Volume 44                                                              Issue 10

 

Next Meeting – October 8

At our Gallery - social hour 9:30 a.m., business meeting at 10:00 followed by a presentation by Shirley and Al Hawkins on their recent trip. Refreshments will be furnished by Suzanne Jenne.

On the Agenda

Report on Christmas Craft Fair

Christmas Luncheon

Winter Fine Art Show

j j j

 

It’s Here! Our 2008 Christmas Craft Fair

 

Our annual Craft Fair is only a few days away. We have had a great response from vendors - every space is filled. We have a number of new vendors and an excellent variety of goods.

Many thanks to all the members who have volunteered to help, but more are needed:

 

n       Cash Register coverage – only one register is covered for Saturday, our busiest day. We need volunteers to cover two more registers for the day. Please let me know if you can cover 9am – 1pm or 1pm – 5pm. Sunday – we also need additional coverage from 1pm – 4pm

Cash register training will be held Friday, Oct 3rd at 1pm by Al Hawkins.

 

n       Bake Sale  - Volunteers needed to receive the baked goods and ensure that the table is filled, etc.  Also, please price your baked goods, label them with code #36 and bring them on Saturday and Sunday.

 

n       Donation Table - Please label donated items also with code #36 and a price.

 

With all of your participation, we can look forward to a busy Oct 4th and 5th weekend with lots of sales.

 

To volunteer please contact Margarete Seagraves, Chairperson, 719-487-1329 or e-mail seagml@compdsn.com.

 

è  And please don’t forget – all members are expected to contribute to the bake table (donation table as well if you are a vendor in the fair). We need baked items for both Saturday and Sunday. Remember that both the bake and donation tables are pure profit to our Scholarship Fund, so get those ovens warmed up! ç

 

Member News Items

 

Dave Futey would like to remind everyone that the Smokebrush Gallery is still looking for a few more artists to decorate parking meters to be placed in various civic and business locations with the change collected going toward homeless support organizations. A few artists from PLAG have responded but he could use a couple more. Contact Dave at dfutey@gmail.com or call 719-404-4081.

Kathleen Krucoff has sold one of her glass jewelry pieces at the exhibit at the Denver Botanic Gardens in the Glass at the Gardens show. She has posted a photo of the piece on her blog: http://kathleenkrucoff.blogspot.com/2008/09/glass-at-gardens-opening-reception.html

 

Last Chance for Dues!

J  Happy Birthday!  ¯¯

An updated membership list will be published with next month’s (Nov.) newsletter. If you have not yet renewed your membership, your name will be purged from the roster. Dues are $25 individual, $30 family. Send your check payable to PLAG or Palmer Lake Art Group to P.O. Box 543, Palmer Lake, CO 80133.

 

Susie Rieple, October 13

Patricia Schmidt, October 14

Dick Bean, October 18

Linda Elliott, October 18

 

 

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THE GOOD AND THE BAD ABOUT WORKSHOPS

by John DeFrancesco

 

            Have you taken an art workshop this year?  I have and it was a wonderful experience.  But I often hear from fellow artists that they had a disappointing experience in a workshop. 

What makes one workshop worthwhile and another dismal?  Possibly many factors, but most likely it boils down to the attitude and mindset of the student or the workshop leader’s attitude, ability to teach, preparedness, technique and interest in truly helping students.

Wow, that sounds like the scale is tipped for or against the teacher.  But let’s examine the good and the bad of both sides.  First the workshop participant:  “Good” are those who attend with a positive, upbeat, friendly attitude, who have ALL the materials suggested, who arrive and set up early and are ready to go on time.  They have a specific idea of what they want to learn from a particular artist-teacher (otherwise, why bother taking a class with that person?).  They pay attention and do exactly what the instructor suggests in their work.  Conversely, the “bad” may listen, but don’t hear.  They dive into their work by applying all their old habits without ever giving new ideas or techniques a fair chance to work.  They simply want to “create” art, which they could have done at home.

The really “good” teachers I’ve experienced are first, it seems to me, really nice people.  They are friendly, not aloof (bad) and are willing to spend equal time with each participant (good), not just the better artists (bad).  They have prepared a curriculum that will take the class from point A to point Z.  Others fly by the seat of their pants, are fragmented and skip around, all of which confuse the student (bad).  Some instructors simply demonstrate while students watch, without ever giving personal one-on-one counsel (bad).  Some “touch” your work, e.g., using a brush to paint over your work (bad).   

Assuming that you are the perfect student, without any of the “bad” traits cited above, let’s focus on how you can ensure that attending a workshop is a positive experience for you.

n      Research people whose work you like and you feel can advance your skills.  You can do that by seeing art in magazines and on the Internet, then contacting the artist to see if he/she teaches.

n      Check out the satisfaction level of the instructor by talking to others who have studied with the individual.  If he/she won’t give you names, that’s not a good sign. 

n       Develop a specific purpose for taking the class (e.g., you want to learn how to improve color mixing, or to apply glazes to pottery, etc.).

n      Don’t join a crowd.  Some really good instructors can handle 20 students in a week-long workshop, but for a day-long event, the maximum should be about 10 or you may not get the attention you need or want.             

n      Don’t decide on attending a workshop solely because it’s inexpensive.  I once paid as much as the cost of a cruise for a one-week workshop, but the instructor was worth every penny and then some.

Finally, most artists have a tendency to be nervous about attending a workshop, especially one away from home or among strangers.  Just remember it isn’t a competition and you won’t be judged.  Leave your anxiety at home, stay loose and have fun. 

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Putting Our Gallery To Good Use

The Vaile Hill Art Gallery (PLAG house) is available for members to use for workshops and painting get-togethers. If you want to schedule a time, contact John DeFancesco at 488-0459 or at jdefrancesco522@comcast.net.  John will conduct a workshop, "Aquired Seeing," there on October 18. Contact him to sign up.

Reminder: PLAG Plein Air Painters are requested to bring their plein air paintings to the next meeting on October 8 for display.

 

 

Opportunity Knocks!

 

The High Country Art Association has a couple of spaces open at Herman Raymond’s Class/Studio. Located in Old Colorado City, this is a congenial studio atmosphere with nationally known oil & watercolor artist Herman Raymond there to give guidance, instruction and demonstrations on Monday and Thursday afternoons (1:00 – 4:00 p.m.). This is a great opportunity to study with a wonderful artist. Check out his work at www.thegalleryart.net/artists/Raymond/HR.html or enter: The Herman Raymond Gallery in Google search. Come join PLAG members Tsilla Reyner, Mary Krucoff, Bruni Berkowitz and Cheryl Golightly at the studio. Your $45 monthly fee entitles you to studio space access at any time in addition to the class days. Please contact Tsilla Reyner, 719-599-9046.

 

 

 

 

 

PLAG’s website: www.palmerlakeartgroup.com.  Add the address to your business card, tell your friends to look us up, help us advertise our group.

 

Please Note: If you would like to have an official PLAG member name tag, please contact Bruni Berkowitz, (719) 488-2158, and she will order one for you.

 

Reminder: contributions to the Newsletter are greatly appreciated. Also, please let me know about exhibits, sales, etc. Call or email: Mary Krucoff, (719) 488-8101 or emkaymonument@q.com. Deadline is the 25th of the month. Also Please Note: if you haven’t received your newsletter by the 5th of the month, please let me know. If you currently receive your newsletter via postal delivery and would be willing to switch to email delivery it would save us the cost of postage.

 

Minutes of September10, 2008 Meeting

 

Welcome by Suzanne Jenne, President

  1. New Member: Donna Wagner
  2. Thanks to Jana Towery and Judy Woods for providing snacks.

Minutes from Last Meeting, August 2008 (published in the newsletter)

  1. Bruni Berkowitz made motion to accept minutes and seconded. Unanimously accepted by those present.

Update on PLAG’s Christmas Arts and Craft Fair:  Margarete Seagraves

  1. Volunteer sign-ups in progress
  2. Cash Register training Friday, Oct 3, 1pm
  3. Publicity on track
  4. All vendor spaces filled and a waiting for cancellation
  5. Reminder that all PLAG members need to support this event with

Baked goods for both Sat and Sunday.

        6. Donation table items needed for the show. 

Treasury Report presented by Sue Jenkins, Treasurer

     1. Summary:

Income:  $455.00, Expenses: $368.44, Checking account balance: $9,627.33, Saving: $744.46

CD Balance: $4,130.29.  Total Assets: $14,502.08

      2. Motion made to accept report by David DeLorenzo and approved by those present.

Announcements:

  1. Plein Air sessions: John DeFrancesco

Participants of one or more painting sessions to bring one or more of their paintings to the Gallery in October.

There will be a drawing for participants.

Next plein air session scheduled for Sept 18th at John’s Garden. Arrive around 10 am.

John will also hold a workshop at the Gallery Saturday, Oct 18th from 9am to 1pm. Contact John for info.

  1. Suzanne Jenne reported that new easles will purchased from the money donated by the TriLakes Womens Club.
  2. Jana Towery reported two proposals for blinds for the Gallery.

One was $807.30 and the other $849.68. Nancye Culbraith for Jana to select blinds made motion. Seconded and approved.

Committee Reports:

  1. Sunshine- Judy Woods stated that we did not send out any cards and reminded group to let her know if a card should be send to someone.
  2. Website – Susie Arnold

New members have been added.

  1. No other committee reports

Old Business:

  1. ByLaws : to be addressed  in future meeting
  2. Mission Statement:  To implement a new mission statement to define and clarify PLAG’s mission, a  team was formed to formulate a statement:

Marcia Edwards – Team Leader with:

Dave Futey, John DeFrancesco, Jan Cashman, Donna Wagner and Nancye Culbraith

New Business:

  1. Safety issue: Outside stone step concern for liability. Marie Simpson to get estimate for repair.
  2. Home Owner Ins policy review done by Bob Towery and reported.

Meeting Adjourned 11:45am. There was no program.

 

Submitted by

Margarete Seagraves, Secretary