brushstrokes

We’re moving…

editor — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 03:49:29 +0000

We are moving our monthly meetings to a new place. Starting in September, and every third Thursday every month, we will be meeting at the Rock House, on the corner of Savannah and Main Streets in Clayton.

There is plenty of parking. On street parking in four directions and three parking lots within a block make it easy to park and walk to the Rock House. For those who need them, handicap parking is readily available.

Happy Independence Day!

editor — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 05:41:34 +0000

Celebrate Clayton 2010

editor — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:03:15 +0000

This past weekend, April 24th-25th, was Celebrate Clayton 2010.

The weather was a mixed event. Saturday morning started cloudy but dry. That changed around 2:00 PM with intermittent showers and some lighting in the distance and then just plain rain. Around 4:00 it was time to break camp for the day and take shelter.

After a rainy night, Sunday dawned semi cloudy and windy but otherwise the temperature was nice and the air was clean and crispy. That brought out a lot of people who enjoyed the different arts and crafts on display. There was also good music and good food to taste.

In the awards department, our current and previous guild members did very well. Laura McCue, our previous newsletter editor, won the Artwork (drawings, paintings & mixed media) award, Alan Zarter won the Photography (originals & limited reproductions) award and Randy Sells won the Fiber (baskets, wreaths & gourds) award.

Congratulations to the three of them!

Also nice was the camaraderie between the artists, ready to give a hand by helping the newcomers and running to assist each other when the strong gusts threatened to fly a tent away. In many cases, by the time the show closed, people who had met for the first time ended up feeling like they have known each other much longer.

A good experience and the promise of more and better for next year.

Wet Saturday afternoon, with all the tents battened down	On Sunday, locals and tourists strolling around the festival
NGAG booth: Richard Albertelli	NGAG booth: June Landreth
Laura McCue, happy with her award	Alan Zarter talking to potential buyers
Patti and Randy Sells' booth	Janie Owens' paintings and Deborah Weinett's carvings
Kathy Hamdy-Swink showing her photo calendar	Deb Towers and Gene Pease shared a booth
Terry Guthrie displaying his nature photographs	Celia Durand's booth

Woman

Rita — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:37:06 +0000

After the snow…

Celia — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:02:50 +0000

This photo was taken the morning after the Atlanta snow storm. During the winter, especially when the weather is bad, we see bluebirds coming to our feeders. They like to perch on the trees and wait their turn.

Good luck Laura!

editor — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 22:07:09 +0000

As most of you already know, Laura McGuffey moved back to Jacksonville, Florida last month, to pursuit a new career. We will miss her a lot, as a friend and as an artist, and we will also miss her enthusiasm and participation in all the guild activities.

Laura will be most missed here, at our website, where she has been not only the editor of Members Gallery but also an enthusiastic contributor to many of our other sections. Her dedication and hard work helped to make this website a reality.

Laura, we wish you success in your new endeavors, hoping that you will come back soon to visit us. You will always have a place here, in our mountains and in our hearts.

Seasons Greetings!

Celia — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:28:32 +0000

November 2009 Website Statistics

admin — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:57:28 +0000

These are our website November Statistics*:

Unique visitors: 670

Number of Visits: 1399

Pages visited: 12575

And these were the Top 10 Search Keyphrases:

north georgia arts guild
north georgia artists
starving to successful
best artist north ga
zoe schumaker
paintings by delores borman
north ga arts
google weather maps for georgia
north georgia artists guild
mountain flower art festival dahlonega ga 2010

*For a glossary of these terms, see April 2009 Website Statistics

October 2009 Website Statistics

admin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:23:29 +0000

These are our website October Statistics*:

Unique visitors: 820

Number of Visits: 1830

Pages visited: 15890

And these were the Top 10 Search Keyphrases:

north georgia arts guild
north georgia artist tour
wordpress blogs
north georgia art guild
weaving north ga
celia durand
painting on watercolor canvas
ga art guild
art festivals in georgia
mountain flower art festival 2010

*For a glossary of these terms, see April 2009 Website Statistics

Class experience - Day Two

galaleemc — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:37:19 +0000

Day two of class was a breeze. I was really pleased with my painting of a church or cathedral window. I stayed late to finish it as I knew we had to complete an assignment the next day. Wayland came in a saw me painting late and was so excited to see this he gave me a hug. I had done heave outlines of the window details thinking that I would go in later and thicken up my lines and give them each more depth. I need to do this as I have a tremble in my dominate hand due to a car accident from years ago. But Wayland said “leave it”. He also tells us to S T O P and LIGHTEN UP a lot! Which has taught me a lot about perspective and lighting levels and how to use that to affect height and distance?

I like his idea of levels and suggested a hand out for us one this. After two more days I have another ideal to suggest what size brushes to use to keep me in particular, from getting to detail oriented - too fast.

Wednesday was our assignment day. “Paint three apples and three apple trees. No more no less.” Well I thought I had a cute idea. I came up with at intervals between starting and wondering how to work in background, table, apples and trees. The idea came quick. The painting did not. Well I did it anyway, but did not like where this put me in my head, or where it put me with the outcome of my painting - ok it looks like a third graders. I hated it, I hated this day, I wanted to walk out of the room - well I did but came back in. I knew no matter what I was feeling or thinking I would come out ahead, more advanced with a new trick up my sleeve. Wayland sat with me instructing me and showing me what was wrong and how to correct it. A few things were fixed, but on to next things….which I did not care about because I hated this project and I hate this painting! My idea was three award winning apples and their blue ribbons with an emblem of the APPLE GROWERS OF AMERICA sticker in the center with an apple tree in the middle of each 3 apples, 3 trees, no more, no less at the ______Fair 2009. Well the sign was cut off so you don’t know what country it was held in. The apples were highlighted on individual pedestals with their winning ribbons on the back board. Horrible composition. Just horrible.

I have never been so exhausted as I was this evening. I had dinner, luckily got a massage, had a good night sleep and even though I knew it wasn’t finished I knew I was going back for more because I would choose the next painting.

I love my next subject. COLOR inspires me but I didn’t get to keep those colors and was getting a big time lesson on lightening up for depth - creating near and far objects on the canvas.

Now I don’t want Wayland to touch this one. Cause if I am gonna get it I NEED TO DO IT. If it takes being told 20 times. And I’ll do it that many times. I have probably put that many layers on. But with each critique I am getting there. I see the closeness and the distance and the curve of the subject. I’m not crazy about the color because I like painting what I see in nature. But I’ll go there and see what happens.

I am excited about every new corner I turn in this process. I may not like it in the moment but I go through anyway knowing I am learning something new.

Tomorrow is our last day, sadly. Wayland and everyone at the Folk School have been wonderful and the food is good. Wayland has been fun, joking and taking and giving as much teasing as we can all give and take. He has been exceptional sharing himself truly inside and out. Not only as a teacher, but as a man with a passion about what he does, bringing that to others and sharing his unique experiences, talents, perspectives, and joy. I know how lucky I am to have been in this class this week.

The Folk School has something really good going. Check it out for yourself sometime.

Laura