March 9th, 6 p.m., St. Marks

BWS Monthly Meeting.

Program: Capturing the Night

Presenter: Kitty Garlock

Painting pictures with extreme darks and lights can be a challenge but once you see the tricks that make them work they can become fascinating attention-getters. Depth of color layers and untouched whites can make all the difference, so the March program will cover pointers and techniques for painting dark or nighttime scenes. Carol Rhodes’ February lesson on negative painting was a great precursor for this presentation!

Bring your usual materials but if you have masking tape and/or masking fluid be sure to bring it along — it can make things so much easier for some pictures. Do not feel you need to have a big piece of paper — it can be 6” x 9” or smaller. It would be helpful, however, to have your paper mounted on something you can easily tilt.

Inside BWS

A big thanks to Carol Rhodes for her presentation on negative painting at the February meeting of the BWS. Carol stressed the importance of knowing how to define objects and create effects by using dark areas in works. “Negative painting refers to creating positive elements by painting the empty spaces around or within them.”

Carol Rhodes and Barbara Coffman, Sharon Parsons

Jill Olshavsky reported that the February 15 “Rural Landscape Workshop” presented by Judy Mudd of Louisville filled with 20 watercolorists. “Judy explained that she almost always uses an architectural element for her focal point, and she provided a photo of a Southern Indiana barn scene. Beginning with a value sketch, Judy showed us how to alter a photo so that lines such as those from a building, hillside, fence line, cloud, shadow, etc. lead the viewer’s eye to the focal point. Mixing colors on the canvas rather than on her palette and keeping the paper wet allows Judy to keep a neutral tone in the landscape (she uses purple and Daniel Smith’s neutral tint) and soft edges. Many were able to complete their painting and a round of applause thanked Judy for her demonstrations and individual guidance.”

Debbi Tocco and Judy Mudd
Jo Weddle and Jacqueline Fernette
Phillip Bow, Susan Farley and Jill Olshavsky

When asked how the The Art of Chocolate went, Jeanne Dutton’s response was “It was just super, as always. Robin Edmundson, Charlotte Griffin, and I painted greeting cards and sold sixteen! The Art of Chocolate recipe book was a success and sold well, too. Several chefs and businesses have made commitments for next year’s Volume II.

All the recipe paintings were on display next to where Nancy Metz was painting at her easel. Her tulip painting drew much attention and sold at the end of the night.

Thank you, over and over, to the artists who illustrated the recipes, entered the exhibit, and participated at the keynote event February 22. BWS, you can be proud of your contribution to a very worthy cause!” (See Photo Gallery for other pictures taken at the Art of Chocolate)

Jeanne Dutton and Charlotte Griffin, at The Art of Chocolate.

2nd Reception:”We Paint the Sweet Life”

During Gallery Walk

March 6, 5-8 p.m.

The Vault at Gallery Mortgage

122 E 6th, Bloomington.

Here is a reminder from Jeanne Dutton: “John La Bella at Gallery Mortgage provided refreshments for the Opening Reception, so it’s our turn now. Can you bring something? We are still celebrating the Month of Chocolate, but anything you’d like to bring is fine.

AND…those beautiful recipe books illustrated by your fellow BWS artists arrived and will be there for sale! $15 each and please plan to pay by cash or check made to LIFEDesigns (…that works best). We hope to have a Square available for credit card use, but not positive about that.

If you illustrated a recipe and have not received your complimentary copy, I can bring it to the reception or to the BWS meeting the following Monday. Again, please let me know.

Once again, THANK YOU for supporting LIFEDesigns and the valuable work it does in the community for folks with disabilities. YOU are helping BWS make a difference in people’s lives.”

Below: Maura Frances Stanton’s painting “Sweet Reflections,” was used on the cover of the program for the Art of Chocolate gala dinner.

Betty Wagoner wrote to say that more information about Paint Outs was coming as we get closer to actual dates, but for now, she wanted to remind everyone to save these dates:

April 11 — Wild Flower Walk and Paint Out in McCormick’s Creek State Park with Gillian Harris, botanical artist.
May 16 — Yellowwood Lake Shelter Paint Out.
June 6-7 — Bloomington Garden Club Walk Paint Out.

Congratulations are in order for Sara Steffey McQueen who had her painting “Beebalm” juried into AquaAventure 2020. Her painting will be available for viewing from March 12 to April 24 at the LexArts/Art Place Gallery, 161 North Mill Street, Lexington, KY 40507.

Stephen Edwards sent in a note saying he received an Honorable Mention at the Pennsylvania Watercolor Societies Member Show for his painting titled “Forgotten Holiday”. Congratulation Stephen.

Stephen Edwards painting “Forgotten Holiday.”

Talk about have a Good Day!!! Andy Roberts reported that he sold 8 paintings at the Sanibel Captiva Art Fair on February 23th. Congratulations Andy!!!

Andy Roberts and his wife Marsha at the Sanibel Art Show

Joanne Shank wrote to say that she has a show coming up at By Hand Gallery during the month of April. Opening reception is April 3rd.

Also Joanne Shank’s painting “Bee Sweet” won Best of Show at the Art of Chocolate. Congratulations Joanne. Jerome Harste’s painting “Some Pig” received Honorable Mention.

Outside BWS

The New Harmony Hoosier Salon Gallery announced that the First Blush of Spring Art Show will be held April 15-18. The show is advertised as “your opportunity to view and purchase art by Hoosier artists.” The New Harmony Gallery is located at 507 Church Street in New Harmony, Indiana.

In addition, Linda Volz, the curator of the New Harmony Salon, announced that there will be TWO opportunities for artists to sell art during this year’s Hoosier Salon Paint Out on April 17 & 18. The first is the traditional Ribeyre Center Art Sale will take place on April 18 from 9 am–2 pm. The second, and new this year is a Pop-Up Gallerie Sale to be held at The Ribeyre Annex on April 17-18. The Ribeyre Center is located at the corner of Main and Tavern Streets, under the clock tower. For details on scheduled events at the Hoosier Salon Art Show and/or how to participate in one or both of these events go to https://hoosiersalon.org/2019-first-brush-of-spring-workshops.

The 2020 Will Vawter Juried Art Show will run for April 10-25 at the Hancock Art Gallery, 20 North State Street, Greenfield, Indiana 46140. Any and all artists residing in Indiana are encouraged to submit entries by March 21st. Awards and prizes will be given at the Opening Reception on April 10 from 7 to 9 p.m.

LOOKING FOR AN NEW EXHIBITION OPPORTUNITY? WHY NOT CONSIDER THE TWITTER ART EXHIBIT 2020?

Artists worldwide donate postcard-sized, handmade original artwork to the TAE. All submission are published in an Annual coffee-table sized art book.
TwitterArtExhibit organizes a local, physical showcasing of the art.
The public is invited to buy the art at an affordable, flat price.

The deadline for a donation of a small, postcard sized, piece of art to this year’s #TAE 2020 is March 15. In order to enter participants must register at http://twitterartexhibit.org/registration/.

This year’s physical show will be from April 3 to April 15 at the William H. Miller Studies & Fine Art at 714 Main Street, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577. All proceeds will go to the children and adults with disabilities. Typically between 700 and 1,000 artists worldwide participate. All work is available for sale at the studio and online starting April 7.

Cate Whetzel, Program Developer for the T. C. Steele State Historic Site announced that on Sun. April 19, T. C. Steele State Historic Site will waive admission for artists participating in the Arts of the Earth Day Program! To participate, artists who wish to work outdoors will be set up and working between 11 am and 4 pm on the day of the program.

“We hope to have artists of all mediums! Arts of the Earth is a program to welcome spring and the return of warm weather, and to offer our visitors an inspiring day outdoors. We will have an Arts in the Parks workshop in the Large Studio, as well as the installation of an outdoor sculpture beside the Visitor Center, and we hope to have a variety of artists working around the site, who are willing to chat with interested visitors. Although we cannot guarantee it, it’s likely the daffodils will be in bloom! If an artist wishes to participate in Arts of the Earth Day and would like to be painting or working outdoors between 11am-4pm on April 19^th, they should email me (museumcommunication@indianamuseum.org) with their name and estimated timeframe at the site (ex. Cate Whetzel, 12-3 p.m.), and I’ll create a guest list of participating artists for free admission at the Visitor Center.”

Registration for The 2020 Watercolor Society of Indiana Membership Exhibit is now open and will close on May 1. All WSI members who have paid 2019 membership dues may register ONE watermedia painting for exhibition. Paintings exhibited in prior juried shows ARE eligible. Paintings MAY be for sale.

The Membership Exhibit will open on Saturday May 9 at the Second Presbyterian Church, 7700 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis. On Saturday, May 16, 2020 WSI invites you to join fellow members to view the exhibit, attend a buffet lunch in McFarland Hall, enjoy the 2020 James C. Lentz scholarship presentation as well as view the 2020 WSI juried exhibit entries. The show will close Saturday July 6. Painting pick-up is Saturday, July 11.

Special Report

Must See Show in Columbus—A LOOK AT RELATIVE ART by Kitty Garlock

The pictures are: First, one of many different pieces by Catherine. The second is a mixed media piece by Lydia

“At our last meeting members encouraged people to go see Bob Burris’s show in Columbus IN, so Kathy and Craig Barton joined me in a jaunt eastward to see what it was all about. We were not disappointed! “A Look at Relative Art” is the name Bob has given the art exhibit now showing on two floors at The Columbus Learning Center through May 7th (open M-F 7 a.m.- 6 p.m.; Sat. appointments only; Closed Sun.). It is actually, as the title implies, a family show consisting of three Burris artists and two generations…him, his wife, and their daughter. Bob’s works, as most of you know, are often beautiful architectural w atercolors with delightful detail and light washes. The works you may not be familiar with is by his wife and daughter.

His daughter Lydia, besides teaching art at Ivy Tech, keeps a studio in Indianapolis, where she creates images with “the sense of dreams: a place of ambiguity, emotion, and surrealism.” Her work can take you to places of fantasy with whimsy or deep into other places with some more intense colors and images.

Bob says his wife Catherine “had a passion for patterns, texture, hidden detail, and unexpected imagery” and she demonstrates it in beautiful, provocative, fascinating ways. Catherine, who passed in 2011, had been known to say “Look closer and listen to the story” and her work makes you do just that! It really grabbed me and made me concentrate on what I was seeing and made me try to figure out how she did it! She worked with collages and layer-over-layer of extremely fine acrylic washes and tissue paper and cloth. Anything was grist for the mill actually, from old medical journals to door frames to doll heads. Then they were melded together in with all kinds of medium from wire and screws to pastels and paints. The show has a wonderful variety of her pieces.

Altogether this talented family makes a show that says to me “Stunning! A must see and well worth a trip to Columbus!” If you haven’t gone yet be sure you do, otherwise, you can’t really “listen to the story”! Don’t miss it!”