February 2016

Monthly Meeting
Monday, February 8, 6:00 pm
First Christian Church
Corner of Kirkwood and Washington
Bloomington, Indiana

After the usual short business meeting, the program begins…and this one is going to be fun!
BWS has happily added many new artists recently to its roster…artists not only new to BWS, but new to Bloomington. So, in order to meet each other, we will be doing “Speed Dating!”
Carol Rhodes, 2nd VP, who has extensive experience coordinating workshops for IU and national organizations, will lead us as we get to know each other.  Here’s what she has to say:

 “Over the past few years, speed networking has emerged as an entertaining and humorous activity for getting to know people. Speed networking takes place in a room layout that configures people in pairs. As soon as participants have assembled, an event leader announces an art-related topic and then signals the beginning of timed conversations. At the beginning of each “round robin,” the first person in each pair introduces him/herself and says something about the topic. At the halfway point, the conversation switches to the other person, who then adds their perspective on the same topic. After a 4-to-5-minute total period for each topic, the event leader indicates that it is time to move on to the next person and to talk about a new art topic. At the end of the event, everyone has made new artist friends, most of them with people they would not ordinarily have approached. It’s a little noisy, but it’s very jovial!  Ideas for topics are welcomed.”
Suggested topics may include, “Why I love watercolor,” or, “Tell me about your background in art.”

THE ART OF CHOCOLATE
Opening Reception: Friday, February 5, 5-8

The Vault at Gallery Mortgage

“Waiting for Godiva,” watercolor by Char Dapena

121 E Sixth Street
Bloomington, Indiana
Who doesn’t love Chocolate, especially at Valentine’s Day? Bring your sweetie and enjoy this fun exhibit! It runs through March 31, and gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 9-5.
Friday, March 4, there will be a second reception during Gallery Walk.
BWS will be represented at The Art of Chocolate dinner event on February 13 with artists Nancy Davis Metz, Cassidy Young, and yours truly doing watercolor demos. Ten to twelve paintings from the exhibit will be featured for sale at the dinner event, also.
All sales benefit the artist and LIFEDesigns, an organization which helps people with developmental disabilities gain community living skills…a very worthy purpose. For a complete listing of the events for the Week of Chocolate, go to lifedesignsinc.org/week-of-chocolate-2/. For tickets to the dinner, click on that event’s link.

Take-in Day: Tricia and Nina admire Cassidy’s entry, “Milk and Chocolate.”

ANNOUNCING the BWS SPRING WORKSHOP
“Art Journaling: Living the Illustrated Life”
Steve Dawson, Instructor
Saturday, April 2nd
9:00 – 3:00
First Christian Church
Cost: $50 for members; $60 for non-members
Catered light lunch available for $7
Fee includes a 9×12 watercolor journal!
Reservations open at the February meeting.

Journal page, Steve Dawson

“Sailboat,” watercolor by Steve Dawson.

Steve is a prolific and very talented journaling artist and brings a special inspiration to his classes.  For his bio and complete workshop details, please go to BloomingtonWatercolor.org.
Description: “In this workshop, we are going to explore Art Journaling and how we can use it as a way to bring Art into our lives on a daily basis.  Art Journaling is a no-stress and pressure-free way to relax, experiment, and have fun!  And, by keeping our art journaling supplies close by, any time is art journaling time.  In the hectic and busy world we all live in, Art Journaling is an easy and inexpensive way to remember to have fun and explore our world through Art.  Over time, the little journals and sketchbooks we keep become treasures that chronicle our Illustrated Life.”
Workshop Supplies: Watercolor paints, brushes, ink pens, pencil, ruler or straightedge, and something from your studio or junk drawer that you haven’t used in a while.  We can sometimes find inspiration by experimenting with a different medium or tool.  And, lastly, a fun attitude – we are going to tap into our inner 8 year old and have a blast playing in our art journal sandbox!

MEMBER ACTIVITIES
BWS Upland Plein Air Painters (UP)
UP is the recently organized group of BWS artists whose goal is to provide a weekly opportunity for painting en plein air.  Because winter is a challenging time for plein air, but enthusiasm is strong, several fun events have been organized that are less “weather dependent.”  All BWS artists are welcome and, if you’d like to get on their email list, please contact Kristen Stamper.
February 10, Cambridge Square: Valentines, collages & still life.  Host:  Barbara Edmonds.
February 17, Hutton Honors Building and IU Union: Tour of IU Paintings.  Host: Kathy Barton.
February 24, Studio Paint-in or Paint-out at Donna’s.  12 Noon – 3pm.  Host: Donna Whitsitt.
UP will meet this winter on Wednesdays from 10am-1pm, unless otherwise specified.  The remaining winter season includes February and March, and the March schedule will be announced soon.  Stay tuned! 

Photo by Candi Bailey.

Painting Class
Tricia Wente, BWS Signature member, is leading a workshop this month in Florida at the Boca Grande Art Center. If you’re going to be in the area, feel free to sign up! bocagrandeartcenter.org/

OPPORTUNITY
Indiana Now 2016: The Bicentennial

As Indiana celebrates 200 years of statehood in 2016, The Art Museum of Greater Lafayette will celebrate by presenting the art of contemporary artists in INDIANA NOW 2016: THE BICENTENNIAL.  Simultaneously, A BICENTENNIAL LEGACY, ARTSMART: INDIANA featuring historic Hoosier works from public, private and the permanent collection will be on exhibition.
Indiana Now 2016 is a juried, fine art exhibition featuring the work of today’s Indiana artists.  If you are a Hoosier by birth or have been a resident for one (1) year anytime in your lifetime you are qualified to enter. We believe “Once a Hoosier, always a Hoosier”.
Chicago artist and gallery owner Kenneth Probst is juror.  A total of $2,100.00 cash will be awarded. Both 2D and 3D work will be accepted. The Art Museum of Greater Lafayette may select works for their permanent collection.
Join this celebration of Indiana’s rich artistic culture, both past and present.
Details and entry at www.callforentry.org  keyword Indiana Now.

Wishing each and all of you, and those you love, a
Happy Valentine’s Day!

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

“LIKE” us on Facebook – Bloomington Watercolor Society Community Organization
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January 11, 2016
Call to order: The meeting was called to order at 6:15 p.m. by Nancy Metz, president. Nancy welcomed members to 2016.
Guest in attendance: There were no guests.
Minutes of the November meeting: Susie Graham moved to accept the minutes. Cassidy Young seconded the motion, which passed.

Committee Reports
Hospitality: Betty Wagoner thanked Ann Karine Bley, Mary Reinhold, Deborah Rush, Patty Uffman, and Jane Watkins for the refreshments.

NEW BUSINESS
Signature Members: Signature Membership information will be distributed at the February meeting.
Scholarship donations: Jeanne Dutton reported that there is $886.26 in the fund. $135 in donations has come in since November. Andy Lehman is designing posters and flyers. Sara Steffey McQueen will deliver the posters and flyers to high school teachers.

OLD BUSINESS
The Art of Chocolate update: Jeanne Dutton reported that BWS would have the Art of Chocolate Exhibit this year. The best of show will be awarded $100 by two anonymous judges.

The Art of Chocolate dinner will be Feb. 13. Three BWS members are needed to give demos. The demos will be of greeting cards, which will be for sale. The demo artists’ paintings will be displayed at the dinner, plus 10-12 works from BWS members. Artists giving demos will receive two free tickets to the dinner.

Paintings for the Art of Chocolate exhibit must be turned in to the Venue Gallery on Feb. 2. Artwork must be framed and ready to hang. The exhibit will be held at the Vault Gallery during Feb. and March 2016. Artists will get 50% of their painting’s sale price.

BWS members are needed to host at the Vault to host during Friday Gallery Walks on Feb. 5 and March 4. Let Jeanne know if you want to give a demo, host, or submit a painting.

Garden Walk 2016: Charlotte Griffin reported that the Bloomington Garden Club invited BWS members to paint in the gardens again this year. Dates are Sat., June 25 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., and Sun. June 26 from noon-4 p.m. One artist is needed for each of the 5-6 gardens on the walk. Charlotte passed out an interest sheet to gauge member interest in painting during the walk.

Other Business:
Charlotte Griffin brought some slate to give away from a farmhouse in Ohio. She showed sample paintings done on the slate.

Jo Weddle invited the group to a free journaling workshop with Jeanne Dutton. The workshop will be at the church Sat. Jan. 16 from 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m. The theme will be illustrating faith artistically or expressing feelings through art. Supplies will be provided. Bring a sack lunch.

Jo Weddle announced that the Feb. 8 meeting will be Speed Dating, but it is not romantic! It will be an art-related surprise. More information will be announced in Brush Strokes.

The plein air group has 22 people signed up. They will meet 10:30 Thurs., Jan. 14 at Jackie Frey’s home to decide where they’ll paint next year. The meeting will be a potluck lunch. Everyone is invited to attend.

Jo Weddle moved to adjourn the meeting. Kathy Barton seconded the motion. The meeting adjourned at 6:40 p.m.

Following the business meeting, Linda Meyer Wright presented a program on abstract collage. After a discussion on collage, members had a chance to work on their own pieces. Linda provided many materials to use on the project.

Respectfully submitted,
Char Dapena, Secretary

MONTHLY MEETING

Monday, January 11
6:00pm
First Christian Church
Corner of Washington and Kirkwood
Bloomington, Indiana

Working on your Art of Chocolate painting? Bring it along for suggestions, gentle critiques, and just to share and inspire. After the business meeting, at which the spring calendar will be distributed, Signature member Linda Meyer-Wright will present the following program:

Intuitive Abstracts
We use intuition to express ourselves in creating an abstract collage.  Using intuition can mean many things – letting go of control – allowing the inner child to come out and play – listening to your muse – just trusting yourself.  And, although we will be working intuitively, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to plan or prepare.  Here are some things to bring with you:

• Old watercolor/acrylic paintings on paper.  We will use one as the support for the collage and the other may be torn into bits to use as collage pieces.
• Your paints & brushes.  Include an old cheap brush to use as a glue brush.
• Other media you like to use – such as pens, markers, watercolor or other pencils, watercolor crayons, oil pastels, inks, etc.
• Adhesive.  Bring whatever you have on hand.  Some favorites of collage artists are Yes! Paste, Perfect Paper Adhesive (PPA) or gel medium.  I use Golden Gel Medium and/or Golden Acrylic Glazing Liquid.
• Papers – this is where you get to clean house.  Look for whatever speaks to you – tissue paper – newspaper – gelli prints – sewing patterns – old or weird books – maps – paint sample cards – greeting cards – magazines – tea bags/coffee filters – labels – string – threads – security or other envelopes – junk mail – boxes – cardboard  phone books – catalogs – sheet music – letters – school assignments – this fabric – the list is endless.  If it is anything you treasure, make a photo copy.

You should not need to go out and buy anything.  Unless of course there is something you really, really want and need a good excuse.

The Art of Chocolate
On the left of your screen is the prospectus.  Just click the link for all the info.  Paintings are due February 2 so you have lots of time to do your best work!

MEMBER ACTIVITIES
Signature member Bob Burris has three paintings in the show, “Columbus Makes,” now on display through February 13 at the IU Gallery Art and Design, 310 Jackson Street, Columbus, IN. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 1-5pm.
http://www.columbus.in.us/columbus/gallery-iuca-d

Jane Matranga’s hand painted silk coat, inspired by Monet’s Giverny.

Jane Matranga, who recently joined BWS, is participating in the IU faculty art exhibition. The opening reception is at the Grunwald Gallery on Friday, January 15th from 6-8pm. Gallery talks take place at noon on Friday, January 22nd in the gallery, 1201 E 7th Street on the IU campus.

OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteer Art Instructors Needed
LIFEDesigns, with whom we are working for The Art of Chocolate, offers an art class every Friday afternoon from 1:30-2:45 to its clients. The class takes place at the Waldron. They are currently looking for volunteer instructors who can teach 2-4 weeks (Maximum contact hours equal only 5 hours) in various mediums, including chalk pastels, watercolor, collage, or some other of the instructor’s choice. If you are interested and willing, please contact Stephanie Shelton, Chief Development Officer, LIFEDesigns, Inc., 800-875-9615, lifedesignsinc.org
And while we are on the subject, a big thank you goes out to BWS members who volunteered this past semester: Betty Wagoner, Sara Steffey McQueen, and Cassidy Young. Good job, ladies!

“Pray, Paint, Play”
A free workshop focused on creatively illustrating faith will take place Saturday, January 16 at First Christian Church, 10am-2pm. If you are interested, check out the details at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/play-paint-pray-workshop-tickets-20045190705
Inspired by Illustrated Faith™ from Shanna Noel, the workshop invites first time and experienced painters to study biblical scripture and reflect on the text painting. It is designed to serve as a starting point for those who wish to include creative expressions as part of their spiritual discipline. Register by January 10 online at www.fccbloomington.org or by calling the church office at (812) 332-4459. An art journal plus basic art materials and supplies will be provided, but participants are encouraged to bring any paints, markers, or pens that they currently own. Participants should bring a brown bag lunch; coffee and tea will be provided.  Jeanne Dutton, with support and help from Jo Weddle, will lead the day’s activities.

Indiana Plein Air Painters Association
The City Gallery and Harrison Center for the Arts are seeking interested artists for a group show celebrating Indiana’s bicentennial by honoring the lives and legacies of May Wright Sewall, John Herron, and T.C. Steele  Each of these culture builders contributed to the historic John Herron Art Institute.  In addition, their actions advanced art, culture, and social justice throughout the state. The show will hang June 3-24, 2016. See details regarding entries, deadlines, etc. below. Please respond by Friday, January 29, 2016 and include three samples of your work to be considered for inclusion in the exhibit. FYI:
We are accepting all media.  you are submitting video, you will need to supply your own video equipment.
Pieces that are not easily hung should be installed by the artist.
Artwork must be presented in a professional manner and delivered wired and ready to hang. (No sawtooth hangers.) If an accepted entry is delivered in a format that is not ready to hang, it will not be exhibited.
arrison Center retains the right to decline artwork based on appropriateness for family audiences.
Work must be for sale.
Artists who are selected to participate in the show will be notified by Friday, February 12, 2016.
Harrison Center takes a 30% commission on sales.  Send samples of your work to pam@harrisoncenter.org (put “Sewall, Herron & Steele” in the subject line) or to: Sewall, Herron & Steele c/o Pam Allee 1505 N. Delaware Street Indianapolis, IN  46202 Direct questions to 317.396.3886.

Artists Showcase
“Bloom Magazine and Ivy Tech Community College are happy to present the Local Artists Showcase on Saturday, February 20th, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. at the Bloomington/Monroe County Convention Center.
Sixty-seven booths for local artists are available at $65 each. Most booths are approximately 10′ x 6′ and will come equipped with a table and two chairs. If you do not wish to use the table and chairs, we can remove them from your booth space. There are some larger booths and some booths also have access to electricity. The booths will spread across the entire top floor of the Convention Center.
Booths are only available to local artists to sell their personal work. Booth reservations are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. So, if you have special requirements or preferences, you should sign up as soon as possible.
In order to reserve your booth, you must provide the following:

• Full payment ($65) in the form of a check or credit card information
• Your personal name and contact information
• The formal name of your business (can be the same as your personal name)
• The category of your artwork/craft
• Booth preferences, if any

You may sign up by email to Erin Stephenson (erins@magbloom.com), over the phone (812-323-8959 ext. 0), or in person at the Bloom office (please call ahead). Remember that you must present payment in full in order to reserve your booth and there are no refunds.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. We look forward to hearing from you and displaying the wonderful artwork the Bloomington area has to offer!”

CLASSES
Ivy Tech’s Center for Lifelong Learning is offering many wonderful classes, including the new “Improvers Series” from your BWS president, Nancy Davis Metz. First is “Playing with Color” and then “Composition.”
This editor will teach “Beginning Watercolor III” and “IV,” with III featuring different watercolor mediums (w/c pencils, crayons, gouache, most of which will be provided), and IV being a series of mini-workshops. Students will be asked to keep a reference journal throughout the class. Linda Meyer-Wright brings her creativity to two classes, “Wabi Sabi” and “Personal Expression through Collage.”
Nancy and Jeanne are also offering classes at StoneGate, the new CLL site in Bedford, at Burton Kimble Farms Education Center, and at Springs Valley Learning Center in French Lick. Spread the word! All classes can be found in the Ivy Tech Center for Lifelong Learning catalog at https://www.ivytech.edu/bloomington/cll/13752.html#Arts

Ilona Richey’s snow scene from Beginning Watercolor III, March 2015

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