Guilford Docks -- 29 May 2014

Greetings to All,

There may be just 9 of us in the group photo at lunchtime, but I'm not even sure I saw everyone who came out yesterday. Let's see -- Sandy, Veronica, Kay, Joan McP, Tina, Rosemary (I think first time out this year), Bob VanM (first time out since I don't even know when last year, and all mended from his "valve job"), Hans, Judy, Terry B, Betsey, and Keiko...So that's at least 12.  If I missed you, please remind me! Oh, and Penney came by at one point, but I don't think she stayed to paint. I have such a hard time keeping track when our numbers are greater and we paint in a place that is sort of spread out.

Hans was the only one to choose Motif #1, viewing it as a classic vision of Guilford for our Hyland House exhibit. Historically, I don't know how far back the Grass Island cottage goes, but Hans surely nailed it, and we were all hoping that he frames it up for our show! Most of us were enamored with the work boats and wanting to come back to this site again.

It was a beautiful morning, especially if you were not working in the large parking lot, which was a bit exposed and cool when the breeze shifted to the East. That was when we lost Keiko. Judy also both arrived late and had to leave early, so she did not want to share the very brief start on her painting. We were all thinking of and worrying about Patty, who had been in the middle of a medical emergency with Kip the night before, apparently consequent to a bout of pneumonia from over the winter. Patty, give Kip a group hug from us and all our best wishes for a quick recovery. Then let's hope you catch up on your rest in time for our next outing.

I'll have the season's schedule for you soon, but just to give you a sense of what's coming in June and early July... I've focused on scheduling Guilford venues for the month of June --. June 5th - Hyland House;  12th - Whitfield Museum;  19th - Flo-Gris (the one non-Guilford exception);  26th - Guilford Green, and July 3rd - Griswold House. Receiving for the Hyland House show is July 7th, and the show opening reception is on the 12th. You might want to print this list and post it so you will know what's up next and how long you have to finish and frame for the show.

/j

Guilford Docks

Call to Paint -- Thursday, 29 May 2014 -- 9 AM

Greetings to All,

Looks like we're finally going to catch a good one! Tomorrow -  Guilford Docks.

I'm scheduling a series of Guilford sites between now and the first week in July, so that we can have a good range of work for the Hyland House exhibit. I'm not sure whether the docks are a site the historical organizations would consider important, but I think they are, and they offer some variety and a nice balance to the more classical museum venues.

If you're so inclined, bring a chair and something to eat, and we'll find a place to relax over lunch after we paint.

I hope to see you there.

/j

GUILFORD TOWN DOCKS

From  I-95 take exit 58 (Route 77). Turn south onto Route 77  (Church Street) and continue for approximately 0.8 mile to the center of Guilford. Turn right (west) onto Broad Street, and then take a quick left (south) onto Whitfield Street, driving along the west side of the Guilford Town Green.

At the southwest corner of the green, continue straight on Whitfield Street. After 0.3 mile, bear slightly right on New Whitfield, and continue until you get to the waterfront, another 0.8 mi.

2014 Paint Out Schedule

Greetings to All,

I am working on our paint out schedule for the remainder of the year. Before I make these dates more-or-less firm, it would be good to know if any of you wish to host a paint-out, and perhaps also a byo picnic, at your home. In past years, these special paint-outs have been some of our more memorable times together, and they provide the spice of a unique venue, which has a way of turning on our artistic creativity.  If you have a place that you would like to share, please contact me with a Thursday morning that would be good for you to have us come and paint. As always, you should be aware that these events are very popular (which also, by the way, makes you very popular!) so if you extend an invitation, you probably should expect 15 to 20 painters. If you can handle that, I would love to put you on our schedule!

/j

Madison Surf Club -- 21 May 2014

Greetings to All,

It was another glorious morning at the Surf Club. It must be some magic that Jay brings to bear on paint-out day. In addition to the magic with the brush...

There must have been 15 or more people painting, some of whom I do not know. And I ran out of battery before I got everyone. Let's see, there was Jay, Sally, Judy, Cheryl, Elena, Jeannette, Marge, Tina, Hans, and me -- that's nine painters who are regulars with CTSA, and Anne C, back out with us for the first time in more than two years. Welcome back, Anne! Then from MAS, we had Patricia S and Pat G, who are in my photos, plus at least three or four others in the area where I was painting. I'm pretty sure there were others who may have just painted elsewhere, perhaps around the clubhouse, as I know of two others -- Mary N, and Jay Bt, who said they would be there, but whom I did not see.

We will not be painting tomorrow, Thursday, as the forecast suggests it might be a bit wet. We'll try again for next Thursday, with the same Guilford agenda. I'll post it again when we're close enough to see a believable forecast.

/j

Madison Surf Club

Call to Paint -- Wednesday, 21 May 2014 - 9 AM

Greetings to All,

Another wet Thursday morning in the forecast, and another invitation from Jay to paint with the MAS group at the Surf Club in Madison on Wednesday morning. Again, I have a studio session at that time, but since it's in Madison, I will plan to do the studio first and then go over to the Surf Club late and perhaps stay a bit later than usual. Perhaps you know that Jay's group has a custom of getting together for a byo lunch around Noon. So you might want to come with a chair and something to eat. It's a nice opportunity to visit when we're not all laser focused on our own work.

Let me know if you need directions to the Surf Club.

/j

Show Calendar Correction

Greetings to All,

The prospectus for the LAA "American Waters" exhibit lists the receiving dates as May 31 and June 1. A prior publication had listed June 1 and 2, and I had used the June 2 deadline on my calendar.

This underlines the importance of checking the prospectus for details about each show.

/j

Hyland House Exhibit

Greetings to All,

Sandy reminded me this week that we need to be thinking about our Hyland House exhibit which is just under two month's away. This year, our exhibit and the opening reception will be part of Guilford's 375th anniversary celebration.

We have some new guidelines for submissions for this show. Foremost is that artists will be encouraged to exhibit without any requirement to join the Hyland House organization. We understand that in the past, this requirement may have inhibited some members of our group from exhibiting, if only on principle. This has had the effect of narrowing the range of offerings and holding down the size of the show. Not that we have unlimited space, but I'm recalling our first year, for which we had a very enthusiastic response.

Hyland House welcomes our artwork, which has become a fresh added feature of their summer program. There will be no entry fee in 2014. As with other venues, however, we expect that artists who sell their work from this show will donate a percentage of their sales to Hyland House. In fact, we will consider this exhibit as a fund-raiser for the museum, and we believe that our opportunity for sales will be enhanced if it is known that some part of the sales price for each work will go back to the organization to help preserve and operate this historic property. We will provide further detail about how commissions will be handled. But we believe that this arrangement is a much better way to both encourage participation for a fulsome and diverse exhibit and generate support for our partner organization which makes this historic venue available to us and to the public. Of course, any artist who wishes to become or continue as a member of the museum or who wishes to donate the full sales price of any painting is encouraged to do so.

This year's exhibit also will have a somewhat broader focus, with a theme that will include all of Guilford's historic sites and significant landmarks. With this in mind, I will be focusing disproportionately on Guilford sites as I schedule our weekly paint-outs between now and mid-July.

Our exhibit will be in place from July 12 through August 3, with receiving on Monday, July 7 (10-Noon) and Take-Down on Monday, August 4 (10-Noon). As is true for many other venues, once the exhibit is in place, it is an artwork in itself, and paintings are not to be withdrawn until the end of the show. (Exceptions may be made for sales to travelers.) As always, paintings will be exhibited on easels or otherwise propped up in as secure a fashion as possible. They cannot be hung on the walls.

As I mentioned earlier, the opening reception (scheduled for Saturday, July 12 and featuring our show) will be the Hyland House contribution to Guilford's special events in celebration of the town's 375th anniversary. As was true last year, the event will be sponsored by the Hyland House Board of Directors. If you attended last year's opening, you know that it was lively, well-attended, and delicious! This year promises to be even better, with plans for extensive advance promotion in the news media and local shops, as well as by direct mailing. We will have more information on the timing of the reception.

My personal hope is that we will have at least one painting from at least 90% of the 48 of the people on our regular painters list and perhaps some others, as well. I would like to see the exhibit space bursting with our artwork.So pull out your prior sketches and photo references, and begin thinking about how you can contribute to a great little show!

/j

Branford Green -- 15 May 2014

Greetings to All,

Occasionally when the forecast isn't quite right, it's a nice surprise! Six of us had a glorious morning under the flowering pears (and cherries) on the Branford Green. The fragrance was heavenly, and the only showers we had were showers of petals, which were everywhere -- see the photos of my palette and brushes. We even saw winks of sun through high clouds.And at the rate of blossom-fall and leafing out that we observed, those trees probably are mostly green already.

It was great to have Tina back -- I think the last time we had painted together was inn the spring of last year in Old Lyme. This Thursday, it was Jay, Betsey, Judy, Joan McP, Tina, and me. Joan came without her colors and sketched. I came without watercolor paper and worked in my sketchbook.Tina and I both were in the middle of second sketches when the clock chimed twelve and stayed later to finish.

Thanks to those of you who didn't let me get away with the gloom and doom attitude with which I started the morning!

So -- this week I'll work on assembling our schedule for the summer. If I tell you it's coming, maybe I'll get cracking and actually work on it... But next week, let's maybe think about painting at either the Guilford Docks or Thomas Whitfield Museum in Guilford, depending on wind conditions, or if it's rainy, we'll shoot for the Guilford railroad station.

/j

Branford Green