THE PASTEL PRESS

Newsletter of the Oklahoma Pastel Society

November 2007

 

The Oklahoma Pastel Society’s October meeting was fun and informative and yummy, all at the same meeting. The “yummy” part was supplied by Sheila Minnich, Nancy Boyer, Judi Mott and Patrick Calloway – the snacks they provided us with were delicious!  Colleen Brown handled the “fun” and “informative” sections with ease.  With her delightful Australian accent, Colleen could read from the telephone directory and it would be fun.  Combine that with a fabulous demo and lots of great painting pointers and you’ve got a super program!  Thanks everyone for making the October meeting such a success!

 

November Program – AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION!

Our November meeting is on the usual 2nd Monday of the month, at the usual time of 6:30 p.m.  In case you didn’t know, November 12th is the day we’ll observe Veterans’ Day.  And Veterans’ Day happens to be a holiday that the Will Rogers Garden Center closes for.  Thank goodness for Kathy and Jim Benson of The Great Frame Up at NW 122nd and Rockwell!  They are not only letting our group use their great frame shop for our meeting, they are presenting the program too!

 

The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, November, 2007, at The Great Frame Up, located at 12339 N. Rockwell, Oklahoma City (the ZIP is 73142 and the phone is 405-721-8939.)  Kathy and Jim plan on giving us the lowdown on the types of glass you can use to protect your pastel painting as well as showing us the various ways your pastel can be framed.  You know, single or double mat, no mat, fillets, linen liner, types of frames and so on.  Bring some of your unframed work that you’d like to see in some framing options.  Please bring your own folding chair (seating is limited at The Great Frame Up.)  We will have some snacks; if you would like a beverage, please bring it in a spill-proof container.  (If you need directions to the meeting location, please contact Sue Ann Rodgers via email at sueann1022@cox.net or call her at home at 405-330-5467or cell at 405-831-9555.)   

 

Changes in Monthly Meeting Dates

Have you attended the OPS meetings during the summer months?  If you have, well you are part of a select few.  After tracking member participation and attendance for the summer months’ meetings, the OPS board voted to try something new next summer – no meetings in the months of June, July and August.  The society will save money – no room rental for those three months; the program chairperson’s job will be easier – three fewer programs to arrange; the membership will come back from “summer break” refreshed and rejuvenated.  After we try out this new schedule for the summer of 2008, the membership will need to decide whether to stay with the new schedule or go back to the previous schedule (meeting each month except December.)  Yes, this is the exact same info that was in last month’s newsletter – but, hey, it bears repeating since it IS important!

 

What workshops do YOU want?

New workshop chairperson Pam Brewer already has some possible workshops for the group.  Colleen Brown, October’s demo artist, has said she can do a two-day workshop for OPS in late-January/early-February 2008.  And Becky Way is planning a workshop for late winter/very early spring 2008.  Jerry Brown, from Lees Summit, Missouri (he was a big hit at the 2007 Paseo Arts Festival), is a possibility for a one- or two-day workshop after the 2008 edition of the Paseo Arts Festival.  And Terry Ludwig was such a hit with our group (and he had a great time here too!) that he’s tentatively agreed to teach another workshop for OPS sometime in the last half of 2008.

 

Oklahoma Pastel Society is blessed with a number of members who are exceptional artists AND gifted instructors – Mitsuno Reedy, Dale Martin, Ron Chapman, Becky Way, Sheila Minnich, Gary Lennon, Janiece Linden, Marie Kash Weltzheimer, Lorenzo Chavez, Clive Tyler.  Give Pam some ideas of workshop instructors YOU want to take a workshop from.  It’s not too early to begin thinking beyond 2008!

 

TAG – will it continue?

The future of TAG – The Art Groups is very much undecided.  Even though eleven arts groups from the central part of Oklahoma are member organizations (and OPS is a charter member group), it is becoming increasingly hard to have a quorum at the board meeting and to get much participation in the various events TAG has sponsored.  Therefore, at least for the next few months, TAG is going on hiatus.  We’ll keep you posted as to whether TAG will stay …or go.

 

Art for the Heart

Obviously this proposed TAG-sponsored event is in limbo.  Once again, we’ll keep you posted.

 

Membership News and Annual Dues are DUE!

Oklahoma Pastel Society rosters were sent to all members a last month – either as an attachment to the electronic version of the newsletter or as a separate hard-copy mailing.  If any of your information as shown in the roster is incorrect, please let me know; we’ll publish the corrections in the next “The Pastel Press.” 

 

Annual dues for membership in the Oklahoma Pastel Society are a low $30.00.  Please note:  if you are a brand-new member who has joined OPS between February 1 and May 31, 2007, you’ll already be “in” for our membership year beginning June 1, 2007!  If you’ve been an OPS member for longer than that, please send your check, in the amount of $30.00 and payable to “OPS” to:  Oklahoma Pastel Society, P.O. Box 75696, Oklahoma City, OK  73147.

 

 

 

We have several new members; please make them welcome to our group:

Karie Apel, 15624 Bald Cypress Cove, Edmond, OK 73013, 405-341-2272

Shelly Henry, 11108 Ashford Dr.,  Yukon, OK 73099, 405-210-8281

Kyle Calloway, 9216 Chukar Rd., Yukon, OK 73099, 405-350-2095

 

Website – Show off your Art!

Judi Mott, webmaster for OPS, has suggested that in addition to each member’s ONE FREE painting on the website’s gallery, for only $25 per year, you can have a page with up to FIVE of your paintings on it.  Please call or email Judi at 405-350-2095 or landondale@atlinkwifi.com to get the details on getting your artwork to her.  And make sure to go to www.okpastel.org and check out the website; Judi is always making upgrades and updates.  Remember:  if you have questions or would like to ask Judi to add something to the website calendar, you can contact her at 405-350-2095 or via email at landondale@atlinkwifi.com.  Thanks Judi!

 

Shows & Events & Member News

Our annual show and opening reception at The Great Frame Up on October 12th through Saturday, October 20th, was a great success! “Thank You’s” go to Pam Brewer for the award ribbons, Jack Richeson & Co. for the gift certificates, and Terry Ludwig for his great pastels.

 

Linda Battles deserves a big round of applause for putting together such a wonderful food table.  Jimi Layman and Jan Hutchinson took care of the hanging of all that artwork.  And of course, mega-thank yous to Kathy and Jim Henson!  Besides providing OPS with a great place to have a show, they willingly made room for all our great artwork to be displayed, they stayed open late while we finished hanging the show, suggested and coordinated the wine tasting with the Walnut Village Wine & Spirits shop and the Glazier Family of Colorado, stayed late again for the opening party, handled all the sales stuff and then let some of us leave our paintings several days beyond the pick up date!  And to think they’ve invited the group to hold our November meeting there too – they deserve sainthood!

 

Our show was judged by Glen Thomas (who will be our demo artist for next September’s meeting); here are the award-winners:

 

Best of Show – “Orange Reflections” by Becky Way

Landscape, 1st place – “Morning at Red Rock Canyon” by Jan Hutchinson

Landscape, 2nd place – “Beachwalk” by Charlotte Rodgers

Animal, 1st place – “Brinkley” by Sherry Hicks

Animal, 2nd place – “Butt” by Judi Mott

Still Life/Floral, 1st place – “Apples” by Larry Layton

Still Life/Floral, 2nd place – “Water Lily” by Linda Hiller

Portrait, 1st place – “Elaine” by Rita Busch

Portrait, 2nd place – “Bailey” by Ella Moore

 

Congratulations to them all!

 

(Note to winners who received gift certificates/cards from Jack Richeson & Co.:  OPS treasurer Janie Schmitz spoke with Jackie Richeson about the early expiration date on these certificates/cards and where they are accepted.  The new expiration date is MARCH 15, 2008; the certificates/cards can be used at Rochester Art Supply, 1-800-836-8940 or FineArtStore.com.  Contact Stephanie there – she knows all about it!)

 

“Small(er) and Teeny-Tiny Works” Show

Just in time for Paseo’s December Artwalks (yes there are TWO in December – the 7th and the 21st!) will be the Oklahoma Pastel Society “Small(er) and Teeny-Tiny Works Show” at the AKA Gallery.  Donna Connelly is working out the last details with Ashley, of AKA Gallery: you know, things like when we can hang the show, how long it will be up, a wine-tasting, etc.  We’ll send out your entry form and all the other “what-you-need-to-know” information in the next few days.  BUT we can tell you these things:

  1. Each OPS member in good standing can enter TWO paintings (maximum image size of 108 square inches each) for $20.00.
  2. There will be prizes!  More Terry Ludwig Pastels and $50 gift certificates from Jack Richeson & Co. and prize money too!
  3. There will be TWO “divisions” – Smaller which is any image size larger than 54 square inches up to, and including, 108 square inches; and Teeny-Tiny which is any image size 54 square inches or smaller (all the way down to postage-stamp size!)

 

The prospectus for this show will be out in just a few days – and we’ll have the forms at the OPS meeting on November 12th!

 

After the weather turns warmer, we’ll move across the street and up a block to the Paseo Art Space Gallery for our second show there.  In May 2008 our show will open in time for that month’s Artwalk on May 2nd and 3rd.  At this time we’re not certain exactly when this show will come down – that date depends on if the Art Space Gallery will once again be used as headquarters for the Paseo Arts Festival during Memorial Day weekend.

 

Member News

For the second year in a row, Sheila Minnich has won an Honorable Mention in the Pastel Journal’s “Pastel 100” competition.  One of Sheila’s wonderful animal paintings received this honor in the Animal and Wildlife category.  Congratulations!

 

OPS members Becky Way and Karie Apel have new works that will be shown at Cascata Ristorante in Edmond; the opening reception is November 8th.

 

Gary Yazzie is one of the artists participating in the “Small Works, Great Wonders” Winter Art Sale at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum on Thursday, November 29th.

 

Oklahoma Pastel Society members cleaned up in the Oklahoma Art Guild’s “2007 Fall Members’ Show” held October 8th through 20th at 50 Penn Place Mall!  In the “Seascapes, Skyscapes, Architecture” category, Debbie Flynn’s “Sittin’ on the Dock” received Honorable Mention.  In the “Still Life” category, “Apple Still Life” by Linda Hiller was selected for Honorable Mention.  “Kiva Mysteries” by Silver was awarded Third Place in the “Abstract, Non-Representational” category.  In the “Landscape” section, “Melting Snow” by Sheila Minnich received the First Place award and Linda Battles’ “Dinghy Parking” was selected Honorable Mention. Sherry Brown-Hicks’ “Paradox” won First Place in the “Animals, Fish, Fowl” category.

 

Odds and Ends…

Did you know that there is an IAPS Video Highlight page?  Well, until we received the email from Richard Miller at Armadillo Art, we didn’t know either!  Go to the following website:  http://www.armadilloart.com/iaps2007/ where you can see, access, whatever 39 videos.  Definitely something to check out.

 

The Pastel Journal magazine always encourages pastel groups to send them photos/slides/digital images of the prize-winning paintings from their shows.  So, any of Oklahoma Pastel Society’s prize winners who have images of their prize-winning works need to contact Jan Hutchinson at jan.hutchinson@wywlt.com.

 

And speaking of The Pastel Journal, that publication has all sorts of new blogs, online video highlights, even a new pastel-only bi-weekly email newsletter.  Here are the websites and blogs:

            Bi-weekly newsletter:  sign up at www.pasteljournal.com

            Online video:  www.pasteljournal.com/handell

            Richard McKinley blog:  www.pasteljournal.com/mckinley

            Pastel Journal blog:  http://blog.pasteljournal.com

            Wet Canvas:  www.wetcanvas.com

 

(I know – these have been listed for at least two months!  BUT if you take reference photos, you need to check out the 2-part series on Richard McKinley’s blog about how he has indexed, referenced, etc. his photos and other digital media.  The first part just came out – and it’s about film negatives, slides and prints; the 2nd part will be all about the digital stuff.  If you haven’t looked at this, you’re missing some great info!)

 

 

Framing Pointers, Ideas and Opinions

6:30 p.m., Monday, November 12, 2007

THE GREAT FRAME UP

NW 122ND AND ROCKWELL

(see the “November Program” section for phone & address!)

www.okpastel.org