Meeting Notes, Thursday, May 21, 2015

At today's meeting Loretta, Peggie, Kristina, Tim, Kathy, Susan, Mike, Joanne, Marty D, Stephanie, Tristan, Annie, Leslie, Jerry, Charlie, Za, Diane, Tedd, Eunice, Dave, Bhavani, and me Celeste. 

Today's suggested table topic: "Being You"  What distinguishes your work from others? How would you describe your work? What have people said about your work as way of description? 

The following comments are in random and anonymous order:

I have been told by others (more than once) that my work my paintings "have soul"! I think it's a good compliment. I quit sooner than everyone else seems to quit... so my paintings have a somewhat simple and direct feeling. 

 I would classify myself as post impressionist or impressionist. I look for the big abstract shapes. 


I have been told that my paintings have good color harmony. 


I love the impressionists. I have been told that my work is "pretty" and that it also has color harmony. 


I hope people just look at the painting and draw their own conclusions. I have been told that I am not afraid of darks and I'm not afraid of putting on a lot of paint. 


I don't know what to say about my style!


 People say that my work is sensitive and evocative. 


I strive for an English Impressionist look. That's what I'm after. 


I would classify myself as an advanced beginner. 


I have been told that my paintings are "sparkly". My paintings could be described (perhaps) as cheerful. I use broken color and I try to link big solid shapes. 


I hope that my paintings are what you would call painterly realism. I like for people to see the brushwork. 


Descriptions of my work have included  "serene and peaceful". I like strong color. I like heightened color. I like color that is a little stronger than what I see in nature. I leave out man-made objects. 


 I am the proud practitioner of the beginner's style! I do love expression. I see something in a scene ---like a "spark" and it makes me want to push to show that expressiveness in my work. 


I think I could be called "inconsistent" (laughter)! Also I like a combination of controlled and sloppy


I grapple with this. I don't know... I think my work has been described as "impetuous". I've been told that it conveys a lot of energy. I would agree that my work is bold. I think that you will see your same style in whatever media you're using. 


I have been told you're going to have to pay 500 paintings before you can really be "described"! For myself I have been described as a "eclectic". A lot of my paintings look different from one another. David Lafel said that "every painting you paint is autobiographical". 


What can I say about myself? What I wind up with is usually different than what my intent was. (laughter)! I usually deal with water ...I often don't have a focal point. A focal point is not noticeable. 


I choose quirky subject matter I like the fleeting moments. I like the temporary and unique moments. I like something to go out of focus and come into focus. 


I have been painting for 10 years. "People" seem to be my style. In my professional life I had to use a lot of details. I am trying not to be as detailed as I was. 


I was told by someone at a exhibit.... "I know that you painted those two paintings over there". I asked "how do you know that"? and the person replied "I just know". 


Other notes: 

Celeste: I brought in an experiment in contrast and  I painted another sketchbook front cover. 


Za:I brought in a painting that I did at Easton. This is a tree that was on the property of where I stayed. 


Dave: I wanted to let you all know that I'm going to be gone all of June on a road trip to Colorado. I brought in a painting that I did that is palette knife only (of musicians). I also brought in the painting that I did in a demonstration for a Washington art group. 


Peggie: I brought in a painting of an Apple. I am working on apples in the series. I loved working on this because it is doing something I really want to do. It is not for a specific reason it is just something it appeals to me. Eventually these paintings will likely go into a show at Lakewood Center July and August. 


Kristina: I have a story I want to share about Marilyn Monroe (of all people).  Apparently, Marilyn Monroe had light peach fuzz on her face.  Her Hollywood "handlers" wanted her to get rid of it. Marilyn Monroe refused to change it. If you think about it that was undoubtedly the very thing that makes Marilyn Monroe look really beautiful in photographs. That was the thing that distinguished her from others. She had a luminous quality about her. Think about the fact that what can be conceived as an "imperfection" is not an imperfection at all, but, on the contrary, possibly an asset.


Kathy: I have been taking classes with Jennifer Diehl. I brought in a painting that shows how I painted in two values, then three values... and then in color. This is kind of a taxing exercise, but well worth it!


Susan: I brought in a painting of a white "poofy" dog. This was a commission. I have not been a dog person but after painting these past two dog commissions (I brought one in last week)...I think I understand more about how special dogs are!  I brought in this painting that I did recently (plein air). I will go back to this same place.


Mike: I painted at George Rogers Park with Steve Kleier. When I got out there I really wanted to copy nature. But then I really realized that it's important to not be too fussy about matching colors! 


Joanne: I brought in a painting of my son. He sat for me in a life session for this painting. I also brought in another life painting that I did recently that I like pretty well except I scraped off the face! (Laughter)! I have confidence that I can replace the entire face.  Painting can be compared to writing. In the same way that writing is supposed to have a beginning a middle and an end ...I think paintings  should have a beginning, a middle and an end too. You have to tell the story.


Stephanie: I brought in two paintings that were done plein air. One of these paintings I did in Za's workshop. (A great workshop, I might add). I worked on it a couple times and it's different from when I started it. I increased the contrast. 


Tristan: My usual thing is digital painting, but recently I've been doing charcoal drawings. I brought in two recent drawings. 


Annie: I haven't been painting lately. Because of this topic I started looking at some of my older work. Here's a painting that I thought I had lost. It really bothered me that I couldn't find it. I wondered had I painted over it? What became of it? During that time that the painting was lost I felt a part of me was missing. When I found it I was so relieved. 


Leslie: I have been doing landscape lately instead of portrait. I brought in this tree painting that I did recently. 


Jerry:  I brought in two watercolor paintings. I brought in this book about Lucian Freud. 


Diane: I brought in this new painting that I did of a person with their back to us. I enjoyed everything about working on this..It is not quite done yet. I also brought in this strong vertical painting that I did. 


Tedd: I have been painting long enough now that some my models are having children. I guess the next things I will do will be possibly portraits of children!  (laughter)! I brought in a painting of from a life session. I also brought in a sample panel from the cross cut hardware store that I told you about. I gessoed it and it did not warp.


 Eunice: I brought in a landscape!


 Announcements: 

Anton Pavlenko and Gretha Lindwood both have stories in the new Southwest Magazine (Congratulations, Anton and Gretha)!

 Za is in this months issue of Professional Artist magazine. Congratulations, Za! (The article is about life model sessions)

Mike Porter lead us in a rendition of the "happy birthday to you" song for Marty D. (Happy Birthday, Marty)!

The Lavender festival is right around the corner. After June 1 there will be a late fee for registration. So try to get your registration in prior to that. Here's all the information: http://www.oregonlavenderdestinations.com/artists.php

Lola Dennis was accepted to be the artist in resident at Whiskeytown National Park...it's the Mt. Shasta, Shasta Lake area of California...they gave her a cabin to live in

This Google listing of artist in residence programs includes Iceland:

https://www.google.com/search?site=&source=hp&ei=tuhdVcnLN4nUoAS1moGICA&q=artist+in+residence+national+parks+2015&oq=artist+in+residence+national+&gs_l=mobile-gws-hp.1.1.0l4j0i22i30.2972.16140.0.18890.30.30.0.13.13.0.429.6855.0j9j17j2j2.30.0.ekpsrh...0...1.1.64.mobile-gws-hp..2.28.3024.0.xOFJWbpjwOs

(Thanks for the above info, Diane Marks-Bestor)

Broderick Gallery Call to Artists: http://broderickgallery.blogspot.com/2015/05/call-to-artitsts-regional-art.html

(The "new") Lane Gallery had a grand opening last night. Give them a "like" on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lanegallery?ref=br_rs

Peggie was accepted  into the festival arts event in Joseph. She's going to do a quick draw. It is a 5 Hour Dr. This will be in the first week of June. 
http://www.wallowavalleyarts.org/arts-festival

Eric Jacobsen has a solo show at the Art on the Boulevard in Vancouver. This will be in June. All this work is online. Reception First Friday 
http://www.artontheboulevard.org

Several of us went to Medley Tea for sketching. The results are on the front page.

Thanks for coming today and sharing your ideas and paintings! 

Our next meeting will be next Thursday, May 28, 9am at O'Connors in the restaurant. That will be our last Thursday meeting at O'Connors. BUT! Beginning in JUNE WILL WE MEET ON FRIDAYS in annex at O'Connors. 
We will talk more about this next week and hammer out some new details. 

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