June Brushstrokes

June 14th Meeting — 6 p.m via Zoom

June 14th Program: “Using Digit Tools”

Cassidy Young will demonstrate some of the most useful digital tools available to artists as well as provide information about costs.

Thanks to Claude Cookman

BWS sends a special thank you to Claude Cookman for the May program. Members found the hands-on experience of drawing still life in charcoal both useful and educational. Many of us walked away knowing we had lots to learn and that we needed to spend a lot more time practicing the techniques Claude shared.

Election Results

President Joanna Samorow-Merzer reported the results of BWS’ election of officers for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. The new Executive Board of BWS will begin its work on July 1.

President: Joanna Samorow-Merzer
1^st VP: Andy Roberts
2^nd VP: Patty Uffman
Secretary: Charlotte Griffin
Treasurer: Carol Rhodes

Inside BWS

Next Year’s Program: Your Help Needed

Joanne Weddle, Program Chair, would appreciate you input into topics for next year’s program. Simply click on the link below and print out the attached questionnaire. Directions as to where to mail it is in the printout.

BWS-PROGRAM-SUGGESTIONS-21-22 Download

New Opportunities to Show Your Work

Would you like to show everyone that painting that you recently completed? Do you have other works that are begging to be seen? BWS is offering a virtual gallery to exhibit YOUR spring and summer work. Our newest virtual gallery is available alongside our two previous BWS gallery shows. See the latest submissions at https://bloomingtonwatercolor.smugmug.com/.

Full members may submit (and optionally offer to sell) any three pieces of artwork in any media. Prints are accepted, too. We are accepting photos of your work by email at carol@bloomingtonwatercolor.org at any time up to September 1.

Please include:

title
media
size of artwork alone and size of framed (if applicable)
(optional) price of framed and/or unframed piece; NFS if not for sale

Please allow 2-3 days for posting of your work.

If a buyer is interested in purchasing work, Carol Rhodes will serve as a contact to connect the artist with the buyer without getting personally involved in negotiations. Send questions to carol@bloomingtonwatercolor.org.

Paint Outs

Betty Wagoner, our Paint Out Chair, sent these pictures along with her report, “On a misty day on May 22nd, 9 members and guests enjoyed the first BWS paint out ar Yellowwood State Forest. The lake was quite still, reflecting the sky and surrounding shoreline. It was a study in green.”

Those attending: Babette Ballenger and 3 guests, Jacki Frey, Carol
Rhodes, Patricia Rowbottom, Betty Wagoner and Sarah Ward.

Up-Coming Paint Outs

June 5-6. Bloomington Garden Walk.
July 24. Hilltop Garden at IU.
August 14. Storey Inn in Brown County.
September 11. TC Steele Great Outdoor Paint Out.
October 9. Final Paint-out and Picnic. Switchyard Park.

Outside BWS

Hoosier Art Salon 2021 Juried Show: Call for Entries

The dates for the 97th Hoosier Salon Annual Exhibition are August 21 to October 24 at the Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis. Online entries will be accepted from May 3 to June 30. For further details go to 97th Annual Exhibition at https://www.hoosiersalon.org.

Illiana Gallery: Call for Landscapes

ArtIlliana Gallery in Terre Haute has a call for landscape paintings. The deadline is June 4. For more information, email artillianagallery @gmail.com.

Indiana State Fair

Between now and July 22 Indiana residents are invited to submit painting to the Indiana State Fair Board. The information on submitting painting starts on page 6. For more details see:
https://cdn.saffire.com/files.ashx?t=fg&rid=IndianaStateFair&f=114_Indiana_Arts(3).pdf

Watercolor Society of Indiana — Upcoming Workshop

WSI will host a 4-day workshop with Paul Jackson entitled “Dramatic Light & Luminosity in Watercolor,” from July 6 to July 9 in Indianapolis. For more details see: http://watercolorsocietyofindiana.com.

Upland Plein Air

Rose Brenner (1st), Kitty Garlock (2nd), Jacki Frey (3rd), and Claude Cookman (Judge’s Choice), all members of BWS and Upland Plein Air, won awards at their recent art show at the Viridian Moon Art Gallery. Congratulations to all.

From Left to Right: Kitty Garlock, Jacki Frey and **Charlee Alexeev**, the judge for the exhibit, and Claude Cookman’s painting entitled “Beanblossom Bottom Undulations.”

Commissioned Art — An Opportunity to Participate

Joanne Shank wrote to say that the “Simon Mall has commissioned the Arts Alliance of Greater Bloomington to make a mural at the east end of the mall where there is now a wall inside. The theme is Arts and Culture in Bloomington. Danielle Bruce has designed the mural and I am helping her to contact artists.

We will need specific images of Bloomington locations to be painted on 4’x4′ masonite panels. Supplies will be paid for, but so far the best we can get them to pay is $100. per panel. Each artist can paint one to three panels and do so from home. The paintings will need to be completed near the end of June.

The paintings will then be arranged and adhered to the wall. The mural will stay in place for several years until new construction on that end of the mall is complete, at which time the panels can come down and be for sale.

Please contact Joanne Shank joanneshank@gmail.com if you are interested and for more details.

Membership News

Joanna Samorow-Merzer wrote to say, “Lately there has been some interest in self-framing your artwork. I’d like to recommend an excellent book on framing Mat, Mount, And Frame It Yourself by M. David Logan. It is a complete step-by-step guide to how to mat, mount, and frame your art, photos, and memorabilia. The book is available on Amazon as new and as used.

Andy Roberts wrote to alert the membership to a new art gallery opening in Greene County, called ‘The Art Crafters at the Cabin.’ “It’s a nice venue and another place for local artists to display their work. Wyatt LeGrand has been instrumental in organizing and starting up the gallery.” Here is a blurb from their website: “Art Crafters is a place where local artists can come together to display and sell their art, have exhibits, art lessons, and demonstrations. We are proudly located in Bloomfield, Indiana at 2063 West State Road 54 at “The Cabin”. Our doors will open on a date TBD early 2021.” For further detail see: https://artcrafters.org

Susan Savastuk sent pictures of the paintings she is submitting to the Will Vawter Art Exhibition with along with these elaborations:

“I am submitting 3 pieces to the juried 2021 Will Vawter Art Exhibition at the TwentyNorth Greenfield Gallery. This year they will be combining the art competition with the 150th Birthday Celebration for Will Vawter. The show runs June 11 to June 25 (20 A North State St Hwy 9. Greenfield ,IN).

My Covid Mask Portraits are still on display at the NeedMore Coffee Roasters on Pete Ellis Dr. They have now opened their doors for indoor dining.”

Clayshire Castle Woods — Gesso Board, 12×16

Sandy Hall sent photos which I numbered from left to right 1 to 7 in the gallery. Her explanation of each photo follows:

Photo 1: “Sandy Hall, Greenfield IN, entered the 2021 WSI Members’ Show on view now at the Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis through July 10. Medium is fluid acrylics on yupo.”

Photo 2: “I also attended the plein air event at TC Steele’s House of the Singing Winds on April 17. It was a bit rainy but I was able to tweak the oil painting once in my studio.”

Photo 3: “I attended a 4-day workshop by Andy Evanson in Matthews, North Carolina in early May. Here Andy captured the colorful building and I was asked to sit under the umbrella. BWS member, Jacki Frey had encouraged me to take a class with Andy. I am glad I did. Thanks!”

Photos 4, 5, & 6: “Andy Evanson demonstrated daily. His value study helped us look for big shapes and middle values. The final darks were added in the final stage.”

Photo 7: “Sandy Hall, Greenfield, continues to teach watercolor techniques at the 20 North Gallery for Hancock County Arts. Here students painted daffodils . In August, she will teach a watercolor class featuring bugs and bumblebees.”

Lynne Gilliatt wrote to share her art work on a hand-dyed piece of wool that Jean Haley colored using dyes from plants she grows at her home in Bloomington. “Usually,” Lynne says, “I get four smaller pieces each month to work on from her Wool Bundlers subscription series, but this time I got this big piece. I use threads, yarns and whatever I have around to design my pieces, making the colors jump.”

For members who want to know, subscribers to Jean Haley’s Naturally Dyed Wool Bundle monthly subscription get wool crafters sustainable, all-natural materials, allowing them to build their stash of crafting gear while helping the planet at the same time.

Lynne says, “Kaffe Fassett has always inspired me with his textiles and fearless use of color!” (http://kaffefassett.com) His late book is Kaffe Quites Again and is available on Amazon.

“The second picture,” Lynne explains, {is a collage that I am working on featuring sky and water.”

Jacki Frey wrote to share a recent painting she completed at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis while on a paint out with Upland Plein Air. Lynne Gilliatt captured the beauty of the setting in these photographs.