University Art - Newsletter

The Community Artist

University Art Newsletter Vol. 2 Issue 1, January 2003

ART ORGANIZATIONS SPOTLIGHT

We start off the New Year with a visit to the Santa Clara Art Association. This has to be one of the most diverse, well-rounded, organizations in the Bay Area. Award winning pastel artists, oil painters, sculptors, acrylic artists, watercolorists and even photographers make up its membership.

They are a friendly and dedicated group of artists involved in several community exhibits every year. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of every month, at The Santa Clara City Hall Cafeteria, right across from the Triton Museum of Art (1500 Warburton Avenue, Santa Clara) at 7:00 p.m. For more information call Annette Scott at (408)254-1172 or Jeff at (408) 297-4707

COMING SOON

TOM LYNCH MINI WATERCOLOR WORKSHOPS

2/7/03-University Art - Sacramento, 2610 Marconi Avenue Sacramento (916)484-1640

2/8/03- University Art - Palo Alto, workshops held at the Pacific Art League 668 Ramona Street, Palo Alto. (650) 328-3500

2/9/03- University Art - San Jose, 456 Meridian Avenue, San Jose (408)297-4707.

Two sessions per day $50.00 per session. Class size limited to 30 participants per location checks and cash only please.

Bob Gerbracht Portrait Workshop

2/10-2/14/03
Tuition is $425.00. Mail a $100.00 deposit to secure your spot to University Art 456 Meridian Avenue, San Jose, CA 95126
Make checks payable to Bob Gerbracht.

If you have exhibit info that you want to have posted please e-mail at snjbram@aol.com

TRIVIA AND STUFF JUST FOR FUN

Carbon blacks are any number of dark blacks made by Hydrocarbon combustion (soot) and they are used in inks (i.e. India ink) as well as paints. Did you know these blacks are also a main ingredient in automobile tires; that they make up as much as one quarter the weight of a standard tire? Carbon black-based India ink first appeared in both China and Egypt more than two thousand years ago, and was primarily carbon black suspended in water. Since then a variety of additives have been used to improve the inks stability: animal fat, gelatin, glycerin, and even soap!

ASK BRAMSCHANDOZ

Q: What is meant by aerial perspective?

A: Aerial perspective essentially means mimicking what we see in nature to provide believable depth to a painting or drawing. Because of atmospheric impurities, ( i.e. haze, pollution, moisture) objects become less distinct or paler the farther they recede from us. In addition these impurities filter out some of the longer wavelengths of light( i.e. red or warmer) and allow some of the shorter wavelengths(i.e. blue or cooler) through to our eyes, so distant objects appear bluer or cooler.

JEFF'S TIPS

When painting "plein air" it can be challenging deciding what to put into your composition: there is so much going on all around you. This is when a pair of viewfinders can be very useful. Simply cut a 1" x 2" hole in a small piece of cardboard or tag and then look through it to find just the right setting for your composition. Once you have that, a larger
viewfinder (3"x5") with a piece of plexi that has a grid on it, can be used for the details and proportions.

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