Mary Campos Lopez Solo Exhibition of Past and Present Works

Greetings!
My solo exhibition is up at the Great  Northwest Library, Wellwood at Grissom.  It will run through June with a "Meet the Artist" session on Saturday, June 16th, from 10:30a.m. - 12 noon in the meeting room.  I will be happy to answer questions on what inspired me to paint a certain painting, technique, or just simply watch me paint with pastels.  I have 20 paintings up, reflecting my progress through the years.  It's very interesting as I can see the change in my painting technique and you might find interesting, too.

Recently I overworked my right wrist with yardwork, garden projects, painting, and have to use a brace, which means I have to give it a rest.  What to do?  Paint with your left hand!  I will demonstrate both at the demo since I can't use my right hand too much.  When I started painting with my left, it's like there was another artist inside, well, you'll see my left-handed paintings at the library.  Look for Garden Tots, Steer Among Us, and Old Magnolia. The whole left-handed thing has really inspired me!

The Art of Richard A. Kramer

Carver Cultural Center, 226 N. Hackberry, San Antonio, presents The Art of Richard A. Kramer, May 1 -30, 2012.


The reception held on Thursday, May 10, was attended by art lovers and supporters.  A great show, Richard!  The show will run through May 30th, open daily.

richardkramerart@yahoo.com
www.richardkramerart.com

May meeting notes

What a meeting! What a demo! 

After a brief review of society business, Clive Tyler from Taos took over and wowed us with a fantastic landscape demo. 

Clive paints on Uart paper mounted on gatorboard

Attentive audience

Clive working on the underpainting using complementary colors

Painting with its small study

Small studies

Sennelier pastels in rice flour

Selected Sennelier pastels with the all important darks

Underpainting with black which is then covered with a color of a similar value

Clive shared  techniques, composition elements, ideas, and so much more that we all came away enriched, ready to try them out.  Thanks Clive! A special thanks to Mary McIntosh for introducing us to Clive.

May General Meeting and Demo by Clive Tyler

Join us on Saturday, May 5th for our General meeting and a demo by Clive Tyler. No meeting fee for members, $5 for non-members. 

Meeting/demo to be held at the Thousand Oaks Branch Library, 4618 Thousand Oaks, in San Antonio.  Meeting will start at 10:30 a.m. ( library opens at 10 a.m.).  Go west about one mile on Thousand Oaks once you exit IH 35 and library will be on your left.

Clive R. Tyler Bio 2012

PO Box 3497, Taos NM 87571 970-217-0385

www.CliveTyler.com cliveRtyler@yahoo.com

Clive Tyler on Facebook

Clive R. Tyler was raised in an encouraging artistic atmosphere. He studied Fine Art and Design at Kent State University (Ohio) with a double major and was awarded a Bachelors of Fine Art Degree. Twenty years later after a successful design career, he is now known as one of the best Pastelist on a national level.

Living in Taos, New Mexico, he is seriously painting with integrity and seeking the truth in his subject matter. His goals set, he has in just a few years moved quickly into the art scene, having received invitationals at national museums and acceptance with both galleries and collectors. His classical oil painting style is unique for pastel painting. With strong composition and attention to lighting, each painting has its own special emotional connection with the viewer.

As a Plein Air and Studio artist, I paint in natural surroundings and out in the open; define as the word Plein air. I have always been inspired by nature and the quiet in the wilderness. I have been painting in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado for 10 years now and love the Winter Park, Co area too. I travel to Montana and Oregon to paint as well. Rivers, snow scenes, tall aspens, moose and elk are all on the list of work that I enjoy painting. Live oaks from the Southeast are on my new list of great trees to paint.

I wish to share the outdoor experience that I have had with the artist or my interpretation of an impressionist point of view. As an artist, I am painting the experience, not a reproduction of the view. I want to have the viewer want to step into the painting, look around the corner, feel like they are looking up at the aspens, feel the temperature of the day, sense a feeling of the time, hear the sounds of leaves and thunder in the distant storm. Through color harmony, pastel pigment, texture, and a strong concept with good design and composition, I convey this to the viewer and evoke some memories or desires. When viewers say, "I know where that is" " I feel like I want to walk in there and take a hike in the aspens" or " I wish I was there” that is a successful painting.

I paint in Soft Pastel on a sanded paper from Germany. The pastels I use are a French brand called Sennelier. It's a dry form of pigment/paint. This brand was created for Degas and Monet. Some of the colors are the same. Pastel is made of pure pigment or ore and stone so the colors glow with a luminas feeling. I use to be an oil painter so I'm very loose in placing color, enjoy under painting, and using edges and emotional strokes in my painting. Up close the paintings take on an abstract feeling but from 10 feet away it looks like your looking through a window to the world outside. All my paintings are professionally framed with a type of museum glass that has minimum refection.

My work will be a collection of studio work taken from my experiences in nature of landscapes and wildlife in the four different seasons. I add wildlife to some of my paintings if I have had the experience or seen a similar view. Many times I'm painting outdoors and a hundred elk have surrounded me and walk around me grazing and not even noticing me. It's a great feeling to be accepted by nature and not to be an intruder. I have had a mother moose and calf walk by my easel, I have stood and watch a heard of bison run through tall grass with the Tetons in the background as if I was back in time or in a movie. When you are standing outside in one spot painting for hours, something will walk or fly by. I had an eagle sit and watch me paint once in Alaska and I have watched a hawk build a nest in the Colorado aspens. So I wish the viewer to understand that the paintings that I produce are an authentic experiences that they can take home and enjoy and cherish nature as if they where there too.

"Every place, every corner, every view -- It's all just inspiration, timing and light. On one day, in the evening or in the early morning, or looking from the top of a mountain something marvelous happens -- the conditions are ideal and the world is enhanced. This only happens once and it's never quite the same again. This is what I look for:

"I have to be there and then I paint."

Clive R. Tyler

Recent Events at TXPS

We had a beautiful day for our Spring Paint Out at the Antique Rose Emporium with Kraig Kiedrowski giving a demo.  He selected an agave for his model and showed us how he sketches out in the field with final details at his studio.  A plein air painting doesn't mean it will be finished out in the field.

Roger Snyder painting en plein air

The 5th Annual All Member Show is up at the Tobin at Oakwell Library through May 5th.  Members brought in paintings reflecting the theme " A Pastel Fiesta!" and we have received many great comments on it.  A community workshop was held on Saturday, April 14th and 13 came in to try out pastel painting.  Parents sat with their children and enjoyed the experience of painting with pastels.  They left with a framed with a mat painting.  Immediately afterwards the reception was held and enjoyed by all at the library, taking time to vote for their favorite painting.  After a dramatic 5 way tie, the final vote broke the tie giving it to Irene Taylor for her "La Charreada"!  Congratulations, Irene!

People's Choice Award winner - Irene Taylor

5th Annual All Member Show - "A Pastel Fiesta!"

.It's time for our 5th Annual All Member Show!  This year's theme is " A Pastel Fiesta!"

Exhibition is April 2 - May 5  at the Tobin Library at Oakwell, 4134 Harry Wurzbach.
Reception - Saturday, April 14, 3 - 4 p.m. People's Choice Award at 3:30 p.m.
 
Eligibility:  Open to Texas Pastel Society members.  Artwork must reflect a Fiesta theme.  Annual dues must be current.  NO OIL PASTELS. No objectionable content.  All work must be at least 80% soft pastel.  Hard pastels are considered soft pastels.  Artwork cannot have been exhibited in a previous All Member show.  Work to be hung must not exceed 24"x36"(image).  Work must be firmly framed, under glass or Plexi-glass(recommended), with screw eyes and strong wire, ready to hang.  NO SAWTOOTH HANGERS. Work not wired securely will not be accepted.  Artist must have artwork on display through the end of the show.


Community Event - Hands-on pastel activity and People's Choice Award
                               Saturday, April 14, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
                              Artists are encouraged to volunteer their time for this event

Fee: $5 for up to 3 paintings(fee to be awarded as the People's Choice Award)

Sales: art need not be for sale, any sales will be directly between artist and client, contact information will be available. Purchased art may be removed and replaced with another painting.

Receiving: hand delivery on Sunday and Monday, April 1 and 2, 10 - 12 noon.

Pick -up: Sunday and Monday, May 6 and 7, 10 - 12noon.

Artists will need to sign the Hold Harmless Agreement in the Prospectus. Prospectus will be emailed to each member.

If  we haven't sent in our dues, this is a good time to do it.

Invite all to "A Pastel Fiesta!"

1st Annual Spring Paint Out and a Demo by Kraig Kiedrowski

Upper Meadow by Kraig Kiedrowski

Join us on Thursday , March 22 , 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. for our 1st Annual Spring Paint Out!  Kraig Kiedrowski will do a plein air demo. 

Schedule is as follows:

             Demo - 10 a.m. - 12n.

             Lunch break 12- 1 p.m.

             Paint Out - 1 - 3 p .m. No teacher.

 Bring your easels, a chair, umbrella, hat, water, etc.

Spring Paint Out will take place at the Antique Rose Emporium, 7561 E. Evans Rd., 210-651-4565.  Directions:  from SA, 35N, left on 1604, right on FM 2252(Nacogdoches), Rolling Oaks Mall is at the corner, left on Evans Rd.  If you are coming south on IH35, then turn right on 1604, and follow through with the previous directions.

To read about Kraig and see his beautiful artwork, go to www.kraigkiedrowski.com .

TWO FOR SHOW EXHIBIT

Two for Show-Artworks by
Jeannette Cuevas and Terry Smith
By Appointment
The Villa
2403 St. Mary's
San Antonio, Tx.
210-846-2783
Closing reception on March 9

Doug Dawson Studio Landscape Workshop

Doug Dawson will be in San Antonio  for a 3 - day Studio Landscape Workshop.  That's Monday - Wednesday, October 15 - 17 , 2012.  A great opportunity to study with a Master Pastelist!

Workshop fee: Members - $325
                        Non-members - $375
$100 deposit to hold your spot.  Send check made out to Texas Pastel Society, P.O.Box 37066, San Antonio, Texas 78237-9998.

"Snow on 16th St." pastel
©Doug Dawson

About the Artist

Biography
Doug Dawson was born in Oak Park, Ill. He attended Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota and Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. He taught science and art for the Denver Public schools for 6 years. He has taught art for Colorado Institute of Art, Colorado Christian University, and The Art Students League of Denver. He is a founding board member for the The Art Students League of Denver, where he presently teaches a Plein Air class and a Studio Landscape class. He teaches 8 to 10 workshops around the country each year. For a list of workshops go to Workshop Info.
Doug Dawson has received numerous awards from a number of different art organizations, including but not limited to:  The Pastel Society of America,  American Watercolor Society, Knickerbocker Artists,  The National Academy of Western Art,  Southeastern Pastel Society, Pastel Society of West Coast,  Audubon Artists,  Kansas Pastel Society,  Pastel Society of the Southwest, and the International Association of Pastel Societies. To honor his achievements, he was given the title of Master Pastelist by the Pastel Society of America (NY, NY) in 1985 and awarded the title of Master Circle by the International Association of Pastel Societies in 2005  (California). 
***Pastel Society of America in New York---2008 Hall of Fame
Doug Dawson is represented by the Ventana Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico;  Telluride Gallery, in Telluride Colorado, the Corpus Christi Art Connection in Corpus Christy Texas, and the Total Arts Gallery in Taos, New Mexico.  To see his works, list of museum shows, books and magazine articles go to www.dougdawsonartist.com.

 

February meeting notes by Roger Snyder. TXPS Secretary

Texas Pastel Society Minutes

February 4, 2012

After the business meeting (see minutes below), Mary introduced Janis Langley, a pastelist from Austin. Janis has been painting portraits for the past 30 years. She brought along a commissioned portrait, as well as the portrait that won 2^nd place in the TPS 2011 show.
After relating an interesting and informative biography, she proceeded to demonstrate how she painted the commissioned child’s portrait. The demonstration was done on a blue-gray tinted sheet of Canson. Besides showing how the portrait was developed, Janis pointed out many of the techniques she had learned, such as typical measurements, best methods of lighting, the use of cool and warm colors, working from hard to soft and from dark to light, as well as her selection of pastels.
The meeting was opened by our President, Mary C. Lopez with an introduction of the officers for 2012.
Membership cards will be mailed out next week. Please send dues and application to The Texas Pastel Society, c/o Maria Aguirre, Membership Chair, 7318 Silent Hills, San Antonio, Texas 78250
Mary then reviewed the status of the Society’s program for 2012.
January – A tour of the McNay’s exhibit of the Influence of Japanese Art on European Art was enjoyed by all.
February – A portrait demonstration by Janis Langley (see above).
March – A Paint Out and demonstration with Kraig Kiedrowski will be held on the 22^nd. It will take place at either the Antique Rose Emporium or the Botanical Gardens. The consensus of the group appeared to favor the Emporium as less expensive and less crowded.
April – There will be an exhibit for all members at the Tobin Library. Paintings will be accepted on April 1^st and 2^nd from 10 to 12. The exhibit will run until May 5^th. There will also be an opportunity to participate in running a workshop for children and adults at the library.
May/June – Planning on a Paint In.
September – Members have been invited to participate in the Comfort Art Fair. This includes the opportunity to hang art for sale and to participate in a sidewalk demonstration.
October – Our National Juried Show starting October 19th. This year it will be held at Art, Inc and will be judged by Doug Dawson. Doug will also give a demo for members on either the 16^th or 17^th. He will also lead a workshop on the 15^th thru the 17^th (Monday thru Wednesday). Cost is $325 for members. $100 required to hold a space. Spaces available will depend upon the venue, but could be limited to 14 or 15 participants. Sign up has already started.
More details on the monthly meetings, other demonstrations, and the opportunities described above will be reported as they develope. Please return to the Society Blog often.