Latest update:  BVAL Newsletter March. 2010   |   March 5th—Intake for BVAL Judged Show Entries received 10:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m.  Show Entry Form 
 
 

In Science truth, in Art honour.” ANONYMOUS

The other day I noticed a photograph of one of Monet’s paintings on the cover of my husband’s issue of the Monitor on Psychology and the by line was “visual tricks, psychologists are uncovering the ploys artists use to thrill us”. Now I was intrigued.

Many of us work things out on an instinctual level. We learn about techniques, but we mostly consider what we do far from being scientific. However in the article it talks about how artists have studied how human vision works and now scientists are tapping in that wisdom as they shed light on masterpieces. Master painters, it seems, are keen observers of human vision and perception and they use that knowledge to create pictures that don’t just lie flat on the wall. “Artists are vision scientists, they just call themselves something different,” says Margaret Stratford Livingstone, a neurobiology professor at Harvard.

As I continue to read the article I get a little lost in all the technical, scientific talk. But Professor Livingstone goes on to say that we see things in two different ways. One is the manner in which we see color and the other is the way we see brightness. By playing with these two visual concepts artists can create pieces that seem to shimmer and vibrate on the canvas.

“People don’t see like a camera,” says painting teacher and landscape artist David Dunlop. He tells his students in his classes to stop identifying things, and instead see scenes as collections of lines, shadows, shapes, and contours. Painters seem to view scenes in a way that’s similar to how the world really is: a mishmash of colors, lines, and shapes.

In our world today, as budgets for the arts and art education continue to get cut, science can be our true friend. By creating ways to measure what is actually happening in the visual process, as one scientist says, “Almost every single experiment I do comes out of something from art.” . . . . a very nice endorsement!

Keep creating,
Nancy


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  Becky Witherspoon-Demo Artist for March

 


Becky Witherspoon now paints mainly in encaustics, an unusual medium, used first by the ancient Egyptians. Encaustics are painted with hot wax. She heats colored waxes with a special iron and swirls them onto the paper. Some are thin gestural designs on smooth paper, which are more luminous, and others are layered on a textured surface. Sometimes she uses small tools to add special effects. Her first encounter with the medium was in the mid 90’s at an art league demonstration in Arizona. Later she took a workshop by Brigitte von Ahn in El Paso, Texas.

Becky lived in Fountain Hills, Arizona for 30 years where she was better known for her watercolor landscapes of the desert, real and imaginary plants, and weathered barns. She exhibited in the Fountain Festival of Art and the Great Fair as well as other shows for many years. She is a founding member of the Fountain Hills Art League, a group which now has some 150 artists.

Becky moved to Bryan, Texas in 2007 where she joined the Brazos Valley Art League. Now she exhibits regularly at Art Steps and First Fridays, and occasionally elsewhere, such as the Texas Reds Festival. The Frame Gallery, and Gifts and Gab in Bryan carry her encaustic paintings.

Becky’s structured art training came mainly from courses at the Memphis Academy of Art. She also studied with Earl MacPherson, Dick Phillips, and Clarence Dyer of Arizona, Helen Taylor Roy of California, Louise Shipley of Maryland, and Fred Rawlinson of Tennessee.

 

News and Events

Thank you to the BVAL Board members for furnishing refreshments in February. March refreshment committee is: Jeanne Price, Lead; Willi Riley, Robert Martinez,
Olive Black, and Lois Harris Demo Artist—Becky Witherspoon will demo Encaustic
Painting.

March 5thIntake for BVAL Judged Show
Entries received 10:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m

Interactive Entry Forms
(
You may write on the form, save and print it) for the juried art show are available at http://bvartleague.org/bval_entry_form.pdf

For a copy of the on-line form that you may also see page 3 of the newsletter March, 2010.

March 6thJudging of BVAL Art Show
Reception and open to public 12:30-2:00 p.m.

March 19th—Entry Forms Due, MSC Forsyth Center
Galleries 1st Annual Downtown Street and Art Fair

March 30th—Remove art work during operating hours of the Art Center and Texas Gallery.

March 31st—April 30—Art Teachers of Brazos Valley
and Student Scholarship Show

April 10—Festival of Arts/Airing of the Quilts Event,
Somerville, Texas. Table & wall space may be rented and no commissions collected though artists must be present for all of festival. Contact Art C’s Cathy or Cheryl at 979-596-2782 for more information.

April 17—MSC Forsyth Center Galleries 1st Annual
Downtown Street and Art Fair in downtown Bryan 10 a.m.—6:00 p.m. Entry Form and information attached in separate pdf format with newsletter or contact
fcg@msc.tamu.edu for information.

May 14-15—LSAG Convention and Juried Show in
Conroe, TX, at the Lonestar Expo and Convention Center Congratulations!! BVAL has two new officers. Jeanne Price has joined the Board and will replace Lina as our Publicity Chairperson and Jon Alston will replace Wimberly and serve as the new BVAL treasurer.
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Local Exhibits


Texas Gallery - March 5th—30th BVAL Judged Show

Brazos Center
- March/April—Rose Shea; May/June—Sara Scott

C.S. Conference Center - March/April—Lisa Hughes; May/June—Mary Burkhalter and Monika Pate

Art Center Studio - March/April—Mary Burkhalter; Sky Chevalier; May—Rose Shea; June—still open

Frame Gallery in downtown Bryan Exhibits art by many BVAL artists

Art C’s Gallery - Located in Somerville Watch their web site for exhibits www.artcgals.com

DaVinci’s Gallery - Tomball, Texas Abstract paintings by Mary Walters

Gallery at Roundtop - Anita Cannon, Sylvia Colwell and Jeanne Price are among over one hundred artists from three countries who will have their art on display in the Gallery at Round Top in Round Top, Texas to benefit Rural Art in Texas

1st Annual Downtown Art Fair in Bryan, Texas
April 17, 2010 11 - 6pm


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Volunteers - Sign up form is available in BVAL Newsletter Feb. 2010

We are currently evaluating ways for more BVAL members to be a part of our many BVAL activities. Our organization has grown and is moving in some very positive directions. As we all know, it can “take a village” to keep an organization like this running. A non-profit organization (like ours) relies on the energy volunteered by each member of the group. We would like all of you to consider devoting a two hour (or more if you like) commitment to some activity within BVAL. By becoming involved you give back to the organization and those who devote time and efforts get to know many new people, and you help the organization become more of what you want it to be.

To see a a list of events and activities, please read
BVAL Newsletter Feb. 2010 . Take a moment to look over and select an area that best suites your interests where you can volunteer. Please check off as many as you are willing and able to participate.

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Workshops and Classes

Adult Watercolor Classes - with Barb Starner Friday mornings 9:30 - 12:30. Call 220-7231 for information.

Art Classes  - with Daniel Xiao Saturdays from 10:30 - 12:30. Call 820-4087 to register.

Children’s Art Classes - with Kay Watkins Ages 9—15. Tuesdays 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. Contact Kay at kaysartquest@
gmail.com or 739-5782

The Art of Collage Workshop - with Lisa Hughes. Ongoing Thursday workshop 10:00 am—1:00 p.m. at the Frame
Gallery. Cost $26 per week. Contact Greta at the Frame Gallery for information.

Liz Hill Figurative Art workshop - Held at the Art Center Feb. 25 & 26. Cost is $125 for the two days.
Contact Mary Walters for additional information. See page 4 for Information about Liz Hill and her art work

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Share Your News

Do you have news to share about yourself or another BVAL member? Please send information to sunnyscb@gmail.com. Items will be included
as space permits.

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