Sep 05

Artistic Activity Good for Us
Carole D. sent me this article.
Artistic Activity Cuts Risk of Cognitive Impairment By 75%

Tuesday Artists

Blockley by Shirley

Ann Blockley
General consensus: Fun, delightful, her techniques could apply to any subject.
Textures: spatter, granulation medium, gesso, scraping, wax, sponging, alcohol, saran wrap (with or without injections), wet, backgrounds and negative painting.

Next artist: Rufino Tamayo


Open Studios

It's that time of the year again. I will post folks from our group who are participating, as I get the info:
Open Studios

Emily Citraro
I wanted to let folks know that I have my open studios Friday Sep 25 from 7-11 and then I'll be there Saturday 12-5, if anyone wants to stop in. The address is 2425 17th St, SF, 94110, Studio #28 (also open 9/27 but I'm leaving for Graeagle, so a friend is watching my space that day).
Studio announcement page is here: Art Explosion Studios

Video - Folded Journal
For you do it your-self-ers, can be done with a full sheet of watercolor paper!
No-Sew Folding Journal

Aug 29

Tuesday Artist
Dong Kingman - Shirley's choice
We took over Creightons and this is what we noticed:
- Complex Simplicity, cartoonish and sophisticated
- Reserved color palette
- He structured his paintings in a Lego block manner
- He cherished his whites and blacks
Next week: Ann Blockley - Joanie's choice
Up next: Avelina

Message from Peg

Attached to a following email is something I recently did with the Gelli. I continue to explore printing with water colors to help me become a better designer and to plan the impact of textures and layers.

I thought I would be able to attend the meetings this month but was waylaid. I am gone most of September (painting trip in Alaska and then Graeagle) so it looks I will catch up with the group in October. Miss you all, please pass on my kindest regards and admiration for what you are doing.

For Lovers of the Right Things
I found this video about travel kits that had so many useful little bits, I had to include it for those that have perfectly organized watercolor paraphernalia.
Homemade Watercolor Kits

Substituting Colors
An interesting and thorough (read “long") article about pigments and their characteristics in relationship to substituting one color for another from Ms Pam.
Substituting Colours - Be Careful What You Wish For

Aug 22

Tuesday Artist
I have added a new page to the blog called "Tuesday". It will highlight the those artists that are presented by the group for our weekly experiment. Everyone is invited to check out these artists, even if you are not participating in the activity.
A link will be sent to those on the "Tuesday" list and the page can also be found near the top of the page, in the navigation bar:

Jeanne Lotta-Sellars

Video - Hilma af Klint

Lee F. sent me this video. She will be happy to translate for anyone interested (just kidding). I can see Hilma's influence on Lee's art.
Hilma af Klint
I was looking for an English translation and found this very interesting lecture. It is more about how artists think than Hilma, but thought it worthy.
Gertrud Sandqvist at Summer Academy

Watercolor Teacher - Birgit O'Connor
Pam R. has taken classes with Birgit and always learns something new:
Birgit O'Connor Watercolors

Aug 15

Kay at Crome 

Tuesday at Creightons - Aug 11
Hi, TACers
We have finally completed all the exercises in Watercolor Bold and Free!!  We met at the Bernal Library to share the Four Variations on a Theme. It was fun to see all four pieces together.
We had:
Heather, with her four chairs
Carole’s San Bruno Mountain
Janie’s Mt. San Michel
Joanie’s Marin Hills
Shirley’s San Francisco scenes
Lee started but wants to take more time on this project so she shared her other favorites.
Sue is working on roads but didn’t quite finish.
Marjorie, Jeanette and Carole’s artist friend were the appreciative audience. We were very happy to see Marjorie. She looked great and is healing well!!!!

We are back at Creighton’s on Tuesday, Aug 18 at 10 am and will start our Artist Adventure!  Shirley will have a presentation on one of her favorite artists.  And, if you have anything you want to share or need our sterling advice about, COME!!!!!!

And I have a request that, after each person presents and the group shares, that person would do the weekly write-up for the blog. It can be any way you want it to be. We will talk more on Tuesday.
Until then, Joanie

Video 
Watercolor Techniques with Don Andrews
I don't know how believable, but some interesting ideas.
Creating Believable Fleshtones

Carol Duchamp
Greetings,

This is the week to enjoy some of my framed and unframed paintings at both the Mill Valley Community Center and Marin French Cheese factory including Particle Fever in Mill Valley and Softly at Cheese Factory!

Enjoy! See announcements below.

Warmly, Carol

 

Aug 08

Oh No!

For all you texture lovers:
Revamped Bubble Wrap Loses Its Pop



Watercolor Class

at San Francisco Women Artists
Watercolor Basics
Saturdays, Aug 22 & 29
9 am to 4 pm


7th Annual 50|50 Show

Mary and Juan invite you to:
Open-Door Reception, Fri Aug 28, 8–10 pm
Show runs from Aug 28 to Sep 20.

Aug 01

Documentary
Janie found this on HBO:
Packed in a Trunk: The Lost Art of Edith Lake Wilkinson

Tuesday at Creightons - Jul 28
Hi, TACers,
Once we settled, we shared our Four Variations on a Theme II.
SHIRLEY did her second “City” painting focusing on granular paint to create texture. She is working things out for larger paintings of these studies. She used all Daniel Smith colors.
HEATHER changed color in her second “Chair” piece, going from the natural colors in her garden to reds, pinks and purples using watercolor and watercolor crayon.
LEE worked on the old version of Penultimate on her tablet (?) and is figuring out how to translate it into a watercolor. It was her dog with a wonderful mix of line, line, colored line and more line…fun!!! She asked for ideas and, as usual, we had lots of intriguing and useful ideas.
AVELINA was looking through previous work and rediscovered her wonderful portrait of an African American farmer from California that she had done in two versions, natural and blues. She is planning to redo him for this project.
JOANIE went on a little vacation and was engaged with the Marin Hills with ochers, golds and the green-black oaks she saw along the highway coming home. She did a more natural version and then abstracted blotches for her second version.
CAROLE is still deciding what she wants to do and we all voted for Mt. San Bruno over her olive tree from Italy. She already has 3 versions of the mountain for inspiration.
JANIE was Turner inspired. She is already on her third version of Mt. San Michel in France. This one had a pale glow in dreamy colors.  When do we leave???
SUE just started on her “Road” series. She has been distracted by creating a 5’x10’ backdrop, in watercolor of eucalyptus leaves for her own wedding celebration! Best Wishes!!!!!
!!!!NOTICE!!!!
We will meet as usual at Creightons next week, Tuesday, August 4th from 10-12 but the following week we will meet at the BERNAL HEIGHTS BRANCH LIBRARY the following week, Tudsday, August 11th, for a showing of our “Four Variations on a Theme” and, if you choose, meaningful pieces from the Watercolor Bold and Free experiments that you loved, hated, had a breakthrough, learned something, it just turned out great….   
Even if you haven’t done everything, come and join us for the fun and to help us celebrate a sense of completion!
Next experiment: Four Variations on a Theme III.
Soon,
Joanie and Shirley

Kay Russell
Struts her stuff at Crome Architecture, 905 4th Street, San Rafael, CA
Opening Reception: Friday, Sep 11, 5 - 8 pm.
Show runs for about a month.

Sanchez Gallery 50/50
Mary and Juan have 50 paintings each!
7th Annual Sanchez Art Center 50|50 Show
Aug 28 - Sep 20

Jul 25

Video: Back to Basics
Choosing the Right Watercolor Paper 
And Pam sent in this: Visual Compliments

Creightons on Tuesday
Jul 14
Hi, TACers,
We are nearly at the end of “Watercolor Bold and Free”
24-Let Painted Lines Dominate was the last experiment before the 4 Variations on a Theme.
CAROL D. shared an abstract landscape with beautiful greys and blue greens. She added inks in red and “sparkle”.
HEATHER emulated Morandi with her painted lines that were drawn with a brush.  She had bottles and jugs in red and blue.  Her second was a landscape that had no pre-drawing, only painted lines.
MARJORIE is having surgery next week (July 21) at the same time we will be meeting so send her lots of good vibes!!!!!.  She shared her new little journal.  She did a piano, a tree and a landscape all done I lines with lots of bright color. She loved making shapes and contours wit only lines.
LEE did her garden in Healdsburg, twice, with lovely manzanita, their “pool” and a very pretty filigree screen.
SHIRLEY is off on a new project where she is manipulating scenes of the City on her computer in several ways and then translating into watercolor.  She has big plans for this one!
JOANIE tried scoring and scratching her poppy stems to get that dark line but it didn’t work very well.  She also was inspired by a tile she saw and copied.
And now we are doing the final four experiments.  Can you believe we are almost done???  Let’s have a great time with this one!!!
Next Tuesday: Four Variations on a Theme One
Joanie
Jul 21
No Joanie, so a short note about our work:
The first step of the Four Variations seemed to be the hardest - figuring out what you wanted to do four times.
Heather divided a large sheet (yes, it was brand new) into four quadrants and plans to do the same scene in four different ways. I'm working on sample paintings of a new graphic view of San Francisco. Did not finish one, worked on all four. Avelina painted four versions of zebras. She will have a whole new stack of work if she keeps this up. Lee and Sue (if I missed someone, I am sorry, did not take notes and it's Saturday already) worked on some very cool pieces.
Next Tuesday: Four Variations on a Theme Two
AND
We have the community room at the library form 10-12, Tues. Aug. 11th!