University Art - Newsletter

The Community Artist

University Art Newsletter Vol. 3 Issue 11, November 2004

ART ORGANIZATIONS SPOTLIGHT

This month we take a trip over the hill and visit with the Santa Cruz Oil Painters. This is a small, free spirited group of both studio and plein-air oil painters, about thirty or forty members strong. About a year ago the group voted to have one annual board/business meeting to take care of club business, but they get together unofficially monthly for art critiques at various members houses.

Contact is Jan Moss, P.O. Box 863 Soquel Ca. 95073, (831) 662-3103 or e-mail the club at info@oilpainters.org or try their website, www.oilpainters.org

COMING SOON

Karen Von Felton
11/4/04 - 1/2/05
Triton Museum of Art
1505 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara
(408) 247-3754 or www.tritonmuseum.org

Carolyn Larsen
11/10/04 - 11/30/04
Kensington Art Centre
347 E. Campbell Avenue
Campbell, CA 95008
(408) 376-0231

San Jose Harvest Festival
11/26, 27 & 28th 2004
San Jose McEnery Convention Center
150 West San Carlos Street
Admission is $8.50, $7.50 for Seniors, $4.50 youth.
For Details: www.harvestfestival.com

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

TRIVIA AND STUFF JUST FOR FUN

November is here and many of us will soon be partaking of that Thanksgiving favorite, turkey. The wild turkey, native to the Eastern United States and Mexico figured prominently in the first Thanksgiving in 1621. This species of turkey is the one from which all domesticated breeds have been developed. There are currently about 240 million turkeys farm raised annually in the United States, and in the wild, the wild turkey now covers much of its former native range and has been introduced in several other areas. California, Minnesota, Carolina and Virginia are the nation's leading turkey producers. Some domesticated breeds of U.S. Turkeys are the Bourbon Red, the Bronze, the White Holland and the Narrangansett.

ASK BRAMSCHANDOZ

Q: What is a good beginning calligraphy pen?

A: According to my good friend Sara Frank (one of the Bay Area's Top Calligrapher/Artists) a beginning student should start with a fountain style calligraphy pen. There are several good ones out there made by Manuscript, Scheaffer and Rotring, and they are relatively easy to use. Traditional dip pens can be tricky to use and can cause frustration for the beginning student.

"Fountain style pens allow the students to practice with relative ease for a few weeks, at which point they can be introduced to the traditional quill or dip pens," says Sara. After this students can begin experimenting with the different nibs available and then it is just practice, practice, practice!

JEFF'S TIPS

As you know, pastels often become soiled during the course of a painting session and this can influence the color that you put on your painting surface. With mildly soiled pastels you can simply wipe them off with a soft tissue. Sometimes, however, the pastels are too stained to be easily cleaned with tissue. When this happens try putting the pastels in a box or jar of uncooked rice and gently shake them around. The mildly abrasive surface of the rice will strip the "bad" color right off the outside making your colors clean again.

Try it !!

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