Back by popular demand—with a very special addition! Please join us for our 3rd Artists’ Conversation—not a workshop or seminar, but a real conversation about issues of mutual interest.

Since pricing and marketing our work continue to be major topics of concern, these will be subjects of the discussion. And we’re excited to announce that two attorneys from one of the nation’s leading intellectual property and copyright firms will be joining us to talk about the basics of intellectual property and copyright law, in light of both the exponential growth of internet marketing and exposure, and also in terms of how and where artists find and use subject matter for our work. 

Date:    Sunday, January 15, 2017

Time:   1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Place:   Emile A. Gruppe Gallery;  22 Barber Farm Road, Jericho Center, VT

There’s no admission fee and light refreshments will be served.

RSVP to Barbara Greene at (802) 878-8887 or [email protected] by no later than Wednesday, January 11. (Space is limited and it’s on a first come-served basis, so we encourage you to sign up soon!)

We look forward to seeing you.

Barbara, Emilie and Jane (the Plein Air Festival folks)

Welcome to the new VPS Website.  It is an evolving site, so please have patience as it settles into what you, our members, would like to see.  We hope to provide a site where our membership can find most of what they need to maneuver around in Vermont’s VPS world and a location for art information and opportunities.

This new site has a BLOG feature included so as of now, our old VPS BLOG site is obsolete and our old VPS website has been taken off line.  You may need to clear out your browser to start seeing the new site.

The Home page will have a scrolling Art Show which consists of one art image from each artist who submits images for the Member Gallery.  The Home page Art Show will show the artist’s name and art title when you hover over the top with your mouse.  In the Member Gallery, under the Members menu, one art image appears for each member who submits to the Member Gallery.  Again, if you hover over the image with your mouse, a small menu bar (in blue letters) appears with the artist’s name.   If you then click on the artist’s name menu, you will be taken to an individual art page for the artist which contains art information provided by the artist and images the artist has submitted for inclusion in the VPS Member Gallery.

Note: These functions may perform differently depending on the mobile devices you use.  This new website should display in the mobile app format, but touch-screen functions may act differently across devices.   With a touch screen, you don’t “hover”, but you may just need to touch the area verses “hover.”

Eventually, we will adding functions allowing you to pay your annual membership right on line using PayPal (you will have to have a PayPal Account for this function).  Also, you will be able to enter your own application information and submit it directly rather than having to print the form from the website and sending it in.

For now, to print any portion of a page, simply click on the little print icon in the lower right-hand corner of each page.  Pick what you want printed, then print.  You may now print off information you find on any page on the site.

As a VPS member, you may have two image and your own page on the VPS website.  If you would like your images and bio/statement included on the VPS site, feel free to send along the items need by following the guidelines found under the About menu, and Policies and Procedures.

If you have thoughts or suggestions, please pass them along to the webmaster ([email protected]).

Once again, welcome to the new site and take a tour around.

Regards,

Cindy Griffith,

Webmaster

 

 

Dear VPS Members,

The beautiful fall weather has been a special treat this year for those of you who love to paint en plein air.  Or, maybe you like to just paint on your porch!  Wherever you paint, I hope you have enjoyed the beauty around us.

Mark your Calendar for the November 2016 Annual Meeting:

November 6, 2016; 1PM – 4PM –

Location: The Center for Cartoon Studies,

94 S. Main Street, WRJ, VT 05001.

Our meeting will be approximately an hour and we have additional FREE presentations that may interest you:

1. Kent Scrivener, Photographer: We have a photographer, Kent Scrivener, coming to present how to photograph your art.  He also provides professional art photography services which he will briefly discuss, as well.  His business is com.
2. Aline Ordman, Artist, is back this year for a demonstration. With so much positive feedback from the last time Aline came to provide VPS with still life demonstration, we have asked her back for another.  Working from a clothed model, Aline Ordman will do several poses ranging from 5 minutes to 20 minutes showing how to build a figure pastel from just a quick gesture painting to a longer, more layered painting.

About Aline:  Aline received her BFA at Cornell University, and continued her training at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, earning a degree in Illustration.  Aline is a Master Pastelist with the Pastel Society of America and a Signature Member of the American Impressionist Society and a Master Circle Pastelist with the International Association of Pastel Societies. She was been featured in The Pastel Journal, has been honored with awards at the 33rd, 34th  and 38th Annual Juried Shows of the Pastel Society of America in New York City  and juried the 2014 Pastel Society of America’s National Juried Show.  In 2016 she was a Faculty Pastel Demonstrator for the National Plein Air Convention and in 2017 will do a Pastel presentation at the National Plein Air Convention.   Her work has been accepted in national juried shows of the American Impressionist Society, The Pastel Society of America and the Oil Painters of America.   Aline teaches workshops throughout the country and in Europe.  Her website is www.alineordman.com and she maintains a blog at http://alineordmanartwork.blogspot.com/

Last year a number of us paid our upcoming dues at the Annual Meeting.  It was painless, saved a stamp, and we didn’t have to worry about!  So, we encourage you to bring your annual $30 membership check with you (made out to VPS) to the Annual Meeting and hand it over to our new Membership Secretary  (after one is voted on!).

Board Planning Meeting:

 VPS Board met September 30, 2016 to discuss the past year, as well as the upcoming year.  The meeting minutes are at the end of this newsletter.

We discussed the vacancies coming up in 2017, and thankfully, a number of VPS members have stepped up to volunteer to fill the vacancies for 2017.  We will vote on the positions at the annual meeting.  Please refer to the minutes for the list of our 2016 Board members and 2017 volunteers, along with the position they seek.

My thanks go out to those who have stepped forward to volunteer.  And, special thanks go out to those leaving the VPS Board who served so faithfully over the years:  Anne Unangst has served as our Secretary and as our Exhibitions Board member and has organized several workshops for VPS. Debra Kraemer has served as our Membership Board member over the past two years and has been so helpful in getting demonstrations for us at VPS events.  Both have provided tremendous insight into improvements to VPS and have put countless hours in to helping VPS move forward.  It takes a strong group of volunteers to keep VPS going.  Without Anne’s and Debra’s support, we could not have continued over the years!  Thank you very much.

VPS Website:

We have started adding new VPS member art and bios to the new website.  The new site is still not open to the public, but we anticipate it will be by our Annual Meeting.

IMPORTANT!!! – The existing VPS website will be taken down soon and none of the information on the site will be available. 

Anyone now, who wants their art and bio added to the new VPS website, please submit it to me.  It is important you follow the instructions at the end of this newsletter: Instructions to be Included in the Gallery.  Please follow it carefully in order to help this process proceed gracefully.

The new website will still have the same name as the old:  https://vermontpastelsociety.com/

The new website has a BLOG feature within the site, so our old BLOG will be going away at the same time the old website goes away.  One efficient location for VPS information!

Also remember we have a Facebook page!

https://www.facebook.com/Vermont-Pastel- Society-1526769437591380/?fref=ts

I hope to see you at the Annual Meeting on November 6, 2016!  It should be a great opportunity to get to know your new Board Members and to receive information from two presenters.

Cindy Griffith, VPS President

(Attachment 1 to Newsletter)

Vermont Pastel Society Board Meeting at the T.W. Wood Gallery

September 30, 2016

Present: Cindy Griffin, Norma Jean Rollet, Debra Kraemer, Wendy Soliday, Grace Cothalis, Grace Greene, Susannah Colby and Matthew Peake

1. Cindy began the meeting by reviewing the Board lineup for next year considering upcoming vacancies:

 

President                          Vacant
Vice President                   Grace Cothalis
Secretary                           Grace Greene
Treasurer                           Norma Jean Rollet
Exhibitions                          Vacant
Membership                        Vacant
Member at large                 Wendy Soliday
Member at large                 Joyce Kahn
Webmaster                        Vacant

The following people have voiced interest in the respective positions:

Matthew Peake – President

Susannah Colby – Exhibitions

Maggie Smith – Membership

Cindy Griffith – Webmaster

This lineup needs to be voted on at the annual meeting in November, along with other members who may step up before the meeting showing interest.   Cindy said she will stay a couple of years as webmaster, and will train others to take over.

2.Reports

Workshops:  Discussion about what more needs to be done to have full workshop proposals for a Desmond O’Hagan workshop and a Doug Dawson one. Grace C. will follow up on this with the proposers, using the form on the blog that specifies everything to consider. The Dawson one is almost complete, but the O’Hagan one is lacking several details.

Exhibitions during the past year:  Everyone agreed that the Arts Alive venue worked well for an opening, but not well at all for an ongoing exhibit. There was no one in charge, no way to buy a painting, and the exhibit was not well attended. Only one of our members sold a piece. The art awards that Mickey Myers gave out were creative and fun.

Exhibitions for 2017: Looking at the Hotel Coolidge, WRJ, VT for the fall. Someone is there 24/7, so there is no worry about theft, and the person can answer questions and handle sales.  They generally sell several pieces when they have shows.

VPS Exhibitions are looking at SVAC for a members’ show in 2017, and have tentative approval, but need to contact and work with the new staff at SVAC to make arrangements. They have three times we could use in May and June. The same VPS members have said they will get prizes for the show. The Board agreed that it would be up to the judge to decide what titles to use for awards. Everyone liked the commentary that Mickey made on why she chose the pieces she did, so hope to have that again. We pay $100 to jurors (their work is done online only) and $300 plus mileage to the judge. Matt has a list of potential jurors and judges.

Membership report:  Debra reported that we currently have 99 members, of whom 13 are from out of state. Debra proposed changing the timing of the membership appeal to the beginning of December so as not to conflict with Christmas. People will be encouraged to bring their dues to the annual meeting in November.

Treasurer‘s report: Norma Jean Rollet pointed out some of the important information, such as the fact that we have $15, 3438.11 total. Discussion ensued about non-VPS awards and how organizations give each other the same amount of money to fund an extra award (e.g. the Cape Cod Pastel Society gives us $100 for an award for exhibitions, and we do the same for them). This arrangement was missed this year and we did not do it but will remember this next year.   It’s an easy way to promote one another.   As a rule, VPS tries to make money through workshops, while keeping the cost to members down.  We did make more money this year from the Richard McKinley workshop than anticipated, which helped to feed our reserve.  This money will now go toward other FREE events for VPS members in the future.

There is no line item for marketing, so we discussed whether there should be one, and what to do with one if it existed. Three hundred dollars will be designated for marketing. Grace G. will compile a list of places to send out information.

Grace G. moved and Debra seconded to accept the budget as presented.

3.Annual meeting plans: 

The meeting will be held on November 6, 2016 at the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction. Kent Scrivener will give a short presentation on how to photograph your art, and will also tell about his services.

We discussed several other possibilities for a presentation, and ended up with figure drawing demonstration by Aline Ordman. Aline will find a model. We will pay Aline $200, and the model $25.

Board members will supply snacks for the annual meeting. Items to discuss at the annual meeting:

• IAPS – Wendy Soliday
• Approval of annual meeting minutes for last year
• Election of 2017 Board members
• New VPS Website

After the formal adjournment of the meeting, Cindy showed the new VPS website and its features. She needs us to send in our art and statements. Everyone agreed that it looks great and that she has done a fabulous job. It will be formally debuted at the annual membership meeting.

Respectfully submitted,

Grace Worcester Greene

(Attachment 2 to Newsletter)

Instruction to be Included in the Gallery:

Instructions for Member Gallery Submissions

 

Dear VPS Membership,

Summer days are soon coming to a close and the beauty of fall will be upon us.  Enjoy the remaining warm weather as we’ll soon be layering up for the cooler month.

A couple of things coming up:

1. September 30, 2016 will be a VPS Board Meeting. As always, these meetings are open to VPS members so I wanted to pass this along.  For the most part, we will be discussing what 2017 will look like for VPS.  The meeting will be at the T.W.Wood Art Gallery, 46 Barre Street, Montpelier, VT from 1 PM – 3PM.  Please feel free to come.  Or, if there are items you want the VPS Board to discuss, let me know.

 

• The Annual VPS Meeting will be November 6^th, 2016 – The Center for Cartoon Studies, 94 S. Main Street, WRJ, VT 05001 – 1PM – 4PM.  VPS will have afternoon snacks.  We have a photographer, Kent Scrivener, coming to present how to photograph your art.  He also provides professional art photography services which he will discuss, as well.  His business is noumenadesigns.com.  At the meeting, we will give a summary of the functions from 2016 and the plans for 2017.  This year, there will be a change of several Board Members and we will be voting on new members.  As always, we look for member’s feedback and suggestions at the meeting, as well.  Please try to make this very important meeting.

 

3. VPS Website – It’s time to start populating the new website with your new images and professional art information.  Follow the instructions on the new VPS website at ABOUT, Policy and Procedures for the way to submit images for inclusion on the VPS Gallery.

 

Cindy Griffith

Dear VPS Members,

The beautiful weather is here and it provides a special environment for those of you who love to paint en plein air.  Or, maybe you like to just paint on your porch!  Wherever you paint, enjoy your summer!

2016 VPS Juried Exhibition:

The 2016 VPS Juried Exhibition should not be missed.  The Compass Music and Art Center in Brandon has spectacular exhibition space.  And now it is full of breathtaking art from our pastel society.  It truly is a lovely exhibit.  Thanks to all who helped in achieving its success.  The Compass Center has been very accommodating and supportive of VPS.  We thank our jurors (Alan Flattmann (http://alanflattmann.com) and Karen Israel (http://artbykarenisrael.com) for selecting the art for the exhibit and our judge Christine Ivers (http://www.christineivers.com) for selecting the award winners.  The reception was very well attended and it was really nice talking to several of you from the more southern parts of Vermont.  An exhibition takes the work of many cooperative individuals.  Thanks!

At the end of this document, you will find a list of award winners for the exhibition.

VPS Website:

If you have been following this saga, we have been seeking alternatives to our old website.  Finally, we have a web developer working on one now!  We will roll it out to you soon, so be thinking about the art you would like to exhibit on the new website.  This site will allow you to manage your own personal information and upload your own images as well as making payments for membership and workshops.  But, before we can get everyone trained in how it works, we’ll handle the images the first time around.  More to come on this soon.   Remember, find us on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Vermont-Pastel- Society-1526769437591380/?fref=ts

or on our BLOG:

http://vermontpastelsociety.blogspot.com/

 November 2016 Annual Meeting:

November 6, 2016 will be the date of the Annual Meeting which will take place in the afternoon in the White River Junction area.  Mark your calendar!  We will try to find some interesting entertainment, as usual, for this meeting.

Also, be thinking about volunteering on the VPS Board.  There has been interest in the President’s position, so we anticipate we will be voting in a new President in November.  But, if any of you are interested, please let me know.

We have a Membership position opening up on the Board.  The duties are as follows:

• Emailing notice of Membership Dues in December
  • Reminders end of January
  • Reminders end of February (If needed)
• Received and record member application and demographic information, including amount received for each member, on spreadsheet.
• Annually, work with Treasurer to reconcile membership records and deposit to verify.
• Process occasional memberships throughout the year
• Disseminates annual membership letters
• Works with Treasurer regarding deposits
• Disseminate VSP-wide emails as needed
• Record and maintain records of membership
• Reports as needed.
• Member of VPS Board

Note: Duties may lessen with new website as people start using it to enter their own membership information.  We anticipate new members will sign up and make payment right online. 

Other Board positions may become vacant, as well.

Board Planning Meeting:

 Each year before the Annual Meeting, the Board meets to discuss the following year’s budget and other potential events.  If any of you want to volunteer to organize a workshop in your area let us know.  The Board members are listed in this document at the top.  Remember if you organize a workshop the workshop is FREE for you.  We have a couple of very experienced members, who have repeatedly volunteered to organize workshops and I’m sure they could talk you through the process.  We also have procedures.  Lastly, if you do decide to organize a workshop, our Board is always available to help you along the way.    I just heard from another VPS member, that a B & B in Warren, VT would LOVE to be a location for an art workshop (http://westhillbb.com/).    Again, if you are interested let one of us know and we’ll add your proposal to our planning meeting.

If there is anything you’d particularly like to see VPS do in 2017, send along an email to one of us and we’ll share that at the Board Meeting.  And remember, volunteering is critical to achieving VPS activities.   Many, many members have volunteered this year to accomplish the success we’ve had with our exhibits!

As a member of VPS, you are always welcome to come to our Board meetings.

 Vermont Pastel Society Member Exhibit 2016

The following is a list of awards presented at the 2016 VPS Juried Exhibition at the Compass Music and Art Center.  Our appreciation goes out to Christine Ivers, the Judge of Awards for VPS.  She included a statement (below) regarding the exhibition in general.

Each award listed, is followed by a statement from Christine Ivers about her impressions of the piece.  Congratulations to all of our winners.  The exhibition is incredibly professional in appearance.  VPS has some amazing artists!

Juror’s Statement

First, I would like to thank VPS for giving me the opportunity to judge this wonderful show for awards. It was truly an honor and it was most difficult to choose the winners from so many wonderful pastels. From the moment I walked into your facility I knew I would be spending hours trying award only a few awards when I honestly could have handed out at least another five or six. The variety of styles, the skilled use of the medium, and the professional presentation of all of the artists involved made for a beautiful show and I commend all involved. I hope that you will continue to create more terrific work and help to educate others as to why we love to paint with pure pigment. Thank you so much again.

• Christine Ivers, PSA-MP, IAPS/MC

First Prize:

Diane Burns, “The Golden Hour”

As soon as I saw this painting I was awestruck with its dynamic composition and incredible use of color temperature. The vibrancy of light turning from the “magic light” of the sun to the subtle harmonies of beautiful shadows made me feel as if I were standing in the scene. The boldness and directional strokes pulled me to the destination that the artist intended. This painting was as incredible as “The Golden Hour” always is and is deserving of this show’s highest award. Kudos to the artist!

Second Prize:

Matthew Peake, “Overlook #26 Partners in Time”

Motion! Energy! The creative and imaginative way of looking at the world from a different angle made this composition filled with a circular motion of the figures, all the while in contrast to the geometric floor. The bold use of color complimented the piece, which kept me feeling that I was spying on the musicians and dancer from the balcony above. By truly “thinking out of the box” this artist has definitely found a creative niche that should inspire others to look at the world differently. Great job!

Third Prize:

Patti Braun, “Spring Run Off”

The dancing light on the waterfall contrasting the forest in luscious dark and vibrant color immediately drew my attention! The exceptional use of color choices in the lit and shadowed sections of the painting made me feel the perspective of the water and cascading rocks. I particularly loved the use of the violets in the shadows, which made what are normally overlooked supporting actors, such as the rocks, come alive with those delicious strokes of color. Excellent presentation as the wooden frame seemed to be part of the composition. Beautiful piece. Congratulations!

 Honorable Mention: The Philip M. Danylik Memorial Award sponsored by Christine Ivers

Jean Pollack, “KaBOOM….pshhhhhh….”

It wasn’t only the crashing wave or the excellent composition that drew me into the scene; it was the fantastic rim light on the rocks that spoke to me! The use of alizarin and violets against the warmth of the sand and sky is absolutely beautiful and kept me looking deeper into the areas that were almost imperceptible shadows. Motion and power contrasted by a serene sky and gentle sand makes for a powerful work. Totally enjoyed this terrific piece.

Honorable Mention: sponsored by Otter Creek Frame Shop of Middlebury

Carol Eberlein, “Sunshot”

The contrasting aspects of this painting were what drew me to it the moment I saw it. Bold, defining strokes, a spectrum of values and the flickers of light on the horizon and trees gave me the feeling that night was falling or that a storm might be coming in. I enjoyed trying to figure out which of those two scenarios this painting might be trying to convey, which I found interesting enough to make me linger with it. Striking is how I would describe the artist’s approach and I hope to see more of her work in the future. Congratulations!

Honorable Mention: sponsored by Phoenix Bookstore of Burlington

Kathrena Ravenhorst-Adams, “Autumn Reflection”

The abstract qualities and the freedom of the artist’s strokes were what first caught my attention in this work. The movement and serendipity that was achieved in this painting is wonderful! “Bouncing” light that created the bold reflections, the artist’s use of the extreme light and dark values, and the color temperatures that gave the piece depth, are a true testament to her skill as a painter. The simplicity and tone of the painting is beautiful yet difficult to achieve. I applaud Kathrena for creating such a memorable piece.

Honorable Mention: sponsored by Zephyr Designs of Brattleboro

Norma Jean Rollet, “Garden en Plein Air”

The atmospheric perspective in this painting is telling me much more about the artist’s ability to give her viewer a true taste of depth in a landscape. From the softness and coolness in the background hills to the crisp strokes that make the flowers in the foreground jump out at you in the composition, these techniques alone absolutely makes this painting worthy of recognition. Add to that the use of value and temperature to create a piece that is not only beautiful but shows just how beautiful the medium can be. Truly deserving on an award.