garlock.
Jacki Frey
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
The Portrait Group’s first public exhibit included more than 50 works. The show hung at the Monroe County Public Library last month.
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.
Sovereign by Sara Steffey McQueen
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
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.
by Suzanne E. Thorin Scroll down to Painting Composite Flowers to learn more about botanical watercolors.
Suzanne Thorin will present a one-hour program providing a brief background of botanical art, examples of outstanding botanical artists, information about the major professional association, and some tips for painting botanicals. During the second half of the hour, members will draw a leaf on tracing paper, transfer it to watercolor paper, create a tonal shading, plan colors, and apply the first color washes.
Suzanne’s program will follow a brief business meeting that starts promptly at 6 p.m. at the First Christian Church, on the corner of Washington Street and Kirkwood Avenue. Please remember the group is working with a new schedule of business meeting at 6 p.m., refreshments at 6:45, and program at 7 p.m.
Supply list for Suzanne’s program
iPad or iPhone (to photograph leaf)
watercolor paper (Arches block, 11 X 14, 140# or your favorite hot-press paper. I will have Arches hot-press paper for anyone who needs it.)
tracing paper (9 X 12, Canson Vidalon Translucent vellum is best, but bring what you have in your arsenal)
pencil (Staedler Mars Lumograph 100. HB is fine.)
pencil sharpener
erasers (kneaded rubber and, if you have one, a Tombo Mono Zero or other small eraser)
paint brushes (Winsor & Newton, Series 7, sable, #1, #3, #4 — or any of these numbers and the brand you have. Also if you have an eradicator brush, bring it.)
watercolors (Bring a variety, including some greens — sap, leaf, Hooker’s, etc. — plus ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, burnt umber, permanent magenta, lemon yellow, etc. Bring whatever you have in your palette that you love.)
2 small jars for water
magnifying glass
white board (if you use one)
divider (a measuring tool, similar to a compass but with 2 points; if you don’t have one, Suzanne will have one to share.)
Suzanne will provide leaves, but you may bring your own as well.
Amira by Deborah Rush
Brian by Sande Nitti
Portrait Group to show work
The Bloomington Watercolor Society’s Portrait Group will stage an exhibition at the Monroe County Public Library gallery from Oct. 5 – 31. More than 50 works in a variety of mediums will display the faces and figures of a diverse range of models. Opening reception is Oct. 5 from 4:30 – 5:50 p.m. in conjunction with First Friday Gallery Walk.
Oct. 13
May Creek Farm site of final 2018 Saturday paint-out
Enjoy a Saturday paint-out and potluck lunch with your BWS paint pals at May Creek Farm Oct. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In addition to your painting supplies, bring a covered dish to share and your own plate and utensils. The shelter has electrical outlets that can accommodate a few crockpots.
The address is 8755 S Rockport Road, Bloomington IN 47403. Sara Steffey McQueen, a May Creek resident, says GPS sometimes sends people past their place so be alert. Here are suggested directions:
From Bloomington, take either Second Street or Third Street west to S.R. 37 South. Stay right to avoid getting on I-69. Turn right (west) at the first stoplight, which will be at Victor Pike. Follow Victor Pike and stay right as it splits at a “bottom.” Go up a large hill with a quarry. At Rockport Road ( a T intersection), turn left. May Creek is about a mile.
“Our community has a pinetree-lined drive to the left with a tall sign that has about 10 addresses and our name at the top,” Sara says. “Take the gravel drive and you will pass our dumpster, mailboxes, and come to the parking lot. Usually you will see a large white ‘Farm truck’ parked there. Park in the lot, and as you get out, walk to where the gravel leads — to the grassy field. We are painting wherever you are drawn. As you walk to the end of the gravel, look toward the Maypole and volleyball net. Walk across the field, between the Maypole and volleyball net, through the orchard, and you will see the shelter house with a blue metal roof. This is where we have an outhouse, running water, picnic tables, electricity, and a sweet little pond. We will have lunch there.”
Outreach
BWS member teaches color mixing
at Academy of Science and Entrepreneurship
by Cassidy Young
Nancy Metz worked with the art club at Academy of Science and Entrepreneurship.
Nancy Metz presented a watercolor mixing tutorial to the high school art club at the Academy of Science and Entrepreneurship last month. Around a dozen students explored mixing and glazing watercolor paint. The presentation was an excerpt from Nancy’s beginning watercolor class she has taught through Ivy Tech’s Center for Lifelong Learning.
Thanks to donations made to The Teachers Warehouse and the materials for the arts (local free supply facilities for teachers), each student left with not just new painting experience and some color theory but also their own uniquely created personal travel palette made from Altoid tins, sponges, and watercolor cake containers.
Editor’s note: This was a highlight of September for me. If you are interested in sharing any of your artistic skills to a polite and fairly avid group of high school students, talk to Cassidy. In October the art club will be working in ink, and in November fiber arts. –N.M.
Jerry Harste and Carla Hedges working at a Tuesday paint-out last month at the home of Karen Pacific and Dave Shipley.
A September Tuesday attracted several Upland painters to the home of Karen Pacific and Dave Shipley.
Upland fall schedule features
great destinations, next planning meeting
Come paint with Upland this fall at some super destinations on private property in October. November brings us inside with a paint-in at the Brown County Gallery and an organizational meeting. Then we will break until mid-January. Winter 2019 will feature indoor destinations to keep us inspired.
Upland will meet Nov. 13 to start planning for 2019. The earlier date will help avoid the winter weather issues that have plagued January planning meetings . Come learn about all things Upland and enjoy the lunch pitch-in social. Be thinking of where you would like to paint and when you can host. Please email agenda items to Kristen.
Oct. 9 Eric’s Horse Farm, hosted by Eric Brock (long distance)
Oct. 16 Gnaw Bone Camp, hosted by Jane Matranga
Oct. 23 Nashville, hosted by Lory Winford
Oct. 30 Laura Lynne’s Place, hosted by Babette Ballinger
Nov. 6 Brown County Paint-in, hosted by Jacki Frey
Nov. 13 Planning Meeting at Sherwood Green Clubhouse, hosted by Kristen Stamper and Betty Wagoner
Art of Chocolate news
BWS to exhibit “We Paint … the Blues!“
BWS will again participate in the Week of Chocolate with an exhibit at the Vault. LIFEDesigns will continue the ever popular theme of Mardi Gras. Our theme for the exhibit?
We Paint … the Blues!
Why? The blues grew up in the Mississippi Delta just upriver from New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz.
As a heads up, LIFEDesigns will be looking for work that can be used on marketing materials. If you get an early start and wish to submit your image for possible use on the invitations, the programs, other promotional materials, please do so preferably within the next three to four weeks. LIFEDesigns will make the final choice. Please let Jeanne Dutton know if you are interested and inspired — blues@bloomingtonwatercolor.org
The prospectus for We Paint … the Blues! will be posted by the October meeting and formally announced then.
Painting composite flowers
by Suzanne E. Thorin
Catherine Watters demonstrating her botanical watercolor techniques.
The Friends of Wellesley College (Wellesley MA) offers a certificate program in botanical art and uses the resources of its large botanical garden and an excellent teaching staff and visiting instructors.
Having been in the certificate program before I moved back to Bloomington, I was able to enroll in a three-day course this summer, “Painting Composite Flowers,” taught by Catherine M. Watters, who is a well-known botanical artist and also a fabulous teacher and mentor.
Composite flowers include asters, cosmos, dahlias, daisies, sunflowers, zinnias, and many others. Each flower is made of many little flowers (florets) that sit on a platform (receptacle) and the center or disk is made up of little tubular florets. The centers of composite flowers are notoriously hard to paint! One can see circular patterns, which are actually Fibonacci numbers. Fibonacci patterns occur in nature in petals, seed heads, artichokes, and leaf arrangements. The patterns fill space efficiently and expose the plant to proper amounts of sun and water.
Catherine had provided us with a complete list of supplies, including paints, paper, tools (even lamps and magnifying lamps) and brushes, so we arrived ready to paint. I remembered to check my suitcase to Boston so that the tubes of paint would not be confiscated ($25 extra, of course).
The flower Suzanne painted
Day One: We selected our flower from a huge bouquet supplied by Wellesley, planned our composition, photographed the flower for shape and shadow, drew a detailed pencil drawing on tracing paper, and added tonal shading. Throughout the day, Catherine walked around to each of us and made suggestions. She also gave 5- to 10-minute demonstrations. At the end of class we put our live flowers in the refrigerator and hoped they would live another day.
Day Two: My flower was in total distress the next morning, and I had to revive it by bathing it in cool water for 15 minutes (Catherine’s suggestion). It perked up and lasted two more days. We carefully studied our flower and leaves and used tester strips to make sure we were on target with colors. Some of us were painting daisies, and it was so interesting to compare the W&N and Daniel Smith New Gamboge. The pigment numbers on the tubes tell the story. My flower was a definite Daniel Smith New Gamboge. Catherine calls the first coat of paint a Tea Wash because it is so watery and the color faint. By the end of Day 2, most of us had applied a number of layers of paint.
A nearly finished painting
Day Three: Gone was my thought that we wouldn’t have enough to do. We added an hour to the final day and painted throughout except for our 20-minute lunch, which we brought with us. By the end of the day, when we posted our work for Catherine’s comments, I was surprised that I had gotten as far as I had. Others were behind me, but a few talented souls had almost completed their paintings. I had one nasty leaf that didn’t look right to Catherine. She corrected the turn of the leaf and showed me how to remove green paint from my hot-pressed paper. She uses a Mr. Clean sponge and cuts a small piece, wets it, and uses a tool that grabs the little wad and aids her in excising the unwanted color.
I learned so much in this class and renewed old friendships with some of my colleagues. The course cost nearly $350 plus my airfare. I was lucky to have been invited to stay with a fellow painter in Brookline so I didn’t have hotel expenses. It was worth the price, and I am ready to return for another class with Catherine next August.
Member News
Betty Wagoner, Jacki Frey, Anne-Karine Bley, and Katya Alexeeva attended the Indiana Plein Air Paintout Weekend at Michigan City September 21 – 23.
Franklin Street by Jacki Frey
Botanical Garden Lighthouse by Betty Wagoner
Beyond BWS
The Friends of T.C. Steele Member Art Show is Nov. 1 – 29. It is open to all Friends members. The show will be in the new T.C. Steele Visitor Center. If you are not a member, you may join when you register. The entry form, guidelines and information are at http://www.tcsteele.org/. Show entry forms are due Oct. 21; artwork is to be dropped off Oct. 30-31. The Reception and Friends Annual Meeting and Studio Wagon Celebration is Sunday, Nov. 4, from 2 – 4 p.m. You can call 812-988-0566 with questions.
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:
What makes a person an artist? How do you know when you have earned the right to claim the august title?
Kitty Garlock
When I was a student in elementary education this same question was asked of writers … when is a person a writer? I came to the conclusion then and I guess I still hold to it, that once you have started doing whatever it is, writing, painting, sculpting, reading, skiing, etc., you can claim to be a person of that skill. An artist is anyone who has begun to create no matter where in that journey they are!
Claude Cookman
In the early 1990s, a world-renowned photographer, referring to his renewed interest in drawing, told me that nobody in the Paris art world would take you seriously unless you sold your work. At first that seemed an overly simplistic stricture which unfairly privileged professional artists over amateurs, and I still don’t like excluding amateurs. On reflection, however, I understand it is the professionals who go into their studios every day and work eight to 12 hours who actually achieve high levels of art through the 10,000 hours of practice that Malcolm Gladwell articulated in “Outliers: The Story of Success.”
Meri Reinhold
My answer: courage. You don’t have to be a master or “talented.” You don’t have to have desire, the drive to create, to let your soul grow.
I love a quote by Kurt Vonnegut: “If you want to really hurt your parents, and you don’t have the nerve to be gay, the least you can do is go into the arts. I’m not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.
Question for November:
How do you know when a painting is finished?
Send your 1- to 3-sentence response to Nancy Davis-Metz by Oct. 21, and look for your opinion in the November issue. Please use IMO as your email’s subject line.
Sunlit Mission/San Francisco de la Espada by Patty Uffman
Sept. 7
Visit final reception for 2018 BWS Member Show
We invite you to visit the annual Bloomington Watercolor Society Member Show and see paintings done in a variety of water-based mediums. Expect to see a range of painting styles and subjects from 39 artists.
The show’s title, “We Paint … Past, Present, and for the Future,” is a nod to the Bloomington Bicentennial without limiting each artist’s choice of subject matter.
The exhibit opened Aug. 3 and runs through Sept. 27. It will be part of Bloomington’s First Friday Gallery Walk Sept. 7. Hours for viewing at The Vault at Gallery Mortgage are Monday – Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and First Friday on Sept. 7 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sept. 10
“Show and Share” and Scholarship Table Sale
Jacki Frey painted Bean Blossom Bridge when weather canceled an Upland paintout this summer. Members are asked to bring the paintings they produced this summer to the September meeting.
After a summer hiatus, Bloomington Watercolor Society resumes its monthly meetings Monday, Sept. 10. Members are asked to come early for the Table Sale and to bring paintings they have worked on this summer for a “Show and Share” session.
The sale starts at 5 p.m. BEFORE the meeting. There will be NO EARLY SALES. All proceeds go to the BWS Scholarship Fund. Thanks to contributions from members and friends, the table sale will feature many beautiful art books, papers and tablets, paints in all mediums (oil, acrylic, watercolor). Gently used and brand new art supplies include everything from charcoal sticks to brushes to a French half easel.
Checks or cash will be happily accepted. Members are asked to “round up” their totals, recognizing it all goes to a good cause.
The business meeting will start promptly at 6 p.m. with a refreshment break scheduled about 6:45 p.m. The “Show and Share” program will follow refreshments at 7 p.m.
The meeting is at the First Christian Church at the corner of Washington Street and Kirkwood Avenue. Please enter through the Washington Street entrance.
Saturday paintouts this fall
Sept. 8
BWS members are encouraged to participate in Indiana’s oldest plein air painting competition, the 30th Great Outdoor Art Contest, cosponsored by the Friends of T.C. Steele State Historic Site and the Indiana Plein Air Painters Association.
The Great Outdoor Art Contest categories include watercolor, acrylic, oil, and drawing/mixed media/other. All work must be started and completed the day of the contest; all paper and canvases must be stamped by the site staff before work begins. Gates to the T.C. Steele State Historic Site opens at 7 a.m. Artists may work till 2 p.m. when all artwork in the competition must be placed in the judging area.
Even if you choose not to paint, the event offers food and entertainment along with a chance to see amazing art created in a short time period.
Oct. 13
Enjoy a Saturday paintout and potluck lunch with your BWS paint pals at May Creek Farm Oct. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In addition to your painting supplies, bring a covered dish to share and your own plate and utensils. The shelter has electrical outlets that can accommodate a few crockpots.
The address is 8755 S Rockport Road, Bloomington IN 47403. Sara Steffey McQueen, a May Creek resident, says GPS sometimes sends people past their place so be alert. Here are suggested directions:
From Bloomington, take either Second Street or Third Street west to S.R. 37 South. Stay right to avoid getting on I-69. Turn right (west) at the first stoplight, which will be at Victor Pike. Follow Victor Pike and stay right as it splits at a “bottom.” Go up a large hill with a quarry. At Rockport Road ( a T intersection), turn left. May Creek is about a mile.
“Our community has a pinetree-lined drive to the left with a tall sign that has about 10 addresses and our name at the top,” Sara says. “Take the gravel drive and you will pass our dumpster, mailboxes, and come to the parking lot. Usually you will see a large white ‘Farm truck’ parked there. Park in the lot, and as you get out, walk to where the gravel leads — to the grassy field. We are painting wherever you are drawn. As you walk to the end of the gravel, look toward the Maypole and volleyball net. Walk across the field, between the Maypole and volleyball net, through the orchard, and you will see the shelter house with a blue metal roof. This is where we have an outhouse, running water, picnic tables, electricity, and a sweet little pond. We will have lunch there.”
Katya Alexeeva, Babette Ballinger, and Kathleen Barton were among the BWS artists exhibiting their works at the West Baden Springs Paintout in August.
Sept. 11 Karen & Justice St. Rains, hosted by Kitty Garlock
Sept. 18 TBA, hosted by Kitty Garlock
Sept. 25 Upland will not meet due to Peden Farm event (Sept. 27-28 and pick up from Member Show (Sept. 28, 10 1.m. to noon)
Oct. 2 Burris or T.C. Steele, hosted by Anne-Karine Bley
Oct. 9 Horse Farm, hosted by Eric Brock (long distance)
Oct. 16 Gnaw Bone Camp, hosted by Jane Matranga
Oct. 23 Nashville, hosted by Lory Winford
Oct. 30 Laura Lynne’s Place, hosted by Babette Ballinger
By-laws to be reviewed
In even years such as this one, we review BWS by-laws and solicit proposals for any necessary changes. After proposed changes are reviewed and approved by the Board, members are asked to vote at the November meeting. If you have a by-laws change to propose, please send it on or before Sept. 10 to info@bloomingtonwatercolor.org.
— Jill Olshavsky, secretary and by-laws chair
BWS programs announced for coming year
Program chair Jo Weddle has arranged the following programs for 2018-2019:
Nov. 12: Paint a Flower as Georgia O’Keeffe Would Have, Carol Rhodes and Nancy Metz
Dec. 5: Holiday Party at Meadowood
Jan. 14: Loosen Up with Gesture Drawing, Jane Matranga
Feb. 11: Head Count: Figure Proportion by Counting, Jane Matranga
March 11: Beyond Perspective: Eight Steps to Spatial Depth, Claude Cookman
April 18: Weaving Depth and Direction into Your Painting Using Dynamic Composition: Lessons from Paul Cezanne, Carol Rhodes
May 13: Lyrical Lines, Bonnie Gordon-Lucas
June 10: Plein Air Painting: A Direct Approach Using Your Innermost Artistic Urges, Don Geyra
2017-2018
State of the Society
by Jane Matranga, BWS President, 2017-2018
Bloomington Watercolor Society completed a successful and busy year. Meeting night programs included the members “Show and Share” in September, drawing faces, turning art into prints from White Rabbit, learning about the history of watercolor in the United States, aerial perspective, plein air painting, composition, and abstracts using mixed media We had 37 members and guests at the Holiday Party in December. Several members won prizes for their innovative ornaments. Members participated in Peden Farm, Monroe County Barn Tour, Daniel Smith presentation, We Paint Jazz for The Art of Chocolate. The Dale Popovich Workshop had 12 attendees.
The 2017 Member Show opened for the October Gallery Walk with 150-200 attendees on opening night. Two paintings were sold that evening. The show closed Nov. 22. Thirty-four members participated.
We had monthly paintouts such as the end-of-summer paintout and the Bloomington Garden Club June Garden Walk. T.C. Steele Paintout in September had several BWS winners including Cassidy Young, 2nd place in watercolor; Donna Whitsitt and Candi Bailey, Honorable Mention in watercolor; Erick Brock, Honorable Mention in oils; and Lory Williams, Honorable Mention in mixed media.
Upland celebrated its third year as a group (its second as an official BWS committee)with weekly paintouts. The group held its annual show at the barn behind the Wiley House.
It has been my pleasure to serve as president this year. Thanks to Charlotte Griffin and Patty Uffman for all their help and guidance. I look forward to more participation in the activities of the society in the coming year.
Thanks to 2017-2018 officers and committee chairs: Charlotte Griffin, 1st vice president; Nancy Metz and Babette Ballinger, 2nd vice president; Patty Uffman, treasurer; Erin Duff, secretary; Jeanne Dutton, activities; Jeanne Dutton and Nancy Metz, Brushstrokes; Candi Bailey, historian; Mary Walker, refreshments; Jo Weddle, programs; Sara Steffey McQueen, publicity; Jo Weddle and Jeanne Dutton, scholarship; Anne-Karine Bley, shows; Carol Rhodes and Charlotte Griffin, technology; and Kristen Stamper, Upland.
Member news
Bridge in Ronda,Spain by Meri Reinhold
“Bridge in Ronda, Spain” by Meri Reinhold was juried in to the 25th Annual Juried Exhibition at Jasper Community Arts, Krempp Gallery. The show will hang Sept. 5 to 28, with a reception Thursday, Sept. 6, from 5 to 7 p.m. The Jasper Arts Center is at 951 College Ave. in Jasper. The painting is the result of a 2016 trip to Spain with Charles Gruppe and other watercolorists (including fellow BWS member Jo Weddle). “Originally intended just as a journaling exercise, later I painted it as a 20 x 16 painting on Arches 140-pound paper,” Meri said.
Katya Alexeeva, visiting artist, will demonstrate at Flowing Colors Studio First Friday Sept. 7 and will set up inside or outside the building atrium, depending on the weather. The Flowing Colors Studio is above Caveat Emptor Bookstore, 112 N. Walnut St., Suite 600. An open studio reception is Friday, Sept. 7, 5 to 8 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. Flowing Colors Studio features the work of Joanne Shank, Don Geyra, Betty Wagoner, Patricia C. Coleman, Alyssa Many.
Letters by Zofia Matuszak
Zofia Matuszak was one of 25 artists representing the Association of Polish Watercolors at Fabriano in Acquarello in Spring-Summer 2018. Her painting “Letters,” was inspired by her visit to Bloomington and her travels in the region last year.
Don Geyra announces that his radio program, Dancin’ Don’s Art Party on WFHB Community Radio, now airs two hours earlier. You can listen every Monday from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tuesday. Art Party is a tasteful mixed genre music show filled with motivational anecdotes to help everyone connect with their innate creativity, to inspire working artists, to help us all wind down from a busy day or get ready to work through the night.
Linton Barn by Robin Edmundson
Robin Edmundson received a Merit Award for her piece, “Linton Barn,” at the Good Ole Summertime juried member exhibition of Hoosier Salon at the Hoosier Salon Gallery in New Harmony.
Hoosier Artist Gallery has designated Sara Steffey McQueen as a featured artist for September. A BWS signature member, Sara creates in a variety of mediums. She was trained at Indiana University in photography, drawing, and printmaking. The Hoosier Art Gallery is at 45 S. Jefferson in Nashville. The reception is the fourth Friday Nashville art walk from 4 to 7 p.m.
The Magician by Sara Steffey McQueen
by Debbie Tocco
Debbie Tocco won first place in the nonprofessional watercolor division at the Indiana State Fair.
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:
If you could offer only one piece of advice to a beginning watercolor artist, what would it be?
Jeanne Dutton
Buy the best supplies you can afford. You may save money on cheap supplies, but you’ll pay for it in frustration.
Relax and have fun. It’s just paint on paper. 🙂
Claude Cookman
After 25 years, still in most every drawing or painting I hit a point where things are not working, and that vicious voice in the back of my head says, “Time to abandon ship, give this one up, and go read a novel.” Invariably, if I keep working, most of the problems get corrected and sometimes an acceptable image results. Advice: Don’t listen to that voice, never surrender to your doubts, push through the rough spots, never quit!
Kriste was experimenting with brushloading when she created this blade of grass.
Kriste Lindberg
Experiment, make mistakes, keep trying. The experience will help you develop your own style. Overall, enjoy!
Patty Uffman
Advice to new watercolorists: Don’t use too much water.
Zofia Matuszak
Pay attention to the quality of the paper you choose. 100% cotton papers, both Hot Press and Cold Press, with weight of 300g/m2 will hold water well. When you paint on such paper, for example, clouds or water, you will have time to freely construct the space and tonal gradations.
Carol Rhodes
Don’t sweat the details. If something is bothering you about your painting and you are unsure about a fix, just put it away for three days to three weeks and then look at it again. In seeing it anew you could be surprised: You may instantly know what it needs, or you might even find the issue to be much more minor than you had initially perceived it.
Kitty Garlock
Just do it! Don’t be afraid to let the paint take you away. The more time you spend doing it the more the paint will tell you how it all works!
Jerry Harste
Do something. Then do something to that something. Then do something to that something and soon you will have something. (Jacob Johns)
Robin Edmundson
If I could offer one piece of advice to a beginning watercolor artist, it would be to practice, practice, practice. Go for quantity and the quality will take care of itself.
October question for IMO:
What makes a person an artist? How do you know when you have earned the right to claim this august title?
Send your 1- to 3-sentence response to Nancy Davis-Metz by Sept. 21, and look for your opinion to be published in the October issue. Please use IMO as your email’s subject line.
The show’s title, We Paint … Past, Present, and for the Future, is a nod to the Bloomington Bicentennial without limiting each artist’s choice of subject matter.
Since the exhibit runs Aug. 3 through Sept. 27, it will be a part of Bloomington’s First Friday Gallery Walks on both Aug. 3 and Sept. 7. Hours for viewing at The Vault at Gallery Mortgage, 121 E. Sixth St., are Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and First Fridays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Paintings must be delivered Wednesday, Aug. 1, between 10 a.m. and noon to The Vault at Gallery Mortgage, 121 E. Sixth St. Paintings should be created with aqua media on a two-dimensional substrate. Watercolor paintings may include other water-based mediums (collage, pastel, pen and ink, etc.) as long as their use does not exceed 50 percent of the work. For additional guidelines and show labels, see the show prospectus at www.bloomingtonwatercolor.org and follow the link Show Rules in the menu at the right.
To show work, individuals must have paid BWS dues for 2018. (See article below for dues details.)
It is strongly recommended that art be for sale; however, this is not a requirement. Any sale is subject to a 25 percent donation to a local charity of The Vault at Gallery Mortgage’s choosing. Currently, they are supporting Stepping Stones.
BWS Hospitality Chair Carla Hedges is coordinating refreshments for the Aug. 3 Gallery Walk reception. Contact Carla Hedges to tell her what you can bring.
Last call:
Dues are past due
If you haven’t yet paid 2018 BWS dues, now is the time. Single membership is $35, family membership is $50 (for two from same household), student membership is $15, and associate membership (nonresident) is $15. Mail your check to BWS, P.O. Box 5236, Bloomington, IN 47407-5236; or go to BWS website www.bloomingtonwatercolor.org, click on Join BWS and use PayPal. You can use a credit card if you do not have a PayPal account.
Family factory manufactures
Sumi-e ink sticks, slates
by Meri Reinhold
During her trip to China earlier this summer, BWS member Meri Reinhold toured a family factory where they make Sumi-e ink sticks (since the Tang Dynasty) and the slates for grinding them.
First, the blacking comes from soot: either pine tar or tuna oil. They collect the soot from either the top of the burner or the sides, with the top being the finest. The soot is then mixed with “animal glue”; I think this translated as gelatin from boiling hides and bones.
Next it is pounded over and over, folded and pounded some more with a little canola oil. Then it is kneaded by hand, divided buy weight and rolled into a sausage shape. It is put into a wooden mold, which is then placed into a press.
When it comes out, it has a pattern pressed into it on three sides. One side has a design indicating the quality of the ink stick. On the back are characters telling about the ingredients and qualities of that stick’s particular mix. The side imprint is the family’s name.
When moved from the press, the sticks cure for six months under humidity and temperature controls. Finally, the sticks are polished and the design is painted on. The highest quality sticks have gold-leafed designs.
We also watched the slate department where one fellow was creating a design and another was carving one. A finished slate is included with the photos.
Author’s note: I was corrected on my pronunciation of Sumi-e. It is not “sumee-ee.” It is “sumee-a” with a long “a” at the end.
2018-19 BWS Officers
Secretary Jill Olshavsky, Treasurer Patty Uffman, 2nd Vice President Charlotte Griffin, 1st Vice President Jane Matranga, and President Kitty Garlock
Check out these great summer
destinations with Upland and BWS plein air
*July 23 Harvest Moon Farm, hosted by Kristen Stamper
July 31 Mary Hartke property at Walnut Pike and Allendale Drive, hosted by Betty Wagoner
Aug. 7 Way Cross, hosted by Jacki Frey
Aug. 14 Lampkin’s Ridge, hosted by Jacki Frey
Kathy Barton’s painting from last year’s West Baden Paintout
*Aug. 17-18 West Baden Springs Paintout, register by calling the Brown County Art Gallery at 812-988-4609 or email indianaheritagearts@gmail.com before Aug. 16
Aug. 21 Bean Blossom Bridge, hosted by Lory Winford
Aug. 28 TBA, hosted by Katya Alexeeva
Sept. 4 Champs Barn, hosted by Sande Nitti
*Sept. 8 T.C. Steele Great Outdoor Paintout
Sept. 11 Karen & Justice St. Rain’s, hosted by Kitty Garlock
* Indicates Paintout is NOT on the typically scheduled Tuesday
Celebration of Life
James Yang
James Yang
A celebration of the life of James Yang will be held 2-4 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at Indiana University’s Mathers Museum, 416 N. Indiana Ave.
James, who died May 30 in Taiwan at age 81, was a former Bloomington Watercolor Society member. He imbibed deeply in both eastern and western cultures.
After earning a doctorate in American Literature from IU, he taught English in Taiwan for many years. He was a master of the Chinese arts of brush painting, calligraphy, paper folding, and the erhu, a traditional bowed instrument. In retirement, he and his wife, Jenny, returned to live in Bloomington, where he was an ambassador for Chinese culture, giving numerous presentations to a wide range of groups, including one on calligraphy to BWS. A tribute can be found at http://www.traditionalartsindiana.org/in-memorial-james-min-ching-yang/.
BWS painters at Garden Walk
Nancy Martin, whose garden was featured in the Garden Walk, holds a card painted by Penny Lulich.
Claude Cookman has an appreciative audience as he paints at the Monroe County History Center. The children’s parents are IU graduate students.
Member news
Bean Harvest by Robin Edmundson
Robin Edmundson‘s painting, “Bean Harvest,” took first place in the Landscape Division of the Lawrence County Art Association’s Midsummer Art Competition.
Alex’s Choice by Claude Cookman
Claude Cookman has a painting accepted into the Watercolor Society of Indiana’s annual juried show. The exhibition runs Aug. 5 through Sept. 29 at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Titled “Alex’s Choice,” the abstraction was inspired by Jeanne Dutton’s watercolor classes at the Waldron and Nita Engle’s books and videos. Claude created the base layer by mixing four batches of watercolor, pouring them on the paper and then tilting it to let them run together. “The process allows very little control,” Claude said. “Primarily the medium takes over and sometimes yields delightful surprises.” Some of the textures resulted from techniques that Jeanne taught. The title refers to the fact that Joyce and Claude’s younger son Alex chose this painting as a holiday gift a couple of years ago.
Bloomington Brews by Candi Bailey
Kathy Barton, Anne-Karine Bley, and Kristen Stamper have a group exhibition at the Shawnee’s Summer Theater in Bloomfield, Ind. Their “Three Sisters Paint” show features watercolor, acrylic, and oil paintings from both plein air adventures and studio work. The show hangs in the theater lobby through July 24 and is open for viewing during box office hours noon to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday as well as during performances on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings and the Sunday matinee.
Lynne Gilliatt‘s art group will hang a studio show at Meadowwood in August. The reception is Aug. 10, 4:30 to 6 p.m.
Candi Bailey, Rose Brenner, Linda Meyer-Wright, and Susan Savastuk had work juried in to The Venue’s Art & Soul of Bloomington show that will hang until July 31.
Rose Brenner will have a show of her paintings at the Waldron Arts Center July 28 through Aug. 25. An opening reception will be Friday, Aug. 3, 5-8 p.m.
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 from BWS leadership. They want to know what BWS means to you. What role (creative, social, educational) does it fulfill for you? How has BWS enriched your life? Why are you proud to be a BWS member?
Claude Cookman
I would like a redo on the last issue’s question about what inspires us, because members if BWS are my greatest inspiration. I’m a solitary person, and BWS is the first organization I’ve joined since leaving the Boy Scouts at age 14, but when I look over the shoulders of my artist friends at a BWS paintout, Upland plain air gathering or Portrait Group session, I know I’ve found my home. I am energized, instructed and inspired as I watch these artists put meaning in our motto: “We paint!”
Kathy Barton
BWS has enriched my life in many ways. I have met and made friends, attended workshops, received tips and comments on paintings in progress, been given opportunities to exhibit and show my work in the community. I would recommend the group to anyone who wants to expand their horizons.
Kitty Garlock
What started as and remains my biggest source for ideas and inspiration are the two groups sponsored by BWS: Upland Painters and the Portrait Group. They have introduced me not only to great sites and places I never knew were in Indiana, but they have also provided me with experiences and classes I never would have had. They have made me want to explore media materials on how to paint, be a better painter, to try new things, and to explore more deeply the world of art.
September question for IMO:
If you could offer only one piece of advice to a beginning watercolor artist, what would you say?
Send your 1- to 3-sentence response to Nancy Davis-Metz by Aug. 31, and look for your opinion to be published in the September issue. Please use IMO as your email’s subject line.
Sara Steffey McQueen will guide BWS members in an exploration of abstraction and mixed media with watercolor. Members will take a short look at the history of nonobjective art and talk about their own experiences with abstraction.
“We will then jump into playing in abstract expressions,” Sara said. Members should bring a small painting to donate for “deconstruction.” These “rejected” images will be cut and torn and shared. “This will be a playful and intuitive approach to abstraction, using our knowledge of composition to create a small mixed media painting with collage and other water media,” Sara said.
Bring any watercolor crayons you have, glue, and masking tape. Sara will have materials to share also.
The program follows a brief business meeting that starts at 6 p.m. The monthly meeting is at the First Christian Church at the corner of Kirkwood Avenue and Washington Street. Please use the Washington Street entrance.
How I did it
Myrtle Beach Summer, Version 2
By Jerry Harste
Myrtle Beach Summer, Version 1
Myrtle Beach Summer, Version 2
To explain how I did “Myrtle Beach Summer, Version 2,” I have included an image of an earlier version of the same subject as it clarifies at least part of the process I used in creating Version 2.
I worked from the same photograph to create both paintings. Both versions are on a full sheet of 300-pound watercolor paper. Version 1 was made using watercolors; Version 2 was painted using Golden Fluid acrylics.
In Version 1 I worked wet on to dry using every color in the rainbow by laying down short rectangular brushstrokes of first one color, then another, using three different flat watercolor brushes (1/4-inch, 3/4-inch, and 1-inch). Color governed my decision making both in terms of composition and unity. I varied the brushstroke size as well as making sure dominant colors in one area also showed up in other areas.
In Version 2 (the acrylic painting), I began wet on wet by first wetting down the entire sheet of watercolor paper and then, while still really wet, crumpling up a sheet of white tissue paper and laying it on the watercolor paper lightly so that some areas touched the surface while others did not. While everything was still wet, I spritzed the tissue paper with a watered down solution of Quinacridone Crimson, making sure some areas would stay white. In this process, remember that acrylics dry darker whereas watercolor dries lighter.
Once this was completely dry, I took pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil, painted a thin coat of black gesso on the back, and then while still wet (but not too wet — I count to 10) I turned it over and placed it lightly on the sheet of watercolor paper. Working rapidly and using a blunt stylus, I drew an outline of the house you see in the painting. Once the house was dry, I used the same process to put in the boat. (Caution: Once you turn over the gessoed foil do not touch it with your fingers or hands. Use only the stylus, or you will end up with a big glob of black on your paper that you will either have to work around or incorporate into the painting itself.)
Once this gesso was perfectly dry, I worked wet on dry limiting myself to only three colors: Quinacridone Crimson (my red), Turquoise Phthalo (my blue), and Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold (my yellow). By combining and varying the intensity of these colors, I began laying down the paints using the same brushstroke technique I had used in Version 1.
Jeanne Dutton stopped by my house just as I had completed Version 1, and I asked her what she thought. After a moment of silence, she said, “Well, it is colorful!”
“I know,” I said. “I’m thinking of doing another version only with a much more limited palette.”
“Great idea,” she said.
Since then, I have found some people like Version 1 better than Version 2. Some even see a bird sitting on one of the pier’s posts in Version 1. Although using gesso on aluminum foil is tricky, I like the effect as it produces a varied line that opens up new possibilities for both the artist as well as the viewer.
Reminder:
Your dues are due
It’s time to renew your BWS membership. Single membership is $35, family membership is $50 (for two from same household), student membership is$15, and associate membership (nonresident) is $15. You can bring payment to the June 11 meeting; mail a check to BWS, P.O. Box 5236, Bloomington, IN 47407-5236; or go to BWS website www.wepaintbloomington.org, click on Join BWS and use PayPal. You can use a credit card if you do not have a PayPal account.
BWS Scholarship awarded
Clara Smith of Bloomington High School South received the 2018 BWS Scholarship, which will provide her $300 to purchase art supplies for her college art classes.
Jo Weddle attended the BHSS Honors Program to present the BWS Scholarship in addition to the Eberly Scholarship, which is awarded every other year to a senior who will be studying fine arts at Indiana University. Clara received both scholarships.
Playing with portraits
Cassidy Young (left) had members studying their own faces by doing continuous line contour drawings at the May meeting. She then led members through exercises to help them understand facial proportions before venturing in to looser portrait work. Center: Bess Lee measures Ann Umphress’s facial features. Bottom: Barbara Hoffman and Cathy Korinek “trace” their faces with one hand and draw with the other.
July 14
Saturday morning in the Park
BWS is trying something different. Its Saturday paint-out in July will be in People’s Park at the corner of Kirkwood and Dunn from 7:30 – 11:30 a.m. July 14. Note that this is an early morning paint-out in an effort to “beat the heat.” Bagels and coffee will be provided.
Get ready for We Paint!
2018 Member Show
Aug. 3 — Sept. 27
This year’s BWS Member Show, “We Paint … the Past, the Present, and for the Future,” is a bit earlier than previous years, so it is time to finish your painting and framing.
Paintings should be created with aqua media on a two-dimensional substrate. Paintings may include other water-based mediums (collage, pastel, pen and ink, etc.) as long as their use does not exceed 50 percent of the work. Encaustic and oil are excluded from the member show. To enter the show, artists must have paid BWS dues for 2018.
Each member may submit one framed watercolor. Work should be matted, and flat hangers should be used. Sawtooth hangers and screw eyes are not permitted. Maximum size is 24 inches edge to edge, not including the frame. Neutral matting and framing are encouraged.
Important Member Show dates
July 7: Submit images for publicity
Aug. 1: Deliver painting between 10 a.m. and noon to The Vault at Gallery Mortgage, 121 E. Sixth St.
Aug. 3: Opening reception 5 to 8 p.m.
Sept. 7: September First Gallery Walk, 5 to 8 p.m.
Sept. 28: Pick up painting at The Vault
For more information and labels to be used when submitting artwork, go to http://www.wepaintbloomington.org/,and follow the link Show Rules in the menu at the right.
Upland Painters worked at the Cedar Creek Winery May 29.
Upland announces its summer schedule
June 19: Yellowwood Shelter hosted by Betty Wagoner
June 26: Kinder Farm hosted by Kitty Garlock
July 10: Moody Farm hosted by Sande Nitti
*July 23: Harvest Moon Farm hosted by Kristen Stamper
July 31: Mary Hartle property at Walnut Pike and Allendale Drive hosted by Betty Wagoner
August 7: Waycross hosted by Jacki Frey
August 14: Lampkin’s Ridge hosted by Jacki Frey
August 21: Bean Blossom Bridge hosted by Lory Winford
August 28: TBA hosted by Katya Alexeeva
* Designates that this is NOT a Tuesday. July 23 is a Monday.
Bob Ferguson works on a painting of Carla Hedges in a 2009 class.
Bob Ferguson, longtime member of BWS and a frequent watercolor classmate of many BWS members, died May 25. He and his wife, Deanie, moved to Bloomington 12 years ago after Bob retired as a corporate executive in retail industry. He was active in the Northside Exchange Club and the YMCA as well as BWS. Bob brightened every room he entered with his humor and interest in people. Many of us will miss him.
Anyone wanting to write a condolence note to Deanie can email Nancy Davis-Metz for Deanie’s address.
This is inspiring when one is in a slump! Very good ideas that give you a jump start and may give you a new perspective! He has a second book out, too.
As a BWS member, Vi Working was a program presenter and influential member of the original Scholarship Committee. A retired art teacher, she was influential in helping determine the criteria and standards for the BWS scholarship. Vi was a gracious hostess, welcoming many BWS members in to her home.
First, the blacking comes from soot: either pine tar or tuna oil. They collect the soot from either the top of the burner or the sides, with the top being the finest. The soot is then mixed with “animal glue”; I think this translated as gelatin from boiling hides and bones.
We also watched the slate department where one fellow was creating a design and another was carving one. A finished slate is included with the photos.
Playing with portraits
