The regular monthly meeting has been eclipsed. It was moved from April 8 to April 15 so members could avoid traffic congestion and participate in Solar eclipse activities. BWS will meet at First Christian Church, 205 E. Kirkwood Ave., at 6 p.m.
MarySue Schwab will present a mini-workshop following a brief business meeting. She says students always ask her, “How do you use color effectively?” This workshop is her response to that question. Nuggets of her advice include: “Limit your palette!” “Know your colors!” “Remember complements create contrast!” “Know the color temperature of everything in the scene you are painting!”
The supply list is based on MarySue’s own painting approach, and are SUGGESTIONS, not requirements. Students are welcome to incorporate their own material preferences. Members should bring watercolor paper, watercolor paints, brushes, hard pencil, kneaded eraser, sharpener, small ruler, paper towels, mixing palettes, mixing pans (can be from recycled yogurt containers) and two small water holders.
PAPER (The most important element: MarySue recommends Arches cold-press 140-pound paper, in block or sheet formats.
PAINTS: MarySue suggests a limited palette, 10 Winsor & Newton professional grade paints: 6 warm colors: Winsor Red, Winsor Yellow, Burnt Sienna, and Raw Sienna, Permanent Rose and Winsor Violet. 4 cool colors: Winsor Blue Green Shade, Winsor Blue Red Shade, Hooker’s Green, and Payne’s Gray.
OTHER ITEMS: Paper Towels, 12-inch Ruler, 2 small water holders or cups.
BRUSHES: Sizes: 1″ and 1/2″ flat; #4 or #6 round; Detail #2 round.
“Neon Dream” by Laura Brown
“We Paint … Peter, Paul, and Mary!”
By Jeanne Dutton
The 2024 Winter Benefit Exhibit, which ended March 29, was an artful fundraising success. Thanks to the generosity of our BWS artists who donated greeting cards and to the patrons who purchased paintings, we raised $435 for Teachers Warehouse.
Due to the purchasing power of Teachers Warehouse, which is calculated as $10 for every $1, that makes the total value $4,350.
Congratulations to Gail Fairfield for winning Best of Show and Char Dapena as runner up, and to the artists whose paintings sold – Don Madvig and Julie Boyd.
Many thanks to Gabe Colman for coordinating with Teachers Warehouse; John La Bella and Becky Lagle at the Vault at Gallery Mortgage for the space and Best of Show award; Bloomington North Rotary Club for sponsoring the video; the three judges who donated their time; and everyone who participated, helped with hanging the show, and came to enjoy the receptions.
Our March 11 program saw a shift from painting to drawing and from watercolor to charcoal. Claude Cookman, BWS member since 2014, took us through his four-step process for drawing a still life with vine and compressed charcoal. Claude based his presentation on two premises: First, vine charcoal is endlessly malleable, letting us wipe out and redraw until we are satisfied with our drawing, and, second, charcoal lets us use values to define the edges of forms instead of drawing lines and filling them in. He promoted the still life genre as a convenient way to work from three-dimensional motifs instead of copying two-dimensional photographs. He shared his personal goal for drawing: concentrated, purposeful seeing.
Claude’s four-step process was intended to combine spontaneity with control. With apologies to Betty Edwards, to draw on both sides of our brain. We started with gesture to connect with the motif and achieve spontaneity. Then we refined the drawing, using a barbecue skewer as a tool for calculating proportion, angle and alignment. Next came reinforcing values and finally, details.
At the end of the session, Claude asked us two questions: In response to “What was the most important thing you learned,” one participant wrote: “The most important thing I learned is not to be too precise right at the start. Begin loose, then refine it.” Others wrote: “I learned about using the skewer for proportion. Never tried it before. It helps. I can use it all the time.” And, “The flexibility of the charcoal.”
In response to “What can you use from this session in your own art,” comments ranged from “Get the drawing right first.” To, “I can use this by structuring my painting by working through the stages.” And, “I will use this technique to get prelim drawing + values.”
Left: Nancy Davis Metz, Daniel Goebbert, and Babette Ballinger. Right: Charlotte Griffin, Betty Wagoner, and Sara Steffey McQueen.
Memorial Service
Linda Meyer-Wright
You are warmly invited to celebrate and honor the life of Linda Meyer on Sunday, April 14, at 2 p.m., in the sanctuary of Congregation Beth Shalom, 3750 E. Third St., Bloomington, Ind. Linda was a cherished and beloved member of both the Beth Shalom and the Bloomington artist communities.
We will gather for a heartwarming and uplifting service of “The Life, Legend and Legacy of Linda Meyer.” After the service, the grand opening of a comprehensive exhibit of Linda’s beautiful artwork throughout the years will be sponsored by the Beth Shalom Arts and Culture Committee, and a reception with light refreshments will follow.
Linda’s art, which many of you already have proudly and prominently displayed in your homes, was an expression of her heart and her love. The art exhibit was Linda’s final wish, so please consider attending to pay your respects, to offer your support and love to her husband Larry and sister Joanie, and to share special memories and stories with each other.
This will also be a final opportunity to own a piece of Linda’s artwork and/or acquire additional pieces. All proceeds from the sales will be donated to Beth Shalom.
Member News
Tim Lewis has three new watercolors: Above, left: “Bass Harbor Head,” Above, right: “Slush,” and Below: “Ice And Snow.” Tim has announced he is one of several artists selected to exhibit at a Gallery 02 in Fort Wayne, Ind., opening soon.
Below: Stephen Edward sent a photo of his just finished painting, “Duet in C Minor” Watercolor, 22×30, Arches 300# Linen Paper
Beyond BWS
An exhibition of environmentally themed art, “Depictions: Earth, Life, and Our Shared Responsibility,” will show until April 28 at the Arts Alliance Center in College Mall. The artists, who are members of Artists for Climate Awareness or Arts Alliance of Greater Bloomington, are from various states across the U.S. This diversity in both medium and origin promises a rich and varied artistic experience of both 2-D and 3-D pieces.
Join us April 12 at 6 p.m. for a unique opening reception. This event will feature an environmentally themed interactive musical performance, “Ceremony for Earth: A Meditative Installation for Re-connection and Healing,” by Grace McKenzie, Daixuan Ai, and Micah Simmons from IU Jacobs School of Music. Chairs are provided for all, but for a more interactive experience, you may bring a sitting pillow for the floor! The evening will also include the presentation of art awards, followed by a reception with refreshments.
Associated events include an April 13 pastel workshop by nature artist Avon Waters and a climate-themed poetry and dance performance titled “Stormwash: Climate Awareness” by Bloomington Writers Guild and Windfall Dancers, Inc.
Artists for Climate Awareness is also offering a Watercolor Workshop on Pollinators!
Join us May 11 for an art workshop at Ivy Tech Community College where we’ll delve into the world of pollinators through watercolor. This special event aligns with World Migratory Bird Day, spotlighting the vital role of birds and insects as pollinators.
Our artistic journey will revolve around the intricate beauty of pollinators. From butterflies to bees, dragonflies to hummingbirds, we invite participants to capture the essence of these vital creatures through the graceful strokes of watercolor. You can bring your own photo references or subjects will be provided.
Autumn Brunelle, full-time naturalist for Monroe County Parks and Recreation (and annual Bugfest coordinator), will provide education about pollinators as well as information about the Indiana Master Naturalist Program and the Monroe County Parks and Recreation’s environmental programs.
How do we get from the gesture sketch, at left, to the finished drawing, at right, in four steps?
March 11
Claude Cookman to present a charcoal lesson
Bloomington Watercolor Society will meet Monday, March 11, at the First Christian Church, 205 E. Kirkwood Ave. The business meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Enter through the Washington Street door; the door code will be sent by email. The meeting will not be on Zoom.
Three, two, one – DRAW!
BWS member Claude Cookman will present the March 11 program, featuring a four-step drawing process using vine charcoal. He sends this prospectus:
Drawing is fundamental to the human condition. All children draw to represent their world and express themselves. Adults have been drawing to communicate for many, many millennia. The ability to draw realistically is not talent that a lucky few receive at birth. It’s a skill anybody can learn. All it takes is practice and the will to persist when your early efforts fall short of your expectations.
I have been trying to learn to draw since 1994. I’m still trying. I am a firm adherent of Frederick Franck’s statement: “I have learned that what I have not drawn, I have never really seen. …” For me, drawing is about concentrated, purposeful seeing. But that deep seeing is not about details but rather shapes, forms, light and values.
I will introduce you to a four-step process, give you an indispensable drawing tool and share some ideas about drawing. Most important, I will get you drawing. Even if drawing is not your primary mode of artistic expression, the ability to see more deeply should improve your paintings.
We will draw with charcoal for several reasons: It’s cheap. It yields a wide range of values. It produces rich blacks, much darker than graphite. It’s extremely malleable, letting us easily and continually correct our drawings. It lets us establish a base of tone on the page so we can draw negatively with erasers. The finished drawing can be exquisitely beautiful with delicate tonal modulations and seamless transitions. It’s fun to get our fingers dirty.
Most amateurs and even some artists equate drawing with creating an outline then filling it with tones or color. It’s difficult to escape the tyranny of those coloring books from our childhood. Instead, working from a simple still life, we will approach drawing as a four-step process:
1. Gesture. We’ll start with a gesture drawing, trying to capture essential shapes and relationships with spontaneity. Then we’ll rub it out with a tissue. Using the charcoal residue as a guide, we will do a second, more accurate, gesture drawing. Then rub it out again.
2. Refinement. With this pentimento as a guide, we’ll transform the objects in our still life into structural forms: spheres, cubes, cylinders and cones. We’ll use a bamboo skewer as a tool to refine proportions, angles and alignments. We’ll perfect the contours but try to turn most lines into edges.
3. Lighting. We’ll identify the light source and how it creates highlights, middle tones and shadows. Then represent them with correct tonal values to establish the forms in space.
4, Detail. As the final step, we’ll add detail with charcoal pencils.
Please watch these videos:
Emily at The Pencil Room Online on gesture drawing.
Proko on gesture drawing: Using C, S and I to capture gesture. This video is about figure drawing, but you can extrapolate it to objects for our still life. Caution: This video contains photographs of semi-nude models. If nudity offends you, please do not view it.
Proko on structure: Seeing spheres, cubes, cylinders, and cones.
The Virtual Instructor on shading.
Materials
Please bring:
Vine charcoal sticks
Kneadable erasers
Kleenex or other tissue
One object you would like to draw
Optional, only if you have them:
Compressed charcoal and charcoal pencils
An apron; things might get messy
Handwipes and/or Purell
A table lamp
BWS will provide charcoal paper, at least one charcoal pencil per table and other items.
Please watch for Laura Brown’s email announcement of the meeting. It will include a PDF handout on drawing. I hope you will read it; that will let us spend more time drawing and less time listening to me talk.
Right: Gail Fairfield with her painting, “Insight,” which was awarded Best of Show. Gail received a $100 award from The Vault. Left: “Flower Power 2” by Char Dapena was awarded Silver Second, an award that comes with $75 from BWS.
2nd reception
WE PAINT … Peter, Paul, and Mary!
BWS hosted the second reception for “WE PAINT…Peter, Paul, and Mary!” at March 1. There was a very nice turnout at for Gallery Walk in spite of the cold weather.
The show, inspired by the varied styles and eras of Peter Max, Paul Klee and Mary Cassatt features psychedelic color, cubism, and domestic scenes. We are pleased to announce that two paintings have sold. Congratulations to Don Madvig and Julie Boyd.
The exhibit is on display through March 29 at The Vault Gallery Mortgage, 121 E. 6th St. in downtown Bloomington. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, but please call ahead 812-334-9700.
Also note that all sales benefit Teachers Warehouse, a worthy organization that provides free classroom supplies and furniture to educators in nine counties.
Many thanks to the BWS members who welcomed the many visitors at the reception!
Penny Lulich shows an early version of her painting from the Tom Lynch live workshop that BWS artists gathered on Feb. 24 to view. The live workshop presented by Tom Lynch, nationally known artist, was compliments of Cheap Joe’s https://www.cheapjoes.com/ . Many thanks to Barbara Coffman and Carol Rhodes for organizing the event.
If you were unable to attend the Tom Lynch online demo/paint along, or are just curious, the video is now posted on YouTube. If you would like to paint along with him, look up “Cortona Path of Light Tom Lynch” for the photo and sketch.
Member News
Joe and Bess Lee present a reboot of Professor Animalia’s Menagerie of Endangered Animals.
Bess Lee will be the featured artist at the Cancer Support Center in March and April.
“SHELL MANDALA,” a watercolor by Sara Steffey McQueen, was accepted into Aquaventure Exhibit 2024 hosted by the Kentucky Watercolor Society. The show’s juror was Mary Seymour Neely. The Exhibit is from March 4 to April 26 on the fourth floor of Artists’ Attic, 401 W. Main St., Lexington, Ky. A reception is scheduled for 4 to 5:30 p.m. March 15 with a “Gallery Hop” going until 8 p.m.
“Fixing the Outrigger” by Tim Lewis
Lewis has a watercolor, “Fixing The Outrigger” accepted into the 2024 Midwest Juried Art Exhibit. The show will be at the HCCA Gallery, 195 S. 5th St., in Noblesville from March 1 through March 30 with an opening reception on March 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. The painting is of three workmen repairing the outrigger on a shrimp boat in McClellanville, S.C.
Left: “Sweet Owen Courthouse” by Tim Lewis. Right: “The Dance,” by Tim Lewis.
Tim’s watercolor, “The Dance,” was awarded third place out of the 87 entries in the Brown County Art Guild “2024 Can You Paint Challenge.” These are two sandhill cranes “dancing” in a snowy field in Nebraska. Tim donated “Sweet Owen Courthouse” to the Indiana Bar Association for its project to collect paintings of all 92 Indiana county courthouses for permanent display in its yet-to-be built headquarters in Indianapolis. This is the Owen County courthouse in Tim’s hometown of Spencer.
MarySue Schwab has a painting in the Indiana Watercolor Society at Brown County Art Gallery, which is hanging now through March 28. MarySue is a signature member of WSI and of BWS and a member of OWS, NAW, and NAWS.
“Cutting Corners,” a watercolor pastel collage by Lynne Gilliatt
Beyond BWS
Calendar
March 5 Arts Alliance of Greater Bloomington, Arts Alliance Center in College Mall, 6 to 7 p.m.
March 9 Reception for Professor Animalia’s Menagerie of Struggling Species, Art by Joe and Bess Lee, Arts Alliance Center, 4 p.m.
March 9 Reception for 2024 Midwest Juried Art Exchibit, HCCA gallery, 195 S. 5th St., Noblesville, 6 to 8 p.m.
March 11 BWS Monthly Meeting, First Christian Church, 205 E. Kirkwood Ave. 6 p.m.
March 15 Reception for KWS Aquaventure, Artists’ Attic, 401 W. Main St., Lexington, Ky., 4 to 5:30 p.m.
April 5 Reception for “HeArt is Where the Home Is…” by Bess Lee, Cancer Support Center, 1719 W. Third St., Bloomington, 4 to 7 p.m.
April 13 Pastel Workshop by Avon Waters, Arts Alliance Center in College Mall, Bloomington, Sponsored by Artists for Climate Awareness
April 20 Watercolor Workshop by Rena Brouwer at Delphi Opera House Gallery pf Contemporary Arts, Sponsored by Artists for Climate Awareness
April 27 Art Journaling Workshop by Pauline Kochanski at Ivy Tech Bloomington, Sponsored by Artists for Climate Awareness
Bloomington Watercolor Society will meet Monday, February 12th, at the First Christian Church, 205 E. Kirkwood Ave. The business meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Enter through the Washington Street door; the door code will be sent by email. The meeting will not be on Zoom.
February’s Feature Program
Painting Winter Scenes. This month’s program leader, Penny Lulich says, “I love painting snow scenes, so come and paint with me as we explore snow with mountains and pine trees, and maybe a skier or two. We’ll explore color, shadows, and even flick some paint! I find I enjoy myself more if I have my favorite things.”
So bring your usual watercolor supplies, plus a few small sheets of paper for practicing drawing trees and tree lines, a wax resist crayon, and some salt. Penny will show how to splatter snowflakes using white gouache, so you may want to bring an apron, too.
For Your Information here is Penny’s palette. (Stars ** represent most often used.) Permanent yellow light ** Yellow ochre ** Sap green Green gold Cobalt green ** Cobalt turquoise light Pyrrol scarlet Transparent pyrrol orange Alizarin Crimsom ** Opera, pink Ultramarine deep ** Indigo ** Cobalt blue Shadow violet ** Transparent brown oxide Quin deep gold ** Quin purple ** Burnt sienna New Gamboge
Penny recommends a number 10 round brush, and a three-quarter inch angle shader. It’s helpful to have a sword liner or an equivalent for the tiniest tree branches.
Penny will have a drawing for a couple of art giveaways.
Inside BWS
“WE PAINT…Peter, Paul and Mary”
February 2 – March 29, 2024
A BWS Exhibition Benefitting Teachers Warehouse!
Inspired by the varied styles and eras of Peter Max, Paul Klee, and Mary Cassat, the artist members of the Bloomington Watercolor Society have created a wonderfully varied exhibit full of psychedelic color, cubism, and domestic scenes.
Showing at The Vault at Gallery Portage (121 E 6th Street). Normal Gallery Hours: 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday, except for days of receptions for which Gallery Hours are. 9am – 8pm.
And Breaking News from President Jeanne Dutton:
The show is up, the opening reception over, and now to announce the winners!
Three judges each choose their top three using certain criteria, including adherence to the theme, materials used, composition, and presentation, etc. Comparing notes, they then team up to choose the top two.
Silver Second is “FLOWER POWER 2” by Char Dapena.
Her painting was from a drawing she did back in her college days when Peter Max posters were everywhere. Char receives a certificate and $75 from BWS.
Best of Show is “INSIGHT,” alcohol ink on Yupo, from first-ever-exhibitor, Gail Fairfield. Gail receives a certificate and am award of $100 from The Vault.
Winners of the door prizes are Babette Ballinger taking away a #10 Round Aqua Elite watercolor brush; Lynne Gilliatt winning a Peter Max inspired tote from MoMA; and Sharon Parsons taking home a beautiful handmade, leatherbound journal.
Congratulations to all the winners!
The video tour of the exhibit can be seen on YouTube, and thanks to Bloomington North Rotary for sponsoring it once again.
A second reception is planned for March 1, 2024 during Gallery Walk.
Enjoy!
Applications are Now Open for Signature Membership
Andy Roberts, 2nd Vice President, announced that applications for Signature membership would be processed during the 2024 year. The process will begin by those who are interested contacting Andy to express their intent to apply by the end of March. Physical applications need to be submitted by April 30. Judging will take place in September.
Outside BWS
Upland Plein Air
The Upland Plein Air Member Show opens at the Arts Alliance Center in the College Mall on Saturday, February 3rd, with a reception from 1:00-3:00 pm. Upland members will exhibit works in a variety of subject matter, styles, and mediums. Cards, as well as artwork, will be for sale. The show runs through Saturday, March 2nd. Arts Alliance Center hours are Thursday – Saturday, 11:00 am-8:00 p.m., and Sunday 12:00–6:00 p.m.
Cancer Support Center
Artists for Climate Awareness
Artists for Climate Awareness will host an in-person workshop February 13 from 5:30-8 p.m., entitled “Embracing Emotions through Abstract Watercolors”. The workshop invites artists to express their emotions as they delve into the intersection of art and environmental consciousness by reflecting on climate change through the powerful medium of abstract watercolors. For more information contact Carol Rhodes.
Artist for Climate Awareness will also host a Juried Exhibition for its members at the Art Alliance Center in Bloomington from April 1-18. The theme of that exhibition is, “Depictions: Earth, Life, and Our Shared Responsibility.”
The Hoosier Art Salon
The Hoosier Art Salon has several upcoming shows:
Young at Art: February 17 – March 31. Reception March 9th, 2-4 pm. Featuring the artwork of local students, Kindergarten-8th grade.
Field to Finish: April 13-16. Reception Wednesday, April 17th, 5-7 p.m. Showcasing the lovely “field” photographs and “finished” pieces of art that were produced during the First Blush of Spring Paint-Out by Indiana artists. Canvases must be stamped. Entry fee of $30 is required for non-Hoosier Art Salon members and $25 entry fee for members. All work must be for sale. Art must be received by April 8th.
Simplify through Color and Shape with Lon Brauer Workshop. April 15 & 16, 9-4pm. Painting is a language – a visual language – and our goal as artists is to find a way to translate what we see into a form that will represent that vision on canvas. Photographic reference will be discussed as a tool to help us better understand what two-dimensional imagery is all about. This workshop will benefit any painter regardless of the chosen subject matter.
The Watercolor Society of Indiana
The Watercolor Society of Indiana is hosting a Regional Exhibit of Indiana Artists at theBrown County Art Gallery, 1 Artist Drive, Nashville, from February 10th to March 28th. Any artist over 18 and a resident of Indiana can apply to show their work in this show.
The Annual WSI Exhibition will take place in June and July.
More information about either of these shows can be found on the WSI website.
Membership News
Timothy Lewis. I want to announce two upcoming opportunities:
WSI’s Annual Member Show prospectus will be sent to members in mid-February. This show allows any WSI member to exhibit one painting in the unjuried show. The show this year will be at th Gallery 42 in downtown Indianapolis.
WSI’s Annual Juried Show prospectus will also be sent to members in February. This juried show will be at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields.
I will be serving as President of the Watercolor Society of Indiana for 2024 and 2025.
I was featured in an article in the Greenfield Daily Reporter on Saturday, Jan. 20th for being a part of the “God’s Gift of Winter” show at the 43 East Gallery in Greenfield. I have two winter scene watercolors in this show which will run through the end of February.
New work: “Obscured” is a 16” x 12” watercolor of a solar eclipse in tribute to the April eclipse that will be visible across Indiana this year. Painted using QoR Watercolors on 300# Arches cold-pressed watercolor paper.
Jacki Frey. I put a painting of my ginger cat into the Upland show at Art Alliance. Consider this a personal invitation to come see the show!
Jerome Harste. I’ve been playing with pattern. I’ve entitled this, Landscape: My Ode to Kee. (Acrylic on 12×18″ cradle board).
And to experiment with color and explore the affect and effect of geometric patterns clashing with organic patterns, I created Eclipse. (3-D Collage Acrylic on 8×8″ canvas).
Bess Lee. Here is one of my paintings for the Cancer Support Center Art Show which features my work. The show will run March 3 to April 28.
Erika Wente. Here are three recently painted watercolors for the February Brushstrokes: (1) “ Three Horse Portraits” 14” x 11” ; 2) “Aspen” 7” x 8”; (3) “Mountain Snow” 11″ x 14.”
Deborah Rush. The only thing I managed to get finish is this painting of “Bridge at Stourhead Gardens.”
MarySue & Bill Schwab. Both of these paintings have a new home in Napa, California! Both are commissioned California scenes, I painted the field of poppies and Bill painted the old tree.
Meri Reinhold. I am in Antarctica on a Viking expedition ship Octantis. The majesty of the environment here is beyond words. However, one artist inspired me to try her very limited palette style. These two paintings are after Mona Eckhoff. Not really original works.
Andy Roberts. I have a painting that I created in anticipation of selling some of my works in Florida this next two months. I will be painting with the Sanibel-Captiva Art League and maybe enter a show of theirs while there. This painting is from a photo that I took last spring of a Sandpiper along waters edge. Watercolor on watercolor canvas.
Stephen Edwards. Attached is image for “Waiting For One Last Turn”. I was invited by the Hoosier Salon to participate in the Clowes Collaborative with 17 other artists. The work will have a reception on March 1st at the Hilbert Circle Theatre and be on display till June 9th. A fun little self portrait called “Just The Right Angle” I also attached. It is me taking a photo of an old lawnmower but looking at the scene in a reflected truck mirror propped up on the edge of the lawnmower. In the small circular mirror, you can see my wife holding a cell phone out to get the photo I worked from for the painting.
Calendar
February 1 to March 1 — Susan Savastuk’s Show at the Cancer Support Center.
February 1 to March 31 — Applications for Signature Status in BWS are open.
February 3 — Upland Plein Air’s Member Show at Arts Alliance.
February 10 to March 18 — WSI’s Regional Exhibit at Brown County Art Gallery.
February 12 — BWS Meeting, First Christian Church, Bloomington.
February 13 — Artist for Climate Awareness Workshop, Ivy Tech, Bloomington.
February 17 to March 31 — Young at Art Show at Hoosier Salon, New Harmony.
March 3 to April 25 — Bess Lee’s Show at Cancer Support Center.
Aril 1 to 18 — Artist for Climate Awareness Membership Show at Art Alliance.
April 13 to 16 — Field to Finish Show, Hoosier Salon, New Harmony.
April 15 & 16 — Lon Brauer Workshop, Hoosier Salon, New Harmony.
Bloomington Watercolor Society will meet Monday, January 8th, at the First Christian Church, 205 E. Kirkwood Ave. The business meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Enter through the Washington Street door; the door code will be sent by email. The meeting will not be on Zoom.
Program: Transparent Watercolors: How to Use Color
MarySue Schwab says that people always ask her, “How do you use color effectively?” In response to that question, MarySue will conduct a mini-workshop around the use of color. Nuggets of her advice include: “Limit your palette! Know your colors! Remember complements create contrast! Know the temperature of your painting? Value trumps all else! And, save and use the white of your paper.
Supplies: Bring watercolor supplies (paper, brushes, paints, etc.) and a reference photo if you are starting a new project. If you are already working on something, bring that.
Close Up Images of MarySue Schwab’s artwork
Inside BWS
BWS’ Christmas Party
As the pictures below show, BWS’ 2023 Christmas Party (a Christmas Card Exchange) at Meadowwood was a huge success with over 40 people in attendance.
Up-Coming Benefit Show: We Paint….Peter, Paul and Mary!
This year’s show will benefit the Teachers’ Warehouse. The theme of the show is “We Paint….Peter, Paul, and Mary!” The show will be held from February 2 through March 29 at the Vault Gallery (121 E. 6th Street). The Opening Reception will be held on February 2 (Gallery Walk Friday) from 5 to 8 p.m.
In the prospectus, you will find all the details along with links to sites about Peter, Paul, and Mary, their lives and their art.
Any medium is welcome for this show, so BE INSPIRED, BE CREATIVE, and HAVE FUN!
Jeanne Dutton provided the following up-date for the Newsletter:
“Many thanks to Linda Branstetter, Denise Lessow, Marcy LaMaster, Meri Reinhold, and Lynne Gilliatt!
The Foundation for Monroe County Community Schools manages the BWS Art Scholarship. Due to the generosity of the artist members who contributed auction items, to those who made direct donations to the scholarship, and to those who bid on our items, the scholarship fund increased by over $300 in December.
MCCSC seniors may begin applying in February. Information will be available through their schools.
Signature Membership — Open Applications
Are you interested in applying for 2024 Signature Membership?
It’s the honored status for BWS members who have developed skills, gained education, and been juried into exhibits sponsored by prestigious art organizations, such the Hoosier Salon, National Watercolor Society, the Watercolor Society of Indiana, et al.
a. Indicate your interest in applying by MARCH 31.
b. Applications must be completed and submitted by APRIL 30.
c. Final judging will be completed by SEPTEMBER 30.
d. Award to successful applicants will be announced at the October meeting.
Andy Roberts, as 2nd VP and Membership Chair, oversees the application process. Please direct any questions to him at info@BloomingtonWatercolor.org.
Outside BWS
Bloomington Portrait Group Reorganizes Along Upland Model
Arkady Roytman • Faces of Bloomington • Oil
Visual artists in the Bloomington area are fortunate to have several vibrant groups serving their interests. The groups share many members in common and have filial relationships. For example, the Upland Plein Air landscape group was a spin off from BWS. The Bloomington Portrait Group emerged from Upland.
In January 2017, it was too cold to paint outside, and Upland members were looking for an indoor winter activity. Somebody suggested a portrait session. Eight members met at Jacki Fry’s home in Ellettsville, where the first model was an Indiana University BFA student. Claude Cookman saw a vacuum and began scheduling bi-weekly sessions for artists to draw and paint portraits from live models. Since then, the group has met every other Thursday to paint and draw from live models. When the Covid-19 lock-down halted in-person sessions, Mary Sue Schwab suggested self-portraits. That expanded into monthly challenges — such as portraits of pets, statues, dolls, famous persons, and the artists’ younger selves — that members completed in their studios and shared by email.
BPG welcomes artists at every level from novices to professionals. The roster numbers about 50 regional artists, but typically 10 to 12 artists attend a session. They work in a range of mediums from oil and watercolor to charcoal, graphite, pastel, and collage. The group has met in several locations including the Banneker Community Center, the Monroe County Public Library, Saint Mark’s United Methodist Church, and The Vault at Gallery Mortgage. Recently it has alternated between Bloomington Parks and Recreation’s Switchyard Park Shelter House during the summer, and the Arts Alliance Center at the College Mall during the colder months.
Cookman recruited models who represent our community’s rich diversity in age, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation. During school vacations he scheduled children and teens. The youngest model was 8; the oldest, a nonagenarian. In addition to diversity, he also looked for people who help make Bloomington a safe and civil place to live: musicians, artists, athletes, ministers, WFIU radio personalities, journalists, fire fighters, and food security leaders. Models have included an IU women’s basketball star, performance poet, clown, belly dancer, cowboy, and roller derby skater. The one thing all models have in common is their interesting faces. “Interesting faces, interesting lives,” has become the BPG motto.
Because some artists like to include narrative in their portraits, models are asked to bring props that relate to their work or hobbies. Items have ranged from books and knitting to musical instruments and sports equipment. The most intriguing prop was Kundalini, a boa constrictor snake, which the model wore around his neck. The session got lively when the room warmed up and the snake started slithering across the floor. At that point, the moderator let the model break pose and retrieve his reptilian friend.
After six years as director, Cookman is stepping down at the end of December 2023. The group is reorganizing along the Upland model. Members will sign up for a month and be responsible for recruiting models and moderating sessions. Arkady Roytman has volunteered to be coordinator to keep things running smoothly and manage a website announcing the sessions.
If you are interested in participating in the Bloomington Portrait Group, go to this URL to join the mailing list and get information, invitations, and reminders about upcoming sessions!
Upland’s Membership Show will be held at the Arts Alliance Center in the College Mall from February 3th to March 2nd, 2024. Delivery of entries is on February 1 with the opening reception scheduled for February 3rd from 1 to 3 p.m.
Join us for a unique art workshop that goes beyond the canvas to explore the emotional impact of impending climate change. This workshop delves into the intersection of art and environmental consciousness, allowing participants to express their emotions and reflections on climate change through the powerful medium of abstract watercolors. Theme: The Emotional Landscape of Climate Change. In this workshop, we will explore the emotional depths inspired by the challenges our planet faces — droughts, fires, storms, oceanic changes, heat impacts, biodiversity damage, and more. Through abstract art, participants will have the opportunity to convey their feelings, fears, and hopes for the future in a visually compelling and evocative manner. Offered by Artists for Climate Awareness in partnership with the Center for Sustainable Living. Stephen Hale, board member, will provide a short educational piece about the organization’s many projects, and how you can help your home and community to be environmentally friendly. See https://ivytechbloomington.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&int_class_id=1506&int_category_id=0&int_sub_category_id=0&int_catalog_id=0
Zain Mackey, “Orca Rising”
Call for art. Juried gallery show opportunity: Depictions: Earth, Life, and Our Shared Responsibility
Artists for Climate Awareness is calling for 2-D and 3-D artwork to be displayed in a gallery exhibition April 1 – 28 at the Arts Alliance Center in the College Mall in Bloomington, IN.
We are proud to be offering this juried exhibition during Earth Month, and we anticipate exceptional patronage during that time. Bloomington is the hot spot for viewing the 2024 total solar eclipse, and we expect a tremendous influx of tourists to be in town, especially around April 8th. (https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/indiana-2024-eclipse)
We will be coordinating other climate awareness events related to this exhibition, including: a reception featuring environmentally themed new music performed by an IU Jacobs School of Music ensemble; a pastel workshop by nature artist Avon Waters; and a climate-themed poetry and dance performance entitled “Stormwash: Climate Awareness” by Bloomington Writers Guild and Windfall Dancers, Inc. For the prospectus, see https://artistsforclimateawareness.org/art-exhibition-prospectus/
In Memorial
Robert Anderson.
Susan Graham wrote to say “I learned the sad news last night that Bob Anderson passed away earlier this month. I don’t know if the HT ran an obit for him but here it is from Franklin, TN, where he and Frances have lived since 2020. I was lucky to work with Bob for years in the economic development community in addition to BWS. What a fun-loving and sweet gentleman he was. Also a talented painter!”
Dec 10, 2023 — Linda Meyer, affectionately known as “Linnie” or “Lin”, was born on January 24, 1946, and passed away on December 7, 2023.
After a social service career in Cincinnati, Ohio, Linda moved to Indiana in 1988. In 2000, she took her first art class and found a love for art and a joy in expression that has become her second career. Linda taught watercolor, acrylic, collage and mixed media classes for Ivy Tech’s Center for Lifelong Learning. Her style of teaching encouraged students to expand their watercolor horizons with surprising results, including quirky impressions and colors while exploring chaos and pattern.
Jeanne Dutton. Ivy Tech’s Center for Lifelong Learning offers a wide variety of visual arts classes. For the very amateur watercolor artist, I will teach Beginning Watercolor I starting January 25. Classes are 2:15-4:45 every Thursday through February 29 and will be held at the commons of the new Bloomington Fine Art Supply store. It’s located next to Rainbow Bakery at the corner of Rogers and Fourth Streets.
Note that I will be teaching Calligraphy and Drawing at Ivy Tech Bloomington, winter/spring session. Sign up now. Classes begin 1/18/2024 and space is limited, Use the link for easy registration!
Fundementals of Drawing Thursdays 10-12.: This class will help you to develop your drawing skills. Come just for the love of drawing, or to use the techniques to improve your other forms of art!
Calligraphy Thursdays 12:30-1:30.: Calligraphy is the art of beautiful writing. Learn the basic strokes, size, and spacing of lettering so you can use these skills as a springboard for decorative lettering and flourishes.
Come join the fun!
Tim Lewis. Two of my watercolors, “Snowed In” and “Lonely Corner” are in the “God’s Gift Of Winter” invitational show at the Greenfield Christian Church in Greenfield, IN through March 3rd.
Jacki Frye. My granddaughter on the beach in Maui, entitled, “Surf’s Up!!”
Andy Roberts. I hope everyone has a Happy New Year and productive paintings in 2024. I closed out this year with a painting I was commissioned to paint from a couple who traveled to the Big Island of Hawaii in June. It’s a watercolor on watercolor canvas. I like not having to put glass on these painting as you can coat with acrylic UV paint and frame. Thanks to all our BWS members for a wonderful year.
Susan Savastuk. The items in red under the flyer (below) are donations that can be brought to the Cancer Support Center. The donations will become part of the Cancer Comfort Kits which the Center offers to folks healing from cancer. Feel free to bring your donations whenever, or better yet, when you come to see my exhibition at the Center which opens January 8.
Patty Uffman. I have been juried into the Arts Alliance of Greater Bloomington. My work focuses on watercolors, but also includes pastels, acrylics, and collage. The Arts Alliance showcases nearly every media: watercolor, woodworking, collage, fiber, oil, photography, jewelry, oils, stained glass, pen and ink, glass, candle-making, and writing. I’m happy to join other members of BWS who also exhibit there, including Andy Roberts, Carol Rhodes, Don Geyra, Henry Leck, Rose Brenner, Sara Steffey McQueen, and Susan Savastuk. Please stop by the Arts Alliance at the mall Thursdays-Sundays to enjoy the wide variety of artists on display!
Zain Mackey. As we reach the end of 2023 I’ve been working with watercolor and playing with mixed media ideas. Here’s one of my paintings on that theme titled “Fleeting Thoughts.”
Jerome Harste. I had the chance to visit the Light, Space & Time Online Art Gallery. They are featuring an “All Women” Art Show. Below are some of my favorite paintings:
Artists: Susan Morris, Viv Buckley, (First Row). Jana Gaul, Michele Munyak (Second Row).
Calendar
Now through March 3 –“God’s Gift of Winter Show,” Greenfield Christian Church
January 8 — BWS Meeting, First Christian Church, Bloomington
January 8 to March 1 — Susan Savartuk’s Show at Cancer Support Ctr., Blmgtn.
January 18 — MarySue Schwab’s classes begin at Ivy Tech, Bloomington
January 25 — Jeanne Dutton’s classes begin at the Fine Arts Store
February 2 to March 28 — BWS Benefit Show at The Vault Gallery, Bloomington
February 3 to March 2 — Upland Plein Air Show at Art Alliance, Bloomington
February 13 — Artist for Climate Awareness Workshop begins, Art Alliance
April 1 to April 28 — Artist for Climate Awareness Exhibition, Art Alliance, Blmgtn.
Put on your holiday best and come to the annual BWS dinner party! Meadowood always provides a beautiful setting and delicious food to enjoy with your paint pals. There will be a greeting card exchange, a bring-one-take-one event. Any greeting is perfect! It does not have to be a holiday card.
The menu includes:
Elegant Chopped Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Chicken Marsala
Rice Pilaf
Lemon Broccoli
Holiday parfait
Rolls
Coffee, Tea, Wine
Please note on the reservation if you prefer a vegetarian option.
$20 per member or guest.
Reservation deadline is Sunday, Dec. 3. Cancellation deadline is Sunday, Dec. 3.
You can reserve your spot online by clicking the link below to make your reservation:
Up for bids to support the BWS Scholarship can be found under the categories of
Art – an original painting by Lynne Gilliatt
Services – gutter cleaning from Marci LeMaster
Watercolor Society:
printed greeting cards from Meri Reinhold
a pet portrait from Linda Branstetter
a handcrafted and painted soprano ukulele from Denise Lessow
hand-painted Holiday cards
a watercolor class from Jeanne Dutton
The BWS Scholarship receives 50 percent of our items sold.
Place your bid at the link below before Dec. 5! And be sure to check out all the other terrific items offered that support the Foundation of Monroe County Community Schools.
November’s meeting featured a fun demonstration of how to create abstract watercolor art using plastic pieces. Any kind of heavy plastic, e.g., credit or debit cards, cut up in different sizes, provide a variety of sides and points to spread the color. Thanks to Zain Mackey for sharing her techniques!
Charlotte Griffin (left) and Daniel Goebbert (right) share their abstract paintings from the November meeting.
Viridian Moon invites BWS to its current show
of works by Middle School students
The 7th and 8th-grade artists’ show is back for the third time! This is a potluck effort from five local Middle Schools: Jackson Creek, Batchelor, St. Charles, Edgewood, and Bedford. This a unique opportunity to see young artists experimenting with different media and styles from collages to drawings, painting to digital arts, with guidance from their most supportive art teachers. The level of art skills, creativity, and boldness of the students’ art pieces make us, grown-up artists, rethink many aspects of our own works. This show inspires great interest in the Bloomington art society as well as the general public, and fosters bonds between creative people of all ages. Come support our wonderful young artists, and get inspired by the fruits of their hard work!
Until Dec. 9, come vote for your favorite work! The top 8 People’s Choices will receive awards!
The Gallery’s address is 1600 W Bloomfield Road, Bloomington, IN 47403 (the entrance from the lower parking lot)
Tim Lewis‘s newest watercolor, “Devonian Dawn,” is from a recent visit to the fossil beds at Falls of The Ohio State Park in Jeffersonville, Ind. Tim’s watercolor, “Darling Oyster Bar,” was awarded the John and Karry Hansberry Merit Award at the Richmond Art Museum Annual Exhibition by Indiana and Ohio Artists. This show runs through Jan. 6.
Susan Savastuk will be showing her work at the Cancer Support Community Gallery during January-February 2024. The Opening Reception is Friday, Jan. 12 from 4 to 7 p.m.
Joanna Samorow-Merzer was commissioned to paint a small watercolor painting of two cats. The photo on the left depicts the playful cats and on the right you see the finished painting. She writes: “Since I had a limitation of the size of the painting, I had to maneuver the cats in order to get what matters most. So, here are watercolor cats 9 x 12 on Arches 140#, titled ‘Want to Join Us?'”
Andy Roberts sends “just a little holiday card” he created recently. He hopes everyone has a wonderful Christmas and New Year.
Joe and Bess Lee will be showing their work together as Animalia.2 Save the Animals = Save Ourselves in January ay the Arts Alliance of Greater Bloomington. The show will hang at the Arts Alliance Center in Bloomington’s College Mall next to the Foot Locker. The hours are Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday noon to 6 p.m.
Beyond BWS
The Watercolor Society of Indiana is moving its Annual Membership Exhibit to Gallery Forty – Two in downtown Indianapolis. The show will run from June 14 to July 26 on the first and second floors of the Gallery at 42 E. Washington Street.
This exhibit allows for flexibility in medium and surface. For example, glass and plexiglass are not required (sealed surfaces only), canvas is allowed, wood surface is allowed, mixed-media and other types of water media are allowed. All paintings must be ready to hang with wire (D-rings are preferred).
All WSI members are accepted into the annual membership exhibit. Registration for this exhibit is $20. You may submit your painting NFS; however, a sales price is encouraged. This exhibit will reach a new audience with lots of exposure and opportunities to gain a new fan.
The Opening Reception is Friday, June 14, at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
The Prospectuses for this exhibit at Gallery Forty-Two and for the Juried Exhibit at Newfield’s IMA will be released early next year.
Calendar
Now – Dec. 5 Foundation of Monroe County Community Schools online auction
Now – Dec. 9 Viridian Moon Middle School Art Show
Dec. 3 Deadline to reserve or cancel for Holiday Party
Dec. 11 Holiday Party at Meadowood, 6 p.m.
January Animalia.2 by Joe and Bess Lee at Arts Alliance Center in College Mall
January – February Susan Savastuk art show at Cancer Support Community Center Gallery
“Wash of Muddy Water” From Zain’s Southwest Series
Nov. 13 program Abstract Adventures for the Overly Cautious
Bloomington Watercolor Society will meet Monday, Nov. 13, at the First Christian Church, 205 E. Kirkwood Ave. The business meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Enter through the Washington Street door; the door code will be sent by email. The meeting will not be on Zoom. Zain Mackey leads this month’s program with something new and different! “Abstract Adventures for the Overly Cautious.”
“Let’s put our charge cards to good use by using them to paint an abstract landscape,” Zain said. “Come see what it’s like to let your laughing inner artist let go and run the show. I’ll be demonstrating a wet-on-wet abstract technique using a plastic credit card. You’re invited to come paint with me. Prepare to laugh and have fun.”
SUPPLIES
An old plastic gift or credit card
A couple sheets of cold press paper, preferable rough, which add wonderful dimension. But bring what you have. Tape it to a board or use a block.
Two to four tubes of your favorite colors. Tubes make it easier to put a dab of color on the edge of the card. I like using tetrads and I am a lush color junkie.
A small palette of other colors in the event you are inspired to do negative painting.
Brushes: a hake or mop brush to wet your paper. Other brushes, just in case.
A spray bottle and water container.
Paper towels.
Something to protect your clothes! It can get messy.
“I will demonstrate applying acrylic links, granulating fluid, and possible other mediums,” Zain said. “These help to further satisfy your emotions for texture or composition and can really add to the work. It can also lead to disaster, and sometimes disaster turns out to be amazing.”
Nov. 10
Special curator-led tour of “Landscape and Abstraction in Watercolor 1780-1980”
Jenny McComas, curator of European and American Art at IU’s Eskenazi Museum of Art, will lead a tour for BWS members of the current exhibition of “Landscape and Abstraction in Watercolor 1780-1980” Friday, Nov. 10, at 3 p.m. Meet Nancy Davis Metz in the museum’s atrium at 2:50 p.m. Park in the IMU lot on Seventh Street and bring the ticket to the museum’s front desk for a 40 percent discount.
Put on your holiday best and come to the annual BWS dinner party! Meadowood always provides a beautiful setting and delicious food to enjoy with your paint pals. There will be a greeting card exchange, a bring-one-take-one event. Any greeting is perfect! It does not have to be a holiday card. (Blank watercolor cards will be available at the Nov. 13 meeting for those who need one.) The menu includes:
Elegant Chopped Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Chicken Marsala
Rice Pilaf
Lemon Broccoli
Holiday parfait
Rolls
Coffee, Tea, Wine
Please note on the reservation if you prefer a vegetarian option. $20 per member or guest. Reservation deadline is Sunday, Dec. 3. Cancellation deadline is Sunday, Dec. 3. You can reserve your spot beginning Nov. 13 at the meeting or online. Watch for an email from Charlotte to find the link for reservations. Hope to see you there!
Left: Allen Hunton Right: MarySue Veerkamp Schwab
Cancer Support Community and the BWS Gallery
New work from Allen Hunton and MarySue Veerkamp Schwab will hang through Dec. 15 at the Cancer Support Center of Bloomington. The gallery is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 pm., with the opening reception Nov. 17 from 4 to 7 p.m. Stephanie Shelton, development manager at CSCSCI, developed the gallery and art program in cooperation with BWS. What began in September of 2022 has been a success for everyone. Thanks to the artistic talents and generosity of BWS artists, BWS Gallery has raised over $1,100 for art programs at the Cancer Support Community of South Central Indiana (CSCSCI). Estimating about $75 for each roughly 1.5 hour art class, this would pay the artist instructor fees for about 14 classes. Thanks to the three artists who have shared their talent by offering a class to the CSCSCI clients: Meri Reinhold, Sara Steffey McQueen, and Zoe Dean. Stephanie thanks all who participated and says, “CSC is incredibly grateful for the partnership with BWS, and we look forward to continuing the partnership to increase sustainability of art classes for cancer patients, survivors, and families.”
Request for historical files
Linda Branstetter, BWS historian, asks anyone with info such as flyers of their shows to send them to her. She would like to put them in the history binder.
PDVNCH by Claude Cookman
Watercolor, gouache highlights and glitter 14 x 20 inches
Correct values let you use color expressively
by Claude Cookman
In the first decade of the 20th Century, a group of French and Western European painters coalesced around the idea that color need not be realistic, but could be expressive. Chief among these “Fauves,” or wild beasts, were Henri Matisse, Andre Derain, Klees von Dongen and Maurice de Vlaminck. Their movement was short lived, but their idea resurfaces periodically. In 2018, I was fortunate to attend a workshop in New Braunsfel, Texas, led by David Lobenberg, a contemporary proponent of Fauvism, who has branded his version as “California Vibe.” Lobenberg, who teaches at Sacramento City College, preaches one simple concept: “It doesn’t matter what color you use as long as you get the values right.” To expressive color, he adds numerous techniques for achieving texture with watercolor. You can learn more about Lobenberg and his style at these URLs: https://www.stylemg.com/2020/09/29/330095/spotlight-on-watercolor-artist-david-lobenberg https://www.lobenbergart.com/collections/60305 Since the workshop, I had not done anything with this approach. When it came time to prepare work for the Bloomington Portrait Group exhibition (At The Vault at Gallery Mortgage, 121 E. Sixth Street, now through Nov. 24) I decided to try it again. PDVNCH, a local performance poet, designer and one of our favorite BPG models, seemed the perfect subject. To Lobenberg’s method, I added texture techniques learned in a class with BWS’s own Jeanne Dutton. The glitter was my own idea. It’s not perfect. I will do several things differently the next time. But it was great fun!
FMCCS online auction to benefit BWS Scholarship
It’s time for the 2023 FMCCS online auction! BWS annually awards $500 to a graduating MCCSC senior pursuing a degree in a field of art. We have had three successful applicants in the past three years so now we need to refill the coffers. The Foundation for Monroe County Community Schools (FMCCS) holds an online auction called “Reading, Writing, Bidding.” The 2023 auction will be “live” from Nov. 27 through Dec. 5. EVERY ITEM SOLD BY BWS ARTISTS EARNS 50 PERCENT FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP! Here are some ideas for items you can contribute:
A set of original, unique hand-painted greeting cards. (BWS will supply the cards.)
An original painting, matted and backed. (BWS has 16 x 20 plastic sleeves.)
Irina Shishova, Viridian Moon gallerist and Laura Brown, BWS show chair, announce Char Dapena’s painting of her cat as the People’s Choice winner.
“We Paint…Things We Love!”
The BWS membership show of 2023 closed Oct. 28 with a nicely attended reception, good food, and the announcement of the People’s Choice award. Congratulations to Char Dapena for her win with the charming watercolor painting of her cat, “Deku.” Many thanks to the numerous BWS members who entered the exhibit and contributed in some way, to Viridian Moon Gallery, and to Laura Brown, the new BWS show chair. For those who were unable to visit the exhibition, please view it on our BWS SmugMug gallery here: https://bloomingtonwatercolor.smugmug.com/We-PaintThings-We-Love/
Jean Thiery-Vietor
Jean died Oct. 26 at Cedarhurst in Bloomington after a long illness. Her daughter, Cathy Vietor-Braunlin said a celebration of life will be arranged at a later time.
Member News
Left: “Crusher” by Tim Lewis/Right: “Darling Oyster Bar”
Tim Lewis’s watercolor, “Darling Oyster Bar,” was juried into the 125th Annual Exhibition By Indiana And Ohio Artists at the Richmond Art Museum. This show opened Nov. 9 and runs through Jan. 6. Two of Tim’s watercolors are in the Watercolor Society of Indiana Members’ Exhibition at Fishers Arts Council at the Collaboration Hub in Fishers, Ind. This show’s reception will be Nov. 10 at 6 p.m., and the show runs through Dec. 2. His only new watercolor this month is “Crusher”, a 15 x 22 inch painting of a large rock crusher at a limestone quarry near St. Paul, Ind.
“House of Singing Winds” by Andy Roberts
“Monroe County Courthouse” By Andy Roberts
In September Andy Roberts participated in the Friends of T.C. Steele Show held at the Brown County Art Gallery. It was his first time to show at this beautiful gallery and one of his paintings was purchased. Andy submitted photos of his T.C. Steele painting, “House of Singing Winds,” as well as a new painting, “Monroe County Courthouse,” that he completed in October. Both paintings are Pen and Ink with Watercolor.
“On the Town,” a mixed media painting by Nancy Davis Metz was juried in to the SALI National Abstract Art Exhibition XIX. The show hung at the Garfield Park Arts Center in Indianapolis last month.
Beyond BWS
Viridian Moon is currently featuring art from students at five local Middle Schools: Jackson Creek, Batchelor, St. Charles, Edgewood, and Bedford. This a unique opportunity to see young artists experimenting with different media and styles from collages to drawings, painting to digital arts, with guidance from their most supportive art teachers. The level of art skills, creativity, and boldness of the students’ art pieces make us, grown-up artists, rethink many aspects of our own works. This show inspires great interest in the Bloomington art society as well as the general public, and fosters bonds between creative people of all ages. Come support our wonderful young artists, and get inspired by the fruits of their hard work!
Between Nov. 1 and Dec. 8, come vote for your favorite work! The top eight People’s Choices will receive awards. The Gallery’s address is 1600 W. Bloomfield Road, Bloomington, IN 47403 (The entrance is from the lower parking lot) Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/www.viridianmoon.art for updates.
Calendar
Nov. 10 Curator-led tour of “Landscape and Abstraction in Watercolor 1780-1980.” IU’s Eskenazi Art Museum. Meet in Museum Atrium at 2:50 p.m.
Nov. 13 Monthly BWS meeting, 6 p.m., First Christian Church Nov. 15 Deadline for submitting donation forms for FMCCS online auction. Nov. 17 Reception for Cancer Support Community Exhibit of work by Allen Hunton and MarySue Veerkamp Schwab, 4 to 7 p.m. Nov. 27 – Dec. 5 FMCCS online auction Dec. 11 Holiday Party at Meadowood, 6 p.m.
Bloomington Watercolor Society will meet Monday, October 9th, at the First Christian Church, 205 E. Kirkwood Ave. The business meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Enter through the Washington Street door; the door code will be sent by email. The meeting will not be on Zoom.
Program
The October 9 program is a Fall Paint In led by Charlotte Griffin. There will be three still life setups for you to choose from. Two are flower arrangements and one is a scarecrow and some pumpkins. Bring you paper, brushes, and your palette filled with fall colors.
Inside BWS
State of the Society — Past President’s Report
Bloomington Watercolor Society State of the Society Report (July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023)
Dear Members of the Bloomington Watercolor Society,
As I step down from my role as President, I take immense pride in the growth and accomplishments we have achieved together as the Bloomington Watercolor Society. It has been an honor and privilege to serve this remarkable community, and I am immensely proud of our collective achievements. The dedication, talent, and passion displayed by each member continue to inspire me and reaffirm my belief in the transformative power of art.
I would also like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the entire executive committee and all the volunteers who worked tirelessly to make BWS a resounding success.
I am pleased to present to you the State of the Society report for our organization, summarizing the activities and events that took place from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023. It was an eventful year, and we are grateful for the continued support and participation of our members.
Meetings:
Throughout the year, our society hosted a variety of meetings and workshops to engage our members in the world of watercolor art:
July 2022 – We kicked off the year with an Etagami workshop by Ruth Bogan.
August 8th, 2022 – A demonstration featuring Rachel Berenson Perry, author of Painter of the Dunes: A Life of Frank Virgil Dudley. Morgenstern’s Books was there with copies of the book to sell.
September 12th, 2022 – We had a Show and Share session and a Book Exchange.
October 10th – Sara Steffey McQueen led a Mandala Art workshop.
November 14th – Penny Lulich shared insights on “Finding Joy and Confidence with Watercolors,” along with her demonstration of painting the California coastline.
January 9, 2023 – We visited McCalla Elementary School, which is now an art gallery showcasing artworks collected by Indiana University affiliates.
February 2023 – Unfortunately, this meeting was canceled due to Covid.
March 13th, 2023 – We had a still life setup to paint, featuring flowers, fruit, shamrocks, and other objects.
April 10th – Carol Rhodes and Jeanne Dutton presented various watercolor mediums.
May 8th – The FrameMakers demo was canceled due to the presenter’s Covid situation, and business was conducted among officers only.
June 2023 – We had a Show and Share session, the installation of officers, and a farewell to Carol Rhodes as BWS President.
Paintouts:
Our paintout events provided opportunities for members to practice their skills in different locations:
July 16 – A paintout at Indiana University’s Hilltop Garden.
August 6th – Downtown Historic Places paintout in Downtown Bloomington.
September 10th – Great Outdoor Paint Out at the T.C. Steele State Historic Site.
October 8th – A Multi-Organization Paint Out at the citywide Paint “Bloomington!” event.
October 15th – A paint-out and pitch-in event at Peden Farm.
April 22nd – A paintout at T.C. Steele State Historic Site for Arts of the Earth Day.
May 20 – A paintout at Hilltop Garden Nature Center.
June 3rd – A paintout at Monroe County History Center on the Lawn.
June 10th and 11th – “Artist in the Garden” paintout in collaboration with the Bloomington Garden Club Garden Walk.
Gallery Shows:
Our members showcased their talents in various gallery exhibitions:
“We Paint…Historic Bloomington” October 7 through November 23, The Vault at Gallery Mortgage
“We Paint…Monet and More!” – February 3 – March 21, 2023 at the Vault at Gallery Mortgage which benefited Teachers Warehouse. $286 was donated from the proceeds.
Tue Apr 25th – Sat Jul 8th – “We Paint…Historic Bloomington” Encore at the Monroe County History Center.
Thu Jun 22nd – Sat Aug 5th – “BWS We Paint…Outside the Box” at Waldron Arts Center, featuring non-traditional watercolor pieces and various mediums.
Cancer Support Community Shows:
Our members contributed to meaningful exhibitions at the newly formed Bloomington Watercolor Society Gallery, located in the Cancer Support Community. So far, the artists have raised over $1000 for CSC programs.
Fri 9/2/22-10/28/22 – “Places to Go, People to See” by Meri Reinhold
Fri 11/4 – Fri 12/23 – “Right Where You Are” by Laura Brown
Fri 1/9/23- Fri 2/24/23 – “Sunrise of Hope” by Rose Brenner
Fri 3/3 – Fri 4/28 – “Intuitive Acrylics” by Sara Steffey McQueen
Fri 5/5 – Fri 6/30 – “Spice of Life” by Christine Peterson
Special Events:
We enjoyed several special events throughout the year:
July 12 – Lilly Library watercolor book tour, where we admired antique watercolor works in the collection.
Sep 29th and 30th – BWS participated in the Peden Farm Children’s Festival, offering thumbprint activities for children.
October 8th – BWS offered thumbprint animals for children at “Paint Bloomington.”
Dec 7th – LUME field trip to the Monet and Impressionist Exhibition of lights at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields.
Dec 11th – BWS Holiday Party at Meadowwood, featuring dinner and activities.
Book Sale:
At our spring 2023 meetings, we held an informal book sale, with proceeds benefiting the Sande Nitti fund, which supports BWS participants attending art workshops. The sale was administered by Kathy Barton.
Workshops:
Our members had the opportunity to enhance their skills through workshops:
July 23, 2022 – An architectural drawing class instructed by Steve Dawson.
June 9, 2023 – A 3-D watercolor paintings workshop led by Anne Farley Gaines.
Scholarship Award:
We awarded a $500 scholarship to Danza Batson, a recent graduate from the Academy of Science and Entrepreneurship who will be majoring in Fine Arts at Indiana University. The scholarship committee will attempt to arrange for Danza to showcase some of his work at our meeting.
Treasury:
Our treasury remains healthy, with a year-to-year balance increase of approximately $90. These funds were used to make BWS activities more affordable, accessible, and enjoyable for our members by supporting or subsidizing expenses.
Membership:
Membership has grown from 90 to 94 members from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023. We are thrilled to welcome new members and continue fostering our watercolor community.
Thank you for your continued support and participation in the Bloomington Watercolor Society. We look forward to another year of creativity and artistic growth.
Sincerely,
Carol Rhodes
President, Bloomington Watercolor Society (July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023)
Membership Show: “We Paint…Things We Love”
The Fall Membership Show is hanging in Viridian Moon Gallery, 1600 W. Bloomfield Rd., from Sept. 20 through Oct. 28. Viridian Moon Gallery hosted an opening reception Sept. 23 from 3 to 5 p.m.
Important Show dates Oct. 28, 3 – 5 p.m. Closing Reception Nov. 1, 10:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Pick up artwork
A $50 People’s Choice Award will be awarded at the closing reception, Oct. 28, at 4 p.m. Questions: contact Laura or Jeanne at info@bloomingtonwatercolor.org
Field Trip to “The Lume” on October 18
Bloomington Watercolor Society has arranged a trip Wednesday, Oct. 18 to Newfields – The LUME to see a new version of the Van Gogh exhibit that many of us enjoyed last year. Aside from the vast array of spectacular images that surrounded us before, there will also be eight Japanese woodblocks and a “Sunflower Room” with seemingly endless fields of sunny flowers. Many aspects will be as brilliant this time as last, but we have learned that there will also be different effects with this newer version of the exhibit. If you saw the Van Gogh exhibit before, you know how stunning the immersive art, the classical music, the orchestrated lighting, and the interactive exhibits were. This is another chance to experience that once again without worrying about navigating traffic in Indianapolis.
Particulars:
DATE: Wednesday, Oct. 18 COST: $25 per person (includes bus transportation, if desired) OPEN TO BWS MEMBERS: One additional reservation may be made at the rate of $25 per guest MAXIMUM NUMBER OF BUS SEATS: 26 TRANSPORTATION PROVIDER: Rural Transit (Bus is NOT wheelchair equipped.) MEETING TIME: 9:30 a.m. at Lowe’s (Please don’t be late.) DEPARTURE: 9:45 a.m. ARRIVAL AT NEWFIELDS: 10:45 a.m. (est.) ENTER NEWFIELDS: 11 a.m. DEPARTURE BACK TO BLOOMINGTON: 1:30 p.m. ARRIVAL IN BLOOMINGTON: 2:30 – 3: p.m. (EST) RESERVATION DEADLINE: Sept. 30 CANCELLATION DEADLINE: Oct. 10 (No refunds thereafter)
If you are interested, please don’t wait to make reservations; there is a limited number of bus seats. If you have not been to Newfields, there is a a gift shop (naturally) and a cafe where you can take a break if you like. To reserve your spot and pay electronically, go to https://bloomingtonwatercolor.org/home/activities/lume-roadtrip-2023/. To pay by check, contact the BWS Treasurer, Barbara Coffman through info@bloomingtonwatercolor.org.
Second Annual “Paint Bloomington,” October 7
WHEN:Saturday, October 7, 2023. RAIN OR SHINE Registration begins at 9:30!
WHERE: Woodlawn Pavilion in Bryan Park (Next to the swimming pool).
HOSTED BY: Arts Alliance of Greater Bloomington. Bloomington Watercolor Society, Upland Plein Air, The Portrait Group and Artists for Climate Awareness along with Bloomington Parks and Rec are teaming up to bring this fun event to Bloomington!
NO REGISTRATION FEE. Free!No advance registration required!. Artists check-in between 9.30 am and 11:00 a.m. at the Pavilion the day of the event. All artists should have canvas or multi-media paper stamped before beginning their work. Supplies will be available for classes at the Pavilion and some supplies are available for painting on the Bryan Park grounds.
HOW: Artists will be able to paint anywhere in Bloomington. The event is open to professional and emerging artists of all ages and skill levels to create original artwork of any subject in any medium. All stamped/tagged works must be completed that day by 3:00 p.m. to be eligible for judging.
Completed works need to be brought to the Woodlawn Pavilion by 3:00 marked with the artist’s name and email address or telephone number in the back. Please do not sign artwork until after judging. Wet Oil paintings should be in a frame for safe handling or BYO easel/display.
AWARDS: ALL stamped works completed that day will be eligible for judging.
Awards will be for artists in all media in the following categories: Professional artists, Emerging Artists, Teens (12-17), and Youth )7-11) and Collaborative Art!!
CLASSES will be at the Pavilion beginning 10:00-2:00 for youth and teens and adults.
DEMONSTRATIONS: Various artists will be giving demonstrations throughout the day and there will be opportunities to paint with them. Plein Air Painting will be all over town and the park!!
Music, Storytelling, Poetry readings will be at the Pavilion throughout the day. Bring a picnic!
All children must be accompanied by an adult.
May Creek Farm Paint-Out and Carry-In, October 14
BWS’s End of the Season Paint-Out and Carry-In will be held at May Creek Farm on Saturday, October 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Arrive any time after 9:30 a.m. Please follow the signs to park in the parking area.
The shelter house is located across the field. Water, drinks, food, chairs, and electrical outlets are available at the shelter. If you or someone has difficulties walking, transportation across the field will be provided.
Set up anywhere in and around the field. Paint 10 to noon. At 12, lunch (white chili chicken and snacks) will be served. Please bring side dishes and desserts.
You are welcome to stay and paint after lunch. The event is over at 2:00 p.m.
Zain, Sharon, and Sara are excited to be your hosts.
Address: 8745 Rockport Road.
The easiest way to get to May Creek Farm is to follow Rockport Rd from Rogers Street for approximately 14 miles. You will go through the town of Kirksville. May Creek Farm is located about 1 mile past Kirksville on the left. Look for the signs.
NOTE: In case the paint-out needs to be cancelled due to weather, an email will be sent by 8 a.m. the day of the paint-out.
Out of Darkness Walk, October 22
Thanks to several member artists, BWS was able to contribute four dozen painted rocks to the Out of the Darkness walk! Scheduled for October 22 at Switchyard Park, walkers will receive a rock and “plant” it along the trail. This project is co-sponsored by Project STAY, Kiwanis, and BWS as part of a national program of suicide prevention.
Climate change is real. Come to a presentation of scientific and artistic visuals curated and presented by Ben Brabson, climate scientist and Emeritus Professor of Physics at Indiana University.
Using art for communication can raise awareness, provoke impactful dialogue, and inspire action about environmental issues. Brabson’s talk includes engaging and artful illustrations that simplify concepts of climate change for ordinary people, making the concepts more concrete, meaningful, and motivating.
Mary Sue Schwab to Conduct a Workshop on Painting Indiana’s Trees
Mary Sue Schwab at the WSI 2023 International Exhibition at Newfields
Sponsored by the Artists for Climate Awareness, Mary Sue Schwab will be conducting a one-day workshop at Ivy Tech on October. 27th, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. In that workshop she will demonstrate key techniques for watercolor success. Participants will paint native Indiana trees, landscapes and more. Participants will be instructed in multi-layered, wet-on-wet techniques employing watercolors to create highly effective tree formations using a mixture of warm and cool greens, juxtaposing shadow and form. Participants are encouraged to bring a reference, such as a photo for their own piece. This workshop is open to artists of all levels and each will receive individual attention. Limited space sign up soon!
During October and November, the Bloomington Portrait Group will exhibit work at The Vault at Mortgage Gallery, 121 E. 6th Street. Opening reception is 5 to 8 pm, Friday, October 6. The exhibition runs until Friday, November 24.
Many BWS members also participate in the Bloomington Portrait Group. Several work in watercolor. Come and support your fellow artists.
Jane Matranga • Watercolor • Donna Carlton in her belly dancing costume
WSI Sponsors a 3-Day Workshop
The Watercolor Society of Indiana is proud to bring Michael Holter to Indianapolis to teach a 3-day workshop, October 4 to 6, 2023. In this workshop Michael will help you build off of the principles of design to create emotional and expressive paintings, engage in exercises that will solidify the content that you are working on, spend time viewing other artists’ work, and discuss the methods that these artists achieve using their techniques.Michael welcomes novice and advanced students and tailors the experience to individual needs.
The Workshop takes place at Second Presbyterian Church in Indy. The room is equipped with Audio Visual Equipment, and each artist is given their own 8-foot table.
Fiber Arts on Display
The City of Bloomington, in collaboration with By Hand Gallery, presents “Threads of Meaning”, an exhibition of work by Bloomington-based textile artists on view at Fountain Square Mall Bloomington from July 1 – October 9, 2023. Closing reception is on October 6th, 6-8 pm. The exhibition features artists Beatrice Atencah, Ary Bird, David Joseff Sloma, Patricia Coleman, Alizah Sage, Nina Montenegro, Emily Chase, Ileana Haberman, and Alexis Zabor. Go check it out! The locations of the show are the following: Fountain Square Bloomington Gallery Wall in the main atrium and the Fountain Gallery Lower-Level Walls and Upper-Level Walls.
Trivia Night at Cardinal Spirits, October 1
The Cancer Support Community has been truly supportive of BWS artists through the establishment of the Bloomington Watercolor Society Gallery. In return, here’s a fun way we can support their programs.
“From My Fair Lady to Lady Gaga, George Michael to Michael Scott, and Downton Abbey to Uptown Funk, join us at Cardinal Spirits for “That’s Entertainment,” a trivia game that’s all movies, music, TV, and pop culture through the decades!”
This event is to support the Cancer Support Community of South Central Indiana (CSCSCI) and will be hosted by Josh Johnson of Bloomington Pub Quiz. All proceeds from ticket sales go directly to the CSCSCI.
Food, drinks, fun, trivia, prizes!!!
Swope Art Museum to Host Rachel Branson Perry
The Swope Art Museum in Terra Haute will host a reception for RachelBerenson Perry on Friday, October 6 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Her latest book, “Painter of the Dunes: A Life of Frank Virgil Dudley,” is part of the Historical Society’s Youth Biography series. The author will give a lecture about Frank Dudley and his work. Her presentation will start at 6 p.m. sharp.
Rachel Berenson Perry is fine arts curator emerita of the Indiana State Museum. She has written numerous articles for “American Art Review” and “Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History” (Indiana Historical Society) and has completed seven books about historical and current Indiana artists.
Artist Talk with Max Ginsburg
The Hamilton County Artists Association is hosting a talk by Max Ginsburg on October 3 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Lacy Art Building (848 Logan Street) in Noblesville. His artist talk is open and free to the public. Bill and Mary Sue Schwab have taken workshops with Max. Mary Sue reports, “Both Bill and I have taken workshops in New York with Max. I highly recommend his workshops. His Alla prima way of painting portraits is amazing!”
Artist Talk with Max Ginsburg October 3, 2023, 7:00 – 9:00 PM The Lacy Arts Building, 848 Logan St, Noblesville, IN 46060, USA
Membership News
Congratulations to Babette Ballinger on winning the Gallery’s Choice Award at Upland’s Members’ Show 2023!
Patty Uffman is the featured artist at the Community Cancer Support Center for September and October. Her show is entitled, “Outside Influences.” Although it will continue until October 26, the hours are limited: Tuesday-Thursday from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm (or by appointment by calling 812-233-3286.). The holidays are coming. Patty has a variety of prints available for purchase as well as small framed artwork.
***********
Zain Mackey. Above is “Dusty River,” a watercolor that’s part of my new southwestern series. I’ve been remembering the trip my husband and I took driving across country last year.
**********
Jane Matranga. Everyone is invited to see my exhibition called,Wearing the Painting at the Bloomington Arts Alliance. Opening reception is this Friday, September 29th from 6-8pm. The show runs through October 22nd.
Mary Sue Schwab. “It’s Fall!” I recently sold my Plein Air painting of Ogle Lake at Brown County State Park.
Mary Sue closed her note with this announcements: “Coming soon, November and December, Allen Hunton and Mary Sue Schwab will have a BWS art show at The Cancer Support Center of Bloomington, watch for more information.”
Joanne Shank. Bloomington Open Studios Tour is Saturday, October 14 from 10-5 and Sunday, October 15, from 12-4. Fifteen artists will be participating this year. Find a map to studios and listing of all the artists at https://bloomingtonopenstudiostour.com/
Joanne Shank will be one of the artists. Her studio is now in her home and no longer downtown. She would love to have any BWS members stop by.
Stephen Edwards. Stephen writes “I’m finally painting again.” He’s also winning lots of awards!! “My ‘Tree of Life’ (Below: Painting 1) won Best of Show at the Artist Association of Madison County Open Annual Exhibition (now showing at the Anderson Museum of Art) and was also accepted in the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society International Open Exhibition. ‘Keeping the Seat Warm’ (Painting 2) was accepted in the Philadelphia Watercolor Society’s 123th International Exhibition of Works on Paper. ‘Cola Wars’ (Painting 3) was accepted into the Watercolor Society of Indiana’s 41st Annual Exhibition now showing at Newfields.”
Timothy Lewis. It has been a busy month.
New work: watercolor, Old Faithful, Through The Mist. and Solitaire.
Nov. 3rd through Jan. 7th – My watercolor, Spring Fed, was juried into the 79th Annual Wabash Valley Exhibition which will feature artwork by artists from Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. The show is at the Swope Art Museum in Terre Haute, IN.
October – I will have a solo show at the Midtown Gallery in Broad Ripple the entire month of October. All watercolors in the show will be for sale directly from the artist.
On October 10 I participated in a curated tour of the Quest For The West show at the Eiteljorg Museum. Our guide was Gayle Weisfield, a well known western watercolor painter and regular participant in the show. From the 11th through the 13th I participated in a workshop by Gayle at a private residence in Zionsville. This workshop was arranged through the Watercolor Society of Indiana and included 16 participants.
Andy Roberts. These are a couple of my recent paintings: (1) Fountain Square Downtown Bloomington- August Paint Out Plein Air; (2) T.C. Steele’s Outdoor Studio Wagon, T.C. Steele Historical Site – July Plein Air.
Anticipating seeing a large turnout for “Paint Bloomington” Saturday October 7th, and the dedicated BWS members who are participating or volunteering.
Patricia Coleman. I would like to share a link to my recent blog post on persimmon astringent at:
There are some references to persimmon astringent being used to strengthen some handmade papers and in stencil making and its use as a paint. Traditionally it has been used in ways similar to indigo.
Jacki Frey. Here is painting I did this Tuesday after visiting Gnawbone camp. I do not often paint horses, however, these guys posed for me!!
Betty Wagoner. I recently attended the Watercolor Society of Indiana’s 3-day workshop with Taos artist, Gayle Weisfield. A day before the workshop, we met at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis for a tour of the Quest for the West exhibit. Gayle was one of the artists featured in that exhibit. While there, we met an African-American artist in the show who gave an inspirational speech about his paintings and his life. The combination plein air and studio workshop itself was held on an estate in Zionsville. It featured wet-on-wet painting and storytelling. It was both eye-opening and inspirational. Gayle is a wonderful teacher. The hosts fed us a wonderful breakfast and lunch in their beautiful home. If you have a chance to attend one of Gayle’s workshops, I highly recommend it. Attached is a photo of a not quite finished painting of one of the workshop participants sitting at a creek that ran through the property.
Don Madwig. The Opening Reception to Don Madwig’s show at the Fell Gallery, entitled “Nocturnes – Variations on a Theme,” will be on October 3 from 5 to 8 p.m. Don’s show runs through the month of November.
Calendar
Sept. 29 Opening Reception, Jane Matranga’s Wearing the Painting Exhibition, Art Alliance Oct. 1 Trivia Night at Cardinal Spirits, Cancer Support Community Oct. 3 Opening Reception, Don Madwig’s show at The Fell Gallery Oct. 4-6 WSI Workshop with Michael Holter, Indianapolis Oct. 6 Closing Reception, Fibers on Display, Fountain Square Mall Oct. 6 Opening Reception, Bloomington Portrait Group Exhibition, The Vault Oct. 7 2nd Annual Bloomington Paint-out, Woodlawn Pavilion in Bryan Park Oct. 9 BWS October Meeting, First Christian Church Oct. 12 Ben Brabson at Ivy Tech, Artists for Climate Awareness Oct. 14-15 Open Studio Tours, Bloomington Oct. 18 BWS Field Trip to Newfield’s – The LUME Oct. 22 Out of Darkness Walk Oct. 27 Mary Sue Schwab Workshop at Ivy Tech Oct. 28 3-5 p.m. Closing Reception for Member Show, Viridian Moon Nov. 1 10:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. Pick up Member Show paintings at Viridian Moon
The August/September issue of Bloom magazine features artwork by BWS member Joe Lee.
Sept. 11 BWS meeting to focus on best framing practices
Bloomington Watercolor Society will meet Monday, Sept. 11, at the First Christian Church, 205 E. Kirkwood Ave. The business meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Enter through the Washington Street door; the door code will be sent by email. The meeting will not be on Zoom.
Matthew Schnaars from Framemakers, who will present the program on best practices for preserving and presenting watercolor artworks in a frame. “The final step of any painting is not placing the last brush stroke, but framing the artwork for the audience to view,” Matthew said. “Picture framing can enhance any work of art, but it can also protect it against the damages of time, and a skilled picture framer knows how to balance both aspects.”
Matthew will discuss topics such as mounting and matting options, working with watercolor paper as a framer, concerns about long-term preservation, different framing styles, and ways to work within a budget when framing your artwork. Matthew will bring some visual examples of all of the above to view and handle, and would be pleased to answer any and all questions that his time and experience will allow.
Member Show “WE PAINT…Things We Love!”
The Fall Membership Show will hang at Viridian Moon Gallery, 1600 W. Bloomfield Rd., from Sept. 20 through Oct. 28. Viridian Moon Gallery will host an opening reception Sept. 23 from 3 to 5 p.m.
A $50 People’s Choice Award will be awarded at the closing reception, Oct. 28, at 4 p.m. If you have questions, contact Laura or Jeanne at info@bloomingtonwatercolor.org.
August BWS meeting program
BWS member and professional clown Joe Lee transformed himself into “Jolais,” his clown persona, via costume and makeup while BWS members sketched and painted him. He talked about the significance, symbolism, and history of clowning using his own illustrations before striking a pose.
Peden Farm Volunteers needed!
BWS members will share an easy art project for all youth, parents and teachers attending the school-sponsored event at Peden Farm on Sept. 28 and 29. More than 2,000 patrons are expected this year so lots of volunteers are needed. You can volunteer for morning or afternoon shifts by contacting Sarah Ward: info@bloomingtonwatercolor.org.
Breakfast and a barbecue lunch will be provided by our hosts.
THE LUME
Bloomington Watercolor Society has arranged a trip Wednesday, Oct. 18 to Newfields – The LUME to see a new version of the Van Gogh exhibit that many of us enjoyed last year. Aside from the vast array of spectacular images that surrounded us before, there will also be eight Japanese woodblocks and a “Sunflower Room” with seemingly endless fields of sunny flowers. Many aspects will be as brilliant this time as last, but we have learned that there will also be different effects with this newer version of the exhibit. If you saw the Van Gogh exhibit before, you know how stunning the immersive art, the classical music, the orchestrated lighting, and the interactive exhibits were. This is another chance to experience that once again without worrying about navigating traffic in Indianapolis. Here are the particulars: DATE: Wednesday, Oct. 18 COST: $25 per person (includes bus transportation, if desired) OPEN TO BWS MEMBERS: One additional reservation may be made at the rate of $25 per guest MAXIMUM NUMBER OF BUS SEATS: 26 TRANSPORTATION PROVIDER: Rural Transit (Bus is NOT wheelchair equipped.) MEETING TIME: 9:30 a.m. at Lowe’s (Please don’t be late.) DEPARTURE: 9:45 a.m. ARRIVAL AT NEWFIELDS: 10:45 a.m. (est.) ENTER NEWFIELDS: 11 a.m. DEPARTURE BACK TO BLOOMINGTON: 1:30 p.m. ARRIVAL IN BLOOMINGTON: 2:30 – 3: p.m. (est.) RESERVATION DEADLINE: Sept. 30 CANCELLATION DEADLINE: Oct. 10 (No refunds thereafter)
If you are interested, please don’t wait to make reservations; there is a limited number of bus seats. If you have not been to Newfields, there is a a gift shop (naturally) and a cafe where you can take a break if you like. To reserve your spot and pay electronically, go to https://bloomingtonwatercolor.org/home/activities/lume-roadtrip-2023/. To pay by check, contact the BWS Treasurer, Barbara Coffman through info@bloomingtonwatercolor.org.
Member News
Patty Uffman will be the featured artist for September and October at the Cancer Support Center. Her show, “Outside Influences,” includes acrylics as well as watercolors and can be seen at the Opening Reception Friday, Sept. 8, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Cancer Support Center, 1719 W. Third St. in Bloomington. The Gallery will also be open daily for public viewing by appointment only. Email Stephanie@cancersupportscin.org or call 812-233-3286 to arrange a visit.
Three of Christine Peterson‘s paintings have received recognition this summer. “Remember Fishing” (above right) was juried in to the SALI National Abstract Art Exhibition XIX, to be shown at the Garfield Park Arts Center in Indianapolis. Her painting “Waiting and Waiting” (above middle) was accepted into the NWS and Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour 2024 International Exchange Exhibition. And her “Morning Break” (above left) painting is currently hanging in the 41st Annual WSI juried exhibit at Newfields museum. She also won Grand Champion at the Monroe County Fair this summer with her painting “Old Man Winter.”
Tim Lewis‘s watercolor, “Sunshine Came Softly,” (above) received the Bob Bratton Memorial Award presented by Between Paper & Palette (5th place) in the Watercolor Society of Indiana’s Annual Juried Exhibition. The show is in the Waller Gallery at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields and runs through Sept. 30. You can also view all 45 paintings in the show at https://www.watercolorsocietyofindiana.org/WSI-Store .
Tim’s watercolor, “Fixing the Outrigger,” (above) will be a part of the Nickel Plate Arts Members Only Show at the Judge Stone House in Noblesville from Sept. 1 – 30.
Rose Brenner won 2nd place at the Good Ole Summertime Hoosier Art Salon competition in New Harmony. Her painting, “Early Morning Walk,” (above) is a 16″x20″ oil.
Andy Roberts (above — on the left) shared a $500 Best of Show award for his watercolor painting of the West Baden Hotel Valley View. He participated last month in the plein air event sponsored by the Indiana Heritage Arts of Nashville at the West Baden Springs property.
Beyond BWS
Viridian Moon announces the final reception and People’s Choice Winner announcement Saturday, Sept. 16, from 3 to 5 p.m. for the Upland Plein Air Member Show – 2023. Until that day Viridian Moon will be collecting votes for the Show’s pieces. Please come to support/vote for your favorite artist!
Upland Plein Air Member Show
Friends of T.C. Steele Member Art Show Aug. 25 – Sept. 23 Closing reception: Sept. 23, 2 to 4 p.m. Brown County Art Gallery 1 Artist Drive, Nashville, IN. Gallery hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 12 to 5 p.m. The show features work from several BWS members: Katya Alexeeva, Kathy Barton, Jacki Frey, Betty Wagoner, Joanne Shank, and Andy Roberts.
WHAT: Second Annual Bloomington Paint Out WHEN: Saturday, October 7, 2023. RAIN OR SHINE WHERE: Woodlawn Pavilion in Bryan Park (Next to the swimming pool). HOSTED BY: Arts Alliance of Greater Bloomington. Bloomington Watercolor Society, Upland Plein Air, The Portrait Group, and Artists for Climate Awareness are teaming up with Bloomington Parks and Rec for our second annual Paint Bloomington! NO REGISTRATION FEE: Free. No advance registration required. Artists check in between 9.30 a.m. and 11 a.m. at the Pavilion the day of the event to have their canvasses or multi-media paper stamped before beginning their work. Supplies available for classes at the Pavilion and for painting on the Bryan Park grounds. Artists will be able to paint anywhere in Bloomington. HOW: Open to professional and emerging artists of all ages and skill levels to create original artwork of any subject in any medium. Stamped/tagged works must be completed by 3 p.m. for judging. Completed works need to be brought to the Woodlawn Pavilion marked with the artist’s name and email address on the back. Please do not sign artwork until after judging. Wet Oil paintings should be in a frame for safe handling or BYO easel/display.AWARDS: ALL stamped works completed that day will be eligible for judging. Awards will be for artists in the following categories in ALL media: Professional artists, Adult Artists, Teens (12-17), and Youth (7-11) and Collaborative art. Please email paintbloomington@gmail.com for additional information. CLASSES will be at the Pavilion from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for all ages. DEMONSTRATIONS: Various artists will be giving demonstrations throughout the day and there will be opportunities to paint with them. Music, Storytelling, and Poetry readings will be at the Pavilion throughout the day. Picnickers and friends and family members and all observers welcome! All minors must be accompanied by an adult. Please email paintbloomington@gmail.com for additional information.
Workshop! Establishing the Painting with Personal Choice & Perspective
Friday, September 8th marks the beginning of Art Colony Weekend. Spend the day with award-winning Guild artist and instructor, David M. Seward.
??Are you struggling with decision making in your painting process? Look no further!
With David’s guidance, you will learn how to make informed decisions about color, composition, and other important aspects of painting.
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced painter, his techniques will help take your skills to the next level!
Aug. 25 – Sept. 23 Friends of T.C. Steele Member Art Show, Brown County Art Gallery Sept. 8 David M. Seward Workshop – Establishing the Painting with Personal Choice & Perspective Sept. 8 4-7 p.m. Opening Reception for Patty Uffman’s “Outside Influences” at Cancer Support Center Sept. 11 6 p.m. BWS meeting, First Christian Church Sept. 15 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Deliver paintings to Viridian Moon for Member Show Sept. 16 3-5 p.m. Final Reception and People’s Choice Award announcement for Upland Plein Air Member Show Sept. 22 Opening Reception for Fall Splendor show at Brown County Art Gallery Sept. 23 3-5 p.m. Opening Reception for Member Show at Viridian Moon Sept. 23 2-4 p.m. Closing Reception for Friends of T.C. Steele Member Art Show, Brown County Art Gallery Sept. 28-29 BWS volunteers at Peden Farm Sept. 30 Reservation deadliner for BWS Field Trip to Newfield’s – The LUME Oct. 7 2nd Annual Bloomington Paint-out, Woodlawn Pavilion in Bryan Park Oct. 18 BWS Field Trip to Newfield’s – The LUME Oct. 28 3-5 p.m. Closing Reception for Member Show, Viridian Moon Nov. 1 10:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. Pick up Member Show paintings at Viridian Moon
BWS’ August Meeting will be held at First Christian Church beginning at 6 p.m. Enter through the Washington Street door; the door code will be sent by email. The meeting will not be on Zoom.
Program:
Joe Lee said this about the August program: “I will be posing in my “Jolais” costume and makeup. I will demonstrate the makeup application, and talk about the significance, symbolism, and history of clowning using illustrations I have put together over the years.”
Following Joe’s presentation members will be invited to do his portrait, applying all they have learned about drawing portraits from last month’s BWS Meeting (see the entry “Five on the Floor! Five artists demonstrate portrait methods, field questions at the July BWS meeting” in this Newsletter).
Members can use any art materials they wish (charcoal, pencil, watercolor, gauche, etc.). So Remember: Bring supplies and enjoy a portrait session sponsored by BWS and featuring Bloomington’s favorite clown and political cartoonist!!
Inside BWS
We Paint…Out of the Box
Join us at The Waldron Arts Center on August for a final reception from 5-8 p.m. We Paint…Out of The Box has attracted a lot of traffic and gained a few new BWS members.
If you wish to see the exhibit before August 4th be aware that the hours have changed since we hung the show.
We have new pickup dates. You may pick up your work during these days and times:
Wednesday, August 9, from 5:45 to 7:45 pm
Friday August 11, from noon to 3 pm
Waldron’s NEW Summer hours: Wednesday and Thursday 12-5 pm; Friday 12-8 pm. Saturday/Sunday, by appointment only. To make an appointment, contact info@seeconstellation.org.
BWS Membership Show: “We Paint…Things We Love”
“Bottoms Up!!” by JCHarste
Show chair, Laura Brown, encourages members to work on paintings to place in the member show which is titled “WE PAINT…Things We Love”. The show will be from September 23 through October 28 at the Viridian Moon Gallery. The dates to remember are the following:
September 13, provide images (pictures taken of work before putting glass in front of the painting) for use in publicity and for the online gallery.
September 15, deliver framed painting to Viridian Moon between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
September 23, opening reception 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
October 28, closing reception 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Members should read details for the show in the show prospectus.
AUGUST PAINT OUT at OWEN VALLEY WINERY
Sat Aug 12th 11:00am – 3:00pm
Owen Valley Winery, 401 Timber Ridge Road, Spencer, IN 47460.
It’s nearly Harvest time at Owen Valley Winery and the vibrant green leaves and plump grapes are filling up the vines. This beautiful country setting is ripe for a paint out. Bring your brushes and your vintner’s spirit to the Paint Out on August 12th. The gate will be open at 10:45 (so you may come in and set up for an 11:00 a.m. start). The winery officially opens for business at 12:00 noon, but arrangements can be made for wine to be served when you set up. Please reach out to April @ nablespics@gmail.com or Zoe @ stevezoedean@gmail.com by Friday 8/11 5:00 pm with any early requests. Otherwise, when you want to stretch your legs, wander into the winery for a tasting, lunch and a slice of their famous house-made cheesecake at noon. This is a 3-generation family-run winery, where the vino is produced and bottled with a heart for craftsmanship. A member of Indiana Grown, Owen Valley is on the Indiana Uplands wine trail with Butler, Oliver, Brown County, French Lick, Huber, Winzerwald, Best Vineyards and Turtle Run wineries. PLEASE NOTE: Due to ATC and Health Department regulations, no outside food or alcohol is permitted. You’re welcome to bring your water bottles and coffee cups.
If you are interested in carpooling check with Charlotte Griffin who has volunteered to coordinate such efforts.
Directions: (Using GPS directions is not recommended, better to follow the directions below as you drive)
Coming from 46 West out of Ellettsville.
46 West. Turn left on Hwy 43 at the light just before McCormick’s Creek State Park. Proceed 2.5 miles, Turn Right on Freeman Road Go .8 miles Turn Left on Timber Ridge Road. Proceed on Timber Ridge Road 2 miles. Owen Valley Winery will be on the Right.
Coming from the South side of Bloomington via 3rd Street (48 West passing by the airport)
Proceed West on 48/43 passing the airport, and toward Whitehall about 4.2 miles. 48 splits off at Whitehall. Stay toward the right on 43.
Continue through Whitehall on 43 for 7.8 miles and the beautiful country drive. Turn left on Freeman Road Go .8 miles turn left on Timber Ridge Road.
Proceed on Timber Ridge Road 2 miles. Owen Valley Winery will be on the Right.
BWS Members Collaborate with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
In mid-July a half dozen BWS members volunteered to “Paint Rocks” in support of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). The rocks that were painted can be seen by participating in the AFSP’s 2023 Bloomington Out of the Darkness Walk held on Sunday, October 22, 2023.
Some of the rocks painted by BWS Members. Photo compliments of Charlotte Griffin.
Eskenazi Museum of Art Live!
On July 15, the Eskenazi Museum of Art invited BWS members to come to the museum and paint as part of its “Art Live” program which the museum described as a “convergence of music, art, and community.” Several BWS members participated including Claude Cookman, Joanne Shank, and Leslie Asher. Below is a photo of Leslie Asher in the midst of painting on the second level of the atrium in the museum. When asked about the experience she said, “Painting at the Eskenazi Museum was really fun. I would definitely do it again.”
Five on the Floor!
Five artists demonstrate portrait methods, field questions at the July BWS meeting
It all started with Penny Lulich. She suggested a session titled “Four on the Floor” to BWS program chair Joanne Weddle. Penny’s idea was that four BWS members would paint portraits, while members kibbitzed and asked questions. Somehow, a fifth artist got added, and the whole enterprise shifted into higher gear. Five artists — Penny, Meri Reinhold, Deborah Rush, Jane Matranga, and Claude Cookman — demonstrated their methods, materials, and skills in the portraiture genre at the July 10 Bloomington Watercolor Society meeting at the First Christian Church. Despite working in the same genre, they produced extremely varied results, not merely because of the different content but because of their unique approach and handling of the materials.
Below are photos of the artists in action, their finished works, and their reflections on portraiture. Digital reproductions are never as good as seeing real work. Therefore, the five artists have agreed to bring their actual paintings/drawings to the BWS August meeting so you can see their final portraits in a mini exhibition.
Penny Lulich • Anna at the Creek • Watercolor
There are many ways you can paint a portrait, and I painted this one rather quickly and without a color photo to help me. I painted this because it inspired me with the beauty of the innocence of a young child exploring a creek for the first time, and I let values and shapes guide me.
Skin tones. The most asked question at my table, was, how do you make the color for the skin tones. I use Winsor & Newton “light red”, and go from there, adding other colors when needed such as burnt sienna, opera pink, cad red, and manganese blue hue.
Understatement. Someone said, “I can’t wait to see how you handle the rock that the child is sitting on.” I didn’t handle it very much, because I didn’t want the focus to be the rock, but rather the child. I hope it looks satisfactory.
Future. I felt like we had a good evening, and it was fun for everyone. I hope we do this again in other genres.
Penny Lulich takes a round brush to the portrait of her granddaughter, Anna, playing in a creek.
Meri Reinhold • St John Friend• Watercolor
Motivation. I am fascinated by the human form and love to draw it. The human face has so many incredible variations. It always captures my interest. As a member of the Bloomington Portrait Group, I was able to enjoy endless variety in features, from young people to elders and everyone in between; some in ethnic costume, some with instruments, even one young man with a snake wrapped around his neck.
Advice. As I teach drawing, I hear comments such as “I can’t do hands or teeth” or variations of that. But I can tell you that drawing is drawing is drawing…. It’s ALL the same and what you learn is perspective and the relationship of shapes and contours to each other.
Meri Reinhold works on her portrait as a BWS member looks on.
Deborah Rush • Anne • Watercolor
I’ve been drawing people since I was a child. A lot of times that’s the only thing you have to draw. If you want to draw, there are usually people around.
Objective. Other than a likeness, it’s capturing a spirit. It doesn’t have to look exactly like the person, but it has to have their character.
Method: I usually start with an oval and the line for the eyes and also down the middle of the face. And then I start drawing the eyes. They’re very, very important. And then I carry on from there, because everything is connected: do the eyes, come down the nose, do the mouth. And then refine. But it’s a very rough drawing.
You almost have to work in layers. I start with a thin layer of the darkest color — to get started, to get past that white-paper thing.
Anne. Part of it was her pose, part her beautiful coloring: the red hair and the pale skin. It’s like: you see something and it strikes you; it’s something you want to capture. Also, I had done a portrait of her at a Portrait Group session, and I didn’t like it. So, I wanted to do something better. I’m still not satisfied. I think I could work on it for another four hours, but I know I won’t.
Questions. Most of the questions were about the colors I was using for the skin tones. That seems to be a big mystery for people. And everybody uses something different. … I use new gamboge and opera rose, which is a pink. And when you mix them together in any strength, it looks like methylate, for people who are old enough to remember what that is. So, it’s a hideous color. But when you water it down and put it on paper, it’s a nice, sparkly skin tone. It’s absolutely appropriate, I think. It doesn’t get muddy.
Advice. The whole thing can be daunting. But if you start doing small studies of eyes, a nose, mouth. And don’t worry about how they all go together. But get familiar enough with those features that you know what the shapes are — any intricacies — then it’s much easier to put them together in a face.
Under the watchful eye of Barbara Coffman, Deborah Rush picks out a tube of color for her painting of Anne.
Jane Matranga • Elsa Schiaparelli • B&W charcoal
Drawing and painting portraits is perhaps my favorite form of art making besides designing clothes. I’ve drawn “figures” and “faces” since I was a toddler!
Objective. Early on, my reason for doing portraits was to capture a likeness and make sure the facial feature proportions were accurate. That is still important but, now I want to infuse the portrait with character, the subject’s and some of my own. I hope to accomplish that by being more loose with paint application and by using some unexpected, bold colors.
Model. I chose to draw Elsa Schiaparelli because she is my fashion idol. The image I used was a black and white photograph from the 1920’s so I used black and white charcoal on grey paper.
It was fun to create a portrait as people watched. It reminded me of doing portraits on the boardwalk in Atlantic City one summer.
Questions. Most people asked me questions about my painting of my parents on the velvet top I had on display.
Claude Cookman • Toni Morrison • Charcoal
Motivation. I’ve been trying to learn to draw since 1994. For me drawing is about seeing in a concentrated, purposeful way. In his book “Why We Draw,” Frederick Franck expressed it best: “I have learned that what I have not drawn, I have never really seen …” The human face is complex. We can always discover new facets.
Method. I’ve been drawing portraits seriously since the Bloomington Portrait Group launched in January 2017. After several frustrating years, I discovered a method published by Andrew Loomis in 1943. It lets you establish the structure of the head plus the proportion and arrangement of the features from any angle. I work in many different mediums but for the BWS session, I chose charcoal. I started by covering the paper with powdered charcoal, which got rid of all that intimidating white. It also let me draw negatively by erasing with cotton swabs, a chamois skin, and a kneaded eraser. I did the block-in with vine charcoal. It’s extremely malleable; you can erase and redraw endlessly. When I got the structure and tonal values down solid, I moved to compressed charcoal for dark values and charcoal pencils for fine details. I used a white charcoal pencil for a few small highlights on her face. Pardon my enthusiasm, but I also like charcoal because it’s great fun. Creating gradients, softening edges, or blending tones is like finger painting in grade school. I have more than 8 hours in this drawing, and am still not satisfied. I stood during the entire time, at BWS and also in my studio. This kept my arm off the table, allowing for gestural strokes, and let me step back from the drawing frequently to evaluate proportion, tones, transitions, etc.
Motif. I chose to draw Toni Morrison, the Nobel laureate in literature and one of my favorite authors. The reference photo captured her face, but I gave her a sad expression. At a time when politicians attempt to deny America’s history of slavery and the systemic racism that prolongs that era and when police officers still summarily execute unarmed young black men with impunity, I tried to imagine the sad wisdom that Ms Morrison expressed in “Beloved” and other novels, then convey it by her expression and dramatic tonal contrast.
With a vine charcoal stick, Claude Cookman blocks in his drawing of author Toni Morrison.
Outside BWS
“On MY Journey” by Zoe Dean Cancer Support Community
Mon Jul 10th – Fri Aug 25th
Cancer Support Community Building, 1719 W 3rd St, Bloomington, IN 47403.
Zoe Dean is the featured artist for July/August at the Cancer Support Community. Her show is titled “On My Journey.” Gallery hours are Tuesday toThursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. but visitors must make an appointment to avoid conflicts with other activities at the center. Make appointments by contacting Stephanie@cancersupportscin.org or call 812-233-3286.
Call for Artists: The Venue
Grand opening and reception: September 3, 2023.
Dave at the Venue invites artists to submit work for The Venue’s Juried Art Show, a part of The Art & Soul of Bloomington. APPLY NOW to participate. The prospectus can be found on the Venue’s website: http://thevenuebloomington.com.
The Venue is pleased to answer all of your questions by your calling 812-322-1661, emailing venueartshow@gmail.com.
Reminder: Call for entries for the Friends of T.C. Steele Member Art Show.
T.C.Steele, “Selma in the Garden” (Internet photo)
Show dates: August 25-September 23, 2023 Registration deadline: August 10, 2023 Closing reception: September 23, 2-4 pm. Features a guided tour of the Brown County Art Gallery with an emphasis on the history of the Brown County. Art Colony and an online tour of the T.C. Steele Trail.
Prizes awarded in all categories: 1) Professional 2) Amateur/Emerging Artist 3) Youth (18 and younger 4) Best-in-Show: $1000
All art media accepted, including photography.
Youth are encouraged to enter. (Parents, grandparents and art teachers/tutors, please encourage youth artists to enter their artwork.). Frames for youth artwork will be loaned for the duration of the show. We will frame the work at time of delivery of artwork.
The show is on exhibit during the Brown County Art Colony weekend that features paint-outs at T.C. Steele State Historic Site and Nashville.
Not a member? Join the Friends at time of registration.
Hancock Country Arts along will be hosting a Regional Portrait Society of American Exhibition on August 11th and 12th. In addition to exhibition there will be demonstration by artists creating portraits. Guests also are invited to take part in the annual Greenfield Chocolate Walk festivities.
The Exhibit opens August 5th at 11 a.m. and closes August 26th at 2 p.m. Hancock Country Arts Gallery, 20 West North Street, Greenfield, IN.
Watercolor Society of Indiana
WSI invites members and friends to attend the 41st Annual WSI Juried Exhibit at Newfields/ Indianapolis Museum of Art. The show runs from August 4 to September 30, 2023. On August 6th at 2 p.m. there will be an opening reception and an awards ceremony in the DeBoest Lecture Hall & Bret Waller Gallery at the museum.
WSI is also hosting a 3-day workshop (October 4 to 6) with Michael Holter at Second Presbyterian Church, 7700 N. Meridian Street. The topic of the workshop is “Watercolor Impressionism: Landscape/Cityscape.” For more information and costs go to WSI’s website.
Impressionistic landscape by Michael Holter
Friday, August 4 & Saturday, August 5 West Baden Springs Hotel • Garden & Veranda
Local artists will be painting in the West Baden Springs Hotel garden and on the hotel veranda. The paintings will be displayed and available for purchase Saturday, August 5th, in the West Baden Springs Hotel lobby.
Artists for Climate Awareness
Have you ever noticed trees with knitted sweaters around the Courthouse in Bloomington? Artists for Climate Awareness will be a “tree hugger” this year with its own sweater! Artists for Climate Awareness are raising money toward the “Wrapped in Love 2023″ tree sweater project for Middle Way House. Sara Steffey McQueen and her women’s group have already planned a knitted/crocheted design. The tree Sara has reserved is near the corner of Kirkwood and Walnut, across from Uptown Cafe. (A highly trafficked location! ). Deadline for donations is September 8.
Viridian Moon Gallery
The Viridian Moon Gallery will be hosting an Upland Plein Air Exhibit starting August 9th with an opening reception on August 12.. Here is the link to the event: https://www.viridianmoon.art/events
Membership News
Joanna Samorow-Merzer. “George and Viola Taliaferro,” a painting by Joanna Samorow-Merzer, was accepted into the KWS Aqueous USA National Juried Exhibition. The exhibition is scheduled between July 27th through September 16th at the Preston Arts Center, 2660 S. Green Street, Henderson, Kentucky 42420.
“George and Viola Taliaferro,” by Joanna Samorow-Merzer
Timothy Lewis. Nothing new to show – working on 4 commission paintings right now. I do have a couple of items of note:
The Watercolor Society of Indiana’s Annual Juried Exhibition will open on August 5th in the Waller Gallery at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. The show will have 45 of the best watercolors in Indiana on display through the end of September.
My watercolor, “Old Hamilton County Jail”, was included in the Nickel Plate Arts’ Noblesville Nostalgia show in Noblesville from July 6th through Julyt 29th.
“Old Hamilton County Jail” is a 16” x 12” watercolor using QoR paints on 300# Arches cold-pressed w/c paper
Patty Uffman. I asked Patty Uffman if she would mind my publishing her limerick (a ode to Carol Rhodes as an outgoing president) in the Newsletter as so members who were not at the July meeting might enjoy it. She agreed, so here it is: To Carol from All Of Us.
OUR HEARTFELT TRIBUTE
She has inspired us year after year. We respect her as both a leader and peer. Founding member of BWS… Who’s this person? Take a guess! Carol Rhodes is the one we honor here! With every office she has dutifully held From Prez on down, she’s always excelled. Talented, yet humble… Catching us if we stumble… With Carol on board, we’ve all been propelled. Carol has always stepped up to the plate, Arriving early for set-up – she’s never late. Need something done? Carol Rhodes is the one! She has the knack to make us look great! Wherever she’s present she offers a smile. She’s just a nice lady to talk with a while. She’s done more than most And knows how to host, And is quite accomplished as a true technophile! Carol’s a gift, we all must conclude. Her dedication we all have viewed. She has served us But now, no more fuss. Carol’s a model – just not in the nude!
Patty Uffman – On Behalf of Bloomington Watercolor Society – June, 2023.
Tricia Wente. Here are a few photos from a July event held here in Oregon. Every year there is a Lavender Festival and 150 artists are encouraged to paint up to 5 works during a period of 3 1/2 weeks at the lavender farms throughout the Willamette Valley. The paintings must be within certain sizes, and painted plein air. It is always a fun time since usually we have great weather. It culminates with a two day art exhibit for the public to enjoy at the local Newberg Arts Center. Of course, I sampled the wine at the Durant Winery which is my favorite site to paint.
Robin Edmundson has an exhibition at the Vault at Gallery Mortgage from August 3-Sept 29. You are invited to attend the opening reception on Friday, August 4 from 5-8pm. 121 E 6th St. #1, Bloomington, Indiana
Robin Edmundson, ‘Evening, Wabash River’, watercolor, 10×14 inches.
Kathy Truelove Barton.
Gazebo at Farmhouse Cafe and Gardens Painting by Kathy Truelove Barton 2022 Watercolor on paper with Acrylic white highlight on the gazebo. This painting was done with three layers of Daniel Smith watercolors.
Kathy’s painting was exhibited at the Will Vawter Show, hosted by Hancock County Arts, at Twenty North Gallery. The show came down in July. Three other Bloomington artists also exhibited; Betty Wagoner, Irina Shishova (owner of Viridian Moon Gallery, and Katya Alexeeva.
Laura Brown. These are a few examples of the paintings I’ve done for the July World Water Color Month hosted by @doodlewashed on Instagram . The first is called “Diversion” (the road sign); the second, “Flavor” (the boulion cubes). Each piece is approximately 5.5 by 8.5 inches.
July World of Watercolor paintings by Laura Brown
Joanne Shank. Here is the poster and description of the show I’m having at the Venue during August.
The blurb for the show reads: Joanne Shank is fascinated by the energy of movement and how that can be expressed in her artwork.
She enjoys sketching musicians while they are performing. The music inspires the lines as she tries to capture the essence and energy of the moment. The exhibit will have a number of large drawings of musicians playing a variety of instruments.
Joanne is also inspired by the energy in spontaneity that she captures in small finger paintings. She has made large acrylic paintings in an effort to duplicate this movement and energy. Being a dancer as well as painter, Joanne finds satisfaction in trying to express movement in a large 2D format.
Joanne works in several different styles. She will have her watercolors on display at the Bloomington Open Studios Artists Exhibit at the Backspace Gallery, with an opening reception the same evening, August 4th. See her work at both places!
Joanne adds a personal note: On July 15th, I participated in the event at the Eskinasi and drew musicians in two bands that played. The musicians loved the drawings, so I gave them away. Wore my BWS badge proudly! Appreciated the opportunity. Thanks
Calendar
August 1 – August 25. Zoe Dean’s Exhibition, Cancer Support Community Center.
August 3 – September 29. Robin Edmundson Exhibit, The Vault.
August 4 – August 5. West Baden Garden & Hotel Vernada Paintout.
August 4. Reception, “We Paint…Out of the Box,” Waldron, 5-8 p.m.
August 4 – 27. Joanne Shank’s show at the Venue. Opening Reception: August 5.
August 4 – September 28. WSI’s 41st Annual Juried Exhibition, Indianapolis Museum of Art.
August 5 – August 25. “Portraits.” Hancock County Art Gallery, Greenfield.
August 12. BWS Paintout: Owen Valley Winery, Spencer.
August 14. BWS August Meeting, 6-8 p.m., First Christian Church.
August 25 – September 23. T. C. Steele Member Art Show.
September 23 – October 28. BWS Membership Show, Viridian Moon Gallery.
September 3. Grand opening and reception, Art and Soul of Bloomington, The Venue.
October 4 – October 6. WSI’s 3-Day Workshop with Michael Holter, First Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis.
October 22. “Out of Darkness Walk,” American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
In June, and in conjunction with our yearly change of officers, BWS celebrated Carol Rhodes’ long-time commitment to the organization by giving her a Jane Matranga silk hand-painted and sewn tote bag full of well-wishes from individual members. Pictured above are Carol Rhodes, Patty Uffman, Jeanne Dutton, and Linda Branstettler. Photos compliments of Nancy Metz.
BWS Monthly Meeting: July 10th, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Business Meeting:
BWS’ July Meeting will be held at First Christian Church beginning at 6 p.m. Enter through the Washington Street door; the door code will be sent by email. The meeting will not be on Zoom.
Program: “Five on the Floor”
Watch five BWS artists create portraits.
Penny Lulich • Ethan • Watercolor
We are fascinated by faces. Child psychologists tell us that after only a few hours newborn infants can distinguish their mothers’ faces. For millennia artists have portrayed the human face in every medium from charcoal to chalk, silverpoint, ink, graphite, pastel, watercolor, and oil, as well as three-dimensional representations in wood, clay, stone, and metals. Humans are compelled to create portraits.
Meri Reinhold • Massai Jeweler • Watercolor
All forms of artistic expression are equally valid, but portraiture is more exacting than other genres. In landscape, it is not essential to get every tree exactly in place. With still lifes and florals, there is latitude in size, contour, and value. In a portrait, however, if a feature is a few millimeters out of place, if an angle is askew, or a proportion slightly off, viewers will sense something amiss.
Deborah Rush • Claire • Watercolor
At July’s BWS meeting you will have the opportunity to see five BWS artists paint and draw portraits from reference photos of their choice. They are: Penny Lulich, Meri Reinhold, Deborah Rush, Jane Matranga, and Claude Cookman. Each will give a brief description of her/his process, then go to work. Members are encouraged to circulate, watch them in action, and ask questions. During the program, there will be a mini exhibition of portraits by the five participating artists. A handout on portraiture will also be available.
Jane Matranga • Donna Carlton • Watercolor
Claude Cookman • Wendell Willkie bust in IMUnion • Charcoal
If you need motivation to kick start your own portrait making, visit these URLs:
An audio slideshow of work by the Bloomington Portrait Group, which shares many members in common with BWS.
The finals of the British Portrait Artist of the Year Competition. Watch six exceptional portraitists, including a watercolorist. British actor, Sir Ian McKellen, is painted in different styles with different materials. Worth the time.
Inside BWS
BWS Membership Show
“WE PAINT…Things We Love!” September 20 – October 28, 2023
BWS Show Chair, Laura Brown, announced that this year’s theme is “We Paint…Things We Love!“
For Mary Cassatt it was “The Goodnight Hug.” For some, that may be a family heirloom. For others, the house where they grew up. For gardeners, these amazing spring flowers. For portrait painters, your beautiful grandkids! And the list goes on…. Whatever you love and whatever makes you happy, paint it!
This year’s show will be at the Viridian Moon Gallery (1600 W Bloomfield Rd, Suite B). Gallery hours are Wednesday to Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Opening Reception will be on Saturday, September 23, from 3 to 5 p.m. The Closing Reception will be on October 28, from 3 to 5 p.m.
See the Prospectus on BWS’ website. Now is the time to begin work on your contribution. Let’s make this the best Membership Show yet!
We Paint…Historic Bloomington!
“Uncle Bruce & Aunt Vearl’s House” by Jane Matranga. The house at 607 E. 12th Street belonged to Jane Matranga’s great uncle and aunt, Bruce and Vearl Callahan, and their children, Conrad (Connie) and Carolyn. The house was built in 1920. “My family drove down to Bloomington from Franklin many times for family gatherings and especially to visit before and after IU football or basketball games. The house is five blocks from Memorial Stadium and Assembly Hall. “Bruce and Vearl welcomed my sisters and me when each of us attended IU in the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s.”
Closing Reception: Gallery Walk Friday – July 7 – 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Monroe County History Center
Catch your last glimpse of the Historic Bloomington exhibit before it becomes, well, Historic! Then pop around the corner to the Waldron to enjoy “We Paint…Out of the Box!”
We Paint…Out of the Box!
BWS (with the support of the Sande Nitti Education Fund) offered a workshop on Friday, June 9 by Anne Farley Gains entitled “Exploration in 3-D Watercolor”. The 3-D art produced by Jerry Harste, Leslie Gamboa Asher, and Linda Mann, (shown above) are a part of the Out of the Box Waldron show.
June 22 – August 5
The Bloomington Watercolor Society includes talented watercolorists who are also accomplished in other mediums. This exhibit includes work by BWS members who go “out of the box” and create art in myriad mediums or produce works that use watercolor in unconventional ways.
See our works at The Waldron Arts Center Education Gallery!
Receptions are during First Friday Gallery Walk times: 5-8 pm on July 7 & August 4.
Note: Kate Galvin, Artistic director at the Waldron Arts Center, advises us that there is a small modification to public gallery hours for July and August, as this is the slow part of the year in Bloomington. Beginning on July 1, the galleries will be open to the public at the following times:
Wed and Thurs 12pm-5pm
Friday 12pm-8pm
Sat and Sun by appointment only
Galleries will also be open during all performances. For folks wishing to visit the galleries over the weekend, the Waldron crew will be very happy to accommodate them; people will just need to email info@seeconstellation.org in advance to make arrangements. This information will be updated on their websites and on Google beginning on Saturday and they will also post signage on the doors.
Gallery Walk will be next Friday July 7 as per usual, and we hope to have a great turnout for that! Please encourage everyone to come out!
Garden Club’s Garden Walk
This year’s Garden Walk on June 10 and 11 saw ten BWS and Plein Air painters displaying their talents. The gardens were in full bloom and, for the most part, the rain stayed away. Below are some pictures of the gardens and the paintings that were created.
July is officially World Watercolor Month!
Begun by Charlie O’Shields of Doodlewash in 2016, this month celebrates all things watercolor! The challenge is to paint a little something everyday – 31 days, 31 paintings. Find inspirational prompts and ideas at https://doodlewash.com/world-watercolor-month-july/
We got the Rocks! You got the Creativity! A Suicide Prevention Effort
Thursday – July 13 – 1:00 p.m.
BWS has been invited to join Project STAY and Kiwanis on a project to paint rocks as part of a National Suicide Prevention. Kiwanis is purchasing the supplies, including acrylic paints, Posca paint pens, and brushes, all for your creative use! Much thanks, too, to Preston Arts Center for making supplies affordable.
Later that week, after the paint dries and before they’re varnished, a tag will be added that gives credit to BWS and Kiwanis.
Thursday, July 13 we’ll meet at the home of Michelle Martin Colman, SafeTalk trainer. She’ll serve iced tea and coffee and treats while we do the painting.
Want to join in for a couple hours of fun and chatter? We can do a lot with 6-8 artists. Please let Jeanne know with an email to info@bloomingtonwatercolor.org. You’ll be glad you did!
Announcements
Betty Wagoner — The Friends of T.C. Steele announces a new project, a virtual or driving trail, with maps, that explore the life and work of T.C. Steele, one of Indiana’s greatest impressionist painters. For more information go directly to “The Trail”: https://trail.tcsteele.org
Nancy Metz – The Eskenazi Museum of Art has an exhibition of “Landscape and Abstraction in Watercolor, 1780-1980” from September 5 through December 10.
Sarah Ward, BWS Scholarship Committee Chair, announces that the BWS scholarship has been awarded to Danza Batson who is a recent graduate from the Academy of Science and Entrepreneurship and will be attending Indiana University to major in Fine Arts. The scholarship committee will try to get Danza to come to our meeting to show some of his work.
BWS Paintouts
Paint the Park — Saturday, July 15th, 9 am to 1 pm., Sycamore Shelter at Lower Cascades Park, Bloomington, IN 47404. Hosted by Carol Rhodes. Announcement will be sent to members. for more information, contact info@bloomingtonwatercolor.org.
Paint a Vineyard Scenein August–Owen Valley Winery, 401 Timber Ridge Road, Spencer, IN 47460, USA. Owen Valley Winery sits on a high ridge in a beautiful country setting featuring the vineyards, a cafe, a front porch, out buildings – all the things that make for a fine day of painting. The winery opens at 12:00, but hosts April Bledsoe and Zoe Dean will be on hand to open the gates and greet our plein air painters at 11:00. The cafe offers lunch, wine tasting, and a place to cool off in the August heat. Carpooling for members is available – watch “Brushstrokes” and your email for details. Email Info@BloomingtonWatercolor.org with questions. For more information about the winery, go to https://www.owenvalleywinery.com/about/
Outside BWS
An Invitation: Art Alliance of Greater Bloomington
Henry Luck, President of AAGB, sent BWS members this invitation: Upland Plein Air and AAGB are co-sponsoring a FREE art demo, pitch in and music evening with Rick Wilson !!!
Thursday night, July 6. 6:00 -8:00 pm at the Flex Space at the Arts Alliance Center. Rick Wilson is known nationally and is highly respected as a landscape oil painter. He has a current exhibit at the Flex Space. We’ve asked him if he would be willing to share his approach to painting. So he will do a 90 minute demonstration, showing his approach to the art of painting . (We won’t be painting.) I think this will be a valuable session for painters of all mediums. He is also a guitar player. So after the demo, he will play a few tunes while we enjoy each others company and share in a pitch in (hors d’oeuvres/desserts). AAGB will provide the wine !
This should be a really fun opportunity to relax and socialize as a visual arts community in Bloomington.
Upland and AAGB are sharing the cost for the evening, so it will be free to all. Please help us spread the word !!!!!
Call for Artists: The Venue
Dave at the Venue invites artists to submit work for The Venue’s Juried Art Show, a part of The Art & Soul of Bloomington. APPLY NOW to participate. The prospectus can be found on the Venue’s website: http://thevenuebloomington.com.
The Venue is pleased to answer all of your questions by your calling 812-322-1661, emailing venueartshow@gmail.com.
Call for Entries: Friends of T.C. Steele Member Show
Artists with active membership in the Friends of T.C. Steele are invited to enter the show. Non-members are welcome to the show after the completion of the membership application.
The show is open during the Brown County Art Colony Weekend, September 8-10! That means more visitors to see the show.
Categories of Artists: 1) Professional Artist 2) Amateur/Emerging Artist (New this year) 3) Youth (18 and younger)
Win up to $1000! Parents, grandparents, art teachers and tutors, please encourage your young artists to enter the show. They could win a prize for their school art program and a gift certificate for themselves!
Dates: Registration deadline: August 10 Deliver artwork. August 19 – 20, 2023, 12-4pm Show Opening. August 25, 2023 Closing Reception. September, 23 2023. 2-4pm Pick-up of Artworks: September 23 after reception & September 12-4pm
The Hoosier Salon’s current show is “Timeless Treasures.” This will we followed with its annual “Good Ole Summertime Exhibition” from July 15 to September 3. The Hoosier Salon is open Thursday and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 12 to 4 p.m.
Watercolor Society of Indiana
If you have not yet seen the WSI Annual Membership Exhibit, you have got to see this show! There are 75 beautiful pieces of original art.
Open until July 22 at McFarland Hall Gallery at Second Presbyterian Church, 7700 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis.
Membership News
Lynne Gilliatt wants to invite you to Jane Haley and her fiber art show at the Vault Gallery from now until the end of July.
Robin Edmundson. I have a show coming up in early in August. Here is the postcard announcement.
Tim Lewis. I have a new watercolor that I finished in June: “Rapid Transit” (15″ x 11″ transparent watercolor).
My watercolor, “Sunshine Came Softly” (15″ x 22″ transparent watercolor) was accepted into the Watercolor Society of Indiana Annual Juried Show which will hang in the Waller Gallery at the Indianapolis Museum of Art from August 4th through September 30th.
Two of my watercolors, “Entropy” (15” x 22” transparent watercolor) and “Caw Caw Perspective” were juried into the Hancock County Arts’ Annual Will Vawter Show and “Entropy” was awarded “Best Of Show”. This show will be at the 20 North Gallery in Greenfield through July 15th.
Leslie Asher wrote to share a picture she did while traveling in France this summer.
Susan Savastuk and local photographer Don Waters have teamed up for a Gallery-Walk event.
“Juxtaposition: A photographer and a Painter” will be on display at The Engraving and Stamp Center July through August.
Susan has been using some of Don’s landscape photos as references for her paintings. They joined up to display them together.
Sharon Parsons. I started this painting in a workshop by Renee Brouwer. Her new tips on composition gave me the start, but it was my composition and my painting .
Jacki Frey. Here are 3 paintings I completed while vacationing in Maine. We spent several days around Portland, Rockland, and Port Clyde where Edward Hopper and Andrew Wyeth painted.
Jacki also shared some of her Maine photos for us both to inspire and to enjoy!!
Andy Roberts. I painted at this year’s Garden Walk on Saturday June 10th at the Slaven Garden in Spicewood. While the garden had a very elaborate landscaping (huge stones surrounding the home with a waterfall and stream), I concentrated on some of the flowers planted amongst the rocks. I completed four 5×7 note cards which are attached. I plan to have prints made from these as well as four more that I have completed on various paint-outs this summer.
Barbara Coffman. I attended Ann Grimes’ 3-D workshop. To add an extra dimension of “3-D-ness” to my piece, I let the leaves dry and then used a small brush and clear water to paint a line down the central stem. Then I creased the leaf along that line before gluing it down. I wish I had finalized all my pieces and my layout before gluing my flowers. I would have cut out the petals separately and curled up the edges.
Laura Brown. A type of painting I love to do is what I see out my window when I am a passenger in a car. I always looked out the window when I was a kid and always thought there was so much beauty in simple highway scenes. Shapes, atmosphere and color all intermingle to make an interesting and fun painting. I’m calling this one “Power Lines.”
Calendar
Note: For up to date information always check BWS’ Online Calendar!!
-Participate in World Watercolor Month by producing a painting a day throughout the month of July. -Submit an abstract painting, Southside Art League -Stop by to view Lynn Gilliatt and Jane Haley’s Fiber Art Show at the Vault -Plan trips to see WSI’s Membership Show at Second Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis (ends July 22) and/or The Hoosier Salon’s “Timeless Treasures” Show (ends July 14) -Stop by the Education Gallery at the Waldron to see our “We Paint…Out of the Box” Exhibition (ends August 5th; Closing Reception, August 4) -Volunteer to paint rocks as part of suicide prevention (6-8 artists needed by July 13) -Submit a painting to the Venue Juried Art Show part of the Art & Soul of Bloomington
July 6 — Rick Wison, Art Alliance of Greater Bloomington, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
July 7 — Closing Reception of “We Paint…Historic Bloomington,” Monroe County History Museum
July 7 — Opening Reception, “We Paint…Out of the Box,” Waldron, 5 to 8 p.m.
July 7 — Opening Reception, Susan Savastuk & Don Walter’s Exhibition, Engraving & Stamp Ctr.
July 10 — BWS Meeting, First Christian Church, 6-8 p.m.
July 15 — Paint the Park, Sycamore Shelter, Lower Cascade, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
August 4 — Opening Reception, Robin Edmundson’s Exhibition at Monroe County Cancer Center
August 4 — Opening of WSI’s Annual Juried Show, Indianapolis Museum of Art (ends September 30)
August 10 — Registration Deadline, T.C. Steel Membership Show
September 5 — Eskenazi Museum of Art, Landscape & Abstraction Exhibit
September 23 — Opening Reception, “We Paint….Things We Love,” BWS Membership Show
