APRIL 2, 2008 MEETING REPORT

President: Shirley Knollman - Treasurer: Carol Rekow - Program Chair: Joan Miley - Facilities Manager: Susan Grogan - Membership Chair: Mary Jane Noe - Recording Secretary: R.H. (Rhonda) Carpenter

Administration Reports
Shirley Knollman will open each meeting with a little snippet or quote regarding art.

Today’s quote:
Our weekend To Do list:
Walk Dog - Get Groceries - Do Art

Shirley shared Sandy Maudlin’s expression of pleasure for the special recognition she received at the previous meeting. Joyce Budke (Membership Assistant) introduced the 9 guests we had today. We welcomed Jan Glaser, Janet Goldschmidt, Peggy Harris, Madeline Gay, Wilma Grother, Carol Stancheff, Lois Buford, Bennie Shepherd and Jean Byrley.

Carol Rekow (Treasurer) reported that our current balance is $9,313.79. We have dues from 91 members, which means 27 members still have not paid their dues. The deadline for membership dues was March 31st.

Beginning in May, the minutes will no longer be sent to each individual member through email. Rhonda will still have a few hard copies at each meeting to distribute to those who need them, but please DO NOT take a hard copy if you can access the blog. Hard copies are for those who do not have internet access or who cannot access the blog (http://GCWS.blogspot.com). If you cannot access the blog, let Sandy Maudlin know as she is keeping it current for us.

Evergreen Show – May 2008
Sharon Roeder filled in for Deb and gave the report for the Evergreen show. Sharon mentioned that Mary Jane STILL NEEDS 2 more helpers for the hanging committee. Please call Mary Jane directly (NOT Deb Ward) to volunteer.

Deb’s labels and registration forms were on the back table, and Sharon stressed that each person pick up their form and take their label if they are going to be in the show. If you are NOT going to be in the show, still take your label so Deb does not mail you a registration form. Deb has asked that you contact her ASAP with the title and price of your paintings so she can get the information labels typed for the hanging. The sooner you can send her the information, the sooner she can do this job and won’t have to do it the day of the hanging.

Lois Schaich still needs volunteers for sitting and passed a sheet around for people to sign up. Please sign up! Please help out! If you intend to be in the show, then help out in some capacity.

Rhonda Carpenter noted that the postcards for the show are on the back table and each member has a packet of 10 cards. If you don’t need 10 cards, put the extras beside the box on the table. If you need more, let Rhonda know. We have 1,000 cards to distribute to all our members, so take only those you know you will need and can mail or hand out.

Deb would like a biographical sheet from everyone in the show. Either create a bio and have it in the main bio book that is kept at the Art Club (in the large cabinet in the kitchen area) – if you haven’t done so already, or bring a written bio to Deb the day of the hanging.

Sharon Roeder had publicity handouts on the back table. She has typed up everything you need to know to send to your local paper. You can add a photo of yourself and include that you’re going to be in the show. Sharon will contact the main sites such as WKRC and the Enquirer. She also passed around flyers and asked that you take one IF you can post it somewhere such as your local library or grocery store. Sharon agreed to also send a copy of the news release info to anyone who requests it, through email. It can be sent in text form or as a PDF form.

The drop-off/hanging date is Thursday, May 1st and the date to pick up your paintings is Monday, June 16th. You must make arrangements to drop off your paintings and pick up your paintings. Ask a friend to do this if you are not able to do it.

Scholarship
Shirley mentioned that Bonnie Rupe is out of town but has everything ready to contact the schools. If the recipient can be present at the May meeting, we can do a cake and a small reception for him or her. Susan Grogan and Sharon Roeder will do the cake, plates, etc. for that once we are sure the recipient of the award can attend.

Art Shows
Judy Reed noted that the Queen City Art Club is having Lynn Conoway, a fiber artist, give a presentation on April 8th. The program will be held at the Forest Chapel Methodist Church from 10-12 on the 8th, and you can contact Judy for more information.

Mary Moore reported that the Southeastern Indiana Art Guild is having a show in Aurora, and the reception is April 20th. Contact Mary if you need information about dates, directions, etc.

Joyce Friedeman said the Cincinnati Art Club is hosting a drawing workshop on May 24 and 25. The instructor, Tom Dusterberg, is taking beginners and intermediates for a cost of $135 (non-members) or $115 (members). If you’re interested in working on your drawing skills, contact Joyce for more information or for a registration form.

Kay Worz is giving two ½-day workshops at the Fitton Center. The first, on rice paper techniques, will be April 24th from 1pm -4 pm and the second, on liquid mask techniques, will be May 3 from 10 am – 12 pm. Contact Kay for more information or to register.

Marilyn Bishop is displaying her monotype prints in the Dayton Art Center’s show titled, “Peace and the Environment.” It will be held at the Mt. St. John Center. She is also going to have prints in the Freedom House Gallery in New Richmond. Contact Marilyn for more information about either show.

Sandy Maudlin and her Wednesday students are having a show at the Middletown Art Center. The show runs through April 26th. See side bar for days they are open for viewing.

Homer Hacker will be giving a workshop at the Middletown Art Center April 28-30. Call the MAC for more information.

Also, a reminder that the Taft Museum show of watercolor works from the Brooklyn Museum of Art (masters as Homer, Sargent, and Hopper) continues until May 11. The Taft offers free admission and parking (in their garage) on Wednesdays.

Remember that all of this information about art shows our members are participating in can also be found on our blog, if you send Sandy Maudlin the information.

Guest Speaker/Artist
Sam Hollingsworth was our guest artist today. Sam was fortunate to attend a high school that stressed art. Each Saturday he was instructed at the Cincinnati Art Academy through his high school art department. He then went to the University of Cincinnati to study design. Because of his background and classes at the Art Academy, he had a strong foundation in drawing which gave him a leg up on others in the college of design. He currently teaches beginner and intermediate watercolor classes at Baker-Hunt in Covington, KY, and teaches Art History at the University of Cincinnati.

Sam began by asking those who had seen the show at the Taft to share what we had discovered there. He talked about the fact that there were no watercolors shown that were painted after 1940. He noted that many of the works were done, not as pure watercolors, but to be sent to an engraver for magazine, newspaper, or other work.

He said Winslow Homerhad a unique style but he didn’t sell his watercolors, leaving them to his family when he died. A curator of the Brooklyn Museum of Art agreed to take them but kept them in a box in the basement of the museum for 40 years!!! Sam said he felt those Homer paintings are the best part of the Brooklyn Museum. Why were they kept in the basement, hidden?

Watercolor was well recognized between 1915 and 1940 but went out of favor when large abstract work gained as what museums chose for their collections. However, Sam said he thinks watercolor is such a unique medium whose look cannot be achieved in any other medium.

When talking about photo references, Sam stressed that it is not his job to replicate what a camera does. He doesn’t want to be a slave to a photograph. He sketches outside but paints in the studio so uses many photo references for his paintings. He strives for a workable composition and has learned how to use photos for his subjects.

Sam held up a painting of a pipe by Rene Magritte, the Belgian surrealist. The caption below reads: “This is not a pipe.” Why? Because it is a painting of a pipe.

He showed us this to point out that we are “image makers.” We make art, not renderings. You must give yourself permission to try new things and expand your artwork. People who make groundbreaking art have grown and have allowed themselves to fail and succeed in their journey. As an example, he noted Marilyn Bishop’s latest venture into monotypes and her blog. She is growing as an artist and it shows.

Sam’s demonstration today was a painting of multiple cakes on plates, a la Wayne Thiebaud (an artist who was the darling of the pop art world in the 60’s with his paintings of cakes and pies and other common elements). Sam showed how he begins a painting with a series of small thumbnails to get ideas and work with shapes, composition and design. After the thumbnails, he either does a large format colorstudy or a large format value study (if the painting is more complex). He transfers the drawing to the watercolor paper using graphite paper, and begins the painting.

He showed us a value study and a painting of screws to demonstrate how this process looks, with both pieces full sized. Note how Sam has changed the final composition of the painting to add more directional flow and interest.

After putting in all the spaces in the background with a pale color, Sam started on the cakes, painting the shadow shapes. He says he begins painting what “isn’t the subject” and then paints in the shadow shapes. When he’s done that, he has
very little left – maybe just some local color – to finish up the painting. He worked this way on the demo.

As he painted, Sam stressed that drawing is important, and making sure you have a good drawing first is very important to a successful painting. He said if you worry about ruining your watercolor paper, then draw out the whole sketch on drawing/tracing paper and when you have it the way you want it, transfer the drawing with transfer paper (graphite paper) onto the watercolor paper. By doing this, you don’t tighten up with the drawing and you position the drawing right where you want it on the watercolor paper – no more misplaced elements that don’t fit when you try to put a mat around it! Sam believes you can only be taught so much and then it’s up to you to continue learning. He said that most of what he’s learned, he has learned on his own through trial and error.

Sam had drawn the cakes on the paper he was using, a full sheet of hot press illustration board. He likes the hot press illustration board because the pigment moves and merges into other areas, giving it more looseness, somewhat like Yupo (although he doesn’t like Yupo). He started with the background because he likes to paint “what isn’t there” first. He described himself as a direct painter, working directly with the paint using a large brush (he was using a sign-painting brush today.)

Sam finished his painting of the cakes by running a thin line of red (jelly) down the middle of some of them, and we all agreedthat a good piece of cake with a cherry on top would make a wonderful ending to Sam’s demo! The cakes were luscious, and the design was the main feature of this painting, with the composition being “scattered” in that there was much repetition of the design and color throughout with no focal point to speak of. (Sam said he didn’t have a focal point because, when he looks at a tray full of cakes, he doesn’t have a single focal point but looks at them all. ☺ We could understand that!)

Some quotes from Sam:
* Managing mistakes and managing your expectations – that’s the essence of watercolor!
* People who make successful art are those who have made a lot of it. So the solution to your watercolor problems is paint more!! However, Sam had a sign on the desk by his demo that said: Think More, Paint Less. Which means planning is as important, or more so, than putting paint to paper.
* One of the best painting tools is your squint. If you squint at your painting, you can see if your values are working well.

Sam led the after-program painting session and had a good turnout of 19 members staying to learn more and paint along.

Upcoming Meetings and Guest Artist/Speakers

Our guest speaker/artist for May will be the nationally known artist, Stephen Blackburn. Mr. Blackburn teaches workshops all over the country and will demonstrate and talk about his pouring technique. He is known for pouring misket and then pouring paints, as well as strong composition with great values.

A mini-pouring technique and paint-along will be had after the program with either Kay Worz or Deb Ward leading. Remember, it’s only $10 per person to stay and paint along and, perhaps, learn a new technique. Join us!

Critique Session
Joyce Friedeman led the critique session and several members had paintings for critique today. REMINDER: Members are asked to bring ONLY ONE painting each month, and to have the paintings UNFRAMED.