Meeting: 03.14.08

Robayre's dyed and spun yarn and multimedia mandalas.

Pejnolan's copper wire tree.

This week we discussed Robyn's move and just miscellaneous stuff.

Meeting: 03.07.08

• We discussed the symbolism from the movie, What Dreams May Come"

• Al brought Helen Merrit's book after attending her lecture this past week.

• SHOW: Professor Emitris, Reception 1-4pm on Sunday, March 16.08 at the DeKalb Gallery.

• The recent show at the DeKalb Area Women's Center (DAWC), NIU Women, was discussed

• The upcoming election and the candidates were discussed pro and con.

• The Field Museum in Chicago hosts "Art in the Field" the THIRD Saturday of the month from 11am - 2 pm. This program allows artists to use the exhibits as reference material for creating works at the museum. Artists at The Field: Bring your pencils and your brushes and get tips from professional artists throughout the museum as they study, weave, draw, paint and sculpt. 3rd Saturday of the Month11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Free with Museum admission.

• CALL FOR ENTRIES: 2008 Rockford Midwestern Deadline is April 13th(?). $2000 Purchase Prize, $1000 Best in Show award. Reception is July 11 from 5:30-8:00. Awards presentation is at 7:30.

• The Egyptian Theatre will be showing Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) at noon and 3pm and A Hard Day's Night at 6 and 9pm on Saturday, April 5th. Write it on your calendars!

• As always, if I've missed anything, please feel free to edit my post. Thank you.

Natalie is beginning another silver bird (YAY!) and showed us her wax cast in its earliest stages. The wax was very hard and Al suggested that that type of wax could be used in block form for printing. Natalie explained the technique she is going to use and how her technique has changed from her first bird. She said this type of wax may be found at Rio Grande or Hauser-Miller.

Al brought many of his reference photos taken both in California and Illinois. This printout of a lily used enhanced contrast and sharpening effects.
Pejnolan brought in her work in progress and explained her plan. Al suggested using a glaze to suggest leafy shadows throught the entire painting
Robyn brought in some of her hand-spun yarn and showed use how to weave on a small loom.

Meeting Notes: 02.29.08

• Connie would like to let everyone know that the Printmakers Unite! "Inky Sound" print exchange deadline has been extended until March 2nd (this Sunday). Use this link above and email the moderator requesting to participate. Sign up NOW!
• "Breakfast at Tiffany's" is being shown at the Egyptian Theatre Saturday, March 1st from 6-9pm. Everyone is invited to attend. Elinor and Erin will be there!
• The Kishwaukee Valley Art Meeting will be held this THURSDAY, March 6th at 7:30 pm. at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Church (Corner of 4th & Locust). This week's presenter is Carolyn McKee-Freese who will be showcasing oil pastels. Membership is $15 for the year.
• Helen Merritt, Professor Emerita, NIU will be giving a lecture entitled, "Japanese Pots and Prints in the Twentieth Century" on Tuesday, March 4, 5-6pm at the Visual Arts Building, NIU, room 100. This lecture is free and open to the public. Part of a series sponsored by the Art History Division at NIU and funded by Elizabeth Allen Visiting Lectures in Art history and Northern Illinois University School of Art Visiting Artists and Scholars Fund.
• The DeKalb Area Women's Center (DAWC) at 1021 State Street, DeKalb will be hosting a show March 1-28 entitled "NIU Women Artists" with a reception THURSDAY, March 6, 4-6pm.
• Besides all that information, Al explained the different techniques used when engraving on wood verses cutting a wood-block to be used for a print. He showed us the plank side and the endcap. (Please feel free to edit this post if I'm not explaining it correctly.) He also spoke about the qualities of different types of wood and why one kind might be better than another for the different uses. As usual we poured over the art, craft and strange stories magazines for inspiration. Erin brought her "Crappie Art" painting to show as a work-in-progress along with a 3-1/2" by 2-1/2" "Sea Monkey" painting at which time she (meaning me) announced that all the Sea Monkeys had passed away due to the white crud.

Meeting Notes from 02.12.08

Natalie called to say that there was an artist's reception at the DeKalb Area Womens Center. So, I contacted everyone I could to say that we were meeting there. The show was primarily photos and showcased five fiber pieces. (See article from the Daily Chronicle below.) We each had our own opinions of the work and discussed them over Hawiian Punch, raspberry filled cookies and sweets. The conversation carried over to Rosita's... it was a tasty food night. If you want, write your opinions of the show in the comments section and we will continue the discussion.

NIU student shows winter art at DAWC
Northern Illinois University doctoral student Mary Baker Turner will present her view of the beauty and harshness of an Illinois winter in an exhibit entitled “Fiber & Ice” on display at the DeKalb Area Women's Center throughout February. Many of the photographs, taken on the NIU campus where Turner is pursuing a doctoral degree in instructional technology, feature images of ice-coated vegetation. Turner, originally from Louisiana, also presents fiber artworks, which entail a heavy amount of stitching, crocheting and wrapping techniques. Her fiber works reference organisms and patterns from nature. All of the works in the exhibit are recent, dating from June 2007 to the present.

Egyptian Theatre Reception (KVAL)

Everyone is invited to attend a reception of artwork hung by the Kishwaukee Valley Art League at the Egyptian Theatre, 1-4pm. Refreshments will be served. Pejnolan has two paintings hanging in the show. Hope to see you there.

Meeting Notes: Feb. 7, 2008

First, our deepest sympathies go out to Onnanoyume and her family at this painful time.

Information:

• Check out this artists software Artworks Pro. It catalogs your work, maintains contact information, tracks location and timing of each piece, details you work with photographs and a slide show presentation for prospects, captures sales details including commission and taxes and can be purchased in Mac or PC format.
• Try Digimarc if you are worried about your copyrighted images being stolen off the internet. It is more than a watermark, this is code that is encrypted within the image file which tracks where the image is being used. Check it out.
• The Next Picture Show Gallery in Dixon, Illinois has listed several calls for entry to various shows. Check out entry information here. Shows include: 61st Annual Phidian Art Show, Sculpture, Clay & Fiber Show , and many more!
• Natalie started off the meeting with her silver birds (below) and pendant. We discussed the techniques used, the materials and the time it takes to complete them.
• Robyn brought mixed media mandalas and talked about the process used to create them, about how she is focusing on the process and worrying less about the result.(although the results are fantastic!) She also brought in a skein of her home dyed, hand spun yarn to show us.
• I (pejnolan) spoke about how even though some of the stories I'll be illustrating in this series might bring up bad memories and it might be easy to rail against the bad, I am focusing on the good areas so that the energy incorporated into the paintings will be positive.
• We debated some politics including the local school referendum
• We discussed right and left brain theory as it relates to handedness, learning disorders, and a way of thinking called "rumination."
• Lastly, we noted that the Nehring Gallery will be showing "Predictions and Premonitions: Stage III" January 31-Feb 22,2008 with a lecture by Michael Barnes on Tuesday, February 19 at 4:00 with a reception to follow from 4:30 - 6:30pm.
• If I forgot anything, just edit this post... I don't mind.
  

Natalie Calhoun,
Silver birds and pendant with pearl and saphires using forming, lost wax casting & reticulation

Robyn Wells
Collage mandalas, mixed media

Pejnolan
Pendant in copper, polymerclay, seashells(left) & Acrylic painting work in progress(right)

Printmakers Unite!

Hi everyone! I finally figured out how to join the blog, and just in time too, for I have some printmaking info to share with the group!
When I came to my first Makers Meeting, I brought along a few envelopes with prints in them that I had received from participating in an exchange online. Printmakers Unite! is a group through myspace where group members can talk about their art, organize and participate in print exchanges, and just share information about what's going on in the print world.
Today I discovered two new exchanges posted in the group:

'Inky Sound' Print Exchange

• Sign ups end on Sunday, February 24th for this exchange.
• The mailing deadline is Wednesday, March 26th.

The details:

• Format: Any printmaking method or combination of methods.
• Theme: ‘inky sound’ – you must represent a song or a piece of music in print form. Don’t forget to let us know your inspiration!
• Paper: Your choice.
• Paper Size: 4”x 4” minimum / 8” x 10” maximum.
• Image size: Your choice.
• Edition Size: The number of prints you will need to send will be determined by the number of sign ups. If 20 people sign up, you need an edition of 20... If only five sign up, then we need only five prints. If the number of participants gets too large, I will break the exchange into smaller editions of around 10-20 prints. I'll give you the final number once sign ups have ended.
• MAILING DEADLINE is Wednesday, March 26th. Your package must be postmarked by this date. Keep an eye on the calendar – time can fly by faster than you think!

‘Impossible Visions’ Print Exchange

• Sign ups end on Sunday, March 16th for this exchange.
• The mailing deadline is Wednesday, April 30th.

The details:

• Format: Any printmaking method or combination of methods.
• Theme: ‘impossible visions’ – (to be interpreted by you as you wish)
• Paper: Your choice.
• Paper Size: 4”x 4” minimum / 8” x 10” maximum
• Image size: Your choice.
• Edition Size: The number of prints you will need to send will be determined by the number of sign ups. If 20 people sign up, you need an edition of 20... If only five sign up, then we need only five prints. If the number of participants gets too large, I will break the exchange into smaller editions of around 10-20 prints. I'll give you the final number once sign ups have ended.
  
• MAILING DEADLINE is Wednesday, April 30th. Your package must be postmarked by this date. Please keep track of the time – days, even weeks, can fly by fast!

I will be bringing more info about these exchanges to the meeting tomorrow, and I'll try and remember to bring some other exchange prints I haven't shown you guys yet.
Until then, I hope you all have a great Friday!