The Bloomington Herald-Times featured paintings by Bloomington Watercolor Society members in its Sunday, Dec. 29, edition.

Jan. 13 meeting

BWS opens new year studying

color palettes of master artists

Cassidy Young will present a lesson about the influential and interesting color palettes of master artists at the Jan. 13 BWS meeting. It will include a little about color theory, a little pigment history and some time to play, explore, mix, and catalog various color palettes for yourself. Various watercolor paints will be available for people to try, and some watercolor paper and supplies will be on hand. Bring your own water, brushes, a pencil and a sketchbook to capture the most detail.

Cassidy’s program will follow the business meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. at St. Mark’s Methodist Church, 100 State Road 46, Bloomington. 

“We Paint…the Sweet Life!”

to benefit LIFEDesigns

What makes your life sweet?  Family?  Friends?  A walk in the woods?  Chocolate?  Whatever it is, paint it and enter the first BWS exhibit of the year!

Best of Show receives $100 plus two tickets (Value $150) to the Art of Chocolate gala Feb. 22.  Second Place receives two tickets, and participating artists will have their names entered into a drawing to win the remaining two tickets.

The new Art of Chocolate Cookbook, featuring illustrations by BWS artists and recipes from area chefs, will be available for purchase.   

Jewel Evans, cellist, will provide entertainment at the Opening Reception during Gallery Walk Friday, Feb. 7 from 5 to 8 p.m. with awards at 6 p.m.

All sales benefit LIFEDesigns to support people with disabilities in south central Indiana, including housing, education and employment.

The Show Prospectus is available at http://bloomingtonwatercolor.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/The-Sweet-Life-Prospectus-2.pdf

Feb. 15

Judy Mudd to present workshop

on painting rural landscapes

The focus of Judy Mudd’s one-day workshop will be creating an artistic vision of a countryside scene including atmosphere, design and composition. Judy, a Louisville artist and teacher, has taught previous BWS workshops that have been very popular.

She is a juried member of the Southern Watercolor Society, Kentucky Watercolor Society, the Kentucky Arts Council’s Kentucky Crafted Program, Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen, and is an associate member of the American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society and the Portrait Society of America. She was named KWS Master Artist of the Year for 2019.

The Feb. 15 workshop runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a 45-minute lunch break. The workshop will be at the First Christian Church at the corner of Kirkwood Avenue and Washington Street in Bloomington.

BWS will fill the workshop with its members first, and if slots are available after Jan. 25, registration will open to non-members. The deadline for registering is Feb. 1. The cost is $89 for members and $99 for non-members.

You can register online at http://bloomingtonwatercolor.org/home/activities/member-shows-workshops/judy-mudd-workshop-2/workshop-registration/. Or you can register by sending your check made out to Bloomington Watercolor Society to PO Box 5236, Bloomington, IN 47404-5236. Please email info@bloomingtonwatercolor.org to let organizers know the check is coming and to reserve your spot.

Value does all the work;

color gets the credit

by Claude Cookman

It’s all Betty Wagoner’s fault.

Last July, Betty emailed me an announcement for David Lobenberg’s “California Vibe” workshop, scheduled for October in New Braunfels, Texas.

One look at his online portfolio and I was hooked.

After retiring from teaching at Sacramento City College, Lobenberg now spreads his vision of using color expressively, instead of descriptively, in workshops across the country. His mantra: If you get the values right, you can use any colors and the results will be convincing.

There is a continuum in watercolor: At one end, artists attempt to control the results with careful planning and the application of numerous glazes. In the middle are those who try to make watercolors behave like oil paint. At the other extreme are the “fast and loose” artists like Jean Haines, Ron Ranson, Grant Woods and Hazel Soan.

Their guiding principle: Put it down once and leave it alone. DON’T FIDDLE! Their method: Work wet into wet, letting the colors blend and dance. Their philosophy: Left alone, watercolors can accomplish much, much more than we can control.

Although not at the extreme, Lobenberg works close to this end of the continuum. He does use layers, but typically no more than three: the first to establish large fields of color, the second and third to add and refine facial features. The results are vibrant color abstractions, rigorous value patterns, texture you can touch and enough details and edges to make his portraits coalesce.

Hosting our workshop was the New Braunfels Art League. Bloomington is rich in privately owned galleries. Following a different model, artists in this San Antonio suburb formed a cooperative in the mid 1960s. They raised funds to buy an old store on the main street, renovating it into a downstairs gallery and upstairs studios and classrooms. Collectively, the members control their own exhibitions and sales.

From Oct. 3 through 6, more than a dozen of us gathered in one of those classrooms to learn from Lobenberg. The first morning he showed early watercolor portraits that established his mastery of traditional techniques. But copying reality grew boring, he said. He wanted to paint feelings. He eclipsed this early work with the explosive color of his “California Vibe” portraits.

Lobenberg defended his practice of starting these portraits by tracing photographs. Acknowledging that many artists consider tracing to be cheating, he argued it is necessary to skip the drawing step in order to get directly to the painting. He insisted his painting method constitutes art in itself, that it is difficult and deserves to be valued for its own sake.

That was the end of lecturing. For the next three and a half days, we painted. With energetic body movement, humorous patter and bravura brush work, Lobenberg practiced a simple but effective pedagogy: He demonstrated techniques and then talked us through them step by step.

He also used an innovation I have adopted in my own work — working on two paintings of the same subject simultaneously. This allowed time for the first to dry while we worked on the second. More important, it let us apply lessons we learned from the first painting — including mistakes we wanted to correct — to the second. Over time, Lobenberg paints numerous variations of the same face, each color scheme reflecting that day’s emotional response.

For each portrait Lobenberg gave us a black and white photograph and an enlarged line drawing of the face and head including shadow, middle tone and highlight areas. Solid lines indicated hard edges; dotted, soft edges. We taped these stencils to windows and used soft pencils to trace them onto half sheets (15 X 22 inches) of hot-pressed watercolor paper. Most of these lines disappeared under the paint, but he was not reluctant to let some show.

We slathered on the paint, putting it down quickly with as few strokes as possible, then letting the colors run and blend. This phase required fluid washes, great restraint and large brushes. Lobenberg used a type of mop called a cat’s tongue. I worked with a two-inch Hake. After the first washes dried, we switched to smaller brushes to add features, hair and other details.

Paint consistency was extremely important. Lobenberg taught a scale of five levels of paint: tea, milk, cream, butter and straight from the tube. Knowing where and when to use which consistency was one of the workshop’s major skills.

For accents, he occasionally used touches of gouache.

At times, he had us follow his color scheme—he loved opera pink and lemon yellow. Other times, he encouraged us to find our own. Crucial throughout was matching our colors to the values of the black and white photographs. He frequently repeated the old truism: “Value does all the work. Color gets the credit.”

Texture was another major element. We played with dry-brush, drips and runs, flinging paint, negative painting, back runs and taping areas to reserve whites. Lobenberg’s favorite texture technique involved stencils and Mr. Clean Original Magic Erasers. He taped a plastic stencil over a dense area of color, wet a spongy eraser and dabbed away the color. He varied this from a light lifting to rubbing back the area almost to paper-white. He noted the stencils could also be used additively by painting, instead of erasing, through them.

It is impossible to condense a four-day workshop into a brief article, but my classmates and I came away highly motivated with many new skills. My personal goal was to gain the methods and experience to work more loosely. Through Lobenberg’s teaching, I believe I succeeded.

I blame it on Betty Wagoner.

________________________________

If Lobenberg’s “California Vibe” approach interests you, explore the following URLs:

• His portrait gallery: https://lobenbergart.com/collections/60305

• An hour-and-a-half demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZlvkJpP–I

• His 2020 workshop schedule: https://lobenbergart.com/workshops

Member News

The Burris family art show, “A Look at Relative Art …,” will hang at the Columbus Learning Center that connects IUPUC and Ivy Tech Jan. 24 through May 8. This is a collaborative family exhibit by Robert, Catherine and Lydia Burris. The Opening Reception will be Friday, Jan. 24 5:30 to 8 at the Columbus Learning Center, 4555 Central Ave., Columbus.

Betty Wagoner will have a show of her work at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 2120 N. Fee Lane, Bloomington, from Jan. 3 through Jan. 30. The hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and Sundays between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.  On weekdays, enter through the office entrance on the west side of the church.

Lynne Gilliatt‘s show at La Vie en Rose has been extended for the month of January. The address is 402-1/2 W Sixth St., Bloomington. It is the neon pink restaurant next to Bloomingfoods.

Beyond BWS

Kentucky Watercolor Society has announced the schedule for its 2020 AquaVenture, a regional juried exhibit open to members and non-members of of KWS who are 18 or older.

Artists may enter up to 3 paintings, but only one painting per artist will be accepted. Images must be submitted digitally by email to AquaVenture Chairperson, Trudi Bellou, at tfb344@aol.com or by mailing a CD to Trudi Bellou, 4308 Alton Rd., Louisville, KY 40207.

The entry deadline is Feb. 1 with notifications sent by Feb. 15. Accepted artworks must be delivered March 2 between noon and 2 p.m. or by appointment. The show will hang March 12- April 24 at LexArts/Arts Place Gallery, 161 N. Mill St., Lexington, KY.

For the complete prospectus and entry forms and fees, visit https://www.kentuckywatercolorsociety.com/page-2020-aquaventure-prospectus.

Calendar

Jan. 13, BWS meeting, St. Mark’s Methodist Church, 100 State Road 46, Bloomington (Program: Exploring the Favorite Colors Used by Master Painters by Cassidy Young)

Jan. 29, 10 a.m. to noon, Deliver “We Paint … the Sweet Life!” paintings to The Vault at Gallery Mortgage, 121 E. Sixth St., #1, Bloomington

Feb. 1, Deadline to register for Judy Mudd workshop

Feb. 1, Entry deadline for AquaVenture

Feb. 7, 5 to 8 p.m., Opening Reception for “We Paint … The Sweet Life!” The Vault at Gallery Mortgage, 121 E. Sixth St., Bloomington

Feb. 10, BWS meeting, St. Mark’s Methodist Church, 100 State Road 46, Bloomington (Program: Negative Painting by Carol Rhodes)

Feb. 15, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Judy Mudd Workshop, First Christian Church, Kirkwood and Washington, Bloomington.

March 6, 5 to 8 p.m., Second Reception for “We Paint … The Sweet Life!” The Vault at Gallery Mortgage, 121 E. Sixth St., Bloomington

March 9, BWS meeting, St. Mark’s Methodist Church, 100 State Road 46, Bloomington (Program: Capturing Night Landscapes by Kitty Garlock)

March 27, 10 to noon, pick up art from “We Paint … The Sweet Life!” at The Vault at Gallery Mortgage, 121 E. Sixth St., Bloomington

Holiday Party

Holiday Party 2019
Winter Wonderland Holiday Party Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Joanne Weddle announced that the BWS Christmas Party will occur on December 4, with a social beginning at 6:00 and dinner being served at 6:30.pm.

Location: Meadowood Retirement Center, Terrace Room

Cost per person $24 (Vegan meals are available upon request. Contact Jo Weddle. Payment is required via either PayPal or check to our treasurer, Carol Rhodes.

Reservations required by midnight. Wednesday, November 27.

Paintings – This year we are doing “Bring One-Take One.”  If you wish to participate, bring a painting – 8 x 10 (inside measurement) matted – not framed.  All who bring a painting will take another member’s painting home.

BWS News

Special thanks to Suzanne Thorin for her presentation on painting botanicals at the November meeting.

Painting Christmas Cards in the Mall

It is time to sign up for painting Christmas Cards in the Mall. Jessica McKinney and Jerry Harste are coordinating this year’s effort under the tutleage of Jeanne Dutton. As Visiting Artists of The Venue, BWS will have a table where members can paint on Saturdays (11pm to 3pm) and Sundays (12pm to 2pm) from November 16 through December 22. Two volunteers are needed to cover each time slot.

Holiday Sale at Hinkle Garton Farmstead

Kathy Barton announced that the Farmstead is having their Holiday Sale on December 7th. If you participated in the May paint out or are participating in Babette Ballinger’s Painted Square Project you are invited to exhibit other small paintings. 

We Paint…..The Sweet Life!

Jennie Dutton announced that the theme of the Annual Month of Chocolate is “We Paint…the Sweet Life!” BWS has been invited to submit painting that represent various interpretation of this theme.

 Exhibit dates are January 30–March 26 at The Vault (121 E. 6th Street). The Opening Reception is Friday, February 7, 5-8 p.m.  A second reception will be held March 6, All sales benefit LIFEDesigns and the artist.

Plan now to enjoy the sweet life at the annual Month of Chocolate exhibit. While you are there discover the Art of Chocolate Cookbook, featuring elegant and specialty recipes from local chefs with illustrations by BWS artists.

For further information, email Jeanne Ellen Dutton at Chocolate@BloomingtonWatercolor.org or past into your browser
http://bloomingtonwatercolor.org/home/activities/member-shows-workshops/show-rules/ A tab on this page will lead you to the prospectus.

Herald Times to Feature Winter Themed Art

Cassidy Young announced that BWS members have the opportunity to share their art in an upcoming issue of the Herald Times. Jennifer Tilly, the Herald Times Arts Editor, is looking for winter scenes.

The deadline is December 11. Send your images to  jtilley@heraldt.com. Images should be high-resolution (200 dpi) and appropriate for publication in a family orientated publication.

For more information please contact: Jennifer Tilley, Herald Times Arts Editor, Herald-Times, 812-331-4377.

Announcements

**Lynne Gilliatt will hang her second show (this one featuring portrait paintings) at La Vie en Rose from December 5th through the end of the month. (FYI: The La Vie en Rose is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.)

**For the next couple of weeks, Robin Edmundson has a display of her winter-themed artwork in the window of the Darn Good Group (107 N. College Ave). See her painting “Geese Flying” in the Picture Gallery (below).

**Babette Ballinger sent in a picture of the piece of art Don Geyra painted on site at the Casa fund drive which was later very successfully auctioned off. See photo in the Picture Gallery below.

**Barbara Edmonds wrote to say that she is preparing a spreadsheet of businesses in the Bloomington area that members use to reproduce their art. Using the guidelines below to frame your response, please send your answers directly to her via email at ammasav@gmail.com.

What business do you send your original art to reproduce for greeting cards, postcards and Giclee prints?

Barbara specified that it would be helpful to have the following info on each business. 

1. Best quality
2. Best cost for quantity th 
3. Archival quality 
4. Website 
5. Brick and mortar address 
6. Phone contact 
7. Average turn around time 
8. Shipping costs 

Beyond BWS

**Nancy Mullins, the Executive Director of the Watercolor Society of Indiana, announced that WSI will be hosting a three day workshop with Keiko Tanabe from July 8-10. If interested, see http://www.watercolorsocietyofindiana.org/ for details on how to reserve one of the 20 slots available.

**Daven Anderson, the Executive Director of the Missouri Watercolor Society, announced that MOWS is now accepting entries for its 2019 International Watercolor Show. See the http://wwwmowsart.com for details. The deadline for entries is December 13.

**John O’Conner, President of the Watercolor Society of Indiana, announced that Stephen Edwards would be the guest artist at WSI”s Waycross Spring Awakening Retreat, April 24-26. See http:/watercolorsocietyofindiana.org/ for more details.

Picture Gallery

**Photographs compliments of Kathy Barton, Claude Cookman, Jessica McKinney, Nancy Metz, Jerome Harste, Robin Edmundson, Babette Ballinger.

IMO

What is your favorite art book?

“As early childhood educators and in the hopes that members will consider buying a book to give to their grandchildren this Christmas, we’re going to recommend some of our very favorite children’s art books::

The Black Book of Colors, story and illustrations by Menena Cottin and Rosana Faria; translated by Elisa Amado.

The Artist Who Painted A Blue Horse, story and illustrations by Eric Carle.

The Visitor, story and illustrations by Antje Damm.

Ish, story and illustrations by Peter H. Reyonds.

I’ve Painted Everything, story and pictures by Scott Magoon.

Artful Reading, story and illustrations by Bob Raczka.

No One Saw, story and illustrations by Bob Raczka.

Unlikely Pairs , story and illustrations by Bob Raczka.

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pinnin story by Jen Bryant; illustrations by Melissa Sweet.

The Noisy Paintbox, story by Barb Rosenstock; illustrations by Mary Grandpre.

Beautiful Oops, story and illustrations! by Barnet Saltzberg.”

— Nina Ost & Jerome Harste

“An Island Garden by Celia Thaxter with pictures and illuminations by Childe Hassam (1988) is my answer to the question on my favorite watercolor book.  The interior rooms complete with furniture and flowers surprised and inspired me. I wanted to step in and make it my home.” — Lynn Gilliat

January’s IMO:

How do you mix skin tones? Caucasian, African-American, Indian, First Nations? What colors do you choose? –– Barbara Coffman

Our November 11th Meeting

November’s Meeting will be held at St. Mark’s Church on the Hwy’s 45/46 Bypass from 6 to 8 pm on November 11. Our November meeting will be our last one of the year so don’t miss the chance to come and dip into some warm autumn colors as Suzanne Thorin presents “Painting Botanical:  Fall Squash.”  

Here is how Suzanne Thorin describes the program she is going to present:  “The colors and textures of fall squash invite us to paint them!  Their colors include creamy whites, dark greens, browns, and oranges.  Many squash have bumps and imperfections that are so rewarding to paint.   I will show you examples that botanical artists have created.  You can add to these by painting your squash at the November BWS meeting.”

“Bring a squash, tracing paper, pencil, eraser, hot press paper (preferably), paint and smallish brushes.   Or, choose a squash from those I will have at the meeting.  I will also have hot press paper and tracing paper if you need them.”

Thanks to Jane Matranga

 Jane Matranga gave a presentation entitled Painting Pets in Watercolor at our October meeting.  As the attached pictures show, her presentation was well received and well attended.  In addition to painting on paper, Jane also paints on silk and then uses her paintings to make designer tops and other garments. See her website janematranga.com for more information.

In Memory: Sandra L. Nitti

Sandra L. Nitti, an active member of BWS and Upland Plein Air, passed away on September 27, 2019.  Her signature style involved a watercolor base overlaid with pastels.  She will be dearly missed.  Condolences can be shared online with her family at www.nealandsummers.com or sent to her stepdaughter, Marla Nitti at 8552 St. Louis, Skokie, IL 60076.

BWS News

2019 Membership Show. Thanks to everyone who is participating in our Membership Show at the Untitled Light Gallery at the Mill. Thirty two artists have 42 paintings on show. More than 115 people came to celebrate the opening. Special thanks to Jessica McKinney for taking on the job of Chair of our shows this year. The show closes on October 29. If you haven’t gone to see it, now is the time!

Christmas Card Painting at the Mall.  Gabe Coleman has given his approval for BWS to paint Christmas cards as part of the Venue’s kiosk at the mall. Jessica McKinney and Jerry Harste have agreed to co-chair this event under the tutelage of Jeanne Dutton, last year’s chair.  Jeanne emphasized that our official title is “Visiting Guest Artists of the Venue” and it is important that we act that way, running all requests and transactions through whomever is working the kiosk for the Venue.  Needless to say, the chairs need your help, so please sign up to volunteer for a time slot.  Two artists are needed for each day. Here are the weekends: November 16 & 17, November 23 & 24, November 30 & December 1, December 7 & 8, December 14 & 15, December 21 & 22.  At our November meeting the chairs will pass a sheet around for people to schedule themselves as visiting artists.  If you didn’t volunteer last year, you should volunteer this year. It is really fun. Jessica McKinney said it was talking to the artists at the mall last year that convinced her to join BWS. You will hear more about this opportunity by email at the November meeting.

The Art of Chocolate Cookbook. BWS and LIFEDesigns is collaborating on a project to create an Art of Chocolate Cookbook. The deadline is December 1. Recipes have been gathered from area chefs and restaurants.  Photos have been submitted and BWS has been invited to illustrate the recipes!

If you want to participate let Jeanne Dutton know and she’ll send you a photo and a copy of a recipe.  You can either paint from the photo or make the recipe and paint your final product. 

For information and prospectus about the cookbook, go here.

Joanne Weddle deserves our congratulations for her winning design for LIFEDesigns‘ 2020 Month of Chocolate!  Jo’s entry for the annual tee shirt contest earned her a prize of $100. Tee shirt sales support programs for people with disabilities, including employment and housing.  Watch for the shirts next February, along with the Art of Chocolate cookbooks.

Upland Plein Air Paint Outs.  Upland has been busy trying to capture Bloomington’s charming neighborhoods in full color this fall. Hopefully, Brown County State Park will be in peak color October 29 as Upland has a paint out scheduled for Tuesday afternoon from 1 pm to 6 pm. Participants should check in at Ogle Lake and then head out to the spot they wish to paint. 

Upland Plein Air wants to remind members that they are more than welcome to participate.  Kitty Garlock hosted a West Side Paint Out for Upland on October 15.  Claude Cookman hosted a Dunn Street Paint Out for Upland on October 22. Jerry Harste is hosting the Brown County State Part Paint Out.  If you don’t have a park pass, catch a ride with someone who does.  This paint out was initially scheduled for October 15 but rescheduled to catch the colors at their peak.  Don’t miss this opportunity to paint Indiana in full color!

Hinkle-Garton Farmstead is providing BWS members an opportunity to paint this fall.  BWS members can paint topics of their choice between now and November 7. Call the BRI administrative phone 812-890-8550 and let them know when you will be on the grounds and what time you expect to leave.  Finished works can be displayed at the Farmstead for the Hinkle-Garton Open Day and Holiday Sale in November.   BRI Event Coordinator and volunteer, LeAnn Luce, can be contacted at Lucebella50@gmail.com  or 812-890-8550 about drop off for  the November 7^th Holiday Show. 

The Venue’s Ekphrasis Features Three BWS Artists. Three Bloomington Watercolor Society artists were a featured part of The Venue’s fourth Ekphrasis event, held Sunday, October 20 at the gallery on Grant Street. 

A Greek word. ekphrasis, refers to a literary description of a visual art. In current practice, poets write poems inspired by a painting, drawing, sculpture or other work of art.

Among the eight artists celebrated were Robin Edmundson, Deborah Rush and Joanne Shank. 

Nathan Schmidt compared Robin’s landscape to Frank Lloyd Wright’s prairie-style homes. The Bloomington poet, who goes by the name PDVNCH, used double and triple entendres to evoke Deborah’s painting of a teenager in goth. Joanne’s husband Ray Zdonek wrote about her painting.

Henry Leck is having an art show entitled La Vie en Rose.  The opening reception will be on Friday, November 1, from 4 to 5 pm at 402 W. 6^th St., Bloomington.  As a painter Henry says, “most of my professional growth has come from my association with fellow Bloomington artists.  I am an active member of the Upland Plein Air and the Bloomington Watercolor Society.  I also have taken advantage of regular portrait group paintings and live model sessions at Indiana University.  What began as a hobby of artistic expression has become a passion.  I love to paint realistically, but am growing as an impressionistic landscape artist.”

Candace Bailey had a piece accepted into the 121st Annual Exhibition at the Richmond Art Museum. Candace’s painting entitled “Kirkwood Hall #2” will be on display at the museum from November 7 through January 4. Congratulations Candace!!

Beyond BWS

The Indianapolis Children’s  Museum.  The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis has implemented a Visiting Artist Program and is recruiting exceptional visual artists with ties to Indiana who have demonstrated interest and experience in exhibiting, presenting and teaching about their art with children and families. Successful applicants will receive an honorarium and reimbursement for reasonable expenses.  Deadline for applications is December 1 (see the museum’s website for further details).

Endwright Center has published their schedule for November Art Classes.  Registration is through the Area 10 Agency on Aging in Ellettsville:  812-876-3383, extension 515, or on their website at www.area10agency.org. Their Eastside location is in College Mall, close to Macy’s.  This trial programming on the Eastside is currently only available for 2019, to be reevaluated next year based on interest level and resources. The location has a receptionist to assist those interested in joining.  Program Director is Na’Kia Jones.

Michael’s Art Store is is now carrying Daniel Smith watercolor tubes.  Interested members can also get a set of Daniel Smith watercolor tubes with Daniel Smith ground, and, if they have a coupon, it’s 20% off the original price.

Stephen Edwards Workshop.  The Watercolor Society of Indiana will hold its 2020 Spring Retreat at Waycross Camp and Conference Center in Brown County on April 24-26. featuring Stephen Edwards.  Stephen will be sharing what he has learned from British masters and his own experience regarding how to maintain vibrant colors while keeping composition, design, value, and mood in the forefront.  WSI’s retreat is a time to learn, relax, and meet fellow Indiana artists. Enrollment information is available on the WSI website.

Dongfeng Li Workshop.  The Morehead Art Guild of Kentucky is hosting a two-day workshop, entitled “Painting the Landscape in Watercolor” on November 1 & 2 (Laughlin Building, Room 202, 230 University Blvd., Morehead, KY).  Dongfeng Li will show participants how to paint easy landscapes that capture the atmosphere of the scene. The class will cover four topics — skies, backgrounds, foregrounds, trees. The class teaches important brush and application techniques in addition how to mix colors effectively. For more information, contact Kathy McGrath (606-776-4415 or ckmcgrath67@gmail.com).

Missouri Watercolor Society.  Executive Director David Anderson sent a note saying that the 2019 MOWS International Show is open for entries to members as well as those wishing to join the organization.  The deadline is December 13.  This year’s paintings will be hung in either the Barcelona Academy of Art or the European Museum of Contemporary Art.  MOWS is hoping to give out $25,000 in awards with the Best of Show receiving $3500.  Tom Schaller will select 150 paintings for the show, double the amount usually selected. The prospectus as to how to enter painting in this show can be found on the MOWS website.

**Photographs in the November issue of Brushstrokes courtesy of Candace Bailey, Babette Ballinger, Kathleen Barton, Claude Cookman, Jeanne Dutton, Charlotte Griffin, Henry Leck, Nancy Metz, and Susan Thorin.

IMO

The question for this month was “What Is Your Favorite Art Book?”

“My favorite artist is Ray Campbell Smith. While all of his books are good, my favorite is Watercolour Work-Out. I especially like his use of subtle earth tones in his landscape paintings.”  — Candace Bailey

“If not a certified addict, I am certainly a frequent flyer in the 751.422 shelves of the Monroe County Public Library. Few are the watercolor books I have not checked out at least once. Currently, I’m reading Ron Ranson On Skies: Techniques in Watercolour and Other Media. Ranson is in the fast-and-loose school and a fierce proponent of the “don’t fiddle” dictum. In his books and videos, he advocates and demonstrates using the hake brush, whose width and soft bristles make fussy, detailed work impossible.” – Claude Cookman

“If you want to learn about painting on silk, I have two favorites:  The Complete Book of Silk Painting (Diane Tuckman & Jan Janus) and Silk Painting: The Artisit’s Guide to Gutta and Wax Resist Techniques (Susan Louise Moyer).”— Jane Matranga

“My favorite books are really novels.  The first is called Museum by Danny Danziger.  It is a book about what goes on behind the scenes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  It contains over 50 interviews with people who work there – from waiters to curators.  My second recommendation is The Art Forger by Barbara Shapiro.  After a huge art heist in Boston, a struggling young artist learns there is more to this crime than meets the eye.  I would love it if everyone would put these two books on your reading list and share what you thought about them in the next Newsletter.  I’m hoping we can start a BWS Book Club.”— Candace Bailey

Next Month’s IMO

Candace Bailey has a DVD copy o the movie Maudie.  Set in Nova Scotia, staring Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawks, the movie is based on a true story of a woman with severe arthritis who is hired as a housekeeper by a reclusive fishmonger and becomes a folk artist.  If you haven’t seen it, put it on your Must See list.  If you do not have access to Netflix or some other type of streaming device, Kathy is willing to lend you her DVD. After you watch it, send us your thoughts. Maudie will be the topic of our next IMO.

Oct. 2

BWS Member Show Drop Off

Artwork for the 2019 BWS Member Show, “We Paint … the Past, Present, and for the Future,” must be delivered Oct. 2 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Untitled Light at the Mill (642 N. Madison St., Bloomington, IN 47404). Members can stop by any time within those two hours to drop off their artwork, make three labels for their pieces, and sign a release form. 

Any member unable to make it during those hours should find a friend to drop off the paintings. Jessica McKinney, show chair, says all who have given their intent to show two paintings will be able to do so.

The Member Show Opening  Reception will be during First Friday Oct. 4 from 5 to 8 p.m. Come out to the Untitled Light Gallery at the Mill to view member artwork and have a good time! Bring friends.

BWS Paintout Finale

Festival on Fairfax

All Saints Orthodox Christian Church

6004 S. Fairfax Rd.

Saturday, Oct. 5

Painters will meet in the parking lot at 10 a.m., and the Festival activities, music and food will open at 11 a.m. Priest Father Peter will give the BWS group a tour of the inside of the church. The church property offers many pretty painting locations, including flooded limestone quarries, ruins, forest, and a building. For more information, contact program chair Katya Alexeeva. You may also be interested in checking the festival website https://www.allsaintsbloomington.org/festival-on-fairfax/.

Oct. 14 meeting

Double feature: Show and Share

plus Pet Portraits

This month’s meeting will follow a slightly altered schedule in an effort to include the Show and Share program from the September meeting, which had to be canceled. Those who wish to share their artwork from the summer and to view what others have done are welcome to come any time after 5 p.m.

Following the 6 p.m. business meeting, Jane Matranga will present a lesson on painting animals in watercolor working from photographs . She will show pictures of pets and other animals she has painted and describe the process and techniques she uses, including laying in an underwash, negative painting, and drybrush.

Please bring a photo of a pet to paint, watercolors, paper, and a pencil or colored pencil for sketching and mapping lights and darks.

Presidential Message    

by Patty Uffman

With our first meeting of the year delayed until October, BWS may be off to a slow start, but we are definitely off and running!  The opening reception for our Membership Show Oct. 4 will be history by the time we hold our upcoming meeting. And, of course, more activities are on the horizon.  You can be sure that if you miss one event, another will be around the corner!  

You may notice that some members active in plein air painting are MIA.  Life constantly offers us choices, and we all prioritize our time — meaning it’s hard to do everything all the time.  We know that our friends who are remaining solely in the plein air group will continue to enjoy the camaraderie and the chance to use other media.  On the other side of the equation, for those of us in BWS who want to continue pursuing plein air or to see what it’s about, we have formed another group, simply called “The Paint-Out Group.”  Betty Wagoner, one of our signature members, is leading this effort.  You’ll hear more about what’s in store soon, but with the thought of allowing more members to participate, paint-outs are being planned for Saturdays, starting next year.

Thanks again to Jerry Harste for teaming up with Nancy Metz to become co-editor or Brushstrokes!  What a goldmine of information comes our way every month!  Please don’t expect us to repeat the information at our business meetings because we have pledged to do our best to keep them succinct and on target.

Our officers and committee members are a dedicated group, and I would like to thank all of them for unselfishly volunteering their time and energy.  To our entire membership, we’re so glad to be experiencing another year of creativity together!  Let’s enjoy it!

In memoriam

Sande Nitti

BWS and Upland are saddened by the unexpected death of Sande Nitti the last week of September. She hosted many Upland paintouts and had agreed to co-chair BWS’s Paintout Group with Betty Wagoner. Sande created beautiful paintings and friendships. She will be missed.

Member News

Joanne Shank is now exhibiting her paintings at the Hoosier Artist Gallery, 45 S. Jefferson St., Nashville, IN, where Carolyn Rogers Richard is also a member and exhibits her work. 

BWS swept the watercolor awards at the 2019 T.C. Steele Great Outdoor Art Contest. Jacki Frey won 1st, Andy Roberts placed 2nd, Bob Burris got 3rd, and Betty Wagoner received an honorable mention. 

MarySue and Bill Schwab invites everyone to the opening of their art show Friday, Oct. 4,  to 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, 2120 N. Fee Lane, Bloomington. Come for wine and refreshments. The show features a variety of work, and the reception will include a question-and-answer session with the artists. The show will be up all of October.

The Venue has selected Rose Brenner to participate in Ekphrasis IV. She will choose one of her paintings to display in the show, and The Venue will invite a group of talented poets, each of whom will select one painting to inspire their writing a poem. The selected painters and their paired poets will be divided into two groups. On two Sundays, Oct. 6 and Oct. 20, at 5:30 p.m., at The Venue, half of the selected artists will present their paintings with an explanation of the paintings’ inspiration, and the paired poets will read their poems and explain what about the paintings inspired their poem. The public will be invited and refreshments will be served.

Lynne Gilliatt‘s Side Door Studio group is having a show at Bloomington Playwrights Project during the month of October.  This work includes watercolor, tempera, encaustic, and pastel.  Bloomington Playwrights Project is located at 107 W, Ninth St., Bloomington.. At least six of her group will be showing their work. There is also a textile artist showing her work.

MarySue Schwab received an honorable mention for her oil painting, “Secluded Pool” at the Hoosier Salon Gallery in New Harmony. The show hangs until Oct. 6.

Several BWS members exhibited work at the Mitchell Persimmon Festival Art Exhibit. Meri Reinhold placed 2nd for “Blue Dream” and Rose Brenner received honorable mention for “Abstract Peonies” in the Abstract/Non-objective/Fantasy division.  Honorable mentions in the Landscapes & Waterscapes division went to Linda Endris for “Open Spaces” and to Nancy Metz for “Cannon Beach.”

Beyond BWS

Former member Susan Williams tipped us off to an online course offered by the Cornell Bird Lab that might interest several of our members. Don’t be fooled by the title; the course is not limited to birds. Here is the link: https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/product/nature-journaling-and-field-sketching/  

IU’s Eskenazi Museum of Art will celebrate its reopening after a multi-year renovation with Museum Fest that starts Nov. 7. The public is invited to explore seven galleries of art, including new works; a new art-making studio; and new Centers for Education, Conservation, and Prints, Drawings, and Photographs from 4 to 8 p.m.   Guided tours will be given Nov. 8, 9, and 10.

IMO

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

Question for November Brushstrokes:

What is your favorite book about watercolor? Please identify the title and author and explain why you think it is so good.

Send your 1- to 3-sentence response to Jerry Harste by Oct. 21. Please use IMO as the subject line of your email.

September 9 Meeting

After a summer hiatus, Bloomington Watercolor Society resumes its monthly meetings Monday, Sept. 9. Members are asked to bring paintings they have worked on this summer for a “Show and Share” session. 

The business meeting will start promptly at 6 p.m. with a refreshment break scheduled about 6:45 p.m. The “Show and Share” program will follow refreshments at 7 p.m.

The meeting is a St. Mark’s United Methodist Church on the bypass at 100 N. State Rd. 46, Bloomington.

Learning from others by sharing what we love is what BWS is all about so:

Remember to bring your paintings!!

BWS News

Presidential Update.  Patty Uffman reports “GOOD NEWS!”   Things are definitely moving in the right direction! These are some of the reasons we are kicking off this year on a good note:

·       St. Mark’s has renewed our meeting space free of charge.

·       Jo Weddle has confirmed a complete year of diverse programming.

·       We have a new Plein Air Committee:  Sande Nitti and Betty Wagoner have agreed to combine their talents to form the committee, which Sande will chair.

·       Kathy Truelove-Barton has been named the ad hoc chair of the BWS “Painting Space Search Committee” looking for a place for members to go to paint together.  

·       Steve Dawson has extended an open invitation for BWS to have a paint out at his place. 

Hinkle-Garton Farmstead Picnic Pickup.  For those of you who participated in the Hinkle Farmstead Paint Out pickup will be on Wednesday September 4th between 10 a.m. and 1 p. m. Bloomington Restorations Incorporated (BRI) will be furnishing a meat and cheese tray. Participants are invited to bring a favorite side dish and gather for a pot luck lunch at the same time. 

The Farmstead board is pleased with how successful the 2019 Hinkle-Garton paint out and open houses went. As a result BWS has been invited to paint on the farmstead through the fall season and consider having another show in the fall 2020. To paint on the grounds, call the number for BRI (812-336-0909) and leave a message for LeAnn or Steve.  The areas around the hoop houses are off limits, but the houses, barns, and gardens are available. The large old maple trees near the house should be particularly beautiful this fall.

T-Shirt Design Contest.  Deadline is September 6.  The Month of Chocolate is February 2020.  LIFEDesigns, in collaboration with the Bloomington Watercolor Society, is sponsoring a tee shirt design contest with a prize of $100 and, of course, a free tee shirt.  This contest is open to everyone.  (See lifedesign/t-shirt contest for more information).

Membership Show.  This year’s BWS Membership Show will be held at the Untitled Light Gallery at the Mill (642 N Madison St., Bloomington). The reception will be on October 4 from 5-8 p.m. More details to follow. Jessica McKinney, our Membership Show Chair, needs 13 volunteers to help with the drop off, reception, and pick up of paintings. 

Beyond BWS: September Opportunities

T.C.Steele, Indiana’s oldest plein air painting competition will be held at the T.C. Steele Historic Site (4220 T.C. Steele Rd., Nashville), September 14, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Early bird registration ends August 31 but artists can register for the event even on the day of the competition. Categories for kids 12 and under, teens, and adults, will be judged beginning at 2 p.m. with awards announced beginning at 3:15 p.m.  First place and People’s Choice winners will be on display at Brown County Art Guild following the competition until September 30.  (For more information go to https//tcsteele.org).

Paint Columbus is a two-day event being held on Saturday and Sunday, September 21 & 22.  Artists are invited to paint the iconic town.  On Sunday at 3 p.m. all works will be exhibited, judged, and awards given at The Commons at 300 Washington St.  At 4 p.m. work will be available for purchase to the viewing public.  Paint Columbus is free and all skill levels are welcome. Artists can register by email: Janek@c21breeden.com.

Mallow Run Winery is continuing its Artist Series Wine Label Competition.  Entries are now being accepted for the 2019 release! The deadline for submissions is Monday, September 30. The Artist Series Wine Label project features a special wine released each year featuring label artwork from an Indiana artist that is chosen from submissions. A portion of the proceeds from sales of this release will be donated to promote the Center Grove Arts Foundation and the Johnson County Community Foundation Mural Project. The winning artist will be celebrated in a reception at The Sycamore at Mallow Run in November, and the wine will be released to the public just in time for holiday celebrations. (For more information see https://mallowrun.com/artist-series/).

Persimmon Festival Art Show.  Artists are invited to enter up to three paintings ($5 per painting as an entry fee) in the Mitchell Persimmon Festival which takes place on September 24 at the Mitchell Community Public Library (8th and Main). Artists must be 18 or older and must be current or former residents of Indiana. Paintings must be ready for hanging. No saw-tooth hangers are allowed.  Ribbons and cash prizes in five categories will be given.

Membership News

 Candi Bailey was juried into the Anderson Museum of Art Figures of Speech Show with a painting entitled “Black Sheep of the Family.”  Candi was also awarded 2^ndplace for her painting “B-town Authors” at the Venue’s Art & Soul of Bloomington Exhibit. BWS has a total of 12 entries in the show, 3 of which won recognition.

Meri Reinhold’s painting entitled “Buddy Guy Plays the Blues” was juried into the 2019 Watercolor Society of Indiana Exhibition now showing until September 25 at the IMA at Newfields.

Robin Edmundson hopes to see you at her solo show entitled “Not Far Afield” being held at The Vault at Gallery Mortgage (121 E 6^thSt., Bloomington).  Her show runs from October 1-29 with an opening reception on Friday, October 4, 5-8 p.m.  

Lynne Gilliat shared her summer. “In May I went to Romania. I had a showing of my temperas and pastels at La Vie en Rose upon my return. The next month I showed the same show at the Unitarian Universalist church.  I’m now working on making figurative studies over old watercolors. It’s working out well. I enjoy Claude Cookman’s portrait group and am experimenting with drawing and painting in tempera whole figures as well as portraits.  I am excited to paint from my Romanian photos next!”

Nina Ost reported that she is still in Florida but will return to Bloomington around the middle of September.  “Instead of doing pretty but boring paintings of Florida’s flowers, I’ve been taking a phone photo, switching it to negative, printing out a copy, and painting from that. Phone photos are always more vibrant than print outs. Also, I have returned to sketching in shapes with my brush and building the painting rather than first doing a careful drawing. I can often get fixated on the drawing part.”

Claude Cookman served as one of two judges for the Indiana Wildlife Artists’ annual competition on August 24. He and co-judge Leah Frenzel chose first, second and third place winners from more than 80 entries in five categories. The exhibition will hang at Second Presbyterian Church, 7700 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, through September. Details at: http://indianawildlifeartists.org/judges.htm]

Deborah Rush currently has a show at the Unitarian Universalistic Church. She invites everyone to come and enjoy her art work.

Kitty Garlock reports that she and Betty Wagoner, Anne-Karine Bley, Henry Leck, Kathy Barton, MarySue Walker, Bill Schwab, Don Geyra, and Rose Brenner participated in the paint-out at the West Baden Resort in French Lick. Each artist painted from one to four pictures of the wonderful sites around the grounds and on the veranda.  The days were gloriously blessed with mild weather and gentle breezes and, with the exception of a threatening thunderstorm that passed rather quickly with only a spit of rain, were perfect for painting. Kitty reports, “A few of us even got a nocturnal painting!”  Saturday at 2:00 pictures were placed on display and voted on by the artists, hotel guests, and site visitors. Inside a wonder repast of hors d’oeuvres and wine were served “It was wonderful!!  And to top it all off, three paintings by our group were sold!!”

Nancy Metz shared what she learned from a week at the Art Institute in Chicago:

Spending five days at the Art Institute of Chicago sounded like a dream: endless hours with some of the world’s best paintings, studio space at the School of the Art Institute, a Blick’s art supply store within walking distance, and a friend and colleague to share it with. 

When Carol Rhodes and I registered for SEEING the Art Institute of Chicago, a summer intensive one-week class offered by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Continuing Education, we were apprehensive about how our drawing skills would measure up against the other students, so we found online videos and met to improve our graphite and charcoal skills.

I learned Carol does beautiful work in black-and-white dry media. She would be observing and placing her marks on the paper, adjusting values as needed, and building toward a finished image. I, on the other hand, would be on my second or third version of our subject as she was finishing her first. I realized then that I habitually hurry through the drawing stage, my goal being to place as few marks as possible so I can get to my paints. 

At that point, I said to myself: “Oh well, who cares if I am the worst in the class. I have paid my money, and I will enjoy this experience.”

As it turned out, the ten students represented a range of artistic abilities and interests, and our instructor, Nancy Murphy Spicer, used her training as an art coach to help each of us shape our Art Institute experience. 

Our mornings started in the studio with Spicer suggesting ways to approach an artwork and different focuses for our sketching. As soon as the museum opened, we had free rein to sketch in the galleries.  After lunch, we worked in the studio on developing our individual projects based on our interests. Spicer and Ishita Dharup, the teaching assistant, would periodically demonstrate charcoal, pen, or graphite techniques that students could join in if they wanted. 

The class wasn’t focused on technique, however. The idea was to tap in to the resources of the Art Institute and build a personal experience from there. I latched on to the idea of finding one painting that captured my attention and visiting it each day. Of course, my first stop was 20^thcentury American paintings where I found works by Georgia O’Keeffe, Charles Demuth, Charles Sheeler, and Edward Hopper. I rounded the corner and there it was: My One – the painting I would visit each day – “Movements” by Marsden Hartley. Colorful shapes spiraled on the canvas, and it looked like rock ‘n’ roll – even though it was created about 40 years before that music genre was invented.

That afternoon, I discussed with Spicer the challenge of creating a back-and-white version of such a colorful painting, and that led us into looking at the painting’s values. The next thing I knew Spicer had me covering a 22 x 30 sheet with solid charcoal and using erasers as my drawing utensils.  The first piece took two days to complete, but after a student critique session, I knew I wanted to see if I could create the negative of the value study I had just done. That took only one day but a lot of concentration. Turning blacks into whites and vice versa is easy; the challenge is in translating those middle values. Having completed two studies using the charcoal erasing technique, I was pretty comfortable in tackling a Marsden Hartley landscape with the same tools. That one took one afternoon. The landscape was necessary to establish how far a departure “Movements” was from the Hartley paintings I was familiar with.

Friday afternoon we hung our show on the studio walls and discussed each other’s works. Spicer had created a community of artists willing to share ideas, suggestions, and materials. Drawings large and small and even a 3-D presentation of classic urns had sprung forth during the week. Some were based on the Art Institute’s collection, some were in-depth studies of a chosen artist, and some were personal subject matter. 

That is the School of the Art Institute of Chicago class in a nutshell. It is only my experience. I know Carol’s journey unfolded differently, and I am confident the other eight students each had unique experiences. 

Here are a few more lessons I learned while roaming the Art Institute:

Lesson #1: Always carry a sketchbook and pencil. In the museum, free yourself from “copying” a work. You can sketch the painting’s composition or make a gestural drawing of a figure in the painting. You can capture the painting’s values.  Make a diagram or notational drawing of the work. Any of these strategies will lead you further into the work. Try to spend 10 to 15 minutes with a piece.

Lesson #2: Don’t be in a hurry. Stand before the work that interests you. What is the affect of the artwork: Do you have an involuntary physical or emotional response? What has the artist made you look at? Move slowly toward it. How does it change as you move closer? 

Lesson #3: Trying a new medium and technique can unlock your creativity. I spent four consecutive afternoons erasing. I was using black instead of colors. I was subtracting instead of adding. For several hours I had to think about everything I was doing. And suddenly, my mind was racing with ideas about how to accomplish the range of values in the piece I was working on, what the next piece would be, and the next one, and so on. 

Lesson #4:  Critiques come in many forms and are often more useful when they have some structure. One of my favorites was a See/Think/Wonder exercise. Each student hung their work from the previous day, and students were given small sheets of paper on which they were to write one See statement, one Think statement, and one Wonder statement for each piece.  Then, each student had a few minutes to talk about their work before receiving their classmates’ critique sheets. Because the comments were written before each artist’s talk and without hearing others’ reactions, the critiques provided a wide range of ideas to think about.

Lesson #5: Drawing is a valuable tool for information gathering. Each visit to Hartley’s “Movements” yielded new information. One day I found circles that had gone unnoticed. Another day revealed proportions were off in my original sketch. Another information gathering operation was my afternoon charcoal-erasing sessions. As the image developed out of the black charcoal, I was constantly adjusting values and, at one point, realized this work I had viewed as a collection of shapes was pretty weak without the carefully placed lines. I plan to adjust my painting process to include some more developed drawings before I start a painting. I might first make a charcoal drawing of my subject matter just to learn about it before I make those sketchy lines on my watercolor paper. 

Lesson #5 is not new. Artists have been doing preliminary drawings forever. But I rarely have done more than a quick thumbnail to work out composition and values, and even those had trailed off in recent years. Of all I learned in my week in Chicago, this is probably the most important. 

Oh yes, I also learned it really isn’t such a good thing to be within walking distance of an art supplies store. Carol and I both had to swear off Blick’s by mid-week.

______________________________________

If you’re interested in the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Continuing Education program, visit continuing studies.saic.edu.

MarySue Schwab reviewed an Honorary Mention for her painting “Secluded Pool” from the Hoosier Salon in New Harmony.

IMO

These questions were posed to BWS members currently teaching courses: 

Question 1:  “What is the best tidbit of advice you give to students in your classes?  

“Let it dry!” Linda Meyer-Wright

 “The first piece of advice that comes to mind, which really seems to click with my high school students, is to avoid falling prey to your mental “autocorrect” while drawing or painting. High school students are very aware of the awkwardness that the autocorrect function can play on their texts and emails and it doesn’t take them long to realize they each have a mental autocorrect too. Their mental autocorrect will start overriding a drawing – telling them what they “should see,” not what they actually see. Doing more work from observation, not labeling objects, and looking for how abstract shapes fit together in a source image all help to develop a larger autocorrect vocabulary and reduce its helpful mistakes. More important is noticing when it kicks in, forgiving yourself when it does, and actively practicing.” Cassidy Young

“ALWAYS do a value painting before doing the completed colored painting.  Make the value painting small, 8 x 10.  Notice the placement of objects in the study. Is there an interesting balance?  If not, change the study. Correct the values. A good study makes a good finished painting. You will have more confidence by doing a value study first.” Jacki Frey 

“I tell students not to worry about finding the “right way” to do watercolor. There are lots of ways to paint with watercolors. Learn the basic washes and brushstrokes and all will reveal itself — if you let it.” Nancy Metz

Question 2: What if any effect has teaching art had on your own artistic process?”

“Teaching keeps me on my toes – I learn new stuff so I can teach new stuff.  I try to stay about 10 minutes ahead of the class.”  Linda Meyer-Wright 

“Active practice and forgiveness are keys to my own art practices. They keeps me from setting down the brushes for too long.” Cassidy Young

“Teaching has helped my own paintings. To have a good painting for my demos I have to be prepared. I put a lot of time into painting for a class. I also learn from what students may paint.” Jacki Frey

“Teaching “Painting Styles of the Masters” has affected my artistic process more than any other class I have taught. Now, when I start a painting, I think how would different artists approach this subject. I might even do a few small painting sketches in the styles of different artists to see what I like best.”  Nancy Metz

June 29

Hinkle-Garton Farmstead Open Day

Features BWS Art Exhibit, Gallery Sale

This month’s Museum Open Day at the Hinkle-Garton Farmstead features “Plein Air Artists’ Lovely Renditions of the Hinkle-Garton Farmstead” June 29 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Members of BWS, its Upland Plein Air Painters, and artists from Brown County Arts Alliance created images of spring at the Farmstead in May. These paintings include images of two historic homes, farm land, gardens, and outbuildings. These artistic creations will be displayed and available for purchase inside the 1892 Queen Anne style home at monthly Farmstead Open Days through Aug. 31. Individual artists will donate 25 percent of the proceeds from art sales to pay for restoration of the Hinkle-Garton Farmhouse.

In addition, visitors can enjoy the plants, trees, and the beauty of the volunteer garden. A variety of plants will be available for purchase as well as jams, jellies, and maple syrup produced by volunteers. Friday Musicale and The Bloomington Old-Time Music and Dance Group with Mark Weidenmayer will be hosting music in the parlor. Volunteers will give Farmhouse tours.

The Farmstead, located at 2920 E. 10^th St., is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is owned and maintained by Bloomington Restorations, Inc. It is free and open to the public the last Saturday or most months. For more information, call BRI at 812-336-0909 or visit its Facebook page www.facebook.com/Hinkle-GartonFarmstead.

Top: Carriage House at Farmstead/Watercolor/Andy Roberts. Morning at the Farmhouse/Oil on canvas/Henry Leck. Shine On/Oil on panel/Anne-Karine Bley. Bottom: Spirits of the Past/Oil on canvas/Katya Alexeeva. Daisy’s Dairy Barn/Oil on canvas/Francita Agostino. Barn at Hinkle-Garton Farmstead/Watercolor/Linda K. Branstetter

2018-19

State of the Society

By Kitty Garlock, BWS president 2018-19

Last year when I was asked if I would be president of this organization, I was stunned. I feared I did not know enough about how it all worked to be able to do the job to the level I had already observed in others. I soon found out it had nothing, well very little, to do with me. To use Jane Matranga’s words, “It is a well-oiled machine.” The thing that makes this society great is its people and their willingness to step up and do the work that keeps our group strong and vibrant.

I am now going to mention many of the things we have done this year, and even though I cannot take the time to mention everyone involved , if you were involved in any one of these things, when I am done I will ask you to stand.

Of course, our board and leadership team confronted some big issues this year: our move to St. Mark’s, forming a finance committee, weighing the idea of adding a portrait group involving nonmembers, and letting go of our beloved plein air group, to name a few. Not all turned out the way I personally wanted, but – as it turned out – the decisions that were made benefited all because of generous attitudes and staunch ideas as to what this society’s focus truly is.

I want to mention a few people by name. We want to thank Claude Cookman, Barbara Edmonds, and Carla Hedges for helping to put into action our biggest change, that of moving to SMUM and opening our treasury to more empowering things. Kathy Truelove Barton, Carol Rhodes, and our brand new member Mark Seaman were immediately willing to help form the Finance Committee. Our Nominating Committee, which included Meri Reinhold, Barbara Edmonds, and Jacki Frey, not only helped find a new president, but also a new secretary, treasurer, show chair, publicity chair, and gave a few ideas for a Brushstrokes co-editor. All said “Yes” immediately to my request for help. And on top of it all, the great thing is people were willing to step up and take most of these positions. Six members – some teaching twice – were willing to present all of us with wonderful programs to fill our calendar with inspiring lessons. They are Suzanne Thorin, Nancy Metz, Carol Rhodes, Jane Matranga, Claude Cookman, and Stephen Edwards.

This organization is blessed with many people who made it work. Members of the Upland Plein Air group hosted venues to paint or coordinated an entire season of paint-outs. Volunteers produced our member show, “We Paint … the Past, Present, and for the Future,” and Taste of Chocolate’s “We Paint … the Blues.”  Others got involved with Peden Farm, card painting at College Mall, organizing the Hinkle-Garton paint-out and show, and arranging our participation in the Garden Walk. Members were willing to share their time or home to make a success of our annual Holiday Party and Year-end Picnic, the most recent one at May Creek.

There are also those who worked so hard to bring us the workshop by Judy Mudd and those who participated so it could go ahead. Our signature members spent months to get their work displayed at the Indianapolis Airport. Many others won awards and recognition for their work that spreads the word about BWS.

Yes, I was stunned to be asked to represent you as your president, but by accepting the challenge I have been truly honored and now deeply know what an amazing group we really are!

BWS Officers 2019-20

Summer Paint-outs with Upland

Come out for summer painting adventures with your painting buddies. Upland summer event coordinators are Jacki Frey and Babette Ballinger. Email upland@bloomingtonwatercolor.org for more information.

Friday, June 21, Mary Hartle’s house and barn, hosted by Betty Wagoner

Tuesday, June 25, Detmer Park, hosted by Candi Bailey

Tuesday, July 9, Bean Blossom Bridge, hosted by Lory Winford

Garden Walk

BWS painters participated in the June Garden Walk again this year. Floral arrangements were available at the Monroe County History Center for painters not wanting to dodge the rain storms, and private gardens like the one pictured on the right provided great subject matter.

Member News

BWS members Anne-Karine Bley and Eric Brock are two of four artists featured in the group show “Expressions in Harmony” at the Hoosier Salon in New Harmony, Ind. Each artist contributed between 15 and 20 works. Many of Anne-Karine’s and Eric’s paintings were done plein air, often inspired by Upland locations. The last day to see the show is July 7.

Cassidy Young will be at the Arts Fair on the Square June 22, the Fair of the Arts (Farmers’ Market) July 13, and the Garlic Fest Aug. 31 to Sept. 1.

Stephen Edwards’s “Backdoor at Draper’s Farm” is one of 45 paintings that will make up the 2019 Watercolor Society of Indiana’s 36^th Annual Exhibit. The paintings were juried by Don Andrews, AWS.

“Buddy Guy Plays the Blues” by Meri Reinhold has also been juried in to the 2019 WSI Annual Juried Exhibit. The show will hang at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields from Aug. 4 to Sept. 28.

“Rurification,” a solo exhibition of Robin Edmundson’s works depicting rural Indiana, hangs at the Gaslight Art Colony in Marshall, Ill., till July 12. For more information about the exhibition, see Robin’s blog post at https://rurification.blogspot.com/2019/06/upcoming=show.html.

Joanne Baum is exhibiting pastels and oils – some from around Bloomington, others in Florida, Colorado, and the Carolina lowlands – in the windows of Darn Good Soup in its Darn Good Art Gallery until June 27.

Beyond BWS

July 1 is the deadline for entering the Kentucky Watercolor Society’s 2019 Aqueous Show. Previous prizes annually have averaged $10,000 in cash, materials, and purchase awards. Paul Jackson will be the juror for the show. The Aqueous USA 2019 Exhibition will hang at the Actors Theatre of Louisville Sept. 6 to Oct. 31. To enter, download the prospectus from https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5bb4e1e892441b44de9c89e9/t/5cab5075e4966bd72edad4bc/1554731130918/2019+KWS+AQUEOUS-PROSPECTUS.pdf.

Lawrence County Art Association announces its Fifth Annual Midsummer Judged Art Exhibit June 28 to July 20 at the Wiley Art Gallery in Bedford, Ind. Any artist over 16 years old may enter up to three artworks. The cost of entering is $5 per work of art. Art must be no larger than 36” X 36”, including the frame and have a wire hanging on the back. Art is due June 26 between 2 and 4 p.m. with Deb Weld, a graduate of the Art Institute of Chicago, doing the judging June 27. The reception and awards event is scheduled for Friday, June 28, 5 to 7 p.m. All art must be picked up July 20 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. For more information contact Sammie Justesen at 812-675-8053 or sammie@norlightspress.com.

All artists in the Midwest are invited to enter Anderson Museum of Art’s 8^th annual “Figures of Speech” competitive exhibition, which runs Aug. 2 – Sept. 22. This is your opportunity to turn classic figures of speech into memorable and interesting works of art such as “She sells seashells” (alliteration), “A little thin on top” (euphemism), “I’ve told you a hundred times” (hyperbole), “All the world is a stage” (metaphor), “Jumbo shrimp” (oxymoron), or “Wise as an owl” (simile). Digital entries will be accepted no later than July 8, and accepted entries will be due July 26. The artist reception will be Aug. 2, and pick-up will be Sept. 23 – 28. Works on paper, paintings, photography, mixed media, and sculpture are acceptable. For more information, see https://andersonart.org.

IMO

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

What do you want to ask your BWS colleagues? I’ve been writing most of the questions for the last two years (with an occasional welcome assist from readers/leaders). So now it is your turn. Ask about subject matter, inspiration, techniques, supplies – just keep it watercolor-related, please. Your questions will appear in this column in the coming year.

Send your 1- to 3-sentence response by July 14 to Nancy Davis-Metz. Please use IMO as the subject line of your email.

St Marks United Methodist Church

The meeting was called to order at 6:00 pm by Kitty Garlock, President. Kitty reminded us that June is when we pay our BWS dues of $35 which includes Upland programs through November.

• Hospitality– Carla Hedges thanked Katya Alexeeva, Kathy Barton, Barbara Coffman, Mary Walker, and Patty Uffman for bringing refreshments.
• Secretary‘s Minutes – Jill Olshavsky called for a motion to approve the May minutes.  Motion: Meri Reinhold; Second: Carla Hedges. The motion passed. Jill reminded everyone to sign the attendance sheet.
• Treasurer’s Report – Patty reported that she has received 29 membership renewals.  Members may pay at tonight’s meeting with cash or check, by mail with a check, or online with PayPal.  PayPal charges BWS $1.05 each time it is used.  Kathy Barton moved to accept the Treasurer’s report; second:  Meri Reinhold.

Committee Reports

Activities –  Katya Alexeeva reported that 30 painted at the Hinkle Garden Farmhouse paintout in May and that the exhibit is ready.  On June 29 the farmhouse will be open from 1:00-4:00. There are 4 more paintouts this year: July 13 Showalter Fountain, August 16/17 Indiana Heritage Arts at West Baden/French Lick, September TBD TC Steele, and October 5 Anthiohian Orthodox Church.  Katya will send emails with details about these paintouts.

    Charlotte Griffin reported that this year’s Garden Walk paintout went well.  Some of the paintings were exhibited at the meeting and some were given to the home owner.

    Kitty reported that the Indiana Heritage Arts show is ongoing at the Brown County Gallery.

    Kristen Stamper reported that Upland will spin off from BWS to form a new plein air group which will include all media.  Kristen will resign from BWS as of June 11 to help the new group get started. Kristen said that Upland owes a debt of gratitude to BWS for support.  There is a strong bond between the two groups. During the transition phase, the Upland Schedule will remain in place, and Brushstrokes will continue to publish the schedule of paintouts until the end of this year.  Upland appreciates that BWS will provide this support. Memberships in the new group will begin soon, and Kristen brought a sign-up sheet.  All BWS members are welcome to attend the Upland weekly events until the end of 2019 at no cost. Participants who are not BWS members will be charged $10.00.  A one-time Founder category in the new group costs $50.00 and includes a 2 year membership. (Anyone joining now will have a 2 ½ year membership.). Paintouts are scheduled for June 14, 21, 25 and July 2 and 9.

Programs – Jo Weddle asked us to use the ‘Program Suggestions/Ideas for 2019-2020’ sheets she placed on each table to write topics or presenters for our meetings.  She encouraged members to volunteer to lead a program. Jo plans to have the full year’s program available to share at the September meeting.

Scholarship – Jo Weddle said we had no applications for a BWS scholarship this year.  Jo learned that many high school students had not heard about the scholarship.  She will meet with the Scholarship Committee over the summer to plan ways to get the word out to students.  She read excerpts from this year’s winner, Clara Smith’s recent letter describing her first year as an art major.  

Brushstrokes – Kitty reported for Nancy Davis-Metz that June’s Brushstrokes will be published in two sections.  We are still looking for someone who can devote approximately 10 hours a month to help Nancy with Brushstrokes.  

For the Good of the Order

Jessica McKinney announced that there will be a Tuesday and Wednesday class on art and color for toddlers, infants and pre-schoolers at Wonder Lab.  Anyone who wants to work with the class should talk with Jessica during the break, and she will send an email with more information.

    Meri Reinhold told us that John Wilson, Pygmalions owner, passed away.  The store will be run by Jane Otten and John’s sister. All artists are invited to a July 4^th 4:00 party at the store.

A Word from the Outgoing President, Kitty Garlock

Kitty thanked members for their willingness to step up and do the work that keeps our group strong and vibrant.  She mentioned the major accomplishments of the year which were: moving to St Marks United Methodist Church, weighing the idea of adding a portrait group involving non-members, and letting go of our beloved Upland plein air group.  She thanked people by name for their work on these efforts as well as:

• members of the board and leadership committee;
• the 6 members who conducted one or more programs;
• members of the Upland plein air group who hosted venues to paint and coordinated an entire season of paintouts;
• volunteers for our member show, We Paint Past, Present, and for the Future and Taste of Chocolate’s We Paint the Blues;
• those who were involved with Peden Farm, card painting in the mall and organizing the Hinkle Garton paintout and show and the Garden Walk;
• those who made our annual Holiday Party and the Year-end picnic at May Creek successes,
• those who arranged for the Judy Mudd workshop and participated in it;
• the Signature members who displayed their work at the airport; and
• many others who have won awards and recognition for their work that spreads the word about BWS.

Installation of New Officers

Installation of New Officers – Meri Reinhold thanked members of the nominating committee:  Jackie Frey, Barbara Edmunds who, along with herself, selected the slate and held the vote for our new officers: President: Patty Uffman, 1^st Vice President: Kitty Garlock, 2^nd Vice President: Jane Matranga, Treasurer:  Carol Rhodes, Secretary: Suzanne Thorin.

Kitty called for a motion to end the meeting at 6:35.  Motion: Candi Bailey; Second: Katya Alexeeva

Program:  Creating a Mood in Watercolor was presented by Stephen Edwards at 7:00.  Stephen conducted a demo using his techniques for using light and values to create an illusion of “real”.  He gave many tips for choosing paints as well as some basic rules for watercolor landscapes to convey the emotional content as well as the technical side of painting.  Stephen continued past 8:00 to respond to requests and answer questions.

Due to unforeseen circumstances,this month’s “Brushstrokes” will be published in two installments: (1) this early edition that covers Monday’s meeting as well as weekend news including Bloomington’s First Friday Gallery Walk, and (2) a late edition that will cover all the member news and usual features.

June 10

Stephen Edwards to present “Creating a Mood in Watercolor”

Stephen Edwards will present “Creating a Mood in Watercolor” at the June 10 BWS meeting. “Representational art depends on using light and values to create the illusion of ‘real,'” said Steven. “My demo will emphasize using them to make 3-D happen in a painting.” His presentation will also give some basic rules for conveying the emotional content as well as the technical side of painting watercolor landscapes.

Bring the watercolor and tools you usually work with. If you wish, you can take notes rather than paint along with Stephen.

The presentation will start around 7 p.m., following a brief business meeting. The business meeting will be called to order at 6 p.m. The meeting is at St. Mark’s Methodist Church, 100 State Road 46.

The Vault

“In Memoriam: James MC Yang”

Make sure The Vault Gallery is a stop on your First Friday itinerary June 7. “In Memoriam: James MC Yang” opens Friday with a reception 5 to 8 p.m. and will be shown until July 26. This exhibit will be the last opportunity to enjoy James’s Chinese calligraphy and paintings (and other art forms) in an exhibition format. The Vault is hosting this event to align with James’s birthday and the one-year anniversary of his Celebration of Life ceremony.

Young to be at Handmade Market, Pygmalion’s

Cassidy Young will have her booth up at the Bloomington Handmade Market Saturday, June 8, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. She will also be teaching an Urban Sketching Workshop at Pygmalion’s June 10, 12, and 14.

St Marks United Methodist Church

The meeting was called to order at 6:00 pm by Kitty Garlock, President.   She welcomed new member Melissa Adkins.  Jo Weddle introduced her guest, Bernadette de Leon and said Bernadette plans to join BWS.

Hospitality

Kitty read Carla Hedges’ list and thanked Mary Walker, Betty Wagner, Mary Sedman, Dawn Cartwright, and Joanna Samorrow-Merzer for bringing refreshments.

Secretary’s Minutes

Jill Olshavsky called for a motion to approve the April minutes.  Motion:  Babette Ballenger, Second:  Char Dapena. The motion passed.  Jill reminded everyone to sign the attendance sheet.

Treasurer’s Report

Kitty Garlock reported for Patty Uffman that BWS received a thank you card from LifeDesigns expressing their appreciation for our support of the Week of Chocolate.  BWS was among those who helped LifeDesigns raise over $42,000 for programs to provide staff support to people with disabilities.  As Kitty noted, “That is tremendous!”

     Minor expenses were incurred for copies and printer ink, and income came from two new memberships, Melissa Adkins and Douglas Roberts. 

     If anyone has BWS expenses to be reimbursed, receipts may be sent to our post office address, PO Box 5236, Bloomington 47407-5236.  A check will be sent to you the first week of June.

     Remember to renew your BWS membership in June.   See out website for categories and cost. You may renew with Patty Uffman at the June meeting, send a check to the above PO Box, or use your PayPal account. 

Old Business

Kitty reported the the Finance Committee evaluated proposed ways to spend the extra money BWS has.  They selected the 4 proposals which received the most votes at the April meeting.

1. Pursue the possibility of becoming a nonprofit organization.  While there is no cost, the committee will explore the benefits and any negatives.  So far, the only negative is that it will require record keeping, but that does not appear to be an obstacle. (32 votes with 5 comments)
2. Cover a percentage of the cost of workshops (21 votes with 5 comments)
3. Invite more artists from outside to do our programs (workshops/demos) and provide a small stipend  (29 votes with 2 comments)
4. Purchase/build a portable display wall for shows (16 votes with 5 comments).

New Business

Charlotte Griffin is again coordinating the BWS paintout at the Garden Walk which will be held Saturday, June 8 and Sunday June 9 from 10:00 – 2:00 each day.  She reminded us that it is usually warm and that the walk is held rain or shine.  Charlotte provided a sign- up sheet for 6 slots, 5 at houses and 1 at the History Center.

While she requested people to sign up for a 4- hour slot, Charlotte said that you may share a slot with someone.  Painters should select a spot in the garden that is not in the walkway.  A limited number of Garden Walk tickets will be able for artists to attend the show on the day they are not painting.  Kitty reported that she has painted at the Garden Walk every year and finds it a wonderful experience.   

Committee Comments

Meri Reinhold presented next year’s slate of officers: 

• President-Patty Uffman
• 1st Vice President- Kitty Garlock
• 2nd Vice President-Jane Matranga
• Secretary- Suzanne Thorin
• Treasurer- Carol Rhodes

Meri asked for a motion to vote on the slate.  Motion:  Kathy Barton, Second:  Char Dapena.  The vote was unanimous, we had a quorum at the meeting, and the slate was approved.  The officers will be inducted at the June meeting.  Kitty thanked all on the slate.   Charlotte Griffin presented a traveling artists’ palette and some watercolor tubes to Kitty Garlock, outgoing President, in appreciation of her fine service this year.   

Kitty reported that we still need someone to work with Nancy Davis Metz on Brushstrokes next year.  Nancy is willing to do 1/3 of the work, but we need someone to assume most of the editorial role which requires approximately 10 hours a month.  If we are unable to fill this position, Brushstrokes would only be published every 3 months.  Anyone who is interested should talk with Nancy.

Commitee Reports

Activities-Katya Alexeeva reminded us that the Daisy Garton Farmhouse paintout is Saturday, May 18 from 9:00 until 2:00.  On May 22 from 10-12:30 Katya will be at Hinkle Garten farmhouse to collect your framed painting and an easel to display your art (there is very limited wall space).  Volunteers are needed to help hang the show. 

The show will hang  May 25th through the end of August.  The Farmstead Show is open to public on the last Saturday of each month June, July and August from 1:00 to 4 p.m.  Volunteers staff the farmhouse and appointments can be made at other times by calling the number on the Bloomington Restorations Inc. Website, or Contact LeAnn Luce or Kathy Barton  at 812-679-6353.

The art will be on display and possibly sold at these times.  Individual artists will donate 25 percent from sales to pay for restoration of the Farmhouse. The pick-up date for paintings is September 4 from 10:00 AM to noon.

Upland Painters-Kristen Stamper welcomed anyone interested in joining Upland Painters to put their name on the sign- up sheet to receive event announcements on the Saturday before an event.  The schedule is available in Brushstrokes.

Programs-Jo Weddle reported that new member, Stephen Edwards will present at our June meeting.  He was asked to talk about how he does plein air paintings, and he explained in a letter to Jo that he prefers to use his time analyzing a scene and taking reference photos.  He sketches and paints landscapes in his studio.  Jo asked for a volunteer with a truck or large SUV who can help her move our mirror (from First Christian Church to St Marks and back) for Stephen’s presentation.

For the Good of the Order

Babette Ballinger described the art quilt project for which each artist will paint on an 8×8 wood panel.  If she gets enough panels before the Daisy Garton show, Babette will assemble them into a quilt for display.  Some examples for the panels are an acrylic and paper collage, a montage, or a watercolor using either watercolor ground or gouache with an acrylic under coating.

Katya Alexeeva reminded us to bring paintings to share at our meetings, and she set up a table for the display.

Jerry Harste described the Figures of Speech art contest to be held at Anderson Museum of Art, 32 W 10^th Street, Anderson, IN 46016 August 2 – September 22.  Entry for the show begins July 8, and there is a $2,000 prize available.

Kitty requested a motion to adjourn. Motion:  Meri Reinhold, Second:  Katya Alexeeva.  The meeting was adjourned at 6:34.

Program-Following socializing and refreshments, Bonnie Gordon-Lucas told us about her background, paintings and line art.  She brought some of her paintings and books and explained that her inspiration comes from poetry, dreams, funny songs, quotes and mis-quotes.  Unfortunately, due to the inability to project her images, Bonnie was unable to present her program “Lyrical Lines”.  Bonnie graciously offered to return for another program after we are able to resolve the computer issues.

May 13

Bonnie Gordon-Lucas

to present “Lyrical Lines”

Bonnie describes herself as a visual communicator. “Whimsy and imagination define my style,” she said. “I live within the confines of dyslexia but refer to myself as ‘reality challenged,’ an adult who continues to think like a child. My paintings are inspired by dreams, song titles, famous quotes and twisted misquotes.

Bonnie has worked freelance for New York advertising agencies and animation design studios. Her illustrations have appeared on greeting cards, posters, clothing, rubber stamps, in magazines and children’s books. She will bring to the meeting samples of her work.

“I hope to teach how to draw like a melody maker, by weaving lyrical line and color on paper,” Bonnie said.

Bring to the meeting a dream (grab one by writing it down when you awaken), your sketchbooks, watercolors, paper, your favorite (non-fugitive ink) drawing pen. Unlike erasable pencil, your line will become part of your painting.

This presentation will start around 7 p.m., following a business meeting and refreshments that start at 6 p.m. The meeting is at St. Mark’s Methodist Church, 100 State Road 46.

May 18

Daisy Garton Spring Plein Air Paintout is coming

Bloomington Restorations, Inc. (BRI) has invited members of the Bloomington Watercolor Society, its Upland Plein Air Painters, and artists from Art Alliance Brown County to paint Saturday, May 18, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hinkle-Garton Farmstead, 2920 E. 10^th St., Bloomington.

Paintings created May 18 will be displayed and available for purchase inside the 1892 Queen Anne-style homestead at monthly Farmstead Open Days beginning May 25 from 1 to 4 p.m., and at events throughout the summer. Individual artists will donate 25 percent of the proceeds from art sales to pay for restoration of the Hinkle-Garton Farmhouse.

BRI members will be present to assist with questions and information on the Paintout, Farmstead, and BRI activities.

Upland Schedule

May 7, Henry’s Lake House, hosted by Henry Leck

May 14, Leslie Daniel’s Garden, hosted by Kitty Garlock

May 28, Cataract Falls, hosted by Kathy Barton

June 4, Upland organizational meeting, hosted by Kristen Stamper

BWS business

Finance Committee report

The Finance Committee held its first meeting April 13 and will present a budget proposal (including funds dedicated to workshops and visiting artists) to be approved by the board this summer. Aside from normal ongoing expenses, a contribution was suggested for St. Mark’s to be applied toward microphones. There were no objections to the requests for funds from BWS committee chairs.

Member News

Jerry Harste would like to thank whoever in BWS suggested to the Bloom Magazine editors that he be honored as a featured artist in the current issue. It is much appreciated.

Above Left: Jo Weddle holds her Roy Lichtenstein-inspired abstract. Above Right: “Bear” was painted by Chris Flask. Jo and Chris showed their work last month at an exhibit of work produced in a recent “Painting Styles of the Masters” class at the Waldron.

Jacki Frey’s “Market Day Provence” received third place honors in the Indiana Artists Club’s juried show, which will hang through June 1 at the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields.

Nancy Davis Metz was awarded a first place for “Early Morning Drive” and a fourth place for “Judith’s Patchwork Barn” in the watercolor division of Paoli’s Tri Kappa Art Show.

Lory Winters and Kristen Stamper have paintings juried into the Arts Illiana Gallery’s Anything Goes Show in Terre Haute. This five-state, all media exhibition runs from May 3 through July 19.

Penny Lulich as been painting her way around Germany.

Beyond BWS

The Watercolor Society of Indiana has announced May 10 as the entry deadline for two shows: the 2019 Membership Show and the annual Juried Exhibit. Entry forms and additional information are available at http://www.watercolorsocietyofindiana.org.

The entry deadline for the Kentucky Watercolor Society’s Aqueous 2019 is July 1. This national show will be juried by Paul Jackson, a signature member of AWS and NWS. Write to KWS, P.O. Box 7125, Louisville, KY 40257-0125 for more information and a prospectus. Or you can email kentuckywatercolor@gmail.com to request a prospectus. The exhibition will hang at Actors Theatre in Louisville from Sept. 6 to Oct. 31.

IMO

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

This month the question is:

What is your favorite paintbrush? It may be the one you reach for the most, or it could be one that meets a very specific need. Identify the brush and tell why it is your favorite.

Jeanne Dutton

My favorite paintbrush, and the only round brush I ever use anymore, is the Escoda Versatil. It holds a beautiful point and lots of paint, and is also available in a travel set. I have found that it meets, if not exceeds, the performance of sables, even by the same company.

Carol Rhodes

My favorite brush is a Casaneo #2 quill. This synthetic brush can be used on an entire painting; it not only holds an immense amount of water to perform as a large-area mop, but it also comes to a tiny point for detail. I dab it on a damp cellulose sponge to help moderate the water.

Jill Olshavsky

One of my favorites is the #12 Lowe-Cornell 7020 Ultra Round synthetic brush. It’s inexpensive but keeps a great point.

Question for June:

What do you want to ask your BWS colleagues? I’ve been writing most of the questions for the last two years (with an occasional welcome assist from readers/leaders). So now it is your turn. Ask about subject matter, inspiration, techniques, supplies – just  keep it watercolor-related, please. I will use your questions for this column in the upcoming year.

Send your 1- to 3-sentence response by June 1 to Nancy Davis-Metz. Please use IMO as the subject line of your email.