Volume 44                                                              Issue 9

 

Next Meeting – September 10

At our Gallery - social hour 9:30 a.m., business meeting at 10:00 followed by an art swap meet.*  Refreshments will be furnished by Judi wood and Jana Towery.

On the Agenda

Christmas Craft Fair

PLAG T-shirts

PLAG Art & Recipe book

 

[* For the program at the next meeting, we will have a "garage sale", swap, or giveaway of artists’ items.  It will be a chance for all of us to show off some of our artwork and perhaps acquire some artwork we have admired from our fellow members. Bring in a piece of artwork that you'd be willing to trade, or sell, or just show off. This should be great fun.]

 

Call For Volunteers

            It is that time of the year again!  Planning for the 35th annual PLAG Christmas Fair October 4 & 5th is well under way. The setup will be on Friday, Oct 3rd. Call to crafters was sent out in July and the tables are filling up. If you have not sent in your reservation, please do it now in order to reserve your table space. There are 44 half tables available for use, 3 of which will be dedicated to the Bake Table and 2 to the craft items donated by each of the people showing items for sale. 

And now to the most important part:  We need volunteers to help with the show.  It takes a lot of people to make the show the success it has been in the past.  This is PLAG’s major source of funding to support the scholarships program for art students at District 38 High Schools.  Please sign up to help!

We need your help with:

n       Set –Up/ get tables ready for show and decorate entrance Friday, Oct 3,

n       Tear-Down Sunday, Oct 5

n       Cashiers

n       Check-Out/Baggers

n       Greeters/Floor walkers

n       Clean-up after the show

n       Bake Sale Coordinator and coverage

n       Donation Table Coordinator

 

                        Let’s all pitch in and make this the most successful show yet!

Let’s celebrate 35 years of this PLAG event! What an accomplishment!

 

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

 

è  And please don’t forget – everyone is expected to contribute to the bake table (donation table as well if you wish). 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

 

Time for Dues!

J  Happy Birthday!  ¯¯

September 15 is the deadline for PLAG’s 2008-9 dues - $25 individual, $30 family. Please observe the deadline and get your dues in as soon as possible – we appreciate your promptness! Send your check payable to PLAG or Palmer Lake Art Group to P.O. Box 543, Palmer Lake, CO 80133.

Thank you very much!

Carla Ryan, September 2

Susie Arnold, September 5

Gloria Williams, September 6

Ralph Perry, September 10

Bruni Berkowitz, September 14

Irmi Knoth, September 19

 

 

 

Member News

 

The Art Center of Estes Park has accepted Kathleen Krucoff’s “Asp-Zen Twigs” necklace into their 12th Annual “Line into Shapes” Art Competition and Sale. This multimedia exhibit will be held from September 19th to October 5th, 2008 at 517 Big Thompson Ave. in Estes Park, CO. This is a national juried show, with over 200 pieces on display, selected from over 5800 entries. The jurors were: Kathleen Therlault, internationally known batik and fiber artist, Pat Saunders-White (acrylic painter), and Leo Weber (master wood-working artist). An opening reception will be held on Friday, Sept.19 from 5-7 PM at the Art Center with an awards ceremony at 6:30 PM. The center will be open from 10 AM to 5 PM daily, with the exhibit closing at 1 PM on Oct. 5, 2008.

A Marriage of Contrasts – Two Artists, Two Media, Two Views – a joint show by Rebecca Wavrin Whitfield and her husband Paul Douglas Whitfield will be in the Lucy Owens Gallery at Tri Lakes Center for the Arts from Sept. 9 through Oct. 4, 2008.

Rebecca: Mixed Media Painting

Paul: Pinhole Photography

The artists will give a free gallery talk open to all with questions welcome on Saturday, Sept. 27, 1-2 PM.

There will be an Artist Reception in conjunction with the opening of the Pikes Peak Watercolor Society Annual Member Show, Friday, September 12, 2008 from 5-8 PM.

 

²²²

           

WAYS TO NURTURE BUYERS

by John DeFrancesco

 

Some artists are content selling their creations regardless of how, where or to whom.  Others treat each sale as a marketing opportunity.  They see the purchaser not just as an anonymous buyer, but as a customer to be nurtured. 

            From a marketing standpoint, happy customers can mean repeat purchases, word-of-mouth endorsement, possible commissions and networking, among other benefits.     

Whenever possible, obtain the name of the people who buy your art.  Then, begin to build a business relationship.  Start by sending a thank you note.  Include some anecdotal comment about why you created the piece.  People like to know such things.  Also include your business card.

   Build a database of buyers and correspond with them periodically in one or more of the following ways:

n      Develop a newsletter (say, quarterly) and either mail it or send it by e-mail.  Include news about new works, shows in which you’ll be exhibiting, awards you’ve won, workshops you’ll be conducting.  Direct readers to your web site if you have one.

n      If you can learn the buyer’s birth date, send a birthday card or, at minimum, an e-mail note.

n      Send a Christmas card illustrated with your original work.

n      Send announcements of shows, receptions and new galleries that display your work.

n      Send a copy of publicity you may gain (such as an article about you in a newspaper or magazine.

n      For buyers in your local market, consider hosting an exclusive “for customers only” event such as wine and “nibbles” reception.

These suggestions are but small steps that, over time, will help to build awareness of you, enhance your reputation and keep you and your work top-of-mind when people are making a decision to buy art.   

 

²²²

 


Review

by Pam Blaydes

I'm not sure how many of you have already taken a class with John DeFrancesco, I'm guessing I'm one of the last, but I'm certainly one impressed and happy camper!  I don't know what to compliment first, so I shall first compliment Diana as a gracious hostess and spectacular as well.  She kept us VERY well fed, well hydrated and we felt so welcome.  Thank you, Diana!
Next I have to say, we all know John is a phenomenal painter - but he is also a natural teacher!  He is patient, kind, complimentary and when he has advice, he gives it gently.   This was my first class with John and I can't say I followed his directions very well, though he gave them well (where was my brain?) - if he has a temper or was frustrated with me, he hid it well!  I appreciated his patience and the course direction was awesome - which included a binder with a ton of valuable information and note paper.  I took a lot away from this class, a very valuable art lesson.  Thank you, John!
The venue for the course was perfection!  Diana and John's garden/yard is beautiful to say the least!  Everywhere you turn in that garden there is a gorgeous view to paint, I'll bet there are at least 3 temperature zones, as well!  The day turned out perfect and a storm rolled in just after we had all packed up and were on our way home.
If you get the chance this IS a class you will want to take - especially if the venue is John and Diana's back yard!  Unlike my last class -- there was LOTS of elbow room at John and Diana's.

 

 

Golden Workshops at Cottonwood Artists School

 

Textures, Marks and Seductive Surfaces

Friday, September 26, 2008 from 10:00 to 3:00

This workshop is designed for everyone who has taken the first workshop, Contemporary Acrylic Techniques, but will work for everyone. Because acrylics dry quickly they lend themselves to layering of color, texture and pattern. Learn how to incorporate this idea of layers in your work to create wonderful surfaces. We'll go into the best paint and gels for stenciling, hand-carved stamps and transfer prints from found objects to create textural/patterned surfaces and areas within paintings. We'll make new marks with a more "print-making" type of application that can be worked on top of. We'll work with special formulas to create the look of Encaustic painting (beeswax medium). Layering gels to create images that float on top of underlying colors. See which pastes work best for embedding found objects. We'll cover collage, matte gels that accept drawing transfers and seal drawings so no glass is used in framing, and experiment with pours to do multiple layerings and build up unique surfaces. This workshop will help you to think more three-dimensionally in painting and works for both abstract and representational folks. For all levels.

The New Open Acrylic

Friday, October 17, 2008 from 10:00 to 3:00

This workshop will introduce you to the new paint from Golden, OPEN. It stays wet on your palette for days and handles beautifully for slower, wet into wet applications and blending. The perfect paint for plein aire painting as it stays wet just like oils! We will complete a small painting and several exercises so students come away with a solid working knowledge of these paints. Great for people wanting to switch from oils, to get away from the solvents yet retain the slow dry time of oils. OPEN is still a water based acrylic! And then we'll cover the Interference and Iridescent colors in the fluid paint line use these paints to their fullest advantage. Fluids work great for fabric and mixed media applications. All paint and mediums supplied.

To sign up, email Mary Morrison at morrison.mary@q.com. She will send you payment address and a short supply list.

The fee for each workshop is $80.00. Email Mary Morrison at the above address or call (303) 863-8175 for information.

 

 

 

Other Workshop Opportunities

If you have neither the time nor the wherewithal to take a workshop with a nationally known artist in some distant locale, here’s the alternative for you – video workshops. We have run across a couple of internet sites that look promising and have impressive lists of artists and media from which to choose:

Artistsnetwork offers DVDs you may buy access to for 6 months at a very reasonable cost or you may purchase a subscription to all of their video workshops. Visit www.artistsnetwork.tv for details.

Creative Catalyst Productions (www.ccpvideos.com) is an internet site where you may purchase workshop videos for quite low cost and their list of artists is huge! All media (even including collage and polymer clay) and nearly all styles are represented.

There no doubt are other sites offering workshop videos – try a Google search and see what comes up.

 

 

All-Media Online Competition

Sponsored by Artists Magazine, this competition offers a $500 grand prize and winners will be featured on the Artists Magazine website. All media will be eligible for prizes. Deadline is November 3, 2008.

For details, visit http://www.artistsmagazine.com/.

 

 

 

 

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.

 


PALMER LAKE ART GROUP

 

Minutes of August 2008 Meeting

 

 

Welcome by Marcia Edwards, Vice President:

1. New member present:  Erin Shepard

            2.Thanks to Gloria Williams and Marcia Edwards for providing delicious snacks.

 

Minutes from Last Meeting, June 2008:

1.       This meeting was PLAG’s annual end of the year luncheon at the home of  Ann Neal.

No minutes were forwarded.

                  However, the new PLAG Board was voted in:

                        Suzanne Jenne, President

                        Marcia Edwards, V.P.

                        Sue Jenkins, Treasurer

                        Margarete Seagraves, Secretary

 

Board Meeting:

1.       Was held on July 25th at the Gallery – please see attached minutes

 

Treasurer Report by Sue Jenkins, Treasurer: please see attached report

1.       Motion to approve treasurer’s report and minutes by the Mary Krucoff and seconded by Terri Erickson and unanemously approved by present PLAG members.

 

Announcements:

1.       Art on the Farm event: Sept 6th at Dark Star Farm in Franktown (9555 Dearfield Rd from 4:30 to 10:30pm. Set-up 2:30pm. Terrific opportunity for local artists to present their art. Proceeds from this event support Griffith’s Centers for Children.

2.       Plein Air Group Activity by John DeFrancesco:

There have been three sessions with 7 to 9 participants. A total of 26 people are signed up.

Next outdoor painting will take place at Joy Baldwin’s home.

Participants will exhibit their Plein Air paintings in the PLAG Gallery in October.

3.       Plein Air Workshop by John DeFrancesco  for August 23rd is presently filled.

John will have another workshop in the near future at TLCA.

4.       Empty Bowl Event on October 15th, an annual fundraiser for TriLake Cares, welcomes artists’ donations.

Contact PLAG member Linda Roberts.

 

2008 Committee Chairpersons:

1.       Sunshine - Judi Woods

2.       Refreshments - Jana Towery

3.       Telephone – Jana Towery

4.       Publicity – Pam Blaydes

5.       Newsletter – Mary Krucoff

6.       Facility Management – Marie Simpson

7.       Membership – Mary Krucoff

8.       Website – Susan Arnold

 


Old Business:

 

1.       ByLaws – have been edited. Need to get organized for next meeting. (Susie Rieple to e-mail to Marci)

2.       Need for revised clear mission statement to be developed (Needs to be addressed in future meeting.)

3.       New Guidelines for Workshops at the Gallery – please see attached doc

John DeFrancesco volunteered to serve as Workshop Coordinator.

Bob Towery to review the current insurance policy.

            4. Facility:   New lights have been installed.

                                The kitchen tiling is finished.

                                 The lawn looks great.

                                 Window covering to be explored. Jana Towery will get estimate for blinds.

4.       Easels:  have not been purchased. For Suzanne Jenne to follow-up.

 

New Business:

1.         Craft Fair – Margarete Seagraves

Date: Oct. 4 & 5th

Sign-Up Sheets distributed for volunteers.

Publicity by Pam Blayden on track. 

Reminder: all PLAG members are expected to donate baked goods or $donations and, also, donate a handmade item to the donation table.

            2.   Programs for the monthly meetings – Shirley Hawkins will  present rock painting at                    .                    the October meeting. All other months are currently open.

Please contact Marcia Edwards  if you would like to present or know of anyone else who may be willing to come and present something new and interesting.

3.  Lifetime membership:  Mary Krucoff nominated as a lifetime member . Motion made by Gloria Williams, seconded by Sue Jenkins, and unanimously approved by the members present.

5.       PLAG ART Show planning:  Gloria Williams is communicating with Cottonwood Art Studios to schedule future art shows. Gloria will report results in future meeting. 

6.        A reminder that membership fees for 2008 are due now.  Dues are $25.00.

 

Other:

1.       Shirley Hawkins accepted by “Front Range Artists” to exhibit her art at the Castle Rock Library.

2.       Iola Pasquale is participating in the juried Colorado Springs Art Guild Show at the Warehouse in C.S.

3.   Leanna Crowder reported her Grandson’s graduation from the police academy.

 

Meeting  Adjourned  11:30am

               No program presented this month.

                Program for Sept pending.