PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Hello Fellow Artists!
Unbelievably, we are already in March and heading towards Spring! I enjoyed the snow and didn’t mind the frigid temperatures, but I must admit I will be glad to see the crocus and hear the robins singing.
I’m excited to be working with The Modern College of Design and was thrilled to meet their professor and students at our last meeting. I appreciate everyone filling out the questionnaires needed to help them on their project, which happens to be FAA! They will be designing a new logo, website, flyers, and ways to promote our organization and the Sweet Corn Festival. They will present their final project in April, so I will keep everyone informed.
Our Tuesday, March 3, 7:00 pm meeting will feature Pam Hartford as our guest demo artist working in watercolor and pastels. I look forward to watching how she marries these two materials together.
This month I would like to recognize what a great job Jim Gifford does on cleaning all areas of our gallery and keeping our supplies stocked. Our gallery always looks neat and clean, which is always appreciated. Jim is also our Publicity Chairman, covering our Senior scholarship winners, the Sweet Corn Festival, and any other activity to promote FAA. Thanks, Jim, for all your hard work and dedication (and thanks to his wife, Connie, who sometimes assists)!
Speaking of Connie Gifford, we all enjoyed her show in our gallery during the month of February… KUDOS!
Take care and keep creating!
Linda Brandenburg. President
MARCH’S GUEST ARTIST – PAM HARTFORD
Our guest artist for this month, Pam Hartford, will be demonstrating the four-step process she uses to create an animal in pastel with watercolor underpainting, and will talk about the supplies used.
Artist Bio:
Art has been a part of my life since I was a child. There were many art classes taken in grade school, high school, and college. Though a minor in art was completed in college, an art career was not pursued immediately. Instead, the focused was on a professional career in analytical research. After more than 25 years in that field, the call to be an artist finally won out and I was able to return to my passion of painting and drawing. Today, my focus is on capturing the emotion of a moment in portraiture or figurative work of people and animals/wildlife working primarily in watercolors, pastels, colored pencils, and charcoal.
There are several professional societies that I actively participate in to help grow as an artist. The societies are the:
Central Ohio Watercolor Society – President 2022 – 2025; Ohio Watercolor Society – Signature member; Ohio Pastel Artists League – currently serving as President; Women’s Palette; Pastel Society of America, Associate
Awards for paintings over last few years:
2025 – Third Place, Central Ohio Watercolor Society Spring Show, “Burst of Color”; Second Place, 2025 Piqua Fine Arts Competition, “Waiting after the Wedding”; Best Animal, Ohio Pastel Artists League Fall Show, “Afternoon Snack”; First Place, Central Ohio Watercolor Society Fall Show, “Lounging Leopard”
2024 – Second Place, German Village Haus and Garten Tour Wet Paint Competition, “1034 Jaeger St.”; People’s Choice Award, 2024 Plein Air Exhibition Grange Audubon Center, “Sunlight on Bird Feeder at Audubon”; Third Place, 2024 Piqua Fine Arts Competition, “Basking in the Sun”
2023 – Honorable Mention Central Ohio Watercolor Society 2023 Fall Show, Flower Girl at Orvieto Duomo (Italy); Second Place and Fan Favorite, Ohio Pastel Artists League 2023 Fall Show, “Basking in the Sun”; First Place, German Village Paint Out-Haus and Garten Tour, “City Park Ave”; Third Place, Ohio Pastel Artists League 2023 Spring Show, “Looking Heavenward”; Fan Favorite, Ohio Pastel Artists League 2023 Spring Show, “King of the Jungle”
2022 – First Place, Central Ohio Watercolor Society German Village Paint Out, “622 Mohawk St.”
WWW.PAMHARTFORDART.COM
WWW.CELTICARTISTSLLC.COM
MEMBER NEWS
Francis Trick will have an Opening Reception on March 6 from 6:00–9:00 pm for his solo show at the Westheimer Gallery, Sharonville Cultural Center, Sharonville, Ohio. The show runs the length of March. Starting April 1, he will be displaying at the Downtown Dayton Metro Library in the second-floor gallery for the month of April.
Warren Brown will be inducted into the Greene County Veterans Hall of Fame Class of 2026 on April 18 in Xenia, Ohio. The Greene County Veterans Hall of Fame recognizes the accomplishments of veterans who served in the military honorably and then continue to serve their communities through volunteerism, advocacy, professional distinction, public service and philanthropy. Congratulations, Warren!
2026 GREENE COUNTY SENIOR ARTISAN SHOW IN MARCH
The Grand Opening of the 2026 Greene County Senior Artisan Show will be held on Sunday, March 8, from 1:00 pm–3:30 pm, at the Fairborn Art Association, 221 North Central Avenue, Fairborn. The show continues on Sunday, March 15, from 1:00 pm–3:30 pm and Wednesday, March 18, from 11:00 am–2:00 pm. Co-sponsored by the Greene County Council on Aging and the Fairborn Art Association, this show features original artwork by Greene County artists and artisans that was created after the artist’s 60th birthday.
2026 FAA MEMBER’S FINE ART SHOW ENTRY DETAILS
Artwork for the 2026 FAA Members’ Fine Art Show will be accepted on Tuesday, April 28, from 11:00 am–5:30 pm at the FAA Gallery. NEW THIS YEAR: Members will have the option of registering and paying entry fees online, mailing in registration and payment, or registering and paying at drop-off. Please refer to the Prospectus for details. The Prospectus and Show Flyer are available in the gallery, on our website, and in the links below.
2026 FAA Member’s Fine Art Show Prospectus
2026 FAA Members Fine Art Show Flyer
REGISTRATION OPEN FOR MAY 2026 WORKSHOP
Registration is now open for our May workshop with guest instructor Steve Rogers. “Boats and Reflections in Watercolors” will be held on May 4–6, 2026, from 9:30 am–4:30 pm at the Fairborn Art Association. The registration form and artist bio are available in the gallery, on our website, and in the links below.
Steve Rogers is a nationally-known watercolor instructor conducting workshops all over the United States as well as in Europe. He is known for his breathtaking landscapes and marine paintings. Steve’s purpose, as a REPRESENTATIONAL ARTIST is to portray the beauty of light and color in God’s world as he experiences it within his heart. He has done a series of watercolors from his first trip to the Mediterranean to subsequent trips. He has been able to paint this beautiful land not as one who sees it every day, but as a “visitor”, who is awestruck by something fresh and new and at the same time very ancient.
Description: My workshop will encourage students at all levels to advance their own vision and to improve the skills necessary to communicate that in watercolor. I paint and teach in a very straightforward traditional manner because I believe I can most honestly say what I want to with my brush and “juicy” watercolor paint. Workshop participants take away from my class knowledge about light and color and the way watercolor behaves through “mini demos” of paint application, “dealing with dark values in watercolor”, “painting reflections” and how these operate in my full painting demonstrations. I really enjoy teaching workshops and I think that translates into a comfortable learning environment for the class. Lots of student painting time along with personal help is available every day.
May 2026 Workshop Registration Form
LANDSCAPES2026 JURIED ART GUIDED HIKE
B-W Greenway Community Land Trust and the Fairborn Art Association will again sponsor the Landscapes Art Exhibition in July 2026. This art exhibition was established in 2009 to heighten public awareness of local greenspaces, the need to preserve them and to foster an interest in creating art inspired by nature. This year’s inspiration for artists is the Estel Wenrick Wetlands Nature Preserve at 2855 Union Road in Medway, Ohio. A guided hike will be held on Thursday, May 7, 2026, starting at 10:00 am. For more information, contact Heidi at [email protected] .
FAA AND THE CITY OF FAIRBORN THIS SUMMER
The City of Fairborn will host a two-day festival celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary at Community Park on July 3–4. FAA will exhibit last year’s Fairborn Heritage prints and invite FAA members to submit new work; a full prospectus will be available soon.
In partnership with Fairborn Schools, student artwork will be featured on July 3–4 and again on August 15–16 during the Sweet Corn Festival. FAA members may volunteer to mentor students or staff the booth, and donations of unused urban sketching and plein air supplies are appreciated.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE FOR NEXT NEWSLETTER
The deadline for submitting articles to be included in the April 2026 newsletter is Wednesday, March 18, 2026. Please call or email the article to the Corresponding Secretary, April Coppess, by the deadline.
