ARIZONA ARTISTS GUILD

Newsletter

October 2013

AAG Membership NewsAAG welcomes the following new members:

New Members:

Ruth EbnerAnne Falvey

Mary HightowerChar Howey

Kirsten Kleyer MangumRoselyn Marshall

Sandi OrlobJoan Shedd

Duc Tran

New Juried Members:Josie Tagliento

Starting in October, membership cards for 2013-14 will be available at monthly AAG meetings and Monday and Tuesday mornings during life drawing and open studio. The password for the membership directory and by-laws changes October 1, 2013. Members who paid to have their membership cards and one copy of directory mailed, will receive both in October.

If you have not renewed your membership for 2013-14, you can now join online. Click on membership and the rest is easy.

Arizona Artists Guild, 18411 N. 7th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85023

Note: The AAG Building will be open meeting nights at 5 PM for members to socialize.

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+++ Volunteer to Help AAG Grow! +++

September AAG MeetingThe October 15th program will be a presentation by Jack Adams. The meeting will be at the AAG building and starts at 7 pm. We will have a critique of members' work before the meeting.

Jack was a member of the New York Society of Illustrators and designed hotels and restaurants in many places including Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Berlin, Romania, Shanghai, and Singapore, as well as New York City. Currently, Jack is a member of the Portrait Artists of Arizona, the Arizona Artists Guild, and the ICON studio. He recently was included in five juried shows in Phoenix: the Best Figurative Art of the Year at Udinotti Gallery, The Unsettled Body Show at the Phoenix Center for the Arts, the annual Best Portrait Show for the PAOA, the Peoria West Valley Art Show, and the Moment Gallery Photography Show in Scottsdale. See more of his work at...www.JackEdsonAdamsPortraitArt.com AAG's New Arizona Art Alliance Representative

AAG artists can participate in an Arizona Art Alliance sponsored show events, as a benefit of being a member of AAG. The artist must apply to become a Juried Artist with the Arizona Art Alliance. You can download the info and application form by going to the AAA web site: www.azartalliance.com and clicking on "Membership".

AAG member Kathy Rose is AAG’s AAA representative.

Artist of the MonthAAG members are invited to bring their artwork to the

monthly meeting to enter Artist of the Month

AAG LEADERSHIP TEAM 2013

President David Bradley

SecretaryLeslie Backer

TreasurerTess Scherer

CommunicationsBarbara Lacey (Vice President for Communications) Mark Woehrle (Newsletter Editor)

MembershipLaura Cohen-Hogan (Vice President for Membership)

FacilitiesMaureen McGuire (Vice President for Facilities)

Meeting LogisticsMark Woehrle (Vice President for Meeting Logistics)

ArtDavid L. Bradley (First Vice President for Art) Ruth Ann LeFebvre (Second Vice President for Art)

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President's Message (continued)At the next meeting, Jack Adams will give a presentation and demo of his techniques for drawing the figure. In November, Jack will give a one day workshop on drawing the figure. Enrollment is limited so sign up right away. Remember, if you bring a non-member to a workshop, you get a discount on your enrollment, and if you sign up for more than one workshop at AAG, you will get a discount. Sign up and pay for workshops on the AAG website now with Paypal.

I accepted the position as President of AAG because I have come to realize that creativity is transferable. My skill in manipulating materials works with clay, charcoal, paper, paint, canvas, found objects, etc, but also with people. I have a long career as a teacher of art.

I see that everything we do has the potential to be considered to be an art form. If you boil it down, ART is the blending together of materials into a new form. We are who we are because of the shaping on ourselves from the world we live in, and teachers are a huge, although by no means, sole factor in each of our development as an element of our society.

I view AAG as a big box of ART materials. I am in the position to impart some influence upon those materials. I won’t be able to totally control how the materials interact, I won’t be able to control all the variables in the process, but I get to set some of the parameters for this year, and I get to control some of the things that are presented to you over this year, and the result will be what will be. I don’t have any idea how it will come out, but I have confidence in my experience, in my skills in creating ART, in my abilities to be flexible and to work with others in a collaborative manner, and that’s all I can do. The rest is up to you. You are the other side of the equation. You bring the unknown into the mix. I can set things up as I think is right, along with the assistance of my friends on the board, but its up to each of you to make it work.

I want each of you to think about what you want out of this organization. Think of AAG as your creation. Think of it as a material that has its characteristics and its limitations. Think about it as a medium of expression that relies upon your input for that to happen. Think about AAG as the lump of clay in your hands that will take the shape you desire, if you realize how best to work with it. AAG is like a lump of clay, malleable, flexible, within limits, but able to become what you want it to be. Each person gets out of it what they put in, so what do you want out of AAG and what can you do to get it?

Thank you for this opportunity.David Bradley

President's MessageSeptember's meeting of AAG kicked off a year of informative programs, workshops, exhibitions and events that will provide you with opportunities for growth as an artist, no matter the level of accomplishment to which you find yourself. We all begin somewhere and go as far as our vision and effort will take us. Wherever you find yourself on your artistic journey, Arizona Artists Guild has something for you to help you on that journey.

At the September meeting, Mark Woehrle gave a straightforward demystification of photography and how, we as artists can best utilize a camera to help us no matter what kind of art we might make. Mark will give a 2 day workshop in October at AAG on photography for the artist that will expand on his presentation and will give participants the opportunity to try some of the techniques and tips out for themselves during the workshop. Bring your laptop or tablet to be able to practice some of the post production techniques he will share.

(Presidents message continued in next column)

October 2013

AAG - LIFE DRAWING OPEN SESSIONS: MEMBERS & NON MEMBERS

$10.00 DRAWING FEE - NO INSTRUCTIONMODEL RELEASE FORMS AVAILABLE FOR PHOTOGRAPHS -

(at model's discretion) Easels, tables provided or you may bring your own.

Bring supplies and coffee is provided.

October and November:ALL TUESDAYS - 9:30 AM - 12:30

LONG POSEALL THURSDAYS - 9:30 AM - 12:30

SHORT TO LONG POSES Email Josie if you have any questions at

a_joyfulsunrise@yahoo.com

AAG - OPEN STUDIOAAG OPEN STUDIO : MEMBERS FREE NON MEMBERS $10.00 DRAWING FEE

October and NovemberMondays 9 AM - 12 (except holidays)

Email Alicia Plogman if you have questions ataplogman@cox.net

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AAG Sculptors’ Group The AAG Sculptors' Group meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 1, 2013 at 7pm. We will go to to Artist Mark Carroll's studio at: 6051 Hidden Valley Drive, Suite #4, Cave Creek, AZ 85331 (Phone: 480-575-6670).

Sculptor Mark Carroll came from a family of artists. Mark’s range of sculpting experiences has provided the versatility, knowledge of techniques, craftsmanship, and professionalism to create unique works of art. His inspiration comes from nature’s organic forms, including the human figure. He established The Sculpture Studio in East Aurora, NY in 1985, creating contemporary art in the form of stone and steel sculptures for private collectors and public spaces. Mark moved his studio to Arizona in 2009. He focuses on creating stone sculptures. Mark's web address is: http://www.thesculpturestudio.com/.There will also be a peer critique.

October 2013

NEW AAG LENDING LIBRARYThanks to a donation by Carol and Stu Tracy from the legacy of Carol’s mother, late AAG member Henrietta Goldstein, we now have a new AAG lending library of wonderful art instruction books. Members and guests may browse through the books whenever there is a meeting or function. Current members may borrow the books for up to a month at a time. Our new Librarian is Janet Wandrey. See her or read further procedures for borrowing books posted in the library located in the display cabinet on the north wall of the main studio. We welcome donations of additional books any time.

IMPROVED AAG ART SUPPLY THRIFT STOREWe have a new larger area for the Art Supply Store and many new items to sell.

DO IT YOURSELF MAT CUTTINGLast year, we began the effort to provide members with mat cutting equipment and workspace but didn’t really complete the effort. This year, we hope to make this more accessible and to provide some instruction sessions to help provide this service for just a minimal maintenance fee. Just $2 will buy you a new blade for the machine and two hours of time to cut your mats

1st Place

Harold Raap

Calm Over Chaos

2nd Place

Leonard Byrd

Resurrection

Art Mediums Change at the Beatitudes ExhibitThere is a change in art mediums in the Beatitudes Campus new art exhibit, Visions of Possibilities. AAG juried artists Ruth Ann LeFebvre and Mark Woehrle bring their award-winning photography to the Beatitudes Bistro walls. While both artists started with box cameras, their current work shows vast differences since those earlier images. LeFebvre's workflow combines layers of images into composites, while Woehrle's images are a result of exploiting the medium to translate the visual world into the imaged world. The exhibition is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily and located Beatitudes Campus Town Plaza, 1610 West Glendale Ave, Phx.

P.O. Box 41534Phoenix, AZ 85080-1534

Scheduling the AAG BuildingMaureen McGuire will be the central point of contact for scheduling meetings, etc. at the AAG Building. Her phone number is 602-277-0167, and her e-mail for this is: mmcguire@fastq.com.

THANKS AAG would like to thank Arizona Art Supply for

the donation of door prizes at our monthly meetings.

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A message from Frida Kahlo

“I paint my own reality. The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration.”

What is AGG's Greatest Resouce.......YOU ARE!Please help AAG grow, be a AAG Volunteer.

October 2013

Pg. 3 October 2013

+ AAG Arrtist Highlight Feature +

Ruth Ann LeFebvre What inspires you? Gosh, don’t we all say everything, life in general? I do find though that when something, be it writing, acting, singing, art, dance, even football, when it’s done with quality, I gravitate to it. I appreciate the history and commitment it takes to reach that level. So yes, something done with excellence is inspiring.

What or who got you interested in art? The what is Saturday afternoons and the who is my mother, an elementary school teacher. Saturday afternoons were always filled with some kind of art activity in my home growing up. I think we were the guinea pigs for projects in her classes. I have my first grade entry into an art contest hanging in my office, and I know I was

creating before that. The interior life of any child is magical and art gave me the vehicle for expression. As far as photography, my first camera was a hand-me-down from my older brother who was taking photos part-time for the local newspaper. He would give me critiques on the images I shot and point out composition and technical ways to improve.

When did you decide to become an artist? I claimed the title of artist in graduate school while studying Art Therapy. I realize that we are all artists in one form or another but that being an artist requires a commitment, a firm rooting in creativity, a tremendous respect for differences and a profound humility toward creative expression. That to me is an artist and what is in the back of my mind each day when I faithfully do something creative.

What medium(s) do you work in? The last few months I have come to the title of photographic artist. So I would say my medium is photography but then I combine it with a mix of medias: acrylics, watercolor, resin, wood, glass, even beading, and of course lots of digital compositing of it all. The computer has replaced my darkroom.

What artist do you most admire and which artist has been the major influence on your work? As a young girl, the possibility of being a woman photographer came from the Look and Life magazine photographers. I couldn’t wait until those issues came each month. Then in the 70s I discovered Diane Arbus. I realized photography was where I needed to land for awhile and commit to it. I memorized her images from An Aperture Monograph and was thrilled when I saw her images first hand at the MOMA in New York. Arbus' photographs penetrate the psyche with all the force of a personal encounter and, in doing so, transform the way we see the world and the people in it. Not a bad legacy.

If you could go back in time which artist would you like to talk to? You would think it would be Diane Arbus, but I prefer to go way, way back and communicate with the artists at Lascaux or even the first homo sapiens chipping away at the hand axes. To communicate using my current awareness of art and their first awakenings to the creative process would be fascinating. How we would communicate would be a challenge, but if I’m going back in time anything is possible. Developmental aspects of anything seem to bring up lots of questions for me. It‘s probably why I chose my undergraduate degree in Developmental Psychology.

PTSD Dreams, Photograph Family Roots, Photograph Secrets in Time, Photograph

Pg. 4 October 2013

AAG artists at the Shemer in OctoberShemer Art Center is now showing, Animal Other with three AAG artist exhibiting: Sue Hunter, Ruth Ann LeFebvre and Ann Osgood. The Juror for this exhibit is one of AAG's scholarship winners for 2013, Ally Glowacki. She asks if there is a point where animal ends and human begins. She answers yes and refers to this existence as, "Animal Other." The exhibits runs until Ocotber 17, 2013 at the Shemer Art Center, 5005 E. Camelback Road, Phx, AZ

Barbara Lacy had her work , Afternoon Float, juried into the September 6 - October 4, 2013, “Art of the Southwest,” Fall Exhibition of the West Valley Arts Council, Surprise, Az.

AAG Collaborations Show - an exhibition of artwork made through collaborating with another artist.The idea of collaborating with someone to make a piece of art may seem repugnant to some because they view their art as their private domain, but sometimes, working with someone else can open up new areas in our art, and can help us discover that by working with someone in an open, trusting process of give and take, you can find new possibilities that couldn't happen when working alone.

Bring your collaborations to the October meeting ready to hang. Reception for the exhibit will be at 6 pm on November 19. Take down of the exhibit 9 pm, November 19.

Herberger exhibit features five AAG artistsThe Nocturne exhibit, at the Herberger Art Gallery is inspired by the hours between sunset and sunrise. Five AAG artist are showing their interpretation of this theme: Jake Fischer, Ruth Ann LeFebvre, Constance McBride, Arlene Meyer, and Pamela Root. The gallery is located downtown in the Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix, AZ . Opening Reception is Thursday, October 10, from 5:30 - 7:00 pm Exhibit runs through December 1, 2013.

HONORING OUR VETERANS - AN ART EXHIBITION NOVEMBER 6 - DECEMBER 1, 2013

This exhibit will be held in conjunction with the juried Art Alliance member show, Fall for Local Art, at the Arizona Art Alliance Gallery located at the Talking Sticks Pavilion, Scottsdale.

Honoring Our Veterans is a special three week exhibition in the Art Alliance Gallery to pay tribute to ALL Arizona military veterans and to raise awareness of Veterans’ issues. Half of the Gallery will be dedicated to the display of artwork created by veterans. While this show is to serve as a tribute to veterans, artwork need not be of a military nature. This show will run concurrently with the continuation of the, Fall for Local Art, exhibit. Arizona Art Alliance juried members who are also veterans have the option of participating in either or both shows. You do not need to be a member of any art group or juried with the Alliance to participate in this show!

AAG Artists News and Information

AAG Members Exhibition and Information You can tell the world and all AAG members about your exhibit!

HOW, YOU SAY! Send your AAG newsletter editor, Mark Woehrle an email message at fstopmark@hotmail.com, and he will publish it in the AAG newsletter.

A message from Auguste Rodin

“To any artist, worthy of the name, all in nature is beautiful, because his eyes, fearlessly accepting all exterior truth, read there, as in an open book, all the inner truth.”