April 2025 Newsletter

Important dates in April 2025

March 31: (Mon) Pickup paintings for members exhibit, Canoa Hills 10:00 – 11:00

April 1: (Tue) Permanent Show Change. Desert Hills 1:00 – 2:00

April 3: (Thur) New Member Orientation 2:00, SRAL studio

April 3: (Thur) Mix and Mingle 3:00 - 5:00, SRAL studio

April 10: (Thur) Monthly demonstration meeting 1:00 Anza room

April 1 - 30: Print Guild SIG display. Desert Hills

April 1 - 31: Plein Air SIG display. East Center

April 1 – 31: Watercolor SIG in the SRAL Studio Gallery – new room

April 1 – 31: Winners of Members Show in the SRAL Studio Gallery – main room

President's Message April 2025


Hello Painters!


Our dear, sweet, ambitious, friendly Arlene is dealing with a health issue on which she needs to focus all of her energies. Therefore, I will be handling the art league's Presidental duties until she feels well enough to return. Fortunately, the busy season is slowing down to ease us into summer. Please send your prayers and positive energies her way for healing.


Thanks to all who joined in the Members show at Canoa Hills. It is a lovely show. What a wonderful group of artists we have in our league! If you haven’t seen it yet, get there before it closes on March 31.


We are finalizing the new mat cutting and framing set up. We will be offering instruction on how to use the mat cutter in April.


GVR is planning to further improve our studio space this summer. They plan to paint the walls, strip and refinish the floors and remove the wall between Studio A and B making one larger work area that can be divided by an accordion wall for smaller groups. For this work, the studio will need to be closed for a couple of weeks in June. We will give you the closure dates as they are confirmed.


We are already starting to say goodbye to people as they leave for the summer. Safe travels, you will be missed. We look forward to seeing your summer paintings when you return.


Happy painting!


Jeani Gustafson

Mix and Mingle


Thursday, April 3, 3:00 - 5:00


Santa Rita Art League Studio



Last month Art LaFrance shared some art and a story about the art.

It was delightful. Does anyone have an “art journey or project story" they would want to share. Please feel free to bring it. We love art stories.

If you like, bring a snack to share and a preferred beverage.
SRAL New Member Orientation
If you are new member of Santa Rita Art League or just want to be brought up to “speed” on how to benefit from your membership and how you can participate/volunteer, please attend our New Member Orientation on Thursday, April 3, at 2:00 pm at the SRAL Studio. Questions? RSVP? Contact Sally Bryan, New Member Liaison, SallyB@santaritaart.org

Artist Demo

1:00-3:00pm

April 11, 2025

 Anza Room

Barb Mulleneaux will wow us once again with her exploration of new materials, in addition to her use of color and shape to create harmonious and inspirational compositions.  While many of our demo artists, in the past, have used cold wax to create mostly abstract paintings, Barb will show us how cold wax can be used to create more representational subjects. She will use cold wax to paint a still life using a limited palette and split complementary colors.  Barb will also take us on a journey through her recent progression into using cold wax beyond the representational into more abstract works.
Shown here:
"Hidden Within" "Crow Magix" "History Told"
Artist Bio
Barbara Mulleneaux, a resident of Green Valley, is a well-known Tucson and Tubac area artist, as well an award winning plein air painter throughout the Southwest. She joined the Tucson Plein Air Painters in 2002 and was hooked! You'll often find her in Tucson's Barrio, palette and brush in hand. Barbara has served as president of the Sonoran Plein Air Painters and is a Signature member. She enjoys participating in plein air competitions and art shows, both regionally and nationally. Barbara’s work is very expressive, using color and texture to convey a personal connection to her subject matter. Her subjects are most often landscapes, but she loves painting the charm of old architecture and an occasional still life. Though Barbara is mostly known for her brilliant oil paintings, more recently she explored abstracts using cold wax.

Special Note to All Members about

Upcoming Art Exhibits


All the upcoming exhibits (to date) have been listed on the bottom of the ART EXHIBITS webpage. To zip over to check out the coming shows, Click Here.

Changeover date for the Desert Hills Permanent Show
Our changeover date for the Desert Hills permanent show will be April 1st, 1-2 pm. Please pick up your displayed paintings at that time. Anyone who has art work to hang in the next show needs to have entry information to Jan Harnish by March 28th. (As long as there is space, two works may be entered per artist. List them in order of preference for hanging.) Previously exhibited pieces are allowed. Maximum size, either direction, is 28 inches, appropriately framed and ready to hang. 
Entry submissions should include the usual information: Artist’s name; title of art work and medium; selling price or NFS; email and phone number. (Please indicate what contact information may be shown on display cards.) 
Attention “seasonal residents”—the April show will be taken down in early July. If arrangements are made for your artwork to be picked up by another person, include their name and contact information on your entry form.
Thank you—Jan Harnish JanH@Santaritaart.org

The 2025 Masters Show Winners

 Kathleen Boliver - "Quail Hunters" by E.I. Couse

Carol Wiggins Schiffer - "A Late Riser's Miserable Breakfast" by Carl Larsson

Diane Conant - "Sorrow and Consolation" by Margaret Gillies

Steven Falk - "The Milkmaid" - Johannes Vermeer

 Cheryl Jackson Schaeffer - "The Deer Stealer" by Arthur Wardle


2025 Members’ Annual Judged Exhibit at Canoa Hills Rec Center
Please congratulate the following winners:
REPRESENTATIONAL
First Place: Prelude by Donalee Stuck
Second Place: Shades of Glory by Mary Oelschlaeger
Third Place: Keep Looking Up by Linda Patterson
Honorable Mention: Saguaro Slices by Valerie St. Marie, 
Honorable Mention: Untitled by Andy Savarese 
Honorable Mention: So Long by Judy Lawrence.
NON-REPRESENTATIONAL
First Place: Bone Mesa by Jeff Sartai
Second Place: Into the Blue by Rhonda Fisher
Third Place: Passing Shadows by Colleen Eichenberger
Honorable Mention: Lakota Life by Fran Sutherland
Honorable Mention: All That Jazz by Amy Pilger
Honorable Mention: Mindframe by Nan Lux.
Thanks to all the artists for their beautiful work and to all the volunteers for a beautiful exhibit!
Click Here to View Photos of and the Judge's Comments for the Winning Paintings!
Maureen Kirk-Detberner
Photography by Judy Restad

Art Shows You May Want to Enter:

DISPLAY OPPORTUNITIES
GVR is looking for artists to display their art. If you would like to put together a show of your work or show with a group of friends, you can reserve through GVR contacting Jodyc@gvrec.org
The available centers and times are as follows:
Las Campanas: April, September, and October
Canoa Hills: April and October
East Center: September

Educational Opportunities at the

Community Performance & Art Center (CPAC)

Adult Workshops


  • Gelli Printing Extravaganza taught by Susan Ettl, a SRAL Member, on April 8 – 9, 2025


Click here for more information (Adult Workshops | Community Performance & Art Center – CPAC)


Current Exhibit at CPAC

"Art of Recycle IX"


Featuring Works by Several SRAL Artists


Location: In the Harry and Ann Paxton Gallery


SRAL Winners

Third Place: Sue Bollig for The Elephant

Honorable Mention: John McGraw for Totem XIV

Honorable Mention: Loralee Makela for Dancing Turkey Goddess of Madera Canyon

Honorable Mention: Sue Bollig for Two Bit Shoeshine


 Upcoming Exhibit at CPAC


"Picture Perfect"


Featuring Works by Several SRAL Photographers


Location: In the Harry and Ann Paxton Gallery & Theater Lobby


March 31 – April 30, 2025


Click Here for more information (Exhibits | Community Performance & Art Center – CPAC)

Learning Opportunities at the

Tubac School of Fine Art

The Tubac School of Fine Art is offering workshops from a variety of artists.

Please click here for information.

Phone: 520-398-2589

Email: workshops@tubacschooloffineart.org


SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS (SIGs)


There are 10 Special Interest Groups and all of them are open to the members of the Art League.


  • ABSTRACT BRIGGade
  • ASSEMBLAGE
  • COLLAGE/MIXED MEDIA and ACRYLIC
  • FIGURE DRAWING
  • OIL PAINTING & PASTEL


  • OPEN STUDIO
  • PLEIN AIR
  • PORTRAIT
  • PRINTMAKERS GUILD
  • WATERCOLOR

On the SRAL website there is a complete description for each SIG.

If you wish to learn more about any of the SIGs, Click Here



Click here for the list of SIG chairpersons and their e-mail addresses.


Below is additional INFO not on the SRAL webpage.

ABSTRACT BRIGGade


There are no special skills required to join in with this friendly group. Attendees always find artist support, often with live demos, workshops, and critiques.

Our next meeting is 
Monday April 14, 10:00 am in the studio.

Please bring artwork to share and even a friend or two. The art challenge for this session is focused on a “Journey.” There will be a short video on how to get circles on wet acrylic paint using rubbing alcohol. Questions to Nan Lux at nlux@me.com.

We need you! 
For more information on the SRAL website, CLICK HERE



ASSEMBLAGE


Assemblage Art combines mundane objects in new and surprising ways, requiring the viewer to question their relation to the world of objects around them. Sometimes used as social critique or as an exploration of the fantastical and dream worlds, Assemblage Art gives objects new meanings, makes creative connections between disparate elements, and elevates non-art materials into the realm of art. 


This is currently an informal group meeting for all who are interested in creating three dimensional artworks and is open to all SRAL members. 

The Assemblage Group meets on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of every month from 1:00 to 3:00 pm in the SRAL Studio.



COLLAGE/MIXED MEDIA and ACRYLIC


Next meeting is on Wednesday, April 2nd in the SRAL studio from 1-3 pm. 


You can contact Janet Johnson by Clicking Here.


All Art League members are invited to participate in this SIG. Get ready for a terrific year.


We will continue with our experiments in composition:

  • Compositional Design: Pyramid
  • Art Principle: Unity
  • Element: Form


Again, it is not necessary for you to participate in our challenges to attend the meeting. Bring something to share or work on, resources to share etc.

We love hearing new ideas and seeing new techniques.



FIGURE DRAWING


The next Figure Drawing session will be held on Saturday, April 5th, 9AM to Noon. PLEASE ARRIVE 10-15 MINUTES EARLY TO SET UP. The fee per participant is $5 and tips are welcome. Hope to see you there.


The model will hold ten different poses. The warm up poses are three to ten minutes each and then we progress to twenty and thirty minute poses. Occasionally we will do a forty five minute pose if time permits. There is a ten minute break every half hour. We listen to “New Age” music during the longer poses. All SRAL members are welcome.



OIL/PASTEL


This group meets every Monday from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm. 


We are a friendly, supportive, and informal group that allows our members a scheduled time to paint, share ideas, and techniques. We welcome both beginner and accomplished artists alike!




PLEIN AIR PAINT OUTINGS


We will meet every Thursday from November through April.

The Plein Air Group has been meeting since November 1 at various

places around Southern Arizona. We paint landscapes, lakes and

interesting structures.



An email with the month's schedule is sent out to our email list the last week of the previous month. The schedule is posted at the studio on the bulletin board as well. It is great to paint with others and enjoy the outdoors in places you may have never been to before. Consider joining us as we meet at GVR recreation centers to form carpools. All information is on the schedule.


If you would like to join us send an e-mail to Nanci Sheppard.

Click Here



PRINTMAKERS GUILD


Coordinators: Karen Keim and John McGraw


In January through May, we return to our monthly schedule of meetings on the second Wednesday and the fourth Thursday. 


We hope interested members will join us to make art for our Print Show at Desert Hills in the month of April. All interested SRAL members are welcome to join us in Room A of the SRAL Studio.



WATERCOLOR


The Watercolor Group normally meets year-round in the SRAL studio on Fridays from 9am - noon. 


We are an informal, social group working on our own watercolor projects, while sharing ideas and support. All levels are welcome from beginners to those who have painted for years. The SRAL library also has many books on watercolors for your reference.



To contact Valerie St. Marie Click Here

Click here for the list of SIG chairpersons and their e-mail addresses.