November 14, 2010, Mira Hecht

What do we do best?

About 25 SAA members spent a few hours with Mira Hecht, an Abstract artist and instructor at the Corcoran.

Florence Gang welcoming 25+ members

We started with an art history lesson (abbreviated) showing how painting evolved from realism to today's abstractionism.   We had a taste of movements such as Impressionism, Cubism, Expressionism, Modernism, and some of the work of Kandinsky, Klee, Miro, O'Keeffe.  We even touched on the emergence of photography and its affect on the painting of realistic scenes and portraits.

We were then treated to examples of Mira's work. x

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A very pleasant and informative afternoon.  Thanks Mira!  ...And for those who were there, please tell the rest of the members your impressions by commenting below....

October 2010, David Daniels, watercolorist

The SAA joint meeting with the Washington Watercolor Society was called to order at 2:20pm at Davis Library.

Florence Gang announced a decision by the Board of Directors to donate $500 to Montgomery College.  She also announced SAA has applied to Black Rock and Friendship Heights for exhibits in 2011.

Lieta Gerson then introduced our program guest, David Daniels, watercolorist.

David began by speaking about "why" he paints...

Because of his science background, he is a curious individual and wants to try something new with each painting.  He feels if an artist experiments instead of painting in the same way each time, he will experience growth as an artist.  He encouraged each of us to approach each painting as a challenge to try something different.

He always paints on large (4' x 6') paper which is glued to alumilite?, unmatted and varnished. but he reminded us that this type of presentation is usually not accepted in watercolor shows.  He recently began using squirrel hair brushes, uses many different brands of paint, and freely uses frisket to preserve white of paper.

Before starting to paint, he does background studies...value, composition, design and color, which gives him freedom to just paint since all the decisions are already made.  He also spoke about the importance of shape, value, color temperature, dominance and variety.

After demonstrating his painting technique (lots of water and letting colors flow into one another), he presented one of his large, finished paintings.

Click for a series of interviews with David Daniels, and see him at work in his studio.

September 25, 2010, Professor Riggs

Photoshop at MC with Professor Riggs

On Saturday, September 25, eleven SAA members met with Professors Riggs and Johannsen for several hours of a hands-on Photoshop workshop.

Each member brought in photos or worked with photos that were supplied.  Basic information was covered that would help an artist develop and modify a photo that would satisfy one's sense of composition, color, tonality, etc.

Here is Joe Giacalone, in the foreground, building a 'gif' photograph of one of his abstract paintings for his web site.

Professor Johannsen is helping Art Hammer.

Thank you to Professors Riggs and Johannsen!!

June 12, 2010, Eileen Martin

Eileen Martin, Martin Glass Creations, 155 Gibbs St. Studio #300 (in Visarts), Rockville, MD 20850.  301.704.4613

www.martinglasscreations.com

I opened my studio in 1997 after spending 24 years with a variety of contractors and government entities. I had always been fascinated with glass, and when my career stopped satisfying me I decided to take some stained glass classes.  I found that I was quite good at it, and when I left my job I opened my studio and took on commissions.  A few thousand panels (literally) later, I have expanded my repertoire beyond lead and copper foil stained glass fabrication and glass painting, to fused and kiln-formed glass, laminating and sand-blasting. I also work with a variety of other media including ceramics, metal, stone and wood in my sculptural pieces.

            My first studio was in a barn; my next studio was a studio/art gallery, providing a different source of income and headaches.  All of the pieces in my gallery, whether they were one of a kind or production pieces, were all made by my hands.  It was a successful endeavor – I was able to create the kind of work that I enjoyed doing, people would buy that art, and I was able to teach.   And although this was a satisfying experience, I wanted to try working with other artists in a collaborative setting.

            I am currently a resident artist at VisArts - the Metropolitan Center for the Visual Arts.  In this venue I am able to work with a variety of artists; fiber, ceramic, painting, and metalwork.  I am also the head of the glass department, in which capacity I am responsible for the classroom, inventory, and education programs.  I work with the Montgomery County (Maryland) Public school system as a guest lecturer, and from those contacts I have been able to work with hundreds of students, enriching their art experiences and my life.

            I am one of the very few people in this region who do on-site restoration of stained glass, so you can periodically find me on scaffolding in a church in the area.   My commission work is highly sought after.  I exhibit in shows either independently or as a member of the National Capital Art Glass Guild (NCAGG), which shows in the Maryland, DC and Virginia region.  I am also the co-chairman of the Creative Crafts Council, an association of nine craft guilds which manages and presents shows for their members. I teach art (fused, stained and mosaic) glass at numerous locations in the Metropolitan area and also judge and act as juror for glass and enamel guild shows and exhibitions.  

Temperature determines texture

About 25 SAA members and guests attended.

May 8, 2010, John Barnes

SAA member John Barnes gave a presentation on "Photographing Your Artwork"

John Barnes, a retired physicist, joined Senior Artists Alliance in 2009.  His strong interest in photography motivated him to take courses at Montgomery College in order to receive a photography certificate.  John produced the wonderful catalogue for the Pepco Edison Gallery. 

 

Most artists recognize they need photographs of their work for a variety of reasons: submission to exhibition juries, insurance and tax records, marketing their work, a catalogue or for sharing with family and friends.  Although digital cameras appear to make photographing easy, this is deceptive.  Getting the best photographic reproduction requires attention to detail.  Images must be in sharp focus, display the full range of colors, retain the perspective in which the work is displayed and eliminate photographic distractions; e.g., unnecessary objects or shadows.

 

On May 8, 2010, John presented the "how to" of photographing using imagery to illustrate those points.

Some points to consider:

-North light gives relatively diffused/soft light, and often works well when photographing a sculpture.

-Eliminate extra "stuff" in the viewfinder, which you, as the photographer, are responsible for. Eliminate extraneous items in the background. Move your body in or out or change the zoom.  Change the camera settings. The table on which a piece is sitting is generally not needed in the photograph.

-If you hire someone to photograph your work, select someone who shows your style accurately, for example, to show individual brush strokes of a painting, shadow and texture of your sculpture.

-If shooting a sculpture, consider the piece’s setting; the wall, the container you place the piece in such as the light box, a non-reflective neutral background. Move away from the wall to eliminate wall shadows when photographing a sculpture. Sculpture shadow on the base to set the piece and show depth is good. Try to light from a window or other source to show the sculpture’s depth.

-Glass and perspective must also be accounted for and corrected, as needed. Remove the glass to eliminate reflections. Avoid shooting at an angle.

-Try soft side-lighting for a sculpture. Lighting from above may be best for a sculpture. Experiment with lighting. Experiment with multiple lights.

-Avoid ‘hot-spots’ from lighting when photographing a sculpture or painting.

-You must look for the impact your photograph will have, how the viewer will perceive your artwork.

-When sending work to a juror, determine what the juror is looking for and shoot with that in mind.

-Adjust your White Balance before you take the picture. Automatic White Balance is pretty good. If your camera does not allow you to set White Balance, then it is preset to Automatic. Remember, it is important for an artist to have an accurate rendition of colors of the art work. Consider using a tripod to steady the camera. Shoot several shots and select the best.

-In summation, shoot sharp, properly lit, without distractions. The key to shooting good photographs of your work is to experiment and determine what works for you, keeping the above points in mind.

 

April 10, 2010, Professor Sellmeyer

Associate Professor of Art, Michael Sellmeyer of Montgomery College, gave a talk about his paintings, drawings, collages, and prints. His talk included his work processes and evolution of his art through different media.

The speaker for the April Senior Artists Alliance Meeting at the Davis Library, Bethesda, MD was Associate Professor of Art, Michael Sellmeyer, who teaches foundation classes in two dimensional design and color theory at Montgomery College, Rockville Campus. He is known for his modern view of the world and is considered a passionate artist and instructor. He encourages creativity in artists, both experienced and less experienced. His creative mind translates into dynamic paintings, prints, and collages. Though creative, he manifests as a "down-to-earth" presenter.

He began the presentation by informing the audience that he would include his work processes and the evolution of his art through different media and via many different job experiences. After the presentation, this writer asked him how he would sum up how he works. He responded by stating that he uses collaboration with the media and, if it's not working, he changes what he's doing.

He has a graphic design degree and took his thinking in illustration/design with him to graduate school at the Univ. of Wisconsin at Madison. He found that representational work was a deadend for him. He was interested in imagery rather than representation and "getting into" the materials; eg., carving, and cutting wood with butter knives, using bottle caps and pounding objects into the wood. In 1991, he dropped out of graduate school for a year and began doing assemblage sculpture, along with mixed media work, eg. assembling, and covering materials with concrete and a gel media. He names a work after he makes it. At that point, he filed for residency, got a job, health insurance and went back to school. He did screen printing when he worked for real estate companies. He experimented with covering screens using spray starch, using water and other materials while the original material was still wet to reduce the open areas, and called it "reduction printing" (making areas smaller)

Because he was continually looking for less expensive materials to experiement with, he began frequenting farm stores buying cattle marking pens and inexpensive gallons of material used to mark animals to dump over wet paintings. In an attempt to further liberate himself as an artist, he bought sheets of masonite and covered them with gesso using them as floor paintings by spilling paint and then walking on them. He began using thick gesso and smashed objects, which he photocopied and added extra elements such as bottle caps and peanut shells to add some depth to the work.

He stayed away from classes at his comfort level and, for example, explored collagraphs. He worked jobs driving fork lifts and delivery trucks and because he was comfortable with the people he worked with, they gave him lots of materials, eg, fake leather boxes to keep slides in. Whenever he could, he used these unorthodox materials for experimenting.

Then he returned to etching. He found he couldn't wipe off all the ink. He covered the plate with with clear contact paper, inked again, removed the contact paper and then kicked the work down the hall to see what he got. He transferred photocopies, and used traditional aquatints to continue his experiementation.

Although intending to return to graphic design, he ran into a high school acqaintance who was teaching at a community college. He began doing large assemblages at that point. When he realized he had a small one bedroom apartment, he knew he had to start working on smaller pieces again. As he moved to a larger place, he began working on four feet by five feet works that would fit in the back of his pickup truck. He started working on Masonite (fake panelling), which is easy to cut with a saw and can be glued to a frame.

At that point, he began working with lights vs. darks, a remnant of his days as a graphic design student. He threw in hues. He still works that way and finds that there is no way to change that methodolgy/thinking, despite using scanners, laser printers, acrylic inks, pencil drawing, acid baths and zinc. He never makes more than 5 - 10 prints. For safety, he built his own ventilation system.

He began keeping a sketch book to record ideas/doodles. He can scan these in photoshop, blow them up and do a bigger print. Then he began giving his work titles. In 1994, he bought the best Thesaurus he could find and uses it to look for poetic names.

He returned to experimenting with the left-over cattle markers he had, using them and then coating them with ordinary varnish.

He answered a question about signing his work. He responded that he only signs paintings on the back because he feels a signature on the front "messes" it up. He signs prints on the front outside the image area. He believes in doing the work right and it will outlive him, even when he's experimenting. He's experimented with woodcuts, using old drawing board from graduate school and then began using birch plywood 4 feet X 5 feet, which, in his view, carves nicely. He then experimented with hardware mesh, hammering it, carving and then printing it with white ink . He returned to doing large collages 10 feet X 10 feet with colored inks. He continually recycles old parts, his own work, uses rocks, has returned to drawing simple art work , simple charcoal drawings, other objects which he traces around to get a shape and looks to see where it leads him. He returned to etchings but didn't using nitric acid, instead used electricity, water and table salt with a car battery to bite the plate with a slow process. This doesn't need ventilation. Sometimes he paints over old paintings that he knows will never sell. He may put varnish on so that he can use either acrylic or oil.

He builds his own crates to ship work only in the United States. He prices work to sell. He prices to be an "impulse buy." His paintings sell most of the time. His etchings don't sell. He believes in presentation. He said he is "anal" about presentation. He's never sold a collage. He may show only one or two pieces at a time, but he feels that's OK because his work is getting "out there." He's not always having a single person show.

The audience gave rapt attention, asked many questions and had many comments during the presentation.

Submitted by Arlene K. Polangin

March 13, 2010, Julian Manelli

MARCH 13, 2010 Julian Manelli presented the "art of framing art" to 25 members and guests

“My discussion today will be about framing, but first I want to tell you about our framing studio and location. Mat About You Gallery and Framing Studio is a family-run and owned business. All work is done by us — we help you decide on a design presentation and then we actually create it. We are proud of what we do. We focus on you and your art to provide you with quality, value and timeliness.”

The gallery/shop is located in the beautiful, historic town of Ellicott City, founded in 1772 by Quakers with many of the original granite buildings still standing. After visiting, (directions can be found at www.mataboutyou.com), you can have quite an enjoyable time in the charming village. For more information on Ellicott City, check out www.historicec.com and www.howardcountymd.gov/HCT/HCT.

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Mr. Manelli begin his discussion by quoting a great artist who said, "A good piece of art deserves a good frame and a bad piece of art needs one." This quote is from none other than Edgar Degas.

His quote expresses the importance of a frame. To put it another way, framing is like a stage on which the art is performing. It is a critical part of the whole experience.

To discuss framing, Mr. Manelli answered the following questions:

• What is the function of framing?

• How did framing evolve, i.e., its history?

• How are today’s frames fabricated or assembled?

What is the function of framing?

Framing serves three functions. First, it is there to protect the art; second to conserve the art; and third to enhance the art. These points will be discussed further in the following paragraphs.

How did framing evolve, i.e., its history?

The earliest frames were for icons, that is, religious images. These frames were constructed by carpenters, for the most part, and enclosed the religious art to protect it, e.g., as it was carried in a religious procession, etc. Images were also incorporated into altars where they were surrounded by wood or stone for protection. This was the beginning of framing. The carpenters and stone masons executed these earliest examples of frames from the 11^th through 14^th centuries. You can observe that their work while protecting the art actually enhanced it.

As art began to portray more secular subjects, for example, portraits, landscapes and still lifes, etc., frames began to evolve. The role of protection continued but enhancement began to play a very important, if not central, part of the frame’s function. From the 15^th century to the present, frames have become quite complex requiring more than just carpentry.

For example, gold leaf was applied to frames because it showed the wealth of the art patron and helped brighten the art by gathering the light in the room. Gold and silver reflect light well and these metals bounced light onto the art that they surrounded.

The frame itself became more complex to construct and was not just the product of the carpenter shop. Inlays, finishes with stains, gesso carving, appliqués, etc. were added. By the 18^th century the frame became “molding” (made of wood or some other material) and its manufacture became an industry. Today’s molding is constructed in shops in which designers, craftsmen, specialized workers and machines finish the molding into varying styles and colors. It comes in lengths or sticks and is cut separately by framers who actually make the frames. The variety of available moldings today is almost endless.

How are today’s frames fabricated or assembled ?

Today works of art are not only created on board or wood; they can be done on paper, tissues, cloth and, of course, stretched canvas. Therefore, depending on the medium, the framing design and composition will vary.

For example, Mr. Manelli framed the painting of an SAA member, Joe Homes, to demonstrate some of the kinds of frames and glass that are available today. The portrait was a work on paper using oil paint. He worked with Mr. Homes to design a frame that would enhance his art. The completed framing uses complete conservation techniques and meets the Library of Congress’ standards for the preservation of works of art.

Two moldings were selected—the outer molding was a 2-inch cherry wood finished composite board molding fabricated out of particle board and laminated with a wood veneer finish. (In today’s world of moldings, molding can be made of all wood, particle board, plastic, aluminum or wood laminated with a variety of materials including gesso.)[Examples of these forms of molding were passed around the group.]

The second molding was ¾ inch solid maple. This inner molding into which the art was fitted serves two functions—creating a spacer so that the glass did not touch the art and a distinct accent around the art to enhance it. (There are many other spacer materials and techniques used including mats, liners, fillets, and gutters)

Because Mr. Homes’ art work was on paper, glass was used to keep it from being damaged by light and dirt. The glass used in this case was museum quality. (A discussion of different types of glass has been provided to you to supplement this presentation.) The glass was placed on the second molding.

Before fitting the art in the second maple frame, the rabbet of the frame was lined with barrier film to prevent the acid of the wood from corrupting the art.

The art was mounted on an acid free board. The mounting was done using hinges made of Japanese rice paper and mulberry glue—both are PH neutral and can be removed with dampening.

For the final assembly the museum glass was placed on top of the maple frame, and the outer cherry finished frame was fitted over both the glass and the maple frame. The two frames and glass were dart nailed together. This made the frame complete and the mounted art was placed in this assembly and affixed with framers’ points.

The completed assembly was closed with a dust cover, and hardware for proper hanging was attached.

To review, frames may include all or some the following elements depending on the design:

Molding

Glass or glazing

Mounting

Spacers or accents, such as mats, liners, additional moldings or fillets

Assembly

Hardware and closing

There were many questions and answers that help the attendees better understand the fine craft of framing. Mr. Manelli concluded by inviting the members of SAA to visit his gallery and have their works of art framed by him and his staff.

 Mr. Manelli's article on GLASS, Framing Spotlight: Glazing Options, that he prepared for SAA is below, under the pictures.

Submitted by Arlene K. Polangin

Framing Spotlight: Glazing Options, by Julian Manelli for SAA

Ultraviolet light is present in nearly all forms of light, including sunlight, incandescent light, fluorescent light, and halogen light. UV light exposure causes artwork to fade, yellow, and become brittle. Although UV protective products will slow such deterioration, it is still important to hang valuable art away from direct sources of ultraviolet light.

At Mat About You Gallery and Framing Studio we carry a variety of U.V. protective glass and acrylic in both clear and non-glare options. For budget picture framing needs, we also feature similar products without UV protection.
Although ten choices in glazing protection may seem daunting, our designers will quickly guide you to the right choice based upon your needs and budget. Here is the run down on our glazing options:

Tru-Vue Museum Glass & Optimum Museum Acrylic™
The newest addition to our line-up of ten glazing choices is Museum Glass. Museum Glass is our finest grade premium glass. Optimum Museum Acrylic™ is our premium acrylic option for oversize and security installations.

Museum Glass is a truly an extraordinary product. It provides the same UV blocking protection of Conservation Clear and Conservation Reflection Control in that it blocks more than 98% of the ultraviolet rays in the 300-380 nm range. In addition, Museum Glass has a very special anti-reflective surface far superior to a typical non-glare glass. A special coating is used in extremely thin layers to break up the incoming light rays so that they don't bounce back off the glass, producing a glare. Because the rays don't bounce off, the picture is actually more illuminated than with clear glass. Clear glass transmits 91% of light to the artwork, while Museum Glass transmits more than 97% of light to the artwork. This improves color intensity and clarity.

Tru-Vue Museum Optimum Acrylic is the best acrylic choice for museum and original artwork or valued prints needing superior glare-free clarity and UV protection. Both Museum Glass and Museum Acrylic offer similar protective and visual advantages.

Tru-Vue Conservation Clear Glass (U.V. Glass) filters 98% of damaging ultraviolet light. This is the glass you see on most of the art in our gallery and is our number one selling glass.

Tru Vue Conservation Reflection Control Glass (Non-glare U.V. Glass) has the same U.V. filtering quality as clear glass, but has an etched surface to reduce glare. This surface softens the image with a resulting slight loss in clarity and color intensity.

Tru-Vue Conservation Clear Acrylite (U.V. Plex) filters 98% of damaging ultraviolet light and provides an extremely clear view of the image without the slight greenish tint that is inherent in regular glass. Like other acrylic products, it is ideal for shipping and installing oversize pieces of art.

Conservation Reflection Control Acrylite (Non-Glare U.V.Plex) filters 98% of ultraviolet light and has an etched surface that is slightly less distorting than its glass equivalent. We use this product in many corporate installations where large windows produce glare, and we need an affordable acrylic product to reduce reflection.

Tru-Vue AR Conservation Clear Acrylite (Abrasion Resistant U.V. Plex) is similar to U.V. Plex with the addition of a scratch resistant surface. This product is ideal for office installations where janitorial services may be cleaning the framed artwork.

Tru-Vue Premium Clear Glass is a quality clear picture framing glass for budget projects that do not require U.V. protection.

Tru-Vue Premium Clear Acrylite (Clear Plex) is a general purpose, defect-free acrylic for picture framing without UV protection.
Preservation Spotlight: Image Permanence Institute--Digital and Traditional Photography

As we see different types of digital prints and photos brought in to the shop on a daily basis, it is important for us to know what type of print you bring in, especially if the image needs mounting. We have done mounting tests on various types of digital output, and we know that some are safe to mount. As this field is constantly changing, we will continue to offer expanded information on this ever-changing field.

January 16, 2010, Michaele Harrington

Michaele Harringon was our guest speaker at the Senior Artists Alliance meeting on January 16, 2010.

Over 40 SAA members attended.
She talked about "critiquing your art work".  Members who wanted to have their paintings, photos, prints or sculptures critiqued brought a work of art to the meeting.

 
All participating members joined in the discussions.  This was a very interesting session.
 

The speaker, Michaele Harrington, is best described is a practicing fine artist and art educator at colleges in the Baltimore-Washington area.  She has exhibited regionally, nationally and internationally and conducts workshops in experimental water media.  Her own work explores two and three dimensions, which express her interest in psychology, archetypes and personal symbolism. 

 

Best described as an "eclectic artist," Ms. Harrington presented a format with which to critique art using: five ELEMENTS OF DESIGN:  LINE   SHAPE  VALUE  TEXTURE and  COLOR.  She then discussed the Organization of these design elements into the PRINCIPLES OF HARMONY and PRINCIPLES OF VARIETY.  Principles of Harmony include Repetition, Rhythm, and Visual Links while Principles of Variety include Factors, Difference (light/dark), Contrast (large/small areas) and Elaboration (detailed/simple).  Ms. Harrington suggested deciding on a focal point and orchestrating a crescendo around your focal point (rest place) to hold people's attention (squinting helps to select that point).  She mentioned that one should avoid putting the focal point at the edge of the work.  Another aspect of creating art is the POINT OF VIEW which includes Balance, Proportion, Dominance, Movement, Economy (strip to the bare essentials), Space (generally avoid dividing in half), and Unity.  Ms. Harrington noted that when all of the above elements work together to create a space, you have unity.  This is the technical aspect of the art.

 

To Ms. Harrington's mind, creating art is a conversation between the developing art and the artist.  She feels you reach a point where you must be willing to let the work exist on it's own.  For her, a painting is never finished.  She leaves a work alone for a couple of months, after it is 80% complete, and then looks at it again.

 

The members present then had an opportunity to present one work each to Ms. Harrington to critique jointly with the audience using the principles discussed earlier and how they viewed the art..

 

The afternoon was thoroughly enjoyed by all present as indicated by the rapt attention , participation, and questions.

 

Submitted by Arlene K. Polangin