President’s Corner

I can’t believe Thanksgiving is soon approaching. We have had a very busy last few months that included two juried shows and an art critique.

Things are slowing down now, but many of us are still out there painting and enjoying the last of these warm summer-like days.

I would like to thank everyone who helped with and participated in the shows at Nassau Valley Vineyards in Lewes and Grace Church in Wilmington. Many individuals donated time and materials to these events and it was greatly appreciated.

The close timing of the two shows made it difficult for everyone to enter, but we wanted to make sure that we had juried shows this year, and these were the August and September dates were the only ones we could get.

As you know, we tried something new at Grace this year—electronic entries via CD. This made the jury process and review smoother. Although we received somewhat fewer entries this year, we had some very nice paintings represented. For those of you who do not know how to create a digital CD format of your paintings, we have some suggestions tips listed elsewhere in this issue.

Thanks for participating and congratulations to everyone!

Anne Crown-Cyr, President

Award Winners

Nassau Valley Vineyards and Winery

Juror: Margaret Kranking

Great Grapes by Doris Davis-Glackin

Best in Show: Doris Davis-Glackin -

Great Grapes

First Place: Don Blow - Rock Collection

Second Place: Joyce Condry - Grecian Urns II

Third Place: Sally Culp – Hocker’s Hound

Honorable Mention

Dot Braun - Moon Trumpet

Anne Crown-Cyr - Oxford Marina

Betty DeBoer - Grapevine

Jan Henning - Route 1 Bales

Dale Sheldon - The Fruit Knife

Kay Bowers Poole - Hibiscus

Early Glow by Dorothy Harrison Braun

Grace Juried Show

Juror: Jean Uhl Spicer

Best in Show: Doris Davis-Glackin - Emerging

First Place: Dorothy Harrison Braun – Early Glow

Second Place: Don Blow – Company Colors

Third Place: Doris Ingram – Tilghman Twighlight

Honorable Mention

Nancy Brown – Saratoga Summer

Suzanne Detrick – Glowing Red

Darla Hilton – Buffalo Resting

Fay Kempton – Monster Fire Truck

Kim Klabe - Shadyside

Lesley McCaskill – Lavender Fields

Tilgham Twighlight by Doris Ingram

Member News

Elizabeth Collard will teach Beginner's Watercolor Basics and Intermediate Watercolors at Rehoboth Art League. The 8-week courses meet Mondays and Wednesdays, respectively, beginning the week of January 21, 2008. For more information and to register, contact Julie Skerret, RAL’s Educational Coordinator, at 227-8408.

Collard also received an Honorable Mention award for her silk painting, Sunshine, in the Millsboro Art League Fall Exhibit.

Lesley McCaskill received the Best in Show Award for her plein air painting, Morning Has Broken, at the Local Color Plein Air Exhibition in Easton, MD, this summer. The exhibition, held at the Tidewater Inn in Easton, July 27-29, is part of Easton’s annual Plein Air Competition and Arts Festival. The exhibition featured more than 250 works of art by Delmarva artists.

Tim Bell, juror and awards judge for the event, remarked that McCaskill’s painting was “a beautiful and powerful watercolor.” It projected a sense of place with energy, clean color, and boldness.

Lesley McCaskill displays her award-winning entry, Morning Has Broken.

Help with Your CD’s

by Doris Ingram

More and more professionally juried shows are requiring entries by slide or electronic digital format. Entering by digital CD format does not have to be expensive or difficult.

I have no computer, so I looked into alternative ways to get my entries ready for the Grace show. I found Tom at PostBiz in the Lewes Midway shopping center could help. He took photos of my paintings and put them on a CD for me. It took him 15 minutes and cost me $10 for two entries.

Another option is to have a friend with a digital camera take a photo for you and put it on a CD using their computer. You could pay your friend some nominal fee for this help. Also, most places where you get your 35mm film developed will put your photos on a disk for a few extra dollars. If you do this, you will have your paintings ready and need only copy them to a disk. Again, anyone with a computer can help you do this.

These are easy and inexpensive options, and the advantage is you are not hauling paintings to the shows or making extra trips to pick up rejected works.

Walt Bartman Critique

On October 14, about 15 members joined Walt Bartman for a lecture on color and composition and a critique of their individual pieces of artwork.

Walt is very knowledgeable and shared his insight and expertise with us. Here are some things he pointed out when looking at and critiquing your work.

What to Look for in a Painting:

• The idea, invention, unique approach to the ordinary

• Risk taking, attempting the impossible!

• Color, visual rhythm

• Authenticity

• Discovery

• Composition, drama, simplicity, essentials. Does the rectangle feel appropriate to the design? What dominates?

• Drawing, value, rhythm, awareness

• Anatomy, proportion, emotion

• Perspective

• Craft/technique

• Freshness of thought

• Emotional content

• Narrative.

Walt Bartman gives tips on elements to have in your paintings.

Upcoming Events

Gallery One will host two events in November. On November 17th, from 5:30-7:00 p.m., the gallery will feature student artwork from the workshops held there.

On November 23 and 24, the gallery will display new and existing artwork by gallery artists. There will be a raffle to benefit art organizations in the Indian River School district. Phone: 302-537-5055.

DWS Annual Meeting 2008

We are planning our meeting for sometime in the first quarter of 2008 to discuss membership, events, workshops, and other topics. We want to have to have elections for new and/or additional officers at that time and hopefully find volunteers for committees and the newsletter.

Watch for an update in the next issue of Hot Press News.