University Art - Newsletter

The Community Artist

University Art Newsletter Vol. 2 Issue 5, May 2003

ART ORGANIZATIONS SPOTLIGHT

May kicks off the art and wine festival season, where the art of watercolor rules the day. Therefore, our focus this month is on the California Watercolor Association. This is a huge group of artists with approximately 950 exhibiting members from all over the state. Membership is open to anyone painting in "water-soluble" pigments, which oddly enough includes media other than pure watercolor. More membership information and info on shows is available from Rachel Brown P.O. Box 6909, Moraga, CA 94570, or from their website at www.california.org

COMING SOON

Berryessa Art and Wine Festival
Saturday 5/10/03 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
At Penetencia Creek Park, San Jose
Contact (408) 259-5894

Open Studios Santa Clara
2nd weekend 5/3/03 - 5/4/03
3rd weekend 5/17/03 - 5/18/03
for more information try info@svopenstudios.org

Mountain Art Guild 7th Annual Show
5/31/03 - 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
6/1/03 - 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
at Radonich Ranch
25140 Highland Way, Santa Cruz.
For details online try: www.mountainartguild.org

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

TRIVIA AND STUFF JUST FOR FUN

In certain early Celtic Societies most teaching was done by word of mouth with very little written down. However, the subject being taught required some form of writing from time to time. How then could you do this without leaving a written record which was after all forbidden? Their solution was kind of novel, symbols were painted on leaves and hung from strings underneath the forest canopy. The students would then move from leaf to leaf to discern the meaning of the lesson. This is where our expressions "leafing through a book" and "the leaves of a book" originally come from!

ASK BRAMSCHANDOZ

Q: When a paper says it is 140 lb. or 300lb, what does that mean?

A: The number in question refers to the basis weight of the paper. To put it another way, the number means that 500 sheets of the paper in its BASIC SIZE (whatever that is 23x35, 26x40, 17x22 etc.) will weigh in at either 140 or 300 pounds. The basis weight is determined by the type of paper (watercolor, drawing etc.) that is being made on the paper machine. The spools are cut to a their basic size first and then sent to a cutting facility where they are trimmed down to the finished cut sizes you see in stores.

JEFF'S TIPS

When framing a piece of artwork for an exhibit, one of the things artists often forget is the picture hanging hardware. A good rule of thumb is to place the "d" rings or screw eyes at about 1/3 of the length of the overall size measured down the back (i.e. if the size is 18" the "eyes" would be at 6" etc.). Then string the wire between the two eyelets and you are ready to go! A word of caution, really heavy pieces should not use wire, but hang directly off heavy-duty hangers called strap hangers.

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