MAS March News and Juried Show Update

Presidents Letter

Yesterday, I noticed a few flowers already in bloom and the buds of the trees turning red. I realize soon spring will be here and I can get outside to paint with many of you. I hope you are all busy creating a work of art to exhibit in out 37^th Annual Juried Show coming up this May. 

 

 

37^th Annual Member Show  co-chairs, Paula Emery, Stuart Lerner, and Pat Barone,

Our 37^th Annual Member Show a was a great success and our gratitude is extended to our three co-chairs, Pat Barone, Paula Emery and Stuart Lerner, for the splendid job they did in organizing it for us and thank you to our volunteers. We displayed 112 works of our member’s artwork and we sold six paintings with another potential painting in the wings. Congratulations to Jill Beecher Matthew, Sandra Smith, Lucy Ann Bach, Sherry Marlowe, Laurel Friedman and Joan Handschumacher. Sandy worked on her oil painting of Chester at Bauer Park for several years, and lucky for her, a friend of Chester saw it at the show and alerted the real “Chester”” who came in and bought it. We are glad it went to a good home and Sandy persevered on the painting. Diane Aeschliman, oil painting portrait, Kimberly, won the Most Popular Prize and she received a $100 award from the Fish Tale Restaurant. Lou Bonamarte was our guest artist for the Critique and he was able to give his artistic insight on our paintings and sculpture. The Madison Art Society donated $250 to the Shoreline Alliance for the Arts Visual Arts Scholarship again this year.

We have many new artists that have joined the Madison Art Society this year and we would like to welcome all of you all to our art society.

Beth Wardwell, our Art Demonstration Coordinator, has done a superb job developing a diversified demonstration schedule. Fred Biamonte’s slide lecture on the paintings and life of artist, “Winslow Homer” that was held on February 22 which was very well received by our members as well as the wonderful watercolor demonstration by Charles Reid on February 26 where we used our new overhead mirror. We would like to extend a special thank you to member, Mary La Forge, who arranged the demonstration event. I hope that you will be attending our planned educational opportunities and you will be inspired by these artists work (schedule included).

Our prospectus for our 37^th Annual Juried Show has been included in this issue of our Hilights. A special thanks to Betsey Piner for her work on it and to John Tubb for the show’s posters. Our three juried show co-chairs; Denise Casey, Marge Casey and Sandra Kensler, have been busy planning for the juried show and working with their co-chairs. We would like to thank all of the volunteer artists that will participate to make our show a reality. David Lussier will be our juror this year and he will also conduct a plein air landscape demonstration in oil for us on Sunday June 3, 2012 at 2:15 p.m. at the Memorial Town Hall. Clayton Buchanan, Signature Member CT Pastel Society from New York will conduct a demonstration for us at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 1:30 p.m. at the Scranton Memorial Library. Once again the Guilford Poet’s Guild will be creating and reading poems inspired by our art on Wednesday, May 16, 7 – 9 p.m.

Our Winter Studio will soon come to a close. However, in a few months, we will start the plein air painting sessions and outdoor art shows. Enjoy and keep creating.

Beverly Schirmeier

Madison Art Society President

Juried Show

Denise Casey, Marge Casey, and Sandra Kensler 

 

Our co-chairs for the 37th Annual Juried Show are Denise Casey, Marge Casey, and Sandra Kensler. Many of our artists have volunteered already and we thank you for your support in advance. We have already started planning for the show and a link for the Prospectus is in the sidebar. If you have started a painting for the show, the size with frame is 36 inches max length and width including the frame. We decided to limit the entries to only one this year per artist to make room for additional artists to display their work. We will re-evaluate this concept after the show. 

 

Please keep in mind that the Community Room is also used by young children so the subject matter should be appropriate to be viewed by families with little children. Receiving is Saturday, April 27, 2012 from 9:30 to noon and David Lussier will be our juror. He is a well known plein air oil painter and his work has been featured in numerous Artist Magazine articles. Our reception will be on Sunday, May 6, 2012 at 1:30 p.m. where we will present the awards.

May 16, Wednesday, 7 p.m. — Poetry night: members of the Guilford Poets Guild will read poems they have written inspired by works in the juried show 

 

 

Plein Air Painting 

 

The Madison Art Society has an active plein air painting group that meets on Wednesday mornings throughout the summer and early fall. For more information contact Jay Babina at jbabina@snet.net 

 

 

Proposed Bylaw Changes were approved at the Critique
As mentioned at our Annual Meeting last September and in the fall Highlights, the Board of Directors spent a significant amount of time developing and discussing a long range plan for the Madison Art Society. At the Art Critique that was held on February 12, 2012, the two Bylaw revisions were approved by the members.

1) All members must have graduated from high school or are 18 years or older to join MAS and to enter work in the art shows. Reason: High school students have many opportunities to show their work and to win scholarship awards. The Madison Art Society sponsors the Annual Shoreline Alliance for the Arts Visual Arts Scholarship for high school students, but we feel that the MAS membership and art shows are for college level students and adults.

2) Cap Membership enrollment for the Madison Art Society at 250 members. Elected and Associate artists (not including Honorary, Lifetime or Friends) will be capped at an enrollment of 250 paid active artist members. Reason: To ensure that our members have the ability to show their work at our Member Show, provide a better chance to compete and exhibit at our Juried Show; continue to provide room to participate at the Plein Air Sessions, Outdoor Art Shows and to attend the Demonstrations. We think that the collegial atmosphere that has been the mainstay of the MAS and the ability to manage it on a volunteer basis is important aspect and one that we want to continue to provide for our members. A waiting list will be created on an ongoing basis.

 

Membership

I would like to welcome our new MAS members. One way to meet and get to know our members is to volunteer for the various shows, attend receptions and demonstrations or by participating in the weekly plein air painting sessions this summer. We are a very active art society, but to keep up the programs we need all of your help - perhaps only two hours a year - sitting an art show.

 

Dues

Our financial year is January through December. We are planning many great events for our members, but 2012 dues were to be sent in by January. Please send them to the following address: MAS, PO Box 1383, Madison, CT 06443. Let us know if you change your personal information and email address.

Important: We are going to cap our artist membership on a going forward basis to 250 members. However, we value our existing members and do not want to lose any of you so if you have not sent in your 2012 dues; you only have until March 31, 2012 to send them to us

We will NOT be collecting renewal of your dues at the Jury Show receiving and they must be sent in prior to the show (Elected Artists will lose their status if we do not receive them and there is a lapse in payment).

 

Demonstrations

Sunday, May 20, 2012 – Pastel Demonstration by Clayton Buchanan, well known pastelist, at the Scranton Memorial Library at 1:30 p.m.

 

 Clayton Buchanan - pastel, Riverside 

 

Clayton Buchanan studied Impressionist Painting with Henry Hensche, Provincetown, MA; Figure/Portrait Painting with William Draper, Art Students League, NY; Painting/Graphic Arts, Memphis Academy of Art, TN. He worked in graphic arts for 30 years, and now paints full time. His studio is in Newburgh, NY. Memberships include; Connecticut Pastel Society; Guild of Boston Artists; Kent Art Association, CT; Orange County Art Federation, NY. He now works exclusively in the pastel medium.

His paintings have been exhibited in galleries throughout the Northeast including Portraits Incorporated, NY, The Guild of Boston Artists, Hudson Valley Gallery, NY, James Cox Gallery, NY, River Winds Gallery, NY and Flat Iron Gallery, NY. His works reside in many private and corporate collections both nationally and abroad. His works are in private and corporate collections including The First National Bank of Boston, London, England; The Elizabeth T. Greenshields Memorial Foundation, Montreal, CAN; Northern Dutchess Hospital, Rhinebeck, NY.

Sunday, June 3, 2012 – oil painting demonstration by David Lussier, En Plein air Artist, at 2:15 pm at the Memorial Town Hall.

 

 David Lussier oil, Gloucester Reflections

 

David A. Lussier is a plein air painter whose landscapes of sparkling autumn hillsides, muted spring days of melting snow or fishing boats under a hazy summer sky convey his passion for New England and for fine art. He has dedicated himself not only to his profession, but also to being a steward for the landscape that is his inspiration and to sharing his love for his craft with others. He has won numerous awards and accolades for his work as a fine artist.

David was trained as a commercial illustrator, but discovered his passion when he tried painting outdoors. It was then that he came to the full realization that God intended for him to be a landscape painter. Only by painting en plein air can he react to the ever-changing, energy-charged world of nature with a spirit and spontaneity unobtainable in the studio. Lussier is a true believer that less is more in painting and the brushstroke is an artwork's essence. 

 

Additional demonstration will be held on Thursday, August 9, 2012. To be announced. Also, Anne Heywood , pastelist, will present a shared demonstration for the Clinton Art Society and the Madison Art Society on Sunday, October 14^th at 1:30 p.m. at the Scranton Memorial Library.

Outdoor Exhibitions

July ? — Annual Scranton Library Memorial Art Exhibition, $25 fee, 10% donation to the library on works sold, tents provided. Contact Seymour Page, 203-245-7280, seymourpage@sbcglobal.net

August 11 — Madison Arts and Antiques Fair, no entry fee, 10% donation of sales to Madison Exchange Club. Contact Bev Schirmeier, 860-399-6116, Bschirmeier@yahoo.com

October 13 — Bauer Farm Harvest Festival, exhibition of MAS plein air painters’ scenes of the farm and plein air painting, no entry fee or donations. Contact Bev Schirmeier, 860-399-6116, Bschirmeir@yahoo.com

 

MAS Artists on Display

Please let us know what you are doing - bschirmeier@yahoo.com.
Eileen Eder's painting, Beyond the Frame, won first prize in Artist Magazine’s 28^th Annual Art Competition out of 1600 entries. It was featured in the December 2011 magazine. Eileen Eder also has work on display at New Haven Lawn Club will be on view from 1/17 - 3/12 at 193 Whitney Ave., St. New Haven, Ct.

Several of our MAS artists ( Jay Babina, Leon Chielewski, Stuart Lerner and Ralph Levesque) will be part of the Inaugural Alumni Art Show at the University Art Gallery 84 Iranistan Ave. Bridgeport Ct.

John Tubb and Susan Burnham’s art work can be seen at the Liberty Bank in Clinton during March.

Patty Meglio has an art exhibit on display throughout March at the Edward Smith Library. The exhibit will highlight a number of her new modern impressionist pieces, including Connecticut landscapes, seascapes, still life, and urban scenes. Patty will host a show at the library on Thursday, March 8^th, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. The public is invited to come by and meet the artist and enjoy some light refreshments. For more information, call 203-484-0733 or go to www.pattymegliostudio.com.

Sandy Kensler has a new show of her art work at the Wood Memorial Library and Museum in South Windsor, CT from April 15 – May 15 with a reception on April 15, 2012 from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

Beverly Schirmeier’s pastel and oil paintings will be on display throughout March at the Guilford Free Library and at Peoples Bank, Madison, in May and June..

Karen Cashman has a solo show at the Roxbury Senior Center during March.


Daniels Dahlstrom will show his oil paintings at the Voila Gallery in Wickford RI in March.

Nancy Chapman donated a large undersea painting to the Yale Smilow Cancer Center for the children's section. No sharp teeth allowed just smiling sharks and other sea creatures to welcome the young patients and families. 

 

Blair and Laurie Pessimer will have an art show - Paris Les Amourex de la France from March 20 -April 6. I am sure we would all love to go there to visit.

Linda Loen and Marge Casey have their paintings on display at Simply Pearls at the Waters Edge Resort store in Westbrook, Ct.

 

Sister Joan Bernard has her art work at the Waters Edge Resort, Westbrook, Ct in March...

Denise Casey, Robert Langer, Gloria Nilsson, Susan Burnham, and John Tubb have their paintings on view at Malone’s Coffee House in Clinton March, April and May.

 

Bruce Soden is the artist of the month at the Old Saybrook Acton Library.

 

The Clinton Art Society Member Show begun at the Hull Library in Clinton. Many of our artists also have work in the new On Holiday: the Artist Travels Show at Lyme Art Association, and

Maple and Main in Chester has an art show that includes several of our members and they offer art classes.

 

 New exhibits going up for the Ct Pastel Member Society Gallery 53 in Meriden, Ct (Chris Ivers will be doing a demo on Saturday March 24 from 1 -3 pm).

Artists of Gallery One have a new show until April 22 in the Old Saybrook Mall (Nile Barrett, Mike Boyd, and Diana Rogers).

Madison Town Hall Artists

Photographs: Karen Anderson, oil painting, Keith’s Boat, and Barbara Rossitto, oil painting Scruffy

The Madison Art Society presents the artwork of Karen Anderson, East Hampton and Barbara Rossitto, Glastonbury. Their art work will be on display throughout the months of March and April at the Madison Town Hall at 8 Campus Road in Madison, Connecticut. Their collection of watercolor and oil paintings are open to the public free of charge and can be viewed during normal business hours.

 

Barbara Rossitto

Barbara paints with her heart, bringing the viewer with her on an exploration of essence and perception. She looks at things anew, and she is continuously studying to develop her skills, in composition, perception, and technical execution. As an artist, Barbara pushes herself to try new techniques and styles. She enjoys the company of other artists and the critique that comes from studying with local artists as well as internationally acclaimed artists. She also participates in ‘paint-outs’ with the Connecticut Plein Air Painters.

Her art was chosen for the Northeast Watercolor Society International show, and the 67th Connecticut Artists Exhibition at the Slater Museum. She has won awards at Essex Art Association for her oil painting, watercolor, photography and pastel; Madison Art Society and Wethersfield Art League for her watercolors, West Hartford Art League and Audubon Society for her photography. She is a member of the CT Watercolor Society having been selected to display at two consecutive shows, an elected artist in the Essex Art Association, having been juried into 3 annual open shows, and an elected member of the Connecticut Women Artists. She is also a member of CT Plein Air Painters, Lyme Art Association, West Hartford Art League, Glastonbury Art Guild, Madison Art and Clinton Art Societies.

Barbara has studied pastels with Claudia Post, master pastel list, watercolor with Tom Lynch, Janet Walsh, Shauna Shane, Frank Fredrico and others. She studied portraits oil with Clayton Beck III, Plein air and still life in oil with Sandra Wakeen, Shauna Shane, and David Lussier/ Pamela Simpson (the plein air pair). In addition, Barbara is showing at Maple and Main Gallery of Fine Art, 1 Maple Street, Chester, CT, www.mapleandmaingallery.com . Artist web site: www.brossitto.com, www.b-rossitto.artistwebsites.com and at www.b-rossitto.fineartamerica.com .

 

Karen Anderson

Karen Anderson lives both in East Hampton as well as in Guilford in the summer. Karen holds a BS degree from the University of Hartford and a MS from Central Connecticut State University. After retiring in 2001 from the pre- school, My School!, that she created and owned, Karen focused on her art work. Since 2002, she has taken numerous art workshops with nationally known artists: Beth Ellis, T.M. Nicholas, T. A. Charron, Mike Graves, Kathy Anderson, Sandra Wakeen, Diane Ascheliman, and others. She is a member of the Madison Art Society, East Hampton Art Association - where she was the President, the Essex Art Association, the French Connection and others. She enjoys painting landscapes out of doors (en plein air) and doing still life set ups during the winter months. Her paintings are now are on display in homes all over the United States. She does commissions upon request. To reach Karen, email is raymond.anderson@sbcglobal.net.

If you want to display your paintings in the Madison town Hall, contact Patricia Seekamp at wseekamp@sbcglobal.net or 203-453-6720.