January 2025 Newsletter

You can access our website by clicking: https://santaritaart.org/

IMPORTANT DATES IN JANUARY

January 2 - Mix & Mingle - 3-5pm, SRAL Studio, Springs Rec Center

January 3 - Ellen Sussman – Eva Briggs Memorial Abstract Art Competition Reception - from 5-7pm at CPAC

January 3 - Pemanent Show Entry Deadline - Desert Hills Rec Center

January 9 - General Meeting & Artist Demo - 1:00-3:00 in the Anza Room, Springs Rec Center

January 11 - Training to use the TV in the SRAL Studio - 1:00 - 2:30 in the SRAL Studio

January 15 - Entry deadline - Eva Briggs Abstract Art Competition

January 31 - Eva Briggs Abstract Art Competition Reception - from 5:00 - 7:00 at CPAC

CO-PRESIDENTS' Message

HAPPY NEW YEAR,

Santa Rita Art League Members!

While living in Green Valley, enjoying the delightful weather at this time of the year, we invite you to take part in the many opportunities the art league provides. Here are just a few:

•  Exhibit your art at one of the many recreation centers within the Green Valley community.
•  Learn various art processes and techniques taught by fellow art members.
•  Connect and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow artist within the art league.

Indeed, 2025 promises to be a banner year for the Santa Rita Art League!

 Immerse yourself in the joy of creating art! Experience the excitement of viewing another artist’s unique perspective! Come join us in making this an exceptional year!

In addition, you can be adventurous and explore the many art venues like art festivals, galleries, and artist studio tours, located in Green Valley and the surrounding towns. 

We will keep you informed about it through the monthly Newsletter.

Lastly, with a heartfelt “Thank You!”, we acknowledge all the members who volunteer their time, experience and resources to make all this possible.

 It is our pleasure to serve as your Art League Presidents.

Jeani Gustafsen & Arlene Szypulski

Artist Demo

“The Challenges and Triumphs of Using Gouache"

with Charles Thomas

1:00-3:00pm, Thursday, January 9, 2025

in the Anza Room at the Springs Rec. Center

Charles Thomas’ thoughts about gouache:

“I first tried gouache ten years ago and quit in frustration. I was trying to paint as I did in oils, blending and layering subtly. Gouache was a real disappointment. But, I had bought enough of them to make giving up difficult. So, every couple of years I would try them again until I learned to meet them on their own terms. I learned to exploit their strengths. Now, I find them a joy to use! Their speed has helped me to approach art more directly and has,in fact, benefitted my oil painting. I hope that after my demo, you feel the same way.” 



Charles Thomas began his art career as a graphic designer in the early 1980’s. After spending twelve years as a sought after illustrator, he began to devote his energies fulltime to fine art in 1998. His work has been widely published and has been exhibited by the Society of Illustrators Annual of American Illustration. As a fine artist, Thomas’ work has been recognized by the Oil Painters of America and the American Impressionist Society, where he has been a finalist in national exhibitions.  

Charles makes his home in rural Southern Arizona, where he can often be found exploring trails, backroads and byways of the West in search of his next painting. You may also find him painting with the Sonoran Plein Air Painters and teaching at Tubac School of Fine Art, as well as, at CPAC Community Performance and Art Center in Green Valley. He is represented by the Tucson Desert Art Museum and Four Corners Gallery.

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.

Art Shows You May Want to Enter:

Desert Hills Permanent Show

at Desert Hills Rec Center

Tuesday, January 7th, between 1 to 2,

is changeover of current show—take down/hang up.

If you have paintings you’d like in this upcoming show, contact Jan Harnish at JanH@santaritaart.org with your information by this coming Friday, January 3rd, in order to get labels prepared. Sorry for short notice!!!

The 20th Annual

Eva Briggs Abstract Art Competition

Begins January 30, 2025, at CPAC

The Eva Briggs Abstract Art Competition is open to all SRAL members and is a judged show, which is held at the Community Performance and Art Center in February. This exhibit was established by Eva Briggs with her bequest for twenty years of prizes to SRAL since 2003. She stipulated that all artwork entered must be abstract and created on a 36″ X 36″ substrate.

The prizes include first, second, and third place awards, plus three honorable mentions and a people’s choice award.

Each of these prizes includes a ribbon and a cash award.

The awards will be presented at the Reception on January 31, 5:00 to 7:00 PM.

 Entry forms are available on the SRAL website by Clicking Here.

.2025 Masters Show! 

Will be held at the West Center,

Sunday, February 16 to Monday, March 31, 2025.

This year the special section will be for Cubist artists. Some eligible artists to reproduce paintings by are Roger de la Fesnaye, Robert Delaunay, Albert Gleizes, Juan Gris, Paul Klee, Fernand Leger, Aristarkh Lentulov, and Lyubov Popova. Note that Picasso is not mentioned, as he has not been deceased since on or before 1955. Due to copyright laws, an artist must be deceased for at least 70 years to be copied legally. Of course, cubism is optional and you may choose any artist or painting that you deem to be a Master. You may enter 2 paintings, so why not try cubism? Entry forms and information about the exhibit are available on the SRAL website by Clicking Here.



Due to the rise of AI (artificial intelligence) online, with fake interpretations of famous artists, there will be a line on the entry form to enter the provenance of the painting that you are reproducing. Examples are: title of the book it was listed in, which museum it is hanging in, which personal collection it is from, or when/where it was sold at auction (like Christy's). It is no longer enough to just take a painting from a Google search. Our library has many great books to find a painting that you like. 

It's Time to Start your Paintings for the Masters Show!

Please direct any questions to Cheryl Schaeffer by Clicking Here.

March Members Show--

SAVE THE DATE!

The members art show is scheduled for March 2 - March 31 and will be held at Canoa Hills GVR.

Further information including entry forms, set up, reception schedule and judging is available on the SRAL website or you can pick up an entry form at the studio.

CLICK HERE for Entry Form & more information.

SRAL CLASSES

January 2025 Art 101 Classes

Drawing for Beginners

Instructor: Arlene Szypulski

Assistant: Darilyn Ronn

This class for beginners will focus on learning the tools and elements used in graphite pencil drawing. We will do some fun drawing exercises to reduce your apprehension toward drawing while increasing your observational skills. The final project will be to have a semi developed landscape drawing where you have the applicable elements. All supplies will be provided

Date:  January 11, 2025

Time:  9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Location: SRAL Studio

Maximum Number of Participants:  20

Material Cost: $10.00

CLICK HERE for more information and to register on the SRAL website

The Wonderful World of Color

Instructor: Susan Ettl

Explore the wonderful world of color. Students will be encouraged to develop an appreciation of color, its subtleties, and its beauty. In The Wonderful World of Color, students will learn about the four characteristics of color (hue, temperature, value, and intensity), how they are used to describe different colors, and how to mix vibrant secondary and intermediate hues. In addition, learning to mix rich, low-intensity colors, as well as tints, shades, and tones will be addressed in this class. A variety of color harmonies will also be discussed as well as learning to work with a limited palette. The information gained from these paint mixing exercises will be invaluable regardless of the paint medium you work with. Paints, paper, brushes, and palettes will be supplied by SRAL.

Date:  January 18, 2025

Time:  9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Location: SRAL Studio

Maximum Number of Participants:  15

Cost: $10

Students to provide: Water Container and Paper Towels

CLICK HERE for more information and to register on the SRAL website

Art Workshops and

Art Classes in the Area

Adult Classes at the

Community Performance & Art Center (CPAC)

CPAC has expanded their adult education program to include a variety of workshops. Various media, traditional and new techniques, as well as classes for personal growth are all offered.

Adult Workshops at CPAC

Betsy Kimbrough: "Creating an Art Journal Practice"

January 28 - 29, 2025

Roberta Rogers:  Discovering Your Authentic View

February 25 – 26, 2025

Leslie Berry: Oil Painting for Beginners

March 25 - 26, 2025

Susan Ettl: Gelli Printing Extravaganza

April 8 – 9, 2025

For more information about the CPAC workshops, CLICK HERE.

Weekly Classes at CPAC

.Fran Sutherland: ."Four Ways to Start a Painting"

Every Wednesday AM from January 8 to February 12, 2025

........

.Rich Metcalf: "Discovering Your Artistic Style"

Every Monday AM from February 3 - 24, 2025....

For more information about the CPAC classes, CLICK HERE.

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 below for information.

Phone: 520-398-2589

Email: workshops@tubacschooloffineart.org



Additional Workshops at the Tubac School of Fine Arts

.....

......Keiko Tanabe: "Composition and Design for Atmospheric Painting"

January 3 - 5, 2025...........

......Deb Deaton: "Painting Landscapes and Skies" January 25, 2025

SRAL LOCKERS AND SLOTS FOR RENT 

Lockers and slots for storing art supplies, canvases, etc., are available for rental in the SRAL studio. Yearly fee for a locker is $20, and $15 for a slot.

There are a limited number of lockers and slots. If all are rented, a waiting list will be kept and filled as available.

Fees can be paid by filling out a rental application (available in the studio or on the website by clicking here) to include with your cash or check payment; both should be left with the studio monitor. 

“If you currently rent a locker/slot, fees will be due soon for 2025 rentals.” Fees can be paid… (as already written).

“If you will no longer wish to rent your locker/slot for 2025, please contact Valerie to let her know, and remove your supplies by the end of the year.”

You can contact Valerie St. Marie by clicking here -->  Just Click Here 

Members’ News

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, February 6, at 2:00 pm at the SRAL Studio. Questions? RSVP? Contact Sally Bryan, New Member Liason, SallyB@santaritaart.org

APPLICATIONS:

You can go onto the SRAL website to:

• Fill out an application and pay online
• Print out an application and pay by cash or check
• Pick up an application in the studio and pay by cash or check
• Pick up an application at the General Meeting and pay there

To go to the Membership Application on the SRAL web site

Click Here.

NOTE: PLEASE read the renewal form carefully as it gives you the information you need to renew and how to make your dues payment.

NAME BADGES:

Please pick up your name badge. A new order of badges has just arrived and there are many others that have not been picked up. You will find them in a box labeled Name Badges on the desk in the studio. You can also pick them up at our general meetings each month.



Thank you! - Liz Wolf

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 January 13, 2025 at 10:00am in the studio.

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 creating three dimensional artworks and is open to all SRAL members. 

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

COLLAGE/MIXED MEDIA and ACRYLIC

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.

 Our next meeting will be on January 15^th. 

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 Figure Drawing SIG will be having its next drawing session with a live model on Saturday, January 4th, 9AM to Noon.  The fee per participant is $5. In addition to the fee, tips for the models are encouraged because they usually commute to Green Valley from Tucson. 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. 2 weeks ago we painted at Christopher Columbus

Park, a new venue for us, and enjoyed the setting, the fishermen and

boaters. Next week we go to San Xavier de Bac. This is to give members

the type of places we like to paint. Since mornings have been so cold

we may have some afternoon paint outs. 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. On Jan. 8 John McGraw will demonstrate how to use stencils to make screen prints, and we will continue working with that technique on Jan. 23. Materials will be available if you do not have them. All interested SRAL members are welcome to join us in Room A of the SRAL Studio.

If printmaking is new to you, we also invite you to attend the ART 101 class on Saturday, January 25 (9:30 AM) in the SRAL Studio. Learn how to make art with gelli-printing, using a gel plate and acrylic paints.

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.