March 2023 Newsletter

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Greetings Fellow Artists!

It is the day after Valentine’s Day as I write this and it feels like Spring… the weather in Ohio never fails to amaze me! I suppose we might have a snowstorm next week, since one never knows in this part of the country.

It was a treat to see those who were able to attend our February meeting as our December meeting seems so long ago. Dr, Hyacinth Paul was very entertaining and informative, and I hope she may become a member of the FAA. She would be a creative and energetic addition to our group. I’m looking forward to our March meeting when Trish McKinney is our demo artist. I have heard many complimentary remarks made about her work and have seen some beautiful examples, so it should be another learning experience. I would like to give a special shout out to Carol Edsall for all the time and effort she puts forth in obtaining an artist for us every month. I know it’s not always easy, especially when the artist has to cancel and she has to find a replacement without much notice. Many of these artists are very busy and their time is scheduled months out so it can be quite a scramble sometimes. Carol does an excellent job providing interesting people in various areas of art, and so, THANK YOU, Carol, for doing such a good job!

As I mentioned in last month’s newsletter, I was challenging myself this year to get out of my comfort zone and I have now entered challenge number two. Between my husband Jay, my sister-in-law and myself, we hung my solo show in the Lofino Gallery at the Beavercreek Senior Center, which is quite amazing, since none of us have ever done that before! I was nervous about the reception but it went off without a hitch, and I can’t thank all of you fellow FAA members enough for taking time to attend. It meant the world to me and I was happy my family was able to meet so many of you. So it is now hanging in all of its glory (LOL) and I am happy that it all came to fruition. I don’t know what the rest of the year holds in store but I thank God and all of you for your love and support.

We voted to keep our dues the same at our board meeting, which is an anomaly in this day and age (Huzzah!). Of course, this gets me started on my soapbox… wait for it… we need someone or “someones” to take charge of the Sweet Corn Festival. The reason we have very low dues and wonderful demo artists is because we have the monies to support ourselves due to this festival. If anyone is interested, please contact Warren Brown or myself.

We have an exciting workshop this spring with Keiko Tanabe, a world renowned artist, so be sure and send in your $40 to reserve your spot! Our Members’ Show is also fast approaching so I hope you are all out there creating your superb works of art.

With that, I will bring this month’s epistle to an end. Take care and see you in March!

Linda Brandenburg, President

FAA DEMO ARTISTS AND WORKSHOPS 2023

MARCH’S FEATURED ARTIST – TRISH MCKINNEY

ARTIST STATEMENT

Being aware of wonder – that moment when you pause for beauty, for sparkling, incandescent light – and the magical awareness of emotion which wells up inside – these are the things I savor and adore. I love weaving a story through the use of color, words, shapes, lines, and texture – inspiring the viewer to tell their own story.

Trish McKinney is a national and international award-winning artist, instructor, graphic designer, and published author and illustrator. Her unique mixed watermedia paintings are about being aware of a moment then sharing her wonder by telling the story. The passion that drives it all for this artist is to inspire – both through paintings, writing, and teaching. Trish especially loves the unpredictable surprise and spontaneous nature of watercolor and combining layers of meaning in her painting through words and unexpected shapes. She loves to ask “what if” when working in her studio because that always leads her to a new discovery.

BIO/RESUME

Trish McKinney is a Signature member of the Ohio Watercolor Society and has juried multiple exhibits. Her paintings have been juried into several international and national exhibitions – National Watercolor Society, Pikes Peak International Watermedia Exhibition, Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibition, Kentucky Watercolor Society, International Society of Experimental Artists, and Ohio Watercolor Society – to name a few. She has consistently won numerous awards in several national exhibitions since 2011.

Trish is a published author, illustrator, and artist and has been featured in Confident Color by Nita Leland, Splash 12 – Celebrating Artistic Vision, The Artistic Touch 4, Do Trees Nap? Children’s Book, and Art Journaling Magazine.

She is also a StencilGirl Artist Designer, a GOLDEN Artist Educator, and a member of the Gel Press Creative Team.

Trish finds joy teaching and sharing her experience through giving programs, demonstrations, workshops and retreats for all ages both locally and abroad. She has been teaching and traveling since 1991 in Italy, Greece, Croatia, Ephesus, France, and throughout the United States.

October 2023, Trish will be jurying a National Exhibition for the Watercolor Society of Oregon, as well as teaching a 5 day workshop.

One of her favorite quotes is – “Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” By Mary Oliver – because this perfectly conveys all that is required to be an artist.

FAA SCHOLARSHIPS NEWS

FAA sent a letter to school guidance counselors/art teachers asking for scholarship candidates from graduating seniors. If you know of a senior who might qualify in Greene County or any of the immediately surrounding counties/communities, please contact one of the FAA board members or Jim Gifford and request an application form. If you know a guidance counselor or art teacher, share it with him or her. The letter we mailed reads as follows:

The Fairborn Art Association has three $1,000 scholarships available for graduating high school seniors who are planning to pursue art in college. An application is included with this letter. Please duplicate the application and use it for as many students as you desire to recommend. Please ask art teachers to share this announcement with their classes. Applications must be mailed to the above address and postmarked no later than MARCH 31, 2023. For additional information, email:  [email protected] or [email protected].

Also, if you have an e-mail account to which we can send a reminder, please e-mail it to the same address. Thank you.

…Submitted by James Gifford, Publicity Chair

MEMBER NEWS

Connie S. Gifford will have an art exhibition at the Beavercreek Lofino Art Gallery the entire month of March 2023. Connie has participated in shared exhibits at this location, but this will be her first solo exhibition of her watercolors paintings. There will be an artist reception on Friday, March 3, 2023 from 1:00 p.m. till 3:00 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The Gallery at Lofino Plaza is located inside the Beavercreek Senior Center, 3868 Dayton Xenia Road, Beavercreek, OH 45432. The Gallery hours are 9:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday through Thursday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Fridays and 9:00 am to Noon Saturdays.

Clarice Moore is honored to have a painting hanging in the prestigious Museum of Science+Industry in Chicago, which showcases the longest running exhibition of African American art in the nation. Moore’s painting, Ascension of Souls, speaks of the tragedy of lost life. The 16” X 20” painting is oil on canvas, and the exhibition runs from January 16 to April 23, 2023. Moore recently had a painting displayed at the Dayton Art Institute, Andrea by the Light. She is a member of the African Art Association of Dayton. One of her works is on display at the newly opened Dayton Public Library at 300 Abbey Ave. as part of a two-year traveling art exhibit.

Bonnie Kuntz is one of 16 artists invited to display in a show entitled Inspiration at the Woodbourne Library March 2 to April 3. Bonnie is also giving a children’s workshop on March 2 at the opening reception 5:00 to 7:00 pm.

CALL FOR ENTRIES – 2023 GREENE COUNTY SENIOR ARTISAN SHOW

The Greene County Council on Aging and the Fairborn Art Association invite Greene County residents who are 60 years of age or older to enter the 2023 Senior Artisan Show. The artwork must be original, created after the artist’s 60^th birthday, framed and ready to hang. Contact GCCOA for the entry packet. All entries are to be dropped off on March 3 between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm at the Fairborn Art Association Gallery, 221 North Central Avenue, with showings at the Gallery as follows:

Sunday, March 12 1:00–3:30 pm Grand Opening

Sunday, March 19 1:00–3:30 pm

Wednesday, March 22 11:00 am–2:00 pm

Virtual Show March 13–24.

For information, call 937-376-5486 or visit gccoa.org .

2023 MEMBERS’ FINE ART SHOW ENTRY DETAILS

FAA Members’ Show artwork will be accepted on Thursday, April 27, 2023, from noon to 5:00 pm. The show opens on Sunday, May 7, 2023.

Prizes awarded on Tuesday, May 2, at the FAA meeting.

Please bring your art ready to hang, and we do not accept saw-tooth hangers or ring hangers. The prospectus has all the information needed to prepare your art for the show. The prospectus is available in our gallery and on our website under Announcements.

Note New Changes: Photography will now be included in the show. There is a maximum of two entries per member. Entry fee for each piece of artwork is $10. Size not to exceed 30 x 40 inches.

Registration: Thursday, April 27, 2023, from Noon to 5:00 pm

Show Opening: Sunday May 7, 2023, from 1:00 pm till 4:00 pm

Prizes Awarded: Tuesday, May 2, 2023, at 7:00 pm at our May meeting

Gallery Hours: Sundays, May 7, 14, and 21 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Note: The Members’ Show will end at the June 6, 2023, meeting and is now included with the People’s Choice. Paintings will be removed after the meeting.

Pick Up: Tuesday, June 6, 2023, after the FAA meeting and on Thursday, June 8 from 10:00 am till 1:00 pm

If you signed up to sit with the FAA gallery, please bring only food/drink for yourself because we will not furnish anything for the guests due to COVID-19. We will assign one person in your group to have access to the gallery so you can get in and lock up when you leave.

Please check with us when you register your art to make sure who will have gallery access. Feel free to bring your artwork to work on while you are there.

Please invite your friends and family to come see the show and hopefully find a piece of art they would like to hang in their home or office. Remember to share this information with your friends on social media such as Facebook.

If you have questions or if you need to deliver or pick up your work at a different time, contact Connie Gifford at [email protected] or (937) 270-7359 or Carol Edsall at [email protected] .

Looking forward to seeing all your beautiful artwork!

…Submitted by Connie S. Gifford and Carol Edsall

SIGN UP SOON FOR THE MAY 2023 WORKSHOP WITH KEIKO TANABE!

This artist is very well-known and, due to her popularity, artists from outside our area are already registering for this watercolor workshop. Seating is limited. Don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to learn from this artist and teacher.

Keiko was born in Kyoto, Japan. As a child growing up in an art-loving family, she always enjoyed drawing and painting and won many awards in children’s art contests. However, art was not her chosen field of study later on. She earned a B.A. in intercultural communication (International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan) and an M.A. in international education (UCLA, California). She then worked in international relations positions in a Japanese government trade organization in Tokyo, at a large law firm in San Francisco and at a private consulting firm in San Diego. For decades, she has traveled extensively, mainly in European countries, Asia and North America.

Through all these years, Keiko knew there was in her heart the growing desire to someday become an artist. That, fueled by her love of travel and strong interest in other cultures, eventually found its way out in 2003. After learning basic drawing and watercolor painting skills at a local community school in San Diego, she took on her first project as an artist together with her father, a renowned scholar of French literature in Japan. Through the Azure Sea and Sky of Provence: A Tribute to Her Joie de Vivre (Kosei Publishing, Osaka, Japan) was published in August, 2003, authored by her father and illustrated by Keiko. From then on, she intensely taught herself to be fluent in watercolor painting, just as one would do to master a foreign language. 

Mostly self-taught, Keiko embarked on a professional art career in 2005 and started exhibiting publicly. In the same year she took a workshop from Alvaro Castagnet and discovered the joy of plein-air painting. Since that year her paintings have been juried into many exhibitions across Americas and in Asia and Europe. Her work has been purchased by private and corporate collectors from all around the world. She also had her paintings published in leading art magazines in the U.S., Europe and Japan. Additionally, she self-publishes her art books and nine books have been completed to date. She’s also a sought-after workshop instructor. Since 2011, she has been invited to and completed successfully more than 400 workshops and numerous live demonstrations around the world. She has served as a juror in a number of art exhibitions including some major watercolor shows around the world such as the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, the International Watercolour Masters, the Northwest Watercolor Society, the Utah Watercolor Society and the New Mexico Watercolor Society. In 2015 she was named an official Ambassador for Winsor & Newton. In 2018, she was appointed to the advisory board of the American Watercolor Weekly. In 2018 and 2019, she was invited to be a faculty member for the Plein Air Convention & Expo, the world’s largest plein-air painting event. Keiko currently lives in San Diego, California.

The registration form for the May 2023 Workshop is available in the Gallery and on our website under Announcements/Forms.

B-W GREENWAY LANDSCAPE 2023 JURIED ART COMPETITION

This is a reminder that all entries for the B-W Greenway Community Land Trust & the Fairborn Art Association’s Landscape 2023 juried art competition will be received at the Fairborn Art Association Gallery, 221 North Central Avenue, Fairborn, OH (in the rear of the building) on Saturday, June 24,and Sunday, June 25, from 1:00–3:00 pm. The Opening Reception will be held at the Fairborn Art Gallery on Sunday, July 9, from 1:00–3:00 pm. The art will be on display at the Fairborn Art Association Gallery and open to the public on July 9, 16 and 23. For additional information visit the B-W Greenway webpage: www.bwgreenway.org or contact co-chairs: Pat Higgins at [email protected] or Karen Nagafuchi at [email protected] .

REMINDERS

Our next meeting will be on April 4. The deadline for submitting articles to be included in the April Newsletter is Monday, March 13, 2023. Please email your articles to April Coppess.

Please note that, for privacy reasons, the Fairborn Art Association will not post personal email addresses or phone numbers in the newsletters or on our website unless we have the respective member’s permission. Consult your FAA Directory for contact information for members. For non-members, we will provide the contact information we are given for them.