Check Out the Lending Library

One benefit of being a Lakewood Arts Council member is the use of Mountainside Art Guild’s library of art related books, DVD’s and videos.  I recently developed an interest in pursuing a new medium: pastel.  Perusing the movie titles on the shelf I came upon two videos on pastel landscapes which looked intriguing.

Lynnette Kupferer, MAG and LAC member, who manages the library, keeps a notebook for recording checked-out items.  With a two movie limit, I signed them out with their titles, my name and phone number, and looked forward to being inspired by masters of pastel.  Reading an instructional manual can be educational and fun, but actually watching the process at work is even more helpful I think.  I enjoyed watching Bob Rohm fill his pastel paper with color and learned how he makes his hue and value choices.  And Barry Watkin, with his British accent, tweed cap and Cotswold plein aire painting sites, made his video quite charming. 

 

I appreciate the opportunity to borrow these videos for two weeks, as they’re probably an expense I would not normally make.  The books and videos are shelved near the kitchen downstairs at the LAC gallery.  Check them out!

The Tale of Painting My Cat

When I saw all those creatively designed fiberglass cats at last year’s “Tail of the Painted Cats” fundraiser, I knew I wanted to be involved this year, not only to have fun painting a four foot high cat, but to help raise funds for this worthy cause.  So when I heard the Cat Care Society was accepting entries, I submitted my design for “Soleil”.

My two rescue cats love to bask in the sun and will follow a little patch of sunshine as it moves up the stairs.  Like my cats, sunflowers also follow the sun, turning their cheery countenances to the warm rays.  This was the inspiration for my design for “Soleil”, the French word for sun.  My submission showed a swirled background of blues and purples, like a rich summer sky, with complimentary colors of orange and yellow sunflowers embellishing my cat’s coat.

Luckily my entry was one of the 18 selected for 2012.  The next step was to attend a meet and greet party at the Cat Care Society for the artists to meet their sponsors, as each fiberglass cat is quite expensive even without artist enhancement!  Gail Tinianow, one of “Soleil’s” sponsors and I enjoyed our chat, and expressed our excitement to see the finished product.  Unfortunately Ann Waite, my other sponsor, was unable to attend.  Given the opportunity to interact with the live cats and kittens at the shelter gave added emphasis to the importance of raising funds to help with the good works that the Cat Care Society performs.  Rescue cats wandered about, as artists, sponsors and staff enjoyed the champagne and desserts and viewed all the submitted designs.

After attending an informational meeting with Jane Dorsey, who organizes this event, I was able to pick up my pure white standing cat and a generous gift card donation from Guiry’s  to help pay for painting supplies.  

 A blank canvas is always a little daunting, but after a coat of gesso, I began slathering on my background colors.  Sponges, brushes, fingers were awash in hues of cerulean, blue-violet, purple and deep red.  Good thing Jane provided us with a drop-cloth!  In fact, the drop cloth will be displayed with the cats, so it can become a work of art too!  And don’t forget the bottom of the feet, they need to be painted too, Jane advised.

Using a close-up photo I took of a neighbor’s cat (sorry Licorice and Cassidy, my two rescue cats), I decided to give “Soleil” a detailed face.  Hoping Jane wouldn’t mind the discrepancy from my original design, I painstakingly rendered the stripes in the fur, the nose, ears, the forehead “M” that all tabbies seem to sport, and after a couple of different eye colors, brought her alive with a little white sparkle in both eyes.  Her personality emerged – she’s a happy cat!

Painting the sunflowers, leaves and stems with a little added gel medium for texture came next, and once dry, a few coatings of UV protectant varnish. 

 “Soleil” was finally finished and ready to be returned to the Cat Care Society, where all 18 cats gathered and were readied for transport to the Lakewood Arts Council’s Community Center and Gallery, where they currently reside in conjunction with the “Cats & Dogs” exhibit of paintings.  Stop by and see them, and go to the website www.catcaresociety.org  to participate in the online bidding and follow their travels to various galleries around town.

Earth Day Luncheon at the LAC 2012

 submitted by Ann Quinn

The Earth Day celebration at the gallery was perfect!  Our beautiful Earth cooperated with a near-perfect Sunday afternoon, and the attending crowd was in high spirits at the prospect of good food, camaraderie, and talk of growing things!  Master Gardener Laura Stevens was on hand with a wonderful display of resources, a tremendous variety of seeds to give away, and questions of all kinds were answered. 

 Laura instructing Liesa and Lynnette

  I took the opportunity to discuss companion planting, using disease resistant plants for protection of other plants rather than pesticides. She said she would look into what might be eating my marigolds!

 Laura with Melinda

Laura, who works with the Ute Trail Community Garden in Lakewood,  also taught us how to create our own seed pots using recycled newspaper rolled and pressed into shape…when the seedlings are large enough the entire ‘pot’ could be placed in the garden. 

  Laura and Barb talking plants

The food was healthy (we have wonderful cooks at the LAC!) and so delicious, and as usual the desserts were so-o-o-o tempting.  Whole Foods gave us a large gift certificate for the occasion, too!

 Wonderful food and Whole Foods Donation

            Everyone left with a renewed interest in growing and recycling and also with an herb plant of their choice to begin their spring garden. 

Pastel Workshop            

Back by popular demand, Cindy Haase led a pastel workshop for twelve participants on Friday, April 20 at the LAC gallery. She started out by explaining her classic technique.  Originally studying with Deborah Bays, a set designer in the theater, Cindy learned to employ drama in her work.  She showed the group examples of her pastel still lifes that use this effect of atmospheric realism or “chiaroscuro”.

                                           Cindy shows us an example of her work.

The setting up of a still life is important to an effective dramatic painting.  Cindy uses a cardboard box with a black interior, lit from the left with a warm bulb which produces the classic effect of strong light and cool shadows.  The center of focus is usually placed in the lower right.  “Think of the light as wrapping around and caressing the objects”, she states.  “It should be sensuous.  The light reveals the objects.”   Also, in planning the composition, be sure to connect the dark shadow areas, so the eye flows through the painting.

                                  Blocking in the shapes of the object and shadows.

The pastel demo began with Cindy blocking in the shapes of the object, in this case an orange, on sanded pastel paper with vine charcoal or pastel pencil.  She then started filling in the dark background with black pastel.  Determining proper values is aided by a grayscale or “posterized” copy of the reference photo.

                                              Laying in color.

As we all got out our supplies to get started, Cindy continued laying in color, first using hard NuPastels, then proceeding to softer pastels to layer and blend. 

                                      Susan Hoffman working on her orange.

 The vivid pink foreground is added and blends with the same value of the front of the orange.  Lost edges of the orange also fade into the dark background, helping to make the far edge recede.  An atmospheric effect is created by scumbling color into the shadow areas, and final details “finesse” the finished product.

                                 Students working on their pastels.

Cindy offered constructive criticism of our efforts at the end of class.  Helpful hints were valuable to all the students, as we readied for more practice at home with additional photos she provided.  Thanks for another fun and educational workshop, Cindy!

                                         Thanks Cindy!

Ken Caryl Art Guild exhibit at LAC

For the month of April, the Ken Caryl Art Guild’s open-themed exhibit will occupy the loft gallery at the Lakewood Arts Council’s Community Center and Gallery.  Attending the recent opening reception were many of the artists and members of the Guild.

                                                 Ken Caryl Art Guild artists and members

The Ken Caryl Art Guild (KCAG) formed in 2004 for the education and development of artists of all levels and support of the arts in the Ken Caryl and surrounding communities.  It offers its members the opportunity to exhibit their artwork year-round in various venues such as local businesses, and once-a-year shows in galleries in the Santa Fe Dr. and Tennyson art districts.

One of the biggest draws is the presentations at the monthly business meetings.  They range from gallery owner talks to oil painting demos.  Workshops are also offered to the public which are fun, educational and a valuable community service.

For Paul Gesso, co-director of exhibits for the Guild, socializing with and learning from other artists are the main benefits he gains from being a member and, of course, exhibiting and selling his work.

                                                    Paul Gesso with his paintings.

Barbara Williams, active member of the Guild and Lakewood Arts Council (LAC), was very happy to join the Guild in its early years, and is “impressed with the scope of growth offering enrichment of information for the many ranges of artistic talents”.

                                                      “First Snow” by Barbara Williams

Caroline Bakken, director of programs for the KCAG, states that being a member “helps keep me focused on my goal of discovering my possibilities and limitations as an artist.  The meetings, discussions, presentations and emails inspire me to push myself to make art a larger part of my life.  Dealing with the demands of life can really distract me from my creative process, and belonging to the guild draws me back in.”

For me, Gail Firmin, KCAG and LAC member, being part of both of these art communities has been so gratifying.  The LAC promotes the arts in so many ways, recognizing not only the visual arts, but literature, poetry, music, and theater and is involved with a diverse array of activities in the area.  Having the KCAG exhibit in the LAC’s gallery has combined the best of both worlds.  Come on out to enjoy the exhibits and find out what’s new at the LAC.

Glue, Paper, Scissors Equals Decoupage Fun

On a recent Tuesday morning a number of ‘adult kindergarten’ enthusiasts gathered for the latest in a series of craft workshops to hone their skills in decoupage.  Ann Quinn led the fun, and after learning that no one had ever done decoupage, she began with a short explanation of the craft of cutting paper apart and gluing to another  surface (decoupage comes from the French word meaning ‘to cut). 

 

 Several books from the library provided inspiration for some impressive projects (why not copy color photocopies from large art books and decoupage the Sistine Chapel on your kitchen ceiling?).   

 A short demo by Ann revealed a simple process of cutting objects from papers such as wallpaper, photos, greeting cards, calendars, and magazines followed by gluing and sealing the papers to items such as boxes, frames, wooden bowls, trays, or plastic Easter eggs.   

Most of those attending brought an object to complete, and others chose potential treasures that Kathy Berls had gathered from the local thrift stores.  It’s always fun to take a ‘past its prime’ object and turn it into a masterpiece!  And we all can use another excuse to go trolling at the thrift stores!

Over the two hours of cutting and pasting everyone talked and shared ideas, creating much needed stress relief for some and a great time for everyone.   All of us left with at least one completed project, and lots of motivation to try more projects at home.  

Keep checking the LAC schedule for another upcoming workshop and join us next time!

Our thanks to Ann Quinn for authoring this post!

Interview with Chuck Danford, Juror

A big "Thank You" to Chuck Danford for jurying the current exhibit "Colorado's Best".  It's a great show.  Please stop in and see the exhibit.  There is also a guided tour of the exhibit on Saturday, March 3 from 2-3pm (led by Kathy Berls.)





Wilderness Chill
Chuck Danford



The following is an informative interview with Chuck:



1. What art principles do you try to employ when you jury an exhibit?

It's important to remember judging is subjective based on the juror’s background, recent accomplishments and struggles. There are many stories of paintings being rejected in one show and winning an award in another.

As a judge or juror for an exhibition I have a list of priorities that I use to evaluate artwork.

1. Concept: Mood or feeling - use of creativity, imagination or unusual idea

2. Design: Interesting composition - interesting shapes both positive and negative

3. Color: How color has been used to convey the subject or mood

4. Values: How lights & darks were used to show depth, dimension and patterns

5. Drawing: Proportions & perspective

6. Craftsmanship: Here I evaluate the technical skills of the medium

7. Presentation: I look for a clean crisp presentation that compliments the painting rather than detracts from it

2. We would love to have your thoughts as you were jurying the "Colorado's Best" Exhibit. If you have any words about the award winners that would be fabulous.

I was honored to jury the “Colorado’s Best” for LAC. It was a challenge to select only a few awards when many others were worthy. All artists should be congratulated for creating the beautiful work that was entered. Congratulations also to those that are relatively new to painting and entering shows. I am well aware of how it feels to not be accepted or to not win an award. Artists should remember this is not as much a reflection on you as an artist, as it is on the process of how shows work. Having the courage to enter the competition is commendable in itself, and I would encourage each artist to keep painting and continue entering shows. I have always liked this quote by Edgar Degas, “ Painting is easy when you don’t know how, but very difficult when you do."

Award winners:

Best of Show, "Night Fall" by Gayle MacDougall, is an elegant painting that shows the artists skill with the medium, a sensitivity to color, composition and design. This is a painting I would own and never get tired of looking at it.

Second Place, "African Elephant" by Charlie Casper, is a beautiful photograph which illustrates the skill of the photographer to capture the image in remarkable detail. To capture light and shadow of the subject and then to take it to the next level using digital technology- to make it more than just a photography but truly a work of art, is the key.

The symmetrical composition and color selection is an example of how less can be more.

Third Place, "Iris" by Susan Gordon, is a striking example of creativity. It’s obvious this artist understands various painting techniques and is not afraid to try something different. Nicely designed, gorgeous use of color, strong composition and professionally executed are qualities of a Third Place winner.

Merit Awards (in no particular order)

• Sometimes simplicity is the name of the game. A piece may, at first glance, look simple until you consider the thought process it takes to create it. Strong use of negative space and striking colors with an unusual subject makes this bird image a winner. ("Dancing Crane" by Judith McNickle)

• Beautiful floral, excellent drawing, design and composition, very professional handling of the medium are qualities of this piece.  ("Nature's Bouquet" by Kathy Berls)

• A traditional painting of an interesting subject in a painterly style would make this painting desirable to any western art collector. The artist has used rich colors, a good composition, and a skillful handling of the medium to create a masterful piece of art. ("Just Home" by Gene Smith)

• The unusual subject matter of this painting is an exciting example of creative imagination. This artist has mastered the use color, values and watercolor techniques. ("Skimming" by Jackie McFarland) 

3. What does a day in the life of Chuck Danford look like?

I start my day by getting out of bed, I have a glass of orange juice and take my vitamins. Wait, that’s probably not what you want to know. Most often I start my day by turning on my computer and the TV. Because I’m a news junky I have CBS This Morning with Charlie Rose on while I check my mail. Most days I start and end my day watching Charlie Rose. He is also on at 11:00 PM. A major portion of my day is spent working for the Colorado Watercolor Society, reading and responding to emails, planning and preparing for meetings, working to stay on top of a variety of situations and projects. When I feel for a moment that I have things under control, I think about the next class I am teaching. I plan the lesson. If I’m doing a demo I have to determine the subject and prepare everything that will be needed. Today I may have to mat and frame some paintings, work at a gallery, or deliver a painting. Lately I have been busy painting several masks for The Mask Project to benefit The Denver Hospice. Art has always been a priority in my life, but family activities and grandkids play a significant roll as well. I also spend time at the rec center to keep in shape. This is good for the body as well as the mind.

4. Do you set artist goals? If so, what are yours for the next 3-5 years?

I am a firm believer in setting goals both short and long term goals. Most of my adult life I have set goals. Some I have written down and others I carry around in my head. The older I get the less I feel a need to set career goals. Now my goals tend to be personal- travel, golf, health and family. At this stage I’m not trying to prove anything to anyone as I was back in the days of starting my own business. Now I would rather spend my time enjoying life by sharing and giving back whenever I can.

5. What advice would you give to young artists or those returning to their art in later life?

My advice to any young artist is put your general education first and pursue your art along the way. If I had it to do over I would have studied business first rather than going straight to art school. If you have a passion for art, pursue it! Anyone that works hard, and is talented, will be successful.

For those returning to art in their retirement years, I'd say have fun, try a lot of different things. Do what you enjoy, paint as much or as little as you want. If you want your art to be a second career, remember art is a lifetime pursuit. It is very difficult even for the best artists to make it. That’s not to say it shouldn’t be done, just be realistic in your expectations.

6 .What or whom do you credit for your success as an artist thus far?

I was lucky to have a formal education and a long career in graphic design and advertising when I started painting. Even though fine art is completely different in many ways, I was determined to study and teach myself to paint.

I spent a lot of time learning how other artists used various materials. I watched demos, took notes, tried many different painting techniques, practiced, entered shows and got rejected just like everyone else. I was inspired buy artists like John Mendoza, Bill Condit, Nita Engle, Roland Roycraft, Hugh Greer and George James. After I had been painting a while I studied with Tom Lynch, Tony Couch, Steven Quiller, Michael Atkinson, Lian Zhen, Morton Solberg and Mark Mahaffey.

In fact, I‘m still learning - that is never ending. That's why I continue to do it!