WATERMELON BOOTH VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

The Sweet Corn Festival is approaching and will be here before you know it. We still need help manning the Watermelon Booth. All shifts are open except Saturday morning 10:30 to 1:30. Shifts available are 1:30 to 4:30 and 4:30 to 7:00 pm on Saturday, August 17, and 10:30 to 1:00, 1:00 to 3:30, and 3:30 to 6:00 pm on Sunday, August 18. Email Roger Browning at [email protected] or text to 937.760.5222 if you can work any of these shifts.

MEMBER NEWS

Debora Hurst sold a watercolor landscape painting at the Greene County Senior Artisans Show held in March 2024 at the FAA Gallery. Debora also sold a watercolor painting of an elephant to the Five Rivers Health Center on Miami Chapel Road in Dayton, Ohio, and, has an abstract watercolor in the African American Visual Artists Guild Traveling Art Exhibit.

Barb Olekas won first place for her colored pencil artwork at TriArt Members’ Show held in April 2024.

Debbie Cosenza had a piece accepted into the 30th Annual The View Juried Landscape Exhibition at Rosewood Gallery. The show runs June 10–July 20, 2024. 

2024 MEMBERS’ FINE ART SHOW AND PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS

Congratulations to all our winners at the Members’ Fine Art Show! It is a beautiful show! We are looking forward to the People’s Choice show on June 4 which is also our annual social event. Come out and vote for your favorite top three choices and enjoy some good food and friendship! This is always a good time and it’s so fun to see which works of art are treasured by the majority of members. Please remember to take your artwork home after the evening’s festivities. If you are unable to attend on June 4, Linda and I will be at the gallery on June 5 from 10:00 am–1:00 pm for anyone who needs to pick up their artwork. 

    ~~Cindy Sayeedi

2024 MEMBERS’ FINE ART SHOW AWARD WINNERS

Best of Show (Sandy Kinnamon Memorial Award): Tessa Kalman “The Homecoming Parade”

First Place (Virginia Hess Memorial Award): Yuki Hall “Vintage Tram in Milan”   

Second Place: Linda Brandenberg “Rooster #2”

Third Place: Susan Scott “Out of the Box”

Honorable Mention: Billie Dickson “Touristas en la Habana”

Honorable Mention: Carol Edsall “Boulder Stream, Smokies”

Honorable Mention: Connie Gifford “Wheels and Spokes”

Honorable Mention: Jeffrey Davis “August”

Honorable Mention: Julie Shuman “Our Love Story”

Honorable Mention: Tom Kinarney “Taylorsville Morn”

Honorable Mention: Nancy Dankof “Garden Bouquet”

Honorable Mention: Clarice Moore “Praise Dance”

Judge’s Merit Award: Eileen Thomson “Katie Faye”

Judge’s Merit Award: Debbie Cosenza “Beneath the Surface IV”

Judge’s Merit Award: Sherry Li Cai “Quiet to Listen”

Judge’s Merit Award: Marie Trittschuh “If I Could Make It Them”

Judge’s Merit Award: Barb Singerman “Lumbering from the Watering Hole”

Judge’s Merit Award: Connie Weber “On a Clear Day”

Judge’s Merit Award: Rose Schultz “Sighting the Mark”

Judge’s Merit Award: Marsha Elliot “Big Blue”

2024 MEMBERS’ FINE ART SHOW JUROR’S STATEMENT

The paintings in this exhibition delighted me – made my eyes dance across the paper – made me feel something – inspired me – and filled me with wonder!

My standard for selecting the paintings in this show was vivid imagination, bold storytelling, and excellence in design.

Above all I looked for the voice of the painting – the story and emotion. I looked to see if the artist owned that voice and committed to every aspect of the painting. I paid attention to both the loud, dynamic voices as well as the quiet, softer ones.

Best of Show was awarded based on this criteria and set the tone for this exhibit – it excellence in design, and beauty in the brushstrokes – this painting’s voice grabbed my imagination. I felt like I was standing there on that sunny day and watching those children playing!

1st place was awarded to another painting that told a story – thoughtful, moody, excellence of design, and with fresh, confident brushstrokes. I also loved the skilled use of subtle color which leads me through the composition – this painting had a confident voice and the artist boldly owned that voice!

2nd place was awarded to a painting that could not be passed by without stopping – that stare! – it brought me into the story boldly and a dramatic use of color made me stay and fall in love.

3rd place was a painting that has a bold use of colors, shapes, and lines. The organic tension intertwined with strong, geometric shapes made this painting shout “look at me!” – and so I did!

The Honorable Mentions all had these qualities – some of their stories were softly spoken while others were boldly declared – all of them spoke of a strong imagining of a definite moment. They all grabbed me and pulled me further into those stories.

I applaud all the artists who dared greatly and entered this show, took a risk and told their story.

The endeavor of the artist is to pay attention to wonder, be astonished by the ordinary, and make these things heard and seen as something extraordinary. Thank you for sharing your stories and allowing me to see the world through your eyes – you filled me with joy!

Trish McKinney. Juror

LANDSCAPES2024 JURIED ART COMPETITION

The B-W Greenway Community Land Trust & the Fairborn Art Association’s Landscapes2024 juried art competition is underway. It has been held for the past 13 years to heighten public awareness of preserving local greenspaces through art.

The 2024 location for the competition is Valle View Reserve. The reserve is located at 1097 Empire Ct., Fairborn, Ohio.  The reserve extends north and south of Dayton-Yellow Springs Road.

The juried competition is open to all artists 16 years and older, living within 200 miles of Fairborn, Ohio. A 2-D work may be oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolor, print, drawing, mixed media, or photography. A 2-D art may not exceed 30 x 40 inches. 3D art, less than 60 lbs. in weight. 3-D sculpture, must fit through a standard doorway.

All entries will be received at the Fairborn Art Association Gallery, 221 North Central Avenue, Fairborn, Ohio (in the rear of the building) on Saturday, June 29, and Sunday, June 30, from 1:00–3:00 pm.

A non-refundable entry fee of $25 for a total of 3 works must accompany all entry forms. Artwork may be offered for sale by the artist; 20% of each sale will be taken as a donation to B-W Greenway Community Land Trust. 

The judge for Landscapes2024 is Esther Kadash, a glass fusion artist and post-impressionistic acrylic painter. She received a Bachelor of Science and Master of Education from Wright State University. She founded Artkare, an Art Therapy program for Dayton area Nursing Home residents.

The Opening Reception will be held at the Fairborn Art Gallery on Sunday, July 14, from 1:00–3:00 pm. The art will be on display at the Gallery and open to the public on July 14, 21, and 28, from 1:00–3:00 pm.

For additional information visit the B-W Greenway webpage: www.bwgreenway.org

YUKI HALL WATERCOLOR WORKSHOP IN JULY 2024

Yuki Hall will be offering a 3-day watercolor workshop called “Capturing the light in watercolor” from July 15 to July 17, 2024, 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM at the Fairborn Art Association Gallery. In this 3-day workshop, students will learn how to transform an ordinary scene into a memorable watercolor painting that speaks the language of light. Students will learn, by focusing on shapes, tonal values, edge qualities and color temperatures, to bring out the true beauty of the watercolor medium such as spontaneity, and fluidity. Strong emphasis will be placed on how to create a powerful yet pleasing composition as well as the economy of brush strokes. Each day will start with a brief discussion of important concepts and a demonstration, followed by students’ own painting time with individual assistance from the instructor.

Yuki Hall is an award-winning watercolor artist known for her loose style and spontaneous approach to working with the medium. She is a signature member of Transparent Watercolor Society of America, as well as Ohio Watercolor Society. Her work has been accepted into prestigious national & international level watercolor juried competitions including the National Juried Exhibition of Transparent Watercolor Society of America, Watercolor West International Juried Exhibition and National Watercolor Society annual all members exhibition. Her works also have been published by highly competitive national art/watercolor publications such as Watercolor Artist Magazine and Splash – the best of watercolor.   

The cost for this 3-day workshop is $175. To register, please send the payment along with your name, address, phone number and email address to Yuki Hall, 4136 Fox Fern Ct., Beavercreek, OH 45432. For any questions regarding this workshop, please call, text or e-mail Yuki at (937) 679-2464, [email protected] 

CALL FOR ENTRIES – MAC 2024 PHOTOGRAPHY & DIGITAL ART COMPETITION/EXHIBIT

Middletown Arts Center will present the 2024 Photography & Digital Art Competition/Exhibit August 2–September 5, 2024. Digital photographs, film photographs or other digital works of art may be submitted by professional and amateur photographers 16 years or older. Submission of digital images via their website starts June 3 and ends June 20 at 8:00 pm. The Middletown Arts Center is located at 130 N. Verity Parkway, Middletown, OH 45042. More information can be found at: www.middletownartscenter.com

32ND ANNUAL PIQUA FINE ART EXHIBITION

The Piqua Arts Council will hold its 32nd Annual Piqua Fine Art Exhibition, representing artists from all over the state, in September 2024. Works of art include drawing, oil and acrylics, water media, photography, three-dimensional and miscellaneous. Registration deadline is Friday, August 16, 2024, with artwork drop off on Saturday, August 24 and Monday, August 26. The Awards Reception will be held on September 5, 2024. The show will be open to the public from September 6 to September 27, 2024, during normal gallery hours at the Apple Tree Gallery, 405 N. Main St., Piqua, OH 45356. For more information, visit their website at: https://piquaartscouncil.org/art-show

REMINDERS

Our next meeting will be on September 3, 2024. The deadline for submitting articles to be included in the September Newsletter is Monday, August 19, 2024. Please call or 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.

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Greetings Fellow Artists!

After having my second cataract surgery, I’m singing, “I Can See Clearly Now” and “Where Have All the Clouds Gone” instead of “Invisible Touch” and “Doctor My Eyes.”  I must say it has made quite a difference, but I’m having trouble with putting on reading glasses all the time. I guess every season of life has its ups and downs, doesn’t it?

I’m excited about our May meeting with our guest demo artist, Trish McKinney, on Tuesday, May 7, at 7:00 pm. She will be judging all of our beautiful Members’ Fine Art Show artwork, which needs to be dropped off on Tuesday, April 30, 11:00 am–6:00 pm at the gallery. I can’t wait to see what everyone enters (including myself!). I’d like to thank Cindy Sayeedi and Linda Perry for doing such a great job organizing this event, as this is their first year. Connie Gifford and Carol Edsall did an excellent job for many years and have now turned over the reins to these two fine ladies, so kudos, Cindy and Linda!

Progress on the 2024 Sweet Corn Festival is moving along with the addition of more vendor spaces, which is a plus for our organization and the community. We still need someone to train with Roger and Jan Browning to take over the watermelon booth and a Facebook administrator, so please consider volunteering for these FAA positions.

Looking forward to seeing everyone (literally!) in May! Keep Creating!

Linda Brandenburg, President

FAA DEMO ARTISTS AND WORKSHOPS 2024

MAY’S GUEST ARTIST – TRISH MCKINNEY

Fairborn Art Association is pleased to welcome Trish McKinney as our guest artist for May. Trish will serve as our judge for the Members’ Fine Art Show, as the instructor for the May 6–8 Workshop, and as the guest demo artist for our meeting on May 7.

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.

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.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS FOR 2024-2025

We will be voting for Officers of the Fairborn Art Association at our May 7, 2024, meeting. The slate presented by our Nominating Committee is as follows:

President – Linda Brandenburg

Vice President – Julie Shuman

Recording Secretary – Sheryl Scott

Corresponding Secretary – April Coppess

Treasurer – Roger Browning

If anyone wishes to run for one of the above offices or if you wish to nominate someone else for one of the offices, please contact Carol Collett prior to our May 7, 2024, meeting so a ballot with that name can be prepared. If no one else chooses to run, the election will be held by voice vote.

WATERMELON BOOTH UPDATE

Because we cancelled the April meeting, we are well behind in sign-ups for the Sweet Corn Festival Watermelon Booth. Shifts available are: Saturday, August 17, 10:30 AM–1:30 PM, 1:30–4:30, and 4:30–7:00; and Sunday, August 18, 10:30 AM–1:00 PM, 1:00–3:30, and 3:30–6:00. Please pick the shift you would like to volunteer for and send that to Roger Browning at [email protected] , or text him at 937-760-5222.

FAA MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FOR 2024-2025

Annual membership dues are due prior to June 1 (or the meeting in June) to be included in the FAA Membership Directory. Membership forms are available in the Gallery and on the FAA website Home page under Forms. Please contact Debbie Cosenza if you have any questions.

UPDATE – FAA MEMBERS IN 2024 GREENE COUNTY SENIOR ARTISAN SHOW

The following FAA members participated in the 2024 Greene County Senior Artisan Show held in March at the FAA Gallery: Warren Brown, Lucy Burns, Carol Collett, Debora Hurst, Matt Lammi, Dora Lawson, Theresa Mayer, Linda Perry, Sue Seitz, Barbara Singerman, and Connie Weber. Barbara Singerman won an award. Theresa Mayer and Connie Weber each sold a painting.

MEMBER NEWS

Clarice Moore gave a Dirty Pour Workshop through AAVAG at the Five Rivers Health Center, Edgemont Campus, on April 6, 2024.

Debbie Cosenza was the guest artist for the month of April at the Sugarcreek Photography Gallery in Bellbrook, Ohio, which featured her Encaustic paintings.

Congratulations to the following FAA members who were accepted into Watercolor Ohio 2024, the Annual Juried Exhibition of the Ohio Watercolor Society: Shirlee Bauer, Billie Dickson, Yuki Hall, Diana Hoke, Tessa Kalman, and Donna Pierce-Clark.

2024 MEMBERS’ FINE ART SHOW ENTRY DROP-OFF

We are looking forward to seeing all the wonderful entries for the Members’ Fine Art Show this year! Thanks to everyone who volunteered to help! Please contact Linda Perry or myself if you have any questions. Entry paperwork and fees are due at the time you drop your paintings off at the gallery on April 30 from 11:00 am–6:00 pm. Awards will be announced at the May 7 meeting. There are copies of the prospectus at the gallery and a link on the website. Also, there are flyers to hand out to your friends and family. I hope you will consider helping us promote this wonderful show.  ~~Cindy Sayeedi and Linda Perry

Best of Show – 2023 FAA Members’ Fine Art Show

“In the Woods” – Tom Kinarney

2024 MEMBERS’ FINE ART SHOW GALLERY HOURS

The Gallery hours for the Members’ Fine Art Show are on Sundays May 5, May 12 and May 19 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Fairborn Art Association, 221 North Central Avenue, Fairborn, OH 45324.

B-W GREENWAY LANDSCAPES2024 JURIED ART COMPETITION

All entries for the B-W Greenway Community Land Trust & the Fairborn Art Association’s Landscapes2024 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 29,and Sunday, June 30, 2024, from 1:00–3:00 pm. The Opening Reception will be held at the Fairborn Art Gallery on Sunday, July 14, 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 14, 21 and 28 from 1:00–3:00 pm. For additional information, visit the B-W Greenway webpage: www.bwgreenway.org

The 2024 location for the competition is Valle View Reserve located at 1097 Empire Ct., Fairborn, Ohio. A walking tour of Valle View III Reserve has been scheduled for Thursday, May 2, from 10:00 am–12:00 pm for artists. The tour will be held starting at the cul-de-sac behind TJ Chumps.

YUKI HALL WATERCOLOR WORKSHOP IN JULY 2024

Yuki Hall will be offering a 3-day watercolor workshop called “Capturing the light in watercolor” from July 15 to July 17, 2024, 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM at the Fairborn Art Association Gallery. In this 3-day workshop, students will learn how to transform an ordinary scene into a memorable watercolor painting that speaks the language of light. Students will learn, by focusing on shapes, tonal values, edge qualities and color temperatures, to bring out the true beauty of the watercolor medium such as spontaneity, and fluidity. Strong emphasis will be placed on how to create a powerful yet pleasing composition as well as the economy of brush strokes. Each day will start with a brief discussion of important concepts and a demonstration, followed by students’ own painting time with individual assistance from the instructor.

Yuki Hall is an award-winning watercolor artist known for her loose style and spontaneous approach to working with the medium. She is a signature member of Transparent Watercolor Society of America, as well as Ohio Watercolor Society. Her work has been accepted into prestigious national & international level watercolor juried competitions including the National Juried Exhibition of Transparent Watercolor Society of America, Watercolor West International Juried Exhibition and National Watercolor Society annual all members exhibition. Her works also have been published by highly competitive national art/watercolor publications such as Watercolor Artist Magazine and Splash – the best of watercolor.   

The cost for this 3-day workshop is $175. To register, please send the payment along with your name, address, phone number and email address to Yuki Hall, 4136 Fox Fern Ct., Beavercreek, OH 45432. For any questions regarding this workshop, please call, text or e-mail Yuki at (937) 679-2464, [email protected] 

CPSA DC119 19TH ANNUAL COLORED PENCIL EXHIBITION

Registration for the 19th Annual Colored Pencil Exhibition of the Colored Pencil Society of America’s District Chapter 119 of Greater Cincinnati (CPSA DC119) is now open. Online entries will be accepted through Monday, May 6, 2024. Mailed entry forms must be postmarked no later than Monday, May 6, 2024. The exhibition runs May 17 – June 28, 2024, at the Fairfield Community Arts Center, located at 411 Wessel Dr., Fairfield, OH 45014. More information can be found on their website: https://cpsa119.org/activities/exhibit

REMINDERS

Our next meeting will be our Social on June 4, 2024, beginning at 6:30 pm. The deadline for submitting articles to be included in the June Newsletter is Monday, May 20, 2024. Please call or 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.

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Hello Fellow Artists!

With the month of April upon us, it will soon be time to pay taxes, (ugh!) or receive a refund, (yay!). At this point, I still don’t know if I will be groaning or celebrating…only my brother, the CPA, knows for sure! Regardless, I pray you all had a wonderful month and welcomed Spring despite the crazy weather. I did see my first bunny rabbit last week and have seen daffodils, crocuses, forsythias, and a few trees blooming, so once again our world is coming to life with an abundance of colors…ain’t life grand!

Speaking of Spring, our 2024 Members’ Show is quickly approaching. Remember that you are allowed two entries, $10 each, and the drop off date is Tuesday, April 30, from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. Trish McKinney, who many of you know, will be our workshop artist and judge, so get your creative juices flowing!

I really enjoyed our last two demo artists at our February and March meetings. Gary Blevins and Peggy Bowman were so organized and informative with fabulous displays of work. Charmaine Boggs, who is a multimedia artist from Centerville, will demo at our Tuesday, April 2, 7:00 pm meeting, so please plan on attending.

This month I would like to recognize Roger Browning for being our FAA treasurer and keeping our gallery in tip top shape. He always provides excellent records of all our financial transactions, provides checks when needed, and takes care of any repairs to our gallery by fixing it himself or hiring the appropriate help. He and his wife Jan also chair the Watermelon Booth at the Sweet Corn Festival, not to mention loading and unloading equipment and signs. His work is invaluable to our organization and so THANK YOU, ROGER!!!! And don’t forget, this is Roger’s last year as Watermelon Chairman, so we need someone to train with him this August.

That’s enough from me, so keep creating!

Linda Brandenburg, President

FAA DEMO ARTISTS AND WORKSHOPS 2024

APRIL’S GUEST ARTIST – CHARMAINE BOGGS

Charmaine Boggs, visual artist and photographer, is a long time Centerville resident and retired Incarnation School teacher.

Her present work is focused on mixed media experimentation, combining the traditional art materials of canvas, paint, and ink with photography, cyanotype print-making, and collage. Her work is often inspired by the beauty of the natural world, by the written word expressed in poetry and literature, and sometimes just by the materials on her worktable. All find their way into her art, as she experiments with layers of paints, inks, and other art mediums, combining them with her photography, cyanotype prints, and even repurposed older artwork.

Charmaine is a member of the Dayton Society of Artists, the Miamisburg Art Gallery, and the Women’s TriArt Society. She shares her work regularly on Instagram and Facebook, offers tutorials and behind the scenes video clips on YouTube, and has a website at www.CBoggsArt.com.

FAIRBORN SWEET CORN FESTIVAL FACEBOOK ADMIN NEEDED

Our Fairborn Sweet Corn Festival committee is currently looking for a volunteer to oversee their Facebook account. If interested, please contact Linda Brandenburg or Jerry Red.

FAA MEMBERS IN 2024 GREENE COUNTY SENIOR ARTISAN SHOW

The following FAA members participated in the 2024 Greene County Senior Artisan Show held in March at the FAA Gallery: Warren Brown, Lucy Burns, Carol Collett, Debora Hurst, Matt Lammi, Theresa Mayer, Linda Perry, Sue Seitz, Barbara Singerman, and Connie Weber. Congratulations on a beautiful show!

2024 FAA MEMBERS’ FINE ART SHOW

We are about a month away from the Members’ Show! We are really looking forward to seeing all the entries this year. Thank you to those people that signed up to help sit the gallery and hang the show at the last meeting. We are still in need of some help, so please volunteer your time. We will send a sign-up sheet around again at the April meeting. We still need some people to sit the gallery and various jobs on picture drop off day. If you would like to help but can’t make the meeting, please email Linda Perry or myself and we will add you to the list. 

There are copies of the prospectus at the gallery and a link on our website. Also, there are flyers to hand out to your friends and family. I hope you will consider helping us promote this wonderful show.

For questions please contact us at the email addresses below.

Cindy Sayeedi          [email protected]

Linda Perry               [email protected]

REGISTER SOON FOR THE MAY 2024 WORKSHOP WITH TRISH MCKINNEY

Registration is still open for the May 6–8, 2024, “Party On Your Paper– Painting On Delicious Prepared Surfaces!” workshop to be held at the FAA Gallery. The instructor, Trish McKinney, is a national and international award-winning artist, instructor, graphic designer, and published author and illustrator. She creates prepared surfaces with texture, lines, and exciting patterns – the party! – and then paints on top of them. Mediums used will be Gel Printing, Transparent Acrylics, Mixed Media, and Collage. Students will learn the concepts of negative painting, lost and found edges, color theory, and strong design. The registration form for the May 2024 Workshop is available in the Gallery and on our website.

LANDSCAPES2024 JURIED ART COMPETITION IS UNDERWAY

The B-W Greenway Community Land Trust & the Fairborn Art Association’s Landscapes2024 juried art competition is underway. It has been held for the past 13 years to heighten public awareness of preserving local greenspaces through art.

The 2024 location for the competition is Valle View Reserve. The reserve is located at 1097 Empire Ct., Fairborn, Ohio.  The reserve extends north and south of Dayton-Yellow Springs Road.

The juried competition is open to all artists 16 years and older, living within 200 miles of Fairborn, Ohio. A 2-D work may be oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolor, print, drawing, mixed media, or photography. A 2-D art may not exceed 30 x 40 inches. 3D art, less than 60 lbs. in weight. 3-D sculpture, must fit through a standard doorway.

All entries will be received at the Fairborn Art Association Gallery, 221 North Central Avenue, Fairborn, Ohio (in the rear of the building) on Saturday, June 29, and Sunday, June 30, from 1:00–3:00 pm.

A non-refundable entry fee of $25 for a total of 3 works must accompany all entry forms. Artwork may be offered for sale by the artist; 20% of each sale will be taken as a donation to B-W Greenway Community Land Trust. 

The judge for Landscapes2024 is Esther Kadash, a glass fusion artist and post-impressionistic acrylic painter. She received a Bachelor of Science and Master of Education from Wright State University. She founded Artkare, an Art Therapy program for Dayton area Nursing Home residents.

The Opening Reception will be held at the Fairborn Art Gallery on Sunday, July 14, from 1:00–3:00 pm. The art will be on display at the Gallery and open to the public on July 14, 21, and 28, from 1:00–3:00 pm.

For additional information visit the B-W Greenway webpage: www.bwgreenway.org

LANDSCAPES2024 ART HIKE

A walking tour of Valle View III Reserve has been scheduled for Thursday, May 2, from 10:00 am–12:00 pm for artists. The tour will be held starting at the cul-de-sac behind TJ Chumps.

VILLAGE ARTISANS GALLERY EXHIBIT

Village Artisans, a cooperative art gallery at 100 Corry Street in Yellow Springs, Ohio, is holding an “Out of this World” art exhibit to celebrate the upcoming total eclipse. Artwork featuring moons and other images can be viewed in their Lobby Gallery now through May 7, 2024, during regular gallery hours. This is a free exhibit that is open to the public. www.villageartisans.blogspot.com

REMINDERS

Our next meeting will be on May 7, 2024. The deadline for submitting articles to be included in the May Newsletter is Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Please call or 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.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Hello Fellow Artists,

By the time you receive this we will be well on our way to Spring, which seems unbelievable after the snow squalls that visited us last month, but I did see a fat robin hopping in that snow, so there you go! I have been awaiting cataract surgery since November, and now it has been postponed a week due to a lack of communication, so I’ve decided that I must need a lesson in patience, which is always a hard lesson. Not being able to see or focus very well has also been hard, but it makes me very thankful for what I can see in my day-to-day life and appreciate how beautiful the world is, if we choose to see it. As artists, I hope we make that choice for there is so much to see, isn’t there?

I am looking (did you notice the choice of words?) forward to our next meeting on Tuesday, March 5, at 7:00 pm, when Peggy Bowman will be presenting our art demo on journaling. I paint with Peggy on Thursdays and have perused many of her travel journals and they are absolutely beautiful. She has such a talent for portraying her travels with paint, each page thoughtfully laid out with lovely lettering and vignettes that give one a taste of what her trip was like. I especially like the different feathers she illustrates… they are so lifelike I feel like I could lift them from the page. I encourage all of you to try and attend and support our FAA friend.

I always like to thank someone for all their hard work, and this month I want to recognize April Coppess, our corresponding secretary. She took this role three years ago when I asked her to work alongside me as president, and I think she has done a super job. She met with Jackie Albright to learn the ropes as to our newsletter and website and has continued to glean more knowledge in both areas, as well as other duties, so THANK YOU my friend, for always being there to help and support me whenever needed.

Take care and keep creating!

Linda Brandenburg, President

FAA DEMO ARTISTS AND WORKSHOPS 2024

MARCH’S GUEST ARTIST – PEGGY BOWMAN

Introduction

Peggy sketched and painted as a young girl, and enjoyed art electives through college. A high school teacher encouraged her to write, a skill that would pay dividends when she became a public affairs officer in the US Air Force. Her 23-year career fine-tuned her writing skills, but it moved sketching and painting to the back burner. She retired in 1995 with a master’s degree in journalism, 23 years of writing experience, and a keen desire to return to art.

Peggy began her journey of keeping a sketchbook journal in 2011 to document travels with her husband Rich and their two cats.  

When travel stopped during lockdown in 2020, she began daily entries to document her “journey through the Pandemic!” Sketching and writing grounded her, connected her to life in her own backyard, and gave her a place to list her many blessings during isolation. She shared her pages electronically with friends and fellow artists to preserve that important connection and to stay inspired.

During lockdown she took on-line classes with Australian artist Liz Steel whose Sketching Now classes introduced Peggy to urban sketching and sketchbook design. She noticed a dramatic transformation in her journal pages, and hasn’t looked back!!

She has explored different media – pencil, pen, colored and watercolor pencils, ink and wash, and traditional watercolor. And different sketchbook surfaces and formats. Through trial and error, she has a kit that travels well, and works to tell her stories.

Her creativity spills into other areas, too. Peggy spins her own yarn, and weaves and sews garments with her hand-spun, handwoven yarns. Her garments have been juried into international weaving shows; one garment won a regional award. In 1995, she and Rich created and led an Auxiliary of volunteers to support the Beavercreek Fire Department after their house fire in 1994. The Bowman’s were honored for that continuing service last year when they were inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizen Hall of Fame.

Peggy is an accomplished pencil sketcher, and an occasional watercolorist – Rich would love to steer her back to those media – but journaling is her chosen path for now. She is a member of Fairborn Art Association and Western Ohio Watercolor Society.

Journaling:  Sketching Memories; Telling Stories

A journal can be anything you want it to be: a visual diary; a place to explore ideas for studio work; a record of important life milestones; a calendar to track a process like gardening or medical treatment; a safe place to vent or doodle. Journaling is a very personal and adaptive activity.

For Peggy, journaling is a gift of down time, a chance to be present, engage her senses, record a memory and tell a story.  She enjoys capturing moments in time, the events or “things” that stopped her in her tracks when she hikes, or goes about her everyday activities. An acorn attached to a limb with fresh leaves, a sunrise with deliciously bright, happy colors, or best of all…a feather, those little miracles that adorn birds and accommodate flight.  

Sketching and journaling give her permission to be present somewhere magical; they transport her to a place where time and life’s demands recede, and the moment is etched in her memory. If you sketch it, you’ve really “seen” it. Re-reading her journal pages takes her right back to the original time and place.  

Peggy will share her journals and talk briefly about her journey from early labor-intensive pencil sketches limited to travels, to daily journaling during the Pandemic, to experimenting with watercolor pencils and paints, and ink and wash, to her present day journaling and sketching. She will talk about how she identifies “the story,” and will demonstrate how she uses a set of design elements to create her journal page(s). A journalist by profession, narrative is as important to her journals as sketching, so she tries to find balance between them on her pages.

Tools are an important part of journaling, and who doesn’t love tools and materials?!?! Peggy will have her current “kit” on display. It has evolved from carrying the contents of her studio to a more realistic, minimal kit. She’ll provide a handout with information about her tools and their sources, and helpful websites for learning more about sketching and journaling.

MEMBER NEWS

Bonnie Kuntz has paintings in the Woodbourne Library March exhibit. She is also teaching a children’s workshop at the opening reception on March 5. The show is titled “Creature Kaleidoscopes.” There are 3D creatures included in the show which add to the fun must-see experience. The library is located on Far Hills in Centerville.

Connie S. Gifford and her daughter, Brandi N. Harris, will have an art exhibition at the Beavercreek Lofino Art Gallery the entire month of March 2024. There will be an artist reception on Monday, March 4, 2023, from 4:00–6:00 p.m. 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 had a successful show of her artwork at The Main House Events in Fairborn during the month of February in celebration of Black History Month, and she also donated a painting to that organization. Her work was displayed at the Edward A. Dixon Gallery in February, as part of the African American Visual Artists Guild Traveling Art Exhibit, a two year rotating exhibit. The next venue for the AAVAG Traveling Art Exhibit will be the Five Rivers Health Center, Edgemont Campus, March 6–April 26, 2024, with an artists’ reception on March 13 from 4:30–6:30 pm. Clarice’s work will also be hanging at the Lathrem Senior Center, 2900 Glengarry Drive in Kettering, in March, 2024.

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 APRIL 1, 2024. 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.

FAA MEMBERS’ FINE ART SHOW IN MAY 2024

We are getting excited for the Members’ Fine Art Show in May! We are very lucky to have Trish McKinney for our judge this year! The prospectus is available in the Gallery and as a link on the website for all the details. We will have volunteer sign-ups at the March meeting. You can volunteer to help on the registration/drop off day or volunteer to sit the gallery on a Sunday. We appreciate any help you can give us. There will also be flyers available at the March meeting so take a couple and hand them out to family and friends. We look forward to seeing you in March.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us:  Cindy Sayeedi, [email protected] and Linda Perry, [email protected] 

MAY 2024 WORKSHOP WITH TRISH MCKINNEY

Coming in May 2024 is a fun workshop with guest artist Trish McKinney as the instructor. “Party On Your Paper – Painting On Delicious Prepared Surfaces!” will be held May 6–8, 2024, at the FAA Gallery.

Who doesn’t love a great party?! Who doesn’t love having complete freedom and fun painting? Using seemingly random, deliciously colorful, and wildly patterned gel printed papers is a recipe for FUN. Painting on top of them? Well, that is a party on your paper! 

Learn the exciting world of monoprints by using Gel-Press Plates with unusual textural elements on non-traditional surfaces to create layers of FUN! They will use one of these prints as the collaged, prepared surface for the background of their painting. 

Learn the exciting process of how Trish creates prepared surfaces with texture, lines, and exciting patterns – the party! – and then paints on top of them. Students will learn the concepts of negative painting, lost and found edges, color theory, and strong design – all in one class! So, who wants to have a party?! 

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.

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.

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.

The registration form for the May 2024 Workshop is available in the Gallery, and on our website.

REMINDERS

Our next meeting will be on April 2, 2024. The deadline for submitting articles to be included in the April Newsletter is Monday, March 18, 2024. Please call or 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.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Happy 2024!

WOW… 2023 sure flew by, didn’t it? So once again we’ve begun a new year with new beginnings and maybe a few resolutions? As a rule, I don’t participate in this activity because I know my limitations, but for those of you who have made New Year’s resolutions, I wish you much success. I had a fun, busy holiday with family and friends and am sorry it is in the past, although my waistline is heaving a sigh of relief since I have pushed it to its limit! Is there anything better than Christmas cookies and candies? I think not! I had quite a few art commissions to finish amidst the hustle and bustle, but I managed to get these completed satisfactorily, although I did not accomplish much for my own enjoyment, so maybe that will happen this month.

I enjoyed our Christmas party with all the good food, conversation and gift exchange. I still have my stuffed gnome on display (sorry, Clarice). I want to thank everyone who attended and especially those who helped make it a success – Jim and Connie Gifford for having our gallery sparkling clean, Carol Collett for making sure we had all the paper supplies and drinks needed, Warren Brown for being our very own Santa Claus and keeping order during our disorderly game, the Thursday Paint-In group for decorating the gallery, and the Friday Paint-In group for taking the decorations down. We missed those who could not come but hope you can attend our 2024 party!

Our next meeting is Tuesday, February 6, at 7:00 pm, with Gary Blevins as our guest artist. I have heard quite a bit about his work and am looking forward to meeting him and watching his demo.  

I also want to remind you that Roger Browning will be stepping down as Watermelon Booth chairman after the 2024 Sweet Corn Festival, so if you would be interested in training with him this year, let Roger or myself know.

Looking forward to seeing you all in February and remember, keep creating!

Linda Brandenburg, President

FAA DEMO ARTISTS AND WORKSHOPS 2024

FEBRUARY’S GUEST ARTIST – GARY BLEVINS

Gary Blevins was born and raised in Springfield, Ohio. He attended Springfield North, the school of the Dayton Art Institute, and The Ohio State University. Gary works predominantly in oils, acrylics, and watercolor. His subject matter is inspiration from landscapes, sports, a face, or anything he feels like putting on a canvas. Gary has been featured at the Super Bowl breakfast in New Orleans, the Brandywine Museum in Chaddsford, Pennsylvania, the Terry Redlin Art Center in Watertown, South Dakota, the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and the Rockwell retreat in Arlington, Vermont. After being away from Springfield for the last forty years, Gary wants to now share his work with SPRINGFIELD. His gallery located in Springfield, is a welcoming place to enjoy strolling through while taking in all the stories of each of his over 160 paintings that are on display.

MEMBER NEWS

CALL FOR ENTRIES – 2024 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 and over to enter the 2024 Senior Artisan Show. Entries are due Friday, March 1, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Fairborn Art Association Gallery. Limited to 2 entries per person. There are no entry fees. Popular Choice awards.

Categories: Oil and Acrylic paintings, framed not under glass; Mixed Media: watercolor, acrylic, pastel, charcoal, pencil, pen and ink – framed under glass; Three dimensional sculpture, woodcarvings, hand-thrown pottery and ceramics – free standing; Photography – framed. All artwork must be original and created after artists’ age of 60.

Contact GCCOA for entry packet or more information.  937-376-5486 or [email protected]

FAA MEMBERS’ FINE ART SHOW

LATHREM SENIOR CENTER CALL FOR ARTISTS

VILLAGE ARTISANS GALLERY EXHIBIT

Village Artisans at 100 Corry Street in Yellow Springs, Ohio is holding an exhibit of abstract art in their Lobby Gallery now through March 12, 2024 during regular gallery hours. This is a free exhibit that is open to the public. www.villageartisans.blogspot.com

GCDA ANNUAL PAINTING RETREAT

The Greater Cincinnati Decorative Artists (GCDA) invite you to join them at their Annual Painting Retreat at the Higher Ground Conference Center, 3820 Logan Creek Lane, West Harrison, Indiana 47060 on April 12–14, 2024. If you have questions about the Retreat, please contact Jo Sharpshair, Chair, at [email protected] or 513-919-9795. For more information about GCDA, visit their website at: https://gcdapainters.org/

REMINDERS

Our next meeting will be on March 5, 2024. The deadline for submitting articles to be included in the March Newsletter is Monday, February 19, 2024. Please call or 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.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

HO! HO! HO!

Happy Holidays! By the time you receive this newsletter, I will have all my fall decorations put away and the Christmas ones will once again be adorning every surface in our household. I enjoy this time of year so much and I hope you do too. Speaking of Christmas, we will be having our annual party on Saturday, December 9, from 3:00–5:00 pm, with a catered meal of soups, salad, cheese and crackers, dessert and beverages provided. Please let Debbie Cosenza know by Tuesday, December 5, at the latest, if you plan to attend. Also, if you want to participate in the gift exchange, please bring a $15 gift to put under the tree and Warren Brown will once again be our Santa Claus and head up the festivities.

I can’t believe we’ll be wrapping up another calendar year and I’ve enjoyed every one of our meetings, which included such interesting artists and demos. I’d like to thank Carol Edsall, who does such a fabulous job of contacting and booking these artists, coordinating all the details of everything they need, and helping them unload and load their materials. It’s quite a responsibility and I know we all appreciate what she does. Her last year as vice-president ends in June. I’ve truly enjoyed working with her and will miss it very much.

Remember, there is no meeting in January, and I’m looking forward to seeing you all on December 9! Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years!!!

Linda Brandenburg, President

FAA EVENT 2023

December 9 Christmas Party

FAA DEMO ARTISTS AND WORKSHOPS 2024

HOLIDAY PARTY

Please join us for our annual Christmas Party on December 9 from 3:00–5:00 pm. FAA will cater the food but you MUST make a reservation for yourself and your guest with our greeter, Debbie Cosenza, by December 5. If you would like to participate in the gift exchange, please bring a wrapped item, $15 value. We hope to see you there!

MEMBER NEWS

Jim and Connie Gifford, plus son-in-law, Brock Harris, daughter, Brandi Harris, and granddaughter, Addison Harris, have a show at the Lathrem Senior Center, attached to the Kettering Recreation Complex, 2900 Glengarry Drive, Dayton, OH 45420. The art includes watercolor, pencil, and photography and runs until almost the end of December.

Clarice Moore had a piece accepted in a juried art exhibition celebrating the 220th anniversary of the Golden Lamb Inn at the Harmon Museum in Lebanon Ohio. It runs until January 6, 2024. Clarice also did a demo on dirty pouring for the African American Artist Guild at Central State on October 28, 2023. (see photo).

Congratulations to the following FAA members who were accepted into the Middletown Arts Center 2023 Area Art Exhibition:

Jewelry

Darci Salinas – “River Canyon Jasper”, “White Agate” and “Sodalite w/ Agate Bead”

Mixed Media

Debbie Cosenza – “Beneath the Surface III” and “Contemplation I”

Watermedia

Billie Dickson – “Tourists En Habana” 

Bonnie Kuntz – “Outer Banks”

Karen Livingston – “On Boulder Pond II”

Rose Schultz – “Madrilena”

Julie Shuman – “Harvest”

The following FAA members each received an Honorable Mention in the MAC 2023 Area Art Exhibition:

Jewelry

Darci Salinas – “White Agate”

Mixed Media

Debbie Cosenza – “Contemplation I”

Watermedia

Rose Schultz – “Madrilena”

This exhibition will be open to the public through December 13, 2023 at 130 N. Verity Pkwy., Middletown, OH 45042. For more information, call the MAC at 513-424-2417.

REMINDERS

Our next meeting will be on February 6, 2024. The deadline for submitting articles to be included in the February Newsletter is Wednesday, January 17, 2024. Please call or 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.