University Art - Newsletter

The Community Artist

University Art Newsletter Vol. 4 Issue 1, January 2005

ART ORGANIZATIONS SPOTLIGHT

We will begin the New Year by visiting the South Bay Polymer Clay Guild. This is an association of approximately 100 of the Bay Area's best polymer clay artists. The group sculpts everything from jewelry to figures to journal covers and just about anything else that can be created in this beautiful and flexible medium.

Meetings are the second Friday of every month at the Yu Ai Kai Senior Center, 588 North 4th Street San Jose. For information on classes and exhibits or demonstrations Call Deborah Anderson at (408) 998-5303, or e-mail her at maraha@aol.com

COMING SOON

Ceremony of Tea Exhibit
Starts 12/18/04
Triton Museum of Art
1505 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara, CA
For Details: www.tritonmuseum.org

Jacquelyn Paull
Paintings and digital Graphics
1/1/05 - 3/15/05
Rosirucian Egyptian Museum
1342 Naglee Avenue
San Jose, CA 95191

Collective Punch 12
Knockout emerging Visual Artists
1/10/05 - 2/25/05
Reception 1/16/05 1 - 4 p.m.
Hollis Street Project
5900 Hollis Street
Emeryville CA
For more info call (510) 653-1655 or on-line at www.takingtheleap.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

The New Year is here, January 1st 2005! But did you know that the New Year used to be celebrated in March? During the Middle Ages, the world followed the Julian Calendar, which observed the New Year on March 25th. This holiday, known as Annunciation Day, was said to represent the day that Mary found out she was to give birth to the son of God.

In 1582, the Gregorian calendar was adopted and Roman Catholic countries began observing the New Year on January 1st. Scotland began using the Gregorian calendar in 1600, Germany, Denmark and Sweden in 1700, and England in 1752.

Chinese New Year is a bit different, and is celebrated somewhere between January 10th and February 19th , each year. Each Chinese New Year corresponds to a certain animal ( i.e. monkey, rooster, snake, etc) that is in turn tied to a specific concept like prosperity or happiness.

ASK BRAMSCHANDOZ

Q: Do you have to pre-soak and staple down watercolor paper?

A: The short answer is No. Many watercolorists prefer to pre-soak the paper and then staple it down to a rigid support, because the paper buckles less when it is painted later. They feel that this gives them a flatter and more consistent surface to work on. I am not one of those watercolorists. I think taping the paper down prior to painting is adequate or better yet, use a watercolor block. The block has the advantage of being gummed on the sides ( to hold the paper down) and is rigid enough that you do not need an additional support ( they can be a bit pricey though). Watercolor can be tricky enough at times without adding extra steps to the process. So go for it if you so choose, but it is not necessary to a successful painting.

JEFF'S TIPS

Most experienced airbrush artists can produce visually stunning, photographically realistic images in a fairly short amount of time. As with any other fine art form however; you need to walk before you can run, and that means practicing the basics. This month's tip for the beginning airbrush artist from established airbrush artists: practice dots, lines, dagger strokes, and shading for a couple of hours each week. Newsprint is a fine practice surface. These simple exercises will help you develop confidence and skill, that will show in your artwork.

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