Do you enjoy experiencing an array of art and artists in a lovely garden setting?
Arts Alive,a non-profitable charitable organization, is sponsoring the 6th Annual Art in the Garden Juried Art Show this weekend, Saturday August 1st from 9AM to 6PM and Sunday, August 2nd from 10AM to 4PM.
The show will take place at the County Garden Bouquets which is a beautiful rural setting just 1.2 miles off the main road of 244th Ave SE in Enumclaw, Washington. There will be shuttle buses from the Southwood Elementary School parking lot; just follow the signs.
I am one of the artist juried into the show and will have available for purchase original watercolor paintings, prints, cards, and ceramic tiles. Other art includes
blown glass, abstract silk scarves, stone sculpture, original paintings, garden bells, whimsical garden art, garden bells, pottery, metal art, rock art, and wood turning.
It is a well-known show and people rave about it. Come join the fun!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Watercolor Wash
Did you know there are four basic washes in watercolors?
This was one of those "learn something new today" facts that came across while reading Mastering the Watercolor Wash by Joe Garcia to my art therapy client.
Joe Gracia claims that once you understand the process of how to do these washes, the world of watercolor painting opens up to you. The four washes are: flat, gradated, wet-into-wet and streaked. Painting each one requires a slightly different approach.
The flat wash looks like the name implies. There is no gradation from top to bottom or side to side. It has one value. This is a great wash for skies or buildings where a flat value is needed.
A gradated wash is one that gets progressively lighter in value. The gradated wash starts with the desired color and value and more water is added as the wash continues. It is a great wash for landscapes where mountains fade into the mist or dark rich skies fade into the horizon.
The wet-into-wet technique is the wash most often used. Colors are placed side by side on a wet surface and allowed to flow together. Soft blending is the result of this wash. Because of the wet surface there is less control. It is a great wash for controlled accidents.
The streaked wash is really a tool to get you to think about washes and texture. The color is placed on a wet surface, then you pick up your drawing board and tilt it in the direction you want the texture to run. This technique is good for showing the wind blowing the clouds or rain.
There are no rules on how washes should be done. It is up to the artist to make them work. Joe believes that practice is the key to success.
Waiting For Playmates
Joe Garcia
This was one of those "learn something new today" facts that came across while reading Mastering the Watercolor Wash by Joe Garcia to my art therapy client.
Joe Gracia claims that once you understand the process of how to do these washes, the world of watercolor painting opens up to you. The four washes are: flat, gradated, wet-into-wet and streaked. Painting each one requires a slightly different approach.
The flat wash looks like the name implies. There is no gradation from top to bottom or side to side. It has one value. This is a great wash for skies or buildings where a flat value is needed.
A gradated wash is one that gets progressively lighter in value. The gradated wash starts with the desired color and value and more water is added as the wash continues. It is a great wash for landscapes where mountains fade into the mist or dark rich skies fade into the horizon.
The wet-into-wet technique is the wash most often used. Colors are placed side by side on a wet surface and allowed to flow together. Soft blending is the result of this wash. Because of the wet surface there is less control. It is a great wash for controlled accidents.
The streaked wash is really a tool to get you to think about washes and texture. The color is placed on a wet surface, then you pick up your drawing board and tilt it in the direction you want the texture to run. This technique is good for showing the wind blowing the clouds or rain.
There are no rules on how washes should be done. It is up to the artist to make them work. Joe believes that practice is the key to success.
Joe Garcia
Saturday, July 25, 2009
ArtRageous Recap
What a FABULOUS event put on by City of Auburn Arts Commission!
Maija McKnight did a stunning job as coordinator of ArtRageous. It was a busy day at Les Gove Park in Auburn and many people participated in creating art.
My favorite was Susan Robb of Seattle with her Giant Black Toobs Art Installation. She and her partner raced to fill the Giant Toobs with air and then tack them to the ground. The Giant Toobs swayed with the atmospheric conditions of the day.
Giant Black Toobs Art Installation
Susan Robb
At my watercolor mandala painting tent, I watched young children as well as seniors creating colorful mandala paintings. Here are some young artists at work:
And believe it or not, this car was painted today by fair goers.......
I believe a fun time was had by all!
Maija McKnight did a stunning job as coordinator of ArtRageous. It was a busy day at Les Gove Park in Auburn and many people participated in creating art.
My favorite was Susan Robb of Seattle with her Giant Black Toobs Art Installation. She and her partner raced to fill the Giant Toobs with air and then tack them to the ground. The Giant Toobs swayed with the atmospheric conditions of the day.
Susan Robb
At my watercolor mandala painting tent, I watched young children as well as seniors creating colorful mandala paintings. Here are some young artists at work:
And believe it or not, this car was painted today by fair goers.......
I believe a fun time was had by all!
Friday, July 24, 2009
ArtRageous
ArtRageous: Artists in Action Art Fair presented by the City of Auburn Arts Commission in celebration of its 25th Anniversary and generously supported by 4-Culture Site Specific Network.
It is held Saturday, July 25, 2009 from 11AM to 4PM at LesGove Park, 11th and Auburn Way S., Auburn, Washington.
It is a FREE EVENT!
There will be over 30 activities to encourage your inner-artist. It is for ALL ages and ALL skill levels in a fun art festival atmosphere in the park.
I will be one of the participating artists, and will provide watercolor paints and paper for fair-goers to experience creating mandalas with my guidance. I will also have prints for sale, ceramic tiles, and cards.
Come join the fun!
It is held Saturday, July 25, 2009 from 11AM to 4PM at LesGove Park, 11th and Auburn Way S., Auburn, Washington.
It is a FREE EVENT!
There will be over 30 activities to encourage your inner-artist. It is for ALL ages and ALL skill levels in a fun art festival atmosphere in the park.
I will be one of the participating artists, and will provide watercolor paints and paper for fair-goers to experience creating mandalas with my guidance. I will also have prints for sale, ceramic tiles, and cards.
Come join the fun!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Entering Art Shows
Entering an art show, at any level of your career, is a wonderful means of gaining validation and recognition. For beginning artists, receiving appreciation from people other than friends and family can be very encouraging. Competition is an excellent way of building up a resume, especially if one is fortunate enough to win an award. Plus, more people may see your work, increasing the possibility of sales and getting into galleries.
Annie Strack (www.AnnieStrackArt.blogspot.com/)art work is included in a number of museum and other public and private collections. She recommends starting with small shows, and work your way up.
She says, if you are new to art competitions, you should start by entering smaller, local shows in your area. Non-juried shows, which are judged but not juried, will offer an introduction to the exhibition process and provide education about competition. This way, you can learn what judges look for and compare your entries to those of your peers. Remember, though, that non-juried shows tend to have a wider variety of entries ranging from poor to excellent, making it difficult to evaluate the quality of artwork. The hit-and-miss nature of a non-juried show means that while the event may provide you with a great opportunity to learn, a juried show will look best on your resume.
Annie believes that once you have entered a few non-juried shows, you can proceed to local and regional juried shows, and eventually work your way up to the most prestigious national juried shows. Competition at the national level is extremely tough. Winning consistently at the local and regional levels will help you develop confidence and experience as you work your way up to the national level. This will also help you learn to be more selective in choosing competitions as you progress. Only enter shows that you respect and which reflect your current level or experience, skill and expertise.
Annie recommends to enter shows known for high quality work that you would be proud to be included in.
Annie Strack (www.AnnieStrackArt.blogspot.com/)art work is included in a number of museum and other public and private collections. She recommends starting with small shows, and work your way up.
She says, if you are new to art competitions, you should start by entering smaller, local shows in your area. Non-juried shows, which are judged but not juried, will offer an introduction to the exhibition process and provide education about competition. This way, you can learn what judges look for and compare your entries to those of your peers. Remember, though, that non-juried shows tend to have a wider variety of entries ranging from poor to excellent, making it difficult to evaluate the quality of artwork. The hit-and-miss nature of a non-juried show means that while the event may provide you with a great opportunity to learn, a juried show will look best on your resume.
Annie believes that once you have entered a few non-juried shows, you can proceed to local and regional juried shows, and eventually work your way up to the most prestigious national juried shows. Competition at the national level is extremely tough. Winning consistently at the local and regional levels will help you develop confidence and experience as you work your way up to the national level. This will also help you learn to be more selective in choosing competitions as you progress. Only enter shows that you respect and which reflect your current level or experience, skill and expertise.
Annie recommends to enter shows known for high quality work that you would be proud to be included in.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Art Contests
When I was little I would enter coloring contests.
This evening I came across Art Contests which intrigued my interest. Apparently these contests are inspired by art companies to encourage people to use their products.
Jerry's Artarama, an online art store, has a series of painting contests throughout 2009 and into 2010. You can compete for over $13,000 in prizes. You can choose from the Charvin Plein Aire Classic Contest, the Lukas Share Your Art Contest, the Matisse End of Year Contest, or the Turner Colour Works Contest that kicks off the new year. Download the official entry forms, stock up on all the supplies you need and get ready to create.
Very clever idea. Are you game?
This evening I came across Art Contests which intrigued my interest. Apparently these contests are inspired by art companies to encourage people to use their products.
Jerry's Artarama, an online art store, has a series of painting contests throughout 2009 and into 2010. You can compete for over $13,000 in prizes. You can choose from the Charvin Plein Aire Classic Contest, the Lukas Share Your Art Contest, the Matisse End of Year Contest, or the Turner Colour Works Contest that kicks off the new year. Download the official entry forms, stock up on all the supplies you need and get ready to create.
Very clever idea. Are you game?
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Light and Texture
Today I was reading to my art therapy client from the book Incredible Light and Texture in Watercolor by James Toogood.
The paintings in the book are exquisite. He provides step-by-step demonstrations to teach the basic watercolor techniques depicting light and texture. I was very impressed with how thorough he covered each subject. It is what most people ask for when learning watercolors.
James believes that talent is overrated. "Determination and persistence are more important. If you have a passion for painting, the skills can be acquired."
He feels that painting is a powerful and unique language that reaches out across borders and communicates to virtually anyone, anywhere. I know this for a fact through my involvement in the field of art therapy.
His book is rightfully named as James paints incredible light and texture into his watercolor paintings. Look how he captures the water.........
Coastline
James Toogood
The paintings in the book are exquisite. He provides step-by-step demonstrations to teach the basic watercolor techniques depicting light and texture. I was very impressed with how thorough he covered each subject. It is what most people ask for when learning watercolors.
James believes that talent is overrated. "Determination and persistence are more important. If you have a passion for painting, the skills can be acquired."
He feels that painting is a powerful and unique language that reaches out across borders and communicates to virtually anyone, anywhere. I know this for a fact through my involvement in the field of art therapy.
His book is rightfully named as James paints incredible light and texture into his watercolor paintings. Look how he captures the water.........
James Toogood
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