Brushstrokes May 2025

Words of Wisdom on Whether to Touch-Up or Not Touch-Up Your Art: “A sympathetic critic can be helpful, but the distance created by time is usually the best judge of all. When you next view your painting, if the error immediately sticks out, you know it needs attention, but if it is not the first thing you notice, leave well alone. You will always regret needless fiddling.” –Helen Soan, The Essence of Watercolor, p. 91.

Meeting: May 12

The Bloomington Watercolor Society will meet upstairs in the Great Room on May 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the First Christian Church, 205 E. Kirkwood Ave. Details will be sent to the membership via email. A brief business meeting will open the meeting.

Meeting: “Four on the Floor: Flower Painting”

Four Member-artists will be demonstrating their approaches to painting flowers. Volunteer artists include Jeanne Dutton, Daniel Goebbert, Sara Steffey McQueen and Barbara Coffman. (For further information see “From the Desk of BWS President Laura Brown”).

Inside BWS

From the Desk of BWS President Laura Brown

A Special Announcement involving a change to the date of our 20th Anniversary Celebration is included in this issue, so please take a look at it.

Greetings artists! Welcome to Spring and get ready for the last few meetings before we wrap up the 2024-2025 Year.

In May we will have our business meeting on May 12th at 6:00 PM followed by a progam called “FOUR ON THE FLOOR: Painting Flowers” This is a demonstration only where 4 artists paint live at the meeting while members observe, take notes, ask questions, and go from artist to artist to casually observe their painting process of flowers. No supplies needed, just bring yourself and feel free to bring a friend to check out BWS! It’s the perfect no pressure situation for newcomers.

Our slate for executive board members is complete, so all members present at the meeting will get the chance to vote and confirm the new board for the 2025-2026 BWS year.

In June we will have our final meeting of the year where I will present “My Journey Through Sketchbooks” followed by a member show and share. Bring your sketchbooks and share what you’ve learned throughout your process, or just come to relax and observe. The choice is yours!

BWS Thanks Nicola Payne

Nicola Payne gave a demonstration on April 14 for BWS members on the technique named Monotype Printing.

Nicola explained that a monotype is a one of a kind, unique piece of artwork. It is the simplest form of printmaking, requiring only pigments, a surface on which to apply them, paper and some form of press. This technique is usually done with oil-based ink or paint, but Nicola showed how to use watercolor. She brought along some of her works which were color enhanced by using colored pencils.

See “Photo Gallery” (this issue) for more photos of the meeting (Pictures compliments of Nancy Metz)

BWS 20th Anniversary Celebration

Patty Uffman announced that The Mill is “CLOSED FOR REPAIRS” until further notice, and that therefore our 20th Anniversary Celebration, which was planned to be held there, will be delayed until sometime later this year.

Stay tuned for an announcement regarding the new date for BWS members and guests to celebrate the occasion!

Cancer Support Center

We have a lovely art program coming up through CSC on Sunday, May 4^th – Scenic Art Sunday at T.C. Steele State Historic Site. We’re painting outdoors and sitting with nature for inspiration. Entry to the park is free. Lunch and art supplies are provided. This even is open to anyone impacted by cancer – patients, survivors, and their loved ones. Please spread the word to your fellow artists.

Don’t forget to RSVP to Katie@cancersupportscin.org

A Little Bit of History

Linda Bransletter, BWS Historian, sent in this xeroxed piece from our annuals:

Outside BWS

Artists for Climate Awareness

May 3 @ 11:00 am – 1:30 pm

‘Painting’ with Torn Paper, with Ann Woods

Ivy Tech Community College, Bloomington, IN 200 Daniels Way, Bloomington, IN, United States

In this workshop, we will manipulate paper to create glorious flowers. We will use techniques such as tearing, folding, cutting, quilling, and our imagination. A variety of paper, from handmade to wallpaper, newsprint and beyond, will make it a happening experience!

Bloomington Art Alliance Workshop

Arts Alliance Center, College Mall
Saturday, May 3, 10 AM – 12 PM

Led by Alain Barker, Director of Entrepreneurship & Career Development at the IU Jacobs School of Music, this two-hour session will offer valuable insights and practical tools for navigating the financial side of a creative career. The workshop will begin with an engaging Design Thinking exercise to spark new ideas and help participants reframe their approach to financial planning and creative growth.

Topics will include budgeting, income generation, grant writing, fundraising, and marketing. They are tailored specifically for working artists. Whether you’re just emerging or have years of experience, you’ll leave with actionable strategies to support long-term sustainability and success. Join us at the Pillar Arts Alliance Center in College Mall. This event is free and open to the public, and we encourage artists of all disciplines to attend. No registration is required—just bring your curiosity and come ready to explore new ideas for supporting your creative work.

Henry Leck
Past President – Arts Alliance of Greater Bloomington

Watercolor Society of Indiana

Tim Lewis, current President of WSI wrote to share upcoming WSI Events (Detailed info an each of these events can be found at: https://www.watercolorsocietyofindiana.org/Calendar)

43rd Annual Juried Exhibition is open to WSI members. This is the premier watercolor show in Indiana and will be judged this year by Thomas Schaller, a signature member of AWS, NWS, TWSA. The show will be at the Indianapolis Art Museum at Newfields from Sept. 5th through Nov. 1st with a public reception and awards ceremony on Sept. 7th from 2:00 pm until 4:00 pm. The prize fund this year is expected to be around $10,000. Entries are accepted through June 20th at 5:00 pm.
“Beginning Watercolor” class on Sept. 21st from 1:00 pm until 5:00 pm at the Jewish Community Center, 6701 Hoover Road, Indianapolis, IN. This class will be taught by Ann Rose and Cheryl Lowe, both Cardinal Fellow members of WSI. This class is for adults only and no previous experience with watercolor is required.
“Painting a Figure From a Photo” workshop by Ted Nuttall, a signature member of AWS, NWS, TWSA will be held at the Second Presbyterian Church, 7700 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN from Oct. 14th through 17th. This workshop is for intermediate to advanced watercolor artists. You do not have to be a WSI member to enroll in this workshop.

Join the Hoosier Art Salon for a 3-Day Immersive Art Experience! Lilacs, Peonies, and Hydrangeas in Oil with Douglas David. Three-Day Oil Painting Workshop, Tuesday – Thursday, May 13-15, 9:00 – 4:00 pm CT.

Capers Emporium Glass Fusion Studio. Two Hour Workshop, Tuesday, May 13, 6:00 pm CT.

Capers Kitchen Cooking Class. An upscale simple meal prepared to dine in the Capers Kitchen!, Wednesday, May 14, 5:00 pm CT.

Fun for the whole family!

Waldron Art Center

Indianapolis Art Museum

A new Lume Exhibition will open on May 10 at Newfields in Indianapolis. It is entitled “Connection: Land, Water, Sky”; it contains art and music from the indigenous Australians.

Speed Art Museum in Louisville

Members may be interested in seeing the exhibit titled “Brilliant Exiles: American Woman in Paris, 1900-1939” At the Speed Art Museum in Louisville.

Jacqueline Fernette wrote to say, “Currently there is an exhibit at the Speed Museum in Louisville called “Brilliant Exiles.” It is of women in from 1900-1939 who fled to Paris to escape societal norms of the times. They were writers, artists, dancers, scientists, and thinkers of all kinds wanting a bigger life than just marriage. This portrait exhibit was put together by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. I saw it in DC last year and it is excellent. It arrived at the Speed after being exhibited in Paris. The exhibit started at the end of March and will be there until June 22. The written curation of the exhibit is extremely well done and there is a book accompanying the exhibit. Everyone will recognize some of the women.”

Membership News

Andy Roberts. I love learning new painting techniques. I painted this in Life Long Learning Ivy Tech class taught by MarySue Schwab (who is just an excellent teacher by the way). In this lesson we were asked to use only two colors. I chose Ultramarine Blue and Mars Brown.

Sara Steffey McQueen. I have a lot of news!! First off, my piece “House on Fire”” not only won best of show but sold while on display at the Artists for Climate Awareness Earth Month Exhibit, “Distant Thunder.”

Next, I’m having an exhibit of my most recent work using plant inks, charcoal, and natural objects. The title is “Nature Made.” It will be at the Arts Alliance Center in College Mall from May 1-29. I hope friends can make it to the reception on Friday, May 9 from 5-7.

And lastly, I am rounding the bend with a big project of a deck of cards called Intuitive Inquiry Oracle deck. These are all my paintings and prints and mixed media work in a collection which includes an accompanying guidebook. I’m gathering emails of interested patrons who would like to be kept abreast of my news on it. I’m hoping to have it for sale by this autumn. Here is the link to my website for anyone interested (www.sarasteffeymcqueen.com) , and, an image from the deck.

Tim Lewis. Since you have included photos of the work I currently have in shows, I’m only sending pictures of my new works:

“Window Shopping” is an 11” x 15” watercolor of a child who has stopped in his ventures Christmas shopping with grandma to admire the decorated tree in a department store window. ‘Tis the season… Painted from a photo supplied by India Owens with her permission.

“Leanin’ But Still Standin’” is an 15” x 11” watercolor of an old barn was spotted near Hartsville, IN a few years ago. It’s deteriorating and about to fall down, but it was still standing at that time. A sign of the decline in small farms in our country.

Shows:

My watercolors, “The Dance”, “Sunshine Came Softly” and “Caw Caw Perspective” were juried into the Flora Fauna Juried Art Show at Sullivan/Munce Cultural Center in Zionsville, IN. The show runs from May 17th through July 19th with a public reception on May 16th.

My watercolor, “Crusher”, is a part of the Watercolor Society of Indiana’s Regional Show at Hendricks Live! In Plainfield, IN. The show runs through May 31st.

My watercolor, “Entropy”, will be a part of the Watercolor Society of Indiana’s Annual Membership Exhibition at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis, IN. The show runs from May 10th through June 14th with a public reception on May 10th from 3:00 pm through 5:00 pm.

Lynne Gillette. The latest of my backyard series: gouache on black paper.

Jerome Harste. My son, grandson, and I spend the winter remodeling the place down in Myrtle Beach. It got so hectic I could hardly find a space to paint; hence, it was nice getting back to painting once I got back to Bloomington. (Probably I should say “playing” rather than painting.) As you can see I’m still on my African kick. I’m calling this one, “Mother’s Day.” The eyes I think says it all!!

And this giraffe was Zantangle playful:

Claude Cookman. Silverpoint is the most responsive medium I’ve ever drawn with. The slightest touch leaves a trace. If you work with patience and restraint, it can produce drawings of extreme delicacy. Among other things, this means a high-key value scale with no true darks. In a year or two, I hope to get there. This scribble is currently hanging in an exhibition at Indiana University’s Emeriti House, 1015 Atwater Avenue, Bloomington.