August 19, 2006 – Lakes Art Center’s Art in the Park, ‘Green Space’ at
Arnolds Park, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. I will display my work along with @ 75 other artists at this outdoor fine arts exhibition and sale. I pray for great weather and hope to see you there.
Sept. 30 & Oct. 1, 2006 – Art Iowa Colored Pencil Weekend, Amana Arts Guild, Amana. If you have never visited the Amana Colonies in the Fall, consider a trip this year. The area is beautiful, peaceful, simple. This is my 4th invite to be part of the Art Iowa Workshop offering at the Amanas and I look forward each time to my visit.
Remember, www.artslive.com is the best resource for finding an arts-related event in and around northwest Iowa. All in one place. There is a lot happening!
If you have not seen the colored pencil exhibit at Arts on Grand yet, I do encourage you to do so. This exhibit of wonderful topnotch artwork by the Chicago District Chapter 103 of the Colored Pencil Society of America shows us experimental to traditional techniques, realistic to abstract approaches in using colored pencils. Forget the colored pencils you remember using as a child or in school - the hard lead and flat, dull colors. Today's colored pencils have evolved into an appreciated and accepted fine art medium. Their smooth, buttery leads full of deep, rich color along with their versatility make them an exciting choice as a means of expression.
More information can be found at these sites.
At this time, I participate in only one outdoor art show a year. Years ago, I did 3 or 4
a summer. Preparation, setup and take-down is A LOT OF WORK. I would also take my 2 boys along with their toys, remote control cars and a picnic lunch and snacks to keep them occupied and happy. My shows were a ‘family affair’. Dealing with the weather was nerve-racking – moisture, wind, bugs, heat/cold, sunburn. One year, the grounds of a particular show was infested with ants and many of them came home with me. (Just re-reading this paragraph makes me tired.) These shows take a lot of energy -mental and physical. I have great respect for those of you whose summer is filled with traveling from show to show. I quit doing shows when a storm system threatened throughout the day at an outdoor event I was a part of several years ago. Ten minutes before the show was officially over, it dumped. Not sprinkled, rained or poured................dumped!!! Remember, these were the days of no easy-up tents. I literally threw my paintings into the back of the Blazer to get them out of the rain. I lost three large framed watercolors and my rain-soaked bio/scrapbook tripled in size. On the way home I laid that book in the front seat next to me and turned the pages ever-so-often as the heater helped dry it out. What I loved the most (and still do) was talking to the people, educating them regarding originals, prints, the ‘why’ of my work and hope the sales are great. And even though I create for my own enjoyment and self-fulfillment, the comments from the public are greatly appreciated and encouraging to this artist. Stop by in August at the LAC’s Art in the Park.
For newcomers to showing outdoors, Jenny Floravita has a good article in the July/August Art Calendar magazine about what an artists needs to be successful and professional and what that costs.
I do have my tent now. If there is anyone out there who has the Pro-Panels or something similar they are not using on the 19th of August and would be willing to rent them out to me for that day, please let me know. Thanks.
I was reminded recently about ‘perspective’. I practice drawing 2-pt perspective a lot as I teach both my 7th and 8th grade art students the basics. In viewing fellow artists and emerging artists work, we all know an artist can be a master with the medium, but if the perspective is not right, it negates, cancels out all the beautiful artwork. Some have a natural understanding of perspective and others really need to study and practice. There are many wonderful books offering the basics in drawing perspective as well as tutorials on the web. Here is a site offering simple definitions and suggested practice in learning to draw proper perspective:
If you want an adventure in drawing..........painting............or pottery, I highly encourage and recommend taking a class with Hank Hall in
Spirit Lake at the Carnegie Hall Artworks. Call 712.330.6006 or712.336.2664 or
e-mail him at shhall@mchsi.com for information or to register.
Mark you calendars for the 2006 Artisans Road Trip, Saturday and Sunday, October 14 & 15. Additional information is available online at www.artisansroadtrip.com
A great opportunity to visit artists in their studios to see how they create and to buy great Iowa art.
This is quite fun for adults and young ones. I have my 8th grade students design bridges to withstand earthquakes. My 8th grade curriculum revolves around ‘design’ and this is a little adventure I use to fill a short class period.
Yeh!!!!! I just received notice I had a piece accepted into the IWS annual competition/exhibition.
I discovered not too long ago a very useful tool for removing the staples I use to stretch and secure my watercolor paper to my plywood board......a paint can opener.
The last time I purchased house paint, I was given a tool for opening the can, (free) very similar to the old openers – one end pointed to create a triangular hole in the top of a can for pouring and the other end rounded to remove caps from bottles. Remember? This paint-can opener-tool I was given is very similar and is just the right width for the staples and makes the staple removing easy.
Artist Supply Warehouse (ASW) has a great print rack. I have now purchased 5 of the regular size canvas print rack. Sturdy, nice finish, well made, fold up for traveling and outdoor shows, but #$&% to put together, I think. I have always purchased them on sale @ $28-30 each. A great rack for the price. Find them at:
I found this information from the Real Simple magazine amazing: “A front-loading Energy Star-certified clothes washer saves enough energy annually to light your entire home for a month and a half, and it saves as much water in a year as the average person drinks in a lifetime.”
I have mentioned in previous newsletters how much I look forward to receiving the Art Calendar magazine and reading Jack White’s articles. He has been on some outstanding adventures in his life, has experienced fame and fortune, life and death situations. I view him as a very experienced and wise man in the ART world. His latest offering in the July/August edition, Living, is wonderful. I hope you are able to find this article and read it. Great food for the soul.
katie
by Katie Plucker