Presidents’ letter September/October
Michelle Kingdom was our August speaker. I will give you a recap of what I took home from her lecture. Michelle’s embroideries are “Psychological Narratives” with allegorical symbolism. She works small. Some pieces are as small as 4”X4.” Though she was encouraged to work large in art school, working large didn’t stir her soul. Michelle was fortunate to be raised in a multigenerational community in Los Angeles where she even knew her great grandparents. She was within walking distance of everyone. She heard all their stories, learned to stitch from her elders. She easily contrasts her coming of age with the “new world” of children growing up with little or no relationships with extended family and a limited sense of community and history. Michelle’s works are intricate and thoughtful. She has many and varied influences from the literary as well as the artistic world. Michelle’s literary influences consist of are Virginia Woolf, Leo Tolstoy, also included was Carson McCuller’s depiction of spiritual isolation of misfits and outcasts in a small town of the U.S. South. Virginia Woolf: her use of interior monologue, sensitivity and delicacy of style, and evocation of place and mood. Leo Tolstoy: mystical doctrine and ethical doctrine of inner light. Illuminated manuscripts also influence her works; they are small pictorial stories and a portable means for the spreading of ideas and religious belief. Michelle mentioned Pierre Bonnard and his thoughtful, melancholic and moody introspective paintings of his wife Marthe in the bath which Michelle referred to as “outsider art.” I came home with new inspiration, knowing now that small is good. Stitchery is and can be as respected as drawing with any other instrument. Whether pen, pencil or brush, a needle is and can be a chosen implement for creating line and imagery.
We thank Barbara Weitekamp for presenting a Gel Transfer Printing workshop. We used Opollo Premium transparency film for use with ink jet printers and Golden Matt Medium. We copied images on an ordinary inkjet printer, and voila we had a transparency which could be burnished onto any surface. This was a fun workshop and fodder for many ways to use this new technique.
We thank Georgia Harvey-Freedman for arranging an artist tour of the Santa Monica Studios with three artists at the Santa Monica Airport for our next meeting.
The three artists we are going to visit are:
Melinda Smith Altschuler
www.laurelandwolf.com/blog/at-home-in-the-artists-studio-2-melinda-smith-altshuler/
Gwen Samuels (gwensamuels.com)
http://studiovisit.la/artists/gwensamuels
Joan Wolf (joanwolf.com)
Please RSVP to Mary Beth at rtfuleye@hotmail.com.
We will have our meet and greet at 9:30. And then onward to get an intimate look at the way other artists create in their own space. Bring your lunch.
A Call for a new Location Committee.
As you all know, we are in the process of looking for a new permanent space for our meetings and workshops. We are thankful to Rosemary Cohen for generously offering her Atelier de Paris this last year. I hope our members have taken advantage of the wonderful selection of silk fabric, paints and dyes in her store. We need to find a place which is centrally located for all of our members, from Ventura County to Orange County. Schools, Churches, Firehouses, Community Centers are just a few options which can be looked into. Please volunteer to spearhead this new committee. Meredith Strauss, our former liaison to Woodbury University said that Woodbury is not available for the time being. If we could find a new place with a sink and running water, we would be in heaven.
Celeste
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Next Meeting is October 15th
Coffee and Visit at 9:30am
Meeting starts at 10am
Santa Monica Art Studios
3026 Airport Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Phone: 310.397.7449
http://www.santamonicaartstudios.com/
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Santa Monica Art Studios - Arena1 Gallery
I want you to mark your calendars for our next meeting - October 15th. We will be meeting at the Arena1 galleries at the Santa Monica Art Studios: http://www.santamonicaartstudios.com/
Through the efforts of our Georgia Freeman-Harvey, we have arranged to meet with 3 artists in their studios. They will tell about themselves and their journey and show their work. It will be an informal setting with opportunities to ask questions or make comments. The artists will also join us for lunch.
Those participating are listed below. Take a moment to visit their websites and prepare to get excited!
Melinda Smith Altshuler melindasmithaltshuler.com
Gwen Samuels
gwensamuels.com
Joan Wolf
joanwulf.com
SAA will provide morning goodies and coffee. Members are to bring their own lunches.
Please take a minute to RSVP so we can make this day a success!
Mary Beth Schwartzenberger
rtfuleye@hotmail.com
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