American Society of Marine Artists Spring 2014 A P u b l i c at i o n of The American Society of Marine Artists Dedicated to the Promotion of American Marine Art and the Free Exchange of Ideas Between Artists ASMA 2014 AGM Meeting Inner Harbor, Baltimore, Maryland October 16 - 19, 2014 • See Page 22 for More Information Vi s i t o u r We b S i t e a t : w w w. a m e r i c a n s o c i e t y o f m a r i n e a r t i s t s . c o m From The President Russ Kramer One of the Society’s most important initiatives continues to gain momentum – ASMA’s Young Marine Artist Search (YMAS). This year we will hold the second annual YMAS National Competition for high school or college-age kids (16-23) and hope, through your direct efforts, to have entries from every state in the nation. We ask each of you to consider finding a student in your area who might be interested in this competition. One way to do this is to inquire whether your local art center or museum has any classes or exhibits for young people and encourage those students who show an interest in marine subjects to submit for the YMAS National. Also, direct contact with local high schools and colleges may be effective too. Materials are available to members who wish to participate and promote the competition; see a full prospectus in this issue and watch for updates in the monthly e-News. Entries are due by June 15, and winners, selected by a jury of Fellows, will be announced on August 1, with award ribbons, certificates, and scholarship money given out at our Annual Weekend in Baltimore mid-October. All entries must be original and created by the student from personal photos or imagination. Any media will be considered (paintings, sculpture, etc.) and any maritime subject will be eligible. Students should be sponsored by an ASMA member, local art center or museum who has paid for the student’s ASMA membership ($15 annually). Of course, the success YMAS has found already, and the reason it will continue to grow in the future comes down to the dedication of a small group of ASMA members who have been instrumental in its formation; notably, Dick Elam, Austin Dwyer, Lisa Egeli, Hiu Lai Chong, Anne Brodie Hill and Charlie Robinson are all deserving of credit. * * * Allow me a bit of personal history here, as it speaks to YMAS and the opportunity that program offers. I was once a ‘young marine artist’ in the making myself. It was clear from the earliest age that I was going to be an artist and designer, but what kind? As a mid-teen, my interests were directed to a future in architecture, and I was already doing commercial freelance illustration. But then, I saw “The Marine Paintings of Carl G. Evers” and was struck -- THAT’s what I wanted to do when I grew Russ Kramer at 16 up. I was so inspired I produced a painting shortly thereafter (which was really a colorized, slavish copy of a Rosenfeld photograph) and entered it in an art show, where it sold. It was 1976, and I was 16. (The formation of the ASMA was still two years in the future). I guess there’s nothing remarkable about my experience, except that I would not paint another marine scene for twenty five years. Instead, I went off into the newspaper business and later the agency business, had rewarding careers, but always kept my dream alive to become a marine artist someday. Who knows, had someone encouraged me to pursue it more formally, or a program like YMAS, I might have stayed with it from the start. Obviously, there are many kids out there today, despite all the electronic distractions, who connect with the idea of becoming artists, even some who are inspired to paint or sculpt subjects of the sea. I encourage you to seek them out in your town, sponsor them for a year in ASMA and urge them to enter our national competition. 2 | ASMA NEWS AND JOURNAL A Word About The American Society of Marine Artists The American Society of Marine Artists is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to recognize and promote marine art and maritime history. We seek to encourage cooperation among artists, historians, marine enthusiasts and others engaged in activities relating to marine art and maritime history. Since its founding in 1978, the Society has brought together some of America’s most talented contemporary artists in the marine art field. ✺ FELLOWS OF THE SOCIETY Managing Fellow Richard Loud John Barber David Bareford Chris Blossom June Carey William Davis Don Demers William Duffy Lisa Egeli Peter Egeli West Fraser Michael Karas Russ Kramer Loretta Krupinski Richard Loud Ian Marshall Joseph McGurl Leonard Mizerek Paul Mullally Neal Hughes Charles Raskob Robinson Sergio Roffo Kim Shaklee Donald Stone Len Tantillo Kent Ullberg ASMA Fellow Emeriti Norma Jay Raymond Massey Victor Mays William G. Muller Mark Myers William Ryan John Stobart Donald Stoltenberg ASMA Honorary Members J. Russell Jinishian Richard C. Moore Graham Stiles S p r i n g 2014 Published Quarterly by THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MARINE ARTISTS 501(c)3 Organization ✺ Editor Robert C. Semler Regular Contributing Writers Charles Raskob Robinson Christine Diehlmann D e d i c at e d to the and the Promotion Free Exchange ASMA NEWS Assorted Scuttlebutt • 4 Membership Information • 4 News From The Fo'c'sle • 5 Regional Reflections • 20 2014 AGM, Baltimore MD • 22 YMAS Update • 23 Design and Layout Robert C. Semler ✺ The American Society of marine artists President Russ Kramer Vice-President Kim Shaklee Secretary Mike Killelea Managing Director/Treasurer Peter Maytham Board of Directors Christine Diehlmann Austin Dwyer Anne Brodie Hill Len Mizerek Ann Mohnkern Sergio Roffo Robert C. Semler Len Tantillo of American Marine Art Ideas Between Artists of "Highlands Pond" • Debra Nadelhoffer ASMA JOURNAL 7. Notes From Brush Hill Charles Raskob Robinson featuring Debra Reid Jenkins 14. 1812 - Star Spangled Nation 15. Gadsden Arts Center 16. Fellows Corner featuring Len Mizerek "Fog Lifting on the Seine" 16" x 20" • oil • Len Mizerek ✺ the american society of marine artists Post Office Box 247 Smithfield, VA 23431 757-357-3785 [email protected] On the cover "Sweet Dreams" 24" x 24" Oil by Debra Reid Jenkins Newsletter deadlines Dec. 1, Mar. 1, June 1, Sept. 1 All material in the ASMA News & Journal is copyrighted and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written consent of the American Society of Marine Artists. ©2014 www.americansocietyofmarineartists.com | 3 Assorted Scuttlebutt Robert Semler [email protected] Hopefully by the time you receive this issue, the snow will have melted and Spring will be "sprung". We, in Florida, have the distinction of being the only state in the union that did not receive our share of snow this year. Wish I could say the same about the future of hurricanes, although in the Sarasota area we have been most fortunate. Let's hope it stays that way. OK, now down to business. You will see on page 22 our ongoing plans for the annual ASMA AGM being held at the Baltimore Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD from October 16 through the 19th, 2014. Instructions for making reservations were not immediately available as our deadline approached so look for those to show up in one of president Russ Kramer's eNews mailings in the near future. Everything else is coming along nicely and it should be another fine experience for those planning to attend. Phyllis and I have made our plans already and look forward to seeing everyone. We've missed the last two. Something very rare for us. A major change that recently took effect is the appointment of Fellow Neal Hughes as our new webmaster. Neal brings a lot of experience with him in web design and experience and we look forward to his future innovations to our website. You can visit Neal's own website at: www.nealhughes.com. ASMA's "1812 - Star Spangled Nation" opened in April and will run through June, at the Connecticut River Museum, Essex, CT. If you are in the area please be sure to stop by and view it, and say "hello" to the staff. After it leaves Connecticut, it will then travel to the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT (July-Sept. 2014) before the final venue at the Star-Spangled Flag House Museum, Baltimore, MD (October to December 2014), just in time for our AGM. By the time you receive this issue, we should also have a new Managing Director of the Society. As you know, our "Iron Man", Peter Maytham, is "retiring" the position after June. He will also be turning over the position of Treasurer at the end of the year. He has done a heroic job of keeping ASMA affluent and working like clockwork and we will miss him greatly. Especially for someone who was essentially "shanghaied" many years ago. Peter will always be a member of the ASMA family and we look forward to many years of friendship with him. "Well done, Peter!" On page 6 I've once again tried to explain exactly what is needed in the way of text and photos being submitted for publication in the ASMA News & Journal. Please read it over and if you have any questions, just email me before sending material and I'll help all I can. Being a one-man operation I need all the help I can get, particularly in the area of reproducible photos and Continued on Page 27 4 | ASMA NEWS AND JOURNAL Membership Information New Members Anne W. Black Connecticut Yvette Kim Georgia Robert Cairo Ohio Paul Mattoon Texas Gretchen Durepo Washington Peter Pierson California Sherl Farabaugh Colorado Paul Warren Florida Sharon Farkas Georgia Deceased Michelle Jung California Robert L. Webb Massachusetts 1812 - Star Spangled Nation Photo courtesy Connecticut River Museum ASMA’s First Themed Exhibition now at the Connecticut River Museum The exhibition opened to the public on March 21st, with a special reception held on March 20th, and will run through June 29th. Be sure to see it if you are in the area. 1812 STAR SPANGLED NATION Now Showing Connecticut River Museum, Essex, CT April through June www.ctrivermuseum.org Christine’s Log Book Christine Diehlmann [email protected] When you receive this edition of the ASMA News & Journal, the sun will be shining, the birds singing and blossoms will be sprouting. However, as I write this column, the day is gray, the temperature is freezing, and snow is predicted – again. This has been a cold snowy winter for most of us this year. The Great Lakes were 85% frozen causing havoc with shipping. An Australian research ship carrying people from all over the world to investigate “global warming” was frozen fast in Arctic waters. The rescue ship was endangered and had to cease operations. Finally, the passengers were airlifted to safety. Does this evoke a remembrance of Austin Dwyer’s recent painting of Shackleton’s frozen plight over a hundred years ago? This winter has also been hard on wildlife. Everyone knows that Annapolis that the land in close proximity to the Historic District contains miles and miles of waterfront – creeks, rivers and the Bay. A little known secret is that the close-by area to the north contains acres and acres of forest and woodland that is home to uncounted number of deer. Most of this forest land is fronted by housing communities that incorporate the woods into their common land having their backyards blend into the woods. Our community is called Cranberry Woods. It is so named because back in Colonial days, there was a huge cranberry bog deep in the woods. Ships docking in Annapolis to take on water would often anchor in Round Bay to get their water from our bog, which was purer than any other and lasted much longer. The bog is also a source of water for resident deer. We always have small groups of deer wandering quietly about the neighborhood, partially hidden in non-winter months. Most of us are on the alert when we turn into our neighborhood or start down our driveways in case there are deer in the road. We can hear them when the windows are open in the summer. We also know that our tulips will be beheaded before they bloom and that hosta will grow to large size and suddenly be cut down to stubs. They hate boxwood and are not so keen on holly. This winter, we have had daily visits off and on all day long by a herd of about ten deer. When they started in on the boxwood and jumping up to shake the wild bird seed Continued on Page 24 News From The Fo’c’sle Member Eric Nils Forsberg was part of a special segment on the WGN News, December 24th at 9:00 PM Central Standard Time. There is also a presentation on the WGN website http:// wgntv.com/2013/12/20/the-storyof-chicagos-christmas-tree-ship/. The segment is only about 15 "Yuletide Cargo" - 28" x 40" - Oil minutes long and he was only Eric Nils Forsberg a small portion of it, but it is an interesting story of the Christmas Tree Ship. It features a short interview with Eric and shots of his studio and two paintings depicting the Rouse Simmons, Christmas Tree Ship, which went down in a storm off of Two Rivers "Sailing Into Eternity" - 24" x 36" - Oil Wisconsin in November 1912, Eric Nils Forsberg with all hands lost. The two paintings were part of a one man show at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and have also been used as illustration in two books. Signature member Jim Griffiths has an exhibition of 40 of his military paintings at the U.S. Naval Academy Museum, Preble Hall, Annapolis, Maryland. The exhibit runs from March 15th to June 15th, 2014, and is titled "U.S. Navy Ships of War:18981991". Jim will have paintings on display depicting ships from the Spanish-American War up to the first Iraqi conflict. Widely known for his paintings of 19th Century clipper ships, this exhibit at Preble Hall showcases Jim's great interest and passion for these steel navy vessels. Many of these military paintings have never been seen in public. This is the first time all of these works can viewed together. "In The Gulf" - Jim Griffiths Sea History Magazine is doing an article on Signature Member Louis Stephen Gadal's Night Light series in the coming spring 2014 issue of their magazine. "I am really excited about this and hope it gets some attention with the readers. I do find my Nocturnes are very different and a challenge to do. Continued on Page 19 www.americansocietyofmarineartists.com | 5 All Things ASMA Deadlines and Technical Specs for The ASMA News & Journal It is time that I make it clear again just how important deadlines are for publication in the ASMA News & Journal and also the technical specifications required for articles and images submitted. I realize not all members are computer savvy and if you are not, please refer this to a friend who is. Last year we instituted new deadlines to make things run smoother for me. I was trying to put together a magazine in just a little over a week and upload files to our printer. Several things occurred. There were too many errors and I got burned out, in addition to having material submitted after the deadline. So, we moved the deadlines forward to ease the pain. It is imperative that the new deadlines be adhered to. I will not accept material after these dates, which are published below, and in every issue of the ASMA News & Journal. Now let's get to what I need from you: TEXT: I need all text submitted one of two ways. Either directly in an email, or as a Microsoft Word document. I can read most any version of MSWord. I use an IMac Apple computer, not a PC, so this software or plain text must be adhered to. IMAGES: All images MUST be sized for "Print" format, not internet reproduction. The ASMA News & Journal requires standard commercial print specifications. • All images must be 300dpi resolution at a size not smaller than 4" x 6" (1800 x 1200 pixels) or very close. If you cannot size them in this resolution, a camera image might be successful (72dpi) as long as it is photographed at the largest size approximately 25" x 17" (1800 x 1200 pixels), depending on the camera. • All images MUST be JPG (JPEG) format, RGB color. • Images may be emailed to me direct as long as any one mailing does not exceed 10MB of memory, otherwise just email them one at a time and number them. If you feel you would rather send them to me on a disc, just contact me at [email protected] rcsemlerart.com and I will give you instructions. Please read this carefully if you wish to submit material. Cover art is chosen from art published in the specific quarterly issue, so do not submit specifically for a cover. Specs for art chosen will be discussed with the individual artist. Robert Semler, Editor ASMA News & Journal Deadlines Winter - December 1st • Spring - March 1st Summer - June 1st • Fall - September 1st 6 | ASMA NEWS AND JOURNAL Inaugural internet exhibition of the american society of marine artists the 16th national October 2014 through December 2015 www.american society of marine artists.com The Society's first Virtual Exhibition ever held. In addition, we are in the planning stages for special presentations of the digital exhibition at appropriate host venues. Stay tuned! Notes From Brush Hill by Charles Raskob Robinson Brush Hill Studios, Washington, CT DEBRA REID JENKINS, Signature Member, Lowell, Michigan Web Site: www.debrareid.com The thought that the following statement by Albert Einstein about his own life story might be associated with that of ASMA Signature Member Debra Reid Jenkins would make Debra very uneasy. But the connection seems to become clearer the more one knows her: “I know quite certainly that I myself have no special talent: Curiosity, obsession and dogged endurance, combined with self-criticism have brought me my ideas.” Albert Einstein Curiosity For Einstein, the desire to “know more” bordered on the sacred. He counseled, “Never lose holy curiosity.” Debra had it from the beginning and it flourished as she grew up surrounded by her creative family. And she became more curious with age - her curiosity was not only “holy” but also insatiable. As soon as she could read, her mother, Peggy Reid, fueled the fire by opening a whole new world by introducing her to the local librarian, Celene Idema. Finding she could learn much about art and artists through the writings about and by artists, she developed strong reading habits and still discusses books with the librarian she first met over a half century ago and today has built a personal library numbering over twelve hundred volumes. Most are on art but there are those on philosophy, dog training, martial arts and lots of other subjects. “My kitchen table a.k.a., my desk, always has the subject of most immediate interest on it, however every flat surface in my house is covered with books. (My poor husband, Garth!) I also have books in my truck in case I get a chance to read while waiting for something. When investigating a subject, I go looking first in my library and then in others, which is usually how my library grows – buying new and used books at library sales, antique bookstores - it’s all fair game.” Ever protective of “holy curiosity,” Einstein marveled that, “It is a miracle curiosity survives formal education.” In this regard, Debra was blessed for, beyond her K through 12 education, she focused subsequent formal education on college courses to learn specific skills and aspects about art. “I took courses to learn how to be an artist, not for credits; my ‘degree’ is found on my book shelves.” But her exposure to art did not start there. In fact, she was so surrounded by relatives and others who were in the business of decorating and gilding furniture that she thought, “everybody was an artist.” In grade school in Grand Rapids, her father introduced her to gold leafing. To put this furniture activity in perspective, Grand Rapids, with a population in the metropolitan area of over a million is the second largest city in Michigan after Detroit and has a long history of furniture manufacturing. It is known as “Furniture City” and is home to "Fall Flat River" - 28" x 20" - Oil five of the world’s largest office furniture companies. Debra’s Great Aunt Rose Kozak owned a furniture manufacturing company that specialized in hand decorated French floral and Chinoiserie (stylized Chinese scenery) furniture. Debra’s father, Russell Reid, and just about everyone in the family worked there at one time or another 1. In high school as an honor student (and member of the National Honor Society) her grades enabled her to enroll in an advanced and imaginative (but unfortunately no longer existing) program called the Educational Park. Run by the city of Grand Rapids and hosted by the Grand Rapids Museum of Art, high-grade performers from schools throughout the city were able to study a wide range of subjects, including the arts. Debra took up silversmithing. This gave www.americansocietyofmarineartists.com | 7 Notes From Brush Hill her put into perspective the increasingly chaotic political and social unrest that swept America in 1968 and 1969. And, she notes, “I was right in the center of the action, involved in sit-ins and demonstrations, etc. With all of the unrest is fair to say that Grand Rapids at that time was nothing short of a police state.” "Old Willow Riverside" - 40" x 30" - Oil her a practical foundation in what would become a revenue generating skill as she designed and made jewelry that she sold in street fairs and various art festivals in the years following her graduation. But the Educational Park experience was valuable in another important way for it introduced her to students from different neighborhoods and economic backgrounds of Grand Rapids and helped (Footnotes) 1 Debra is the eldest of three. She has two younger brothers: Mitch is a commercial artist in California making recyclable containers (See these creative constructs on his web site, http:// www.ecopopdesigns.com) and Steve who she describes as a “Jack of All Trades” contractor. 2 Interesting to our story about Debra Reid and her family’s involvement with furniture decoration, painting and goldleafing, the David Wolcott Kendall School of Art was established in 1928 in Grand Rapids by a provision in the will of Helen M. Kendall, the second wife of Grand Rapids furniture designer David Wolcott Kendall. The school offered a two-year program in the fundamentals of art and by the mid-1930s was making a name nationwide as the heir to the legacy of the craftsmen who built the Grand Rapids furniture 8 | ASMA NEWS AND JOURNAL Debra graduated from Union High School in Grand Rapids in 1973 and continued to design, make and sell her jewelry but she recognized she needed additional skills if she was to make a career in art so she enrolled in courses at the Kendall Art School2 and over a period of two years from the fall of 1973 to 1975 - she studied illustration. “But all the while I became increasingly aware that Kendall was not teaching me the basic skills I sought. Moreover, I came to realize that my real interest was in painting, not illustrating, so I terminated my studies at Kendall and began a systematic search for an artist in the Grand Rapids area under whom I could study the basics of painting and portraiture.” elected member of a number of national professional art organizations and had works in private and public collections and across the country, principally in Michigan. Debra signed up for Blovits’ classes at Aquinas College and, while continuing to work and support herself, she continued her intermittent studies of the basics of painting, pastels, anatomy, portraiture, printmaking, landscape painting, and art history at Aquinas College over the next fifteen years from 1975 - 19903. During this period - in the mid-’Eighties - her curiosity led her to plein air painting and she “found this as compelling as figurative painting.” She also became proficient in and began to exhibit soft pastels. In 1989 she was elected a Full Member of the Pastel Society of America (PSA)4. The same year she participated successfully in the Five State Pastel Competition at the Krasl Art Center in St. Joseph, MI5 and in the Sixth Annual International Pastel Exhibition in Wichita, Kansas. She found Larry John Blovits (b. 1936) who was an art instructor at nearby Aquinas College. This Michigan portrait painter, landscape artist and instructor work in paints and pastels, was an While all of this was going on, there was a serious development in her personal life. In 1976 in one of the furniture companies where she worked to pay for her studies, she met a fellow worker, Garth Jenkins. Garth, like Debra, worked there to support his studies6. His field was computer science and eventually he went on to become a computer programmer with a large insurance company. But their relationship held and they married two years later in 1978. Garth and the family of doers he married into designed and built their first house when they moved out of Debra’s apartment and, in the mid ’Nineties, when Debra was introduced to industry. After WWII it expanded, changed its name to the Kendall School of Design reflecting the school’s national reputation in furniture design and home merchandising. When Debra attended, the campus continued to grow and by 1977 the school offered its first Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and in 1987, following further growth and expansion, it changed its name to the current Kendall College of Art and Design (KCAD). In 2001 it further strengthened its position of depth and scope by merging with Ferris State University of Big Rapids, MI (about an hour drive away) but remains in Grand Rapids. 3 Debra also studied under Nathan Goldstein, a nationally known artist, teacher and writer who has been active for over a half century and appears in a number of private and public collections and museums. (The Art Institute of Chicago, the National Academy of Design among others.) He has been a professor at the Art Institute of Boston since 1971 and written seven books a number of which are used widely in colleges and universities here and abroad. She also studied under the portrait artist June Allard Berte, a native of Springfield, MA with artistic roots in New England (Copley Society of Boston, Guild of Boston Artists) and New York City (Salmagundi Club, Society of Illustrators) but with mid-West ties (the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art in Chicago). 4 Founded in 1972 by Flora B. Giffuni, the Pastel Society of America (PSA) is the oldest pastel society in the nation and is largely responsible for the current renaissance of pastels in American art. A number of other ASMA members are Lowell, a town downstream from Grand Rapids at the junction of the Flat River, they bought property on the Flat River and designed and built another house. Initially that was ideal but gradually “McMansions begun to spring up all about us so we moved seven years ago to nearby isolated property that overlooks hundreds of acres of open space.” They live there with two Smooth Collies, smart pedigreed herders from Scotland, and a less pedigreed – but no less loved – black and tan hound, rescued from a pound. Her studies of illustration and portraiture led in the early ’Nineties to book and magazine illustration. As we shall see, she illustrated a number of children’s books and magazines and became a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.7 "Yabba" - 16" x 20" - Oil As an outgrowth of Sumi Brush work that she practiced for years, she also launched a figurative series of young people on (Footnotes) also in the PSA. The National Arts Club in New York City hosts the Society’s Annual Exhibitions. Of note in the world of American pastels, the Society’s founder, the late Flora B. Giffuni, established the only museum gallery in the United States devoted exclusively to works in the pastel medium. Named after her, the Gallery of American Pastels opened in 2004 at the Butler Institute in Youngstown, Ohio. 5 Our readers might recognize this institution as the host venue for one of the first ASMA Regionals in the Mid-West some years later. 6 Garth was looking for work to support his studies and one day was passing the furniture factory that was closed that day. He spotted a fire inside, broke into the factory and put out the fire. Learning about this initiative and Garth’s looking for work, the 9 | ASMA NEWS AND JOURNAL Notes From Brush Hill beaches. Influenced by the Japanese hanging scrolls known as kakemono-e with their unique spatial relationships, she replaced the calligraphy with the figure. “I was working with the human gesture and breaking many of the rules of composition found in traditional Western painting as I tried to create space that exists beyond the picture plane as well as a specific moment in time.” Interestingly, in the course of painting these beach scenes, she became fascinated with patterns that light and water made. And it was thus, twenty years ago, that her interest in marine art began in a most fundamental way. While Debra’s curiosity was taking her ever deeper into the water patterns of marine subjects, her lifetime habit of doodling prompted her to examine her related interests in abstract art. “I began experimenting with this form of art based on abstract doodles that I had done for years. Systematically I began a formal approach to examine how patterns, temperatures, colors, visual vibrancy all related to each other. “My approach to painting abstracts is very similar to my water paintings. I start with sketches simplifying masses then block in major color areas and think in terms of mark making and line. I find each manner of painting helps inform the other. In the language of curiosity, I suppose this is seeing the interconnection of dots. I typically schedule in a few abstracts each season and when time foreman of the factory hired him. F ounded in 1971 by a group of Los Angeles-based children's writers, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators is a non-profit, 501 C. 3 organization, which is one of the largest existing organizations for writers and illustrators. It is the only professional organization specifically for those individuals writing and illustrating for children and young adults in the fields of children’s literature, magazines, film, television, and multimedia. 8 She worked from 1975 – 1980 at the Hekman Furniture Company and the John Widdicomb Furniture Company. Both are leaders in the field with solid reputations built on quality. Widdicomb was founded in 1864 while the Hekman venture, interestingly, was launched in 1893 by an immigrant from the 7 allows I experiment with materials and explore new ideas.” (See Yabba.) Dogged Endurance Work. Debra thrives on it and has ever since she graduated from high school. As noted, she supported herself while furthering her art education over the fifteen-year period from 1975 to 1990 by working at furniture companies. There she managed hand-decorating departments and designed period furniture decorations in Chinoiserie, gilding (gold leafing), striping and trained other artists in these skills.8 She became so proficient at this, she returned to the Kendall School of Design to teach the art of Chinoiserie. For a decade during the ’Eighties, she also freelanced as a hand decorator and as a custom color artist for a signature collection of a mirror company specializing in 18th to 20th Century Chinoiseries.9 In 1990 Debra left the furniture field to pursue her own painting career full time. At that time she also created a line of seasonal, limited edition gilded hand decorated glass Christmas ornaments which she marketed through Michigan galleries. Then began a series of children books that she illustrated. In 1993 she did the cover for A Time to Be Silent10 and then illustrated I Wanted to Know All About God11 by Virginia Kroll in 1994. Given this demonstrated interest in children and things spiritual, it is not surprising that she became that year the Artist in Residence at the Franciscan Child Development Center (now known as the Franciscan Life Process Center) near Lowell. This beautiful campus retreat is located nearby and is dedicated to the Netherlands, Edsko Hekman, but torpedoed by the financial panic of that year, prompting him to go into baking where he found success – the resulting company is now another market leader, the Keebler Company. However, Edsko’s sons did finally realize their father’s dream and established the furniture company in 1922. 9 She worked from 1980 to 1990 at the La Barge Mirrors Company of Holland, MI. 10 Published by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI, ISBN: 978-0-8028-5255-7, Pp. 137 11 Published by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI, ISBN-10: 0802850782, ISBN-13: 9780802850782, Pp. 32. www.americansocietyofmarineartists.com | 9 Notes From Brush Hill "Big Blue" - 36" x 36" - Oil education, healthy development and cultural enrichment of individuals and communities of people throughout the greater Grand Rapids area. In the same year she created the cover for That Wild Berries Should Grow by Gloria Whelan12 and then illustrated I See the Moon by Kathi Appelt13 . In 1996 another window opened for Debra. The Cricket Magazine Group, publishers of children magazines Babybug (for ages six months to three years) and Ladybug (for ages three to (Footnotes) Published by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI, ISBN-10: 080285091X,ISBN-13: 9780802850911. Pp.122. 13 Published 1997 by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI, ISBN-10: 0802851185, ISBN-13: 978-0802851185. Pp.24. 14 Published by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI, ISBN-10: 1563974681, ISBN-13: 978-1563974687, Pp. 32. 15 Published by Waterbrook Press in 2000, ISBN-10: 1578562988, ISBN-13: 978-1578562985, Pp. 32. 12 10 | ASMA NEWS AND JOURNAL six years) asked her to illustrate covers for these magazines. This she did in all but one of the following eight years. But her book illustration continued all the while. She illustrated a true story that occurred on the eve of the Korean War, My Freedom Trip: A Child's Escape from North Korea by Frances and Ginger Park, which was published in 199814 . Two years later she illustrated Here Is Christmas by Donna Cooner15 and in 2001 another book, Glory by Nancy White Carlstrom. “I dedicated this one, that celebrates life in every form, ‘to my mother, Peggy Reid, who taught me to see the glory in all things large and small.’” – a lesson she learned well as evidenced by her universal interests and enthusiasm. As the new Century opened for Debra, book and magazine illustrating gave way to an aggressive pursuit of fine art of her own. The list of exhibitions in which she participated and one-person shows coupled with earned awards and honors is most impressive for the first decade of the 21st Century. And it seems to have accelerated from 2010 to the present. Debra is fast to point out the role ASMA has played in all of this. It is an interesting story: An ASMA member, thumbing through an art magazine spotted a painting of Lake Michigan done by Debra. Impressed, he picked up the phone, dialed the number given, introduced himself as being an ASMA member and told her she should join to broaden her horizons and network of contacts and professional friends. Debra, ever modest, was flattered and joined immediately. “This turned out to be a transforming experience for it not only provided contacts – galleries and museums – outside my world in Michigan, but provided the opportunity and excuse to travel to see other parts of the country, other artists and subject matter. It has been an ever-broadening experience for me.” By way of evidence, the year she made Signature Member in the Society in 2010, Debra participated in the ASMA Regional Exhibition hosted by the Wisconsin Maritime Museum and the Minnesota Museum of Marine Art. The next year she was in the 15th National that traveled 6,000 miles from the Atlantic, to the Gulf and Pacific coasts and was hosted by eight fine art museums. By this time Mystic Seaport had found her and she participated in their 33rd and 34th International Marine Art Exhibitions and in their Maritime Miniatures by Marine Masters in 2012 and 2013. All the while her work has appeared in a growing number of national publications. Obsession “You can’t buy showing up in the studio and doing the work!” Debra Reid Jenkins Gentle prodding will elicit an acknowledgement from Debra that she is a work-alcoholic and a little more probing and she will acknowledge that some might view her as obsessed with her work. To start with, she is found in her studio seven days a week – unless, of course, she is out plein air painting or chasing storms (more on that later!). “I am a link in a chain in art. I grew up in a tradition that you made your living with art. I get up and go to work seven days a week.” Artists lead lonely lives and a seven-day work regime would indeed be a lonely proposition. But Debra finds painting is like having a great conversation. “Day after day, I go into the studio and wait for the conversation to pick up again. I lay out the colors on my palette then the conversation starts again. For every painting, there is a new vocabulary of color and I am crazy about color.” For her it is an on-going conversation based on a series of critical analyses. “I love the process. I love the work.” Some twenty years ago, in her typical analytical fashion, she sought to improve her productivity. She realized that she “saw” music when she was listening to it. It appeared as colors and shapes. Clearly, this was a distraction while trying to compose and paint other colors and shapes, so music in the studio was banned. To address the lonely environment, she invited the company of radio talk shows and news programs. But she found this not only distracting but also frustrating inasmuch as she was in no position to solve the problems these talking heads were hyping up. “And I thought about how very productive the artists in the Renaissance were and the fact that they did not have world problems being broadcast at them incessantly so I conducted an experiment: For ninety days I banned them in the studio to see if there was an improvement in my productivity. There was, so I extended the period to six months and then a year and on and on. That was twenty years ago. On the other hand, I do listen to recorded books. They seem to occupy the monkey chatter part of my brain and allow me to really get into my work without the distraction caused by news/talk shows. Another blessing/problem Debra has to cope with – in addition to “seeing music” is her fascination with “looking” coupled with the fact that she is a selfdescribed “visual sponge.” This near total recall of visual experiences helps greatly 11 | ASMA NEWS AND JOURNAL Notes From Brush Hill "Swanskeep" - 30" x 30" - Oil when composing in the studio based on observations in the field. But she is wary of studying the work of other artists too closely lest she overly absorb what she sees and jeopardize the development and growth of her own “voice.” On the other hand, her curiosity and love for learning is constantly exposing her to the works of other artists. Clearly she must strike a delicate balance. Another of Debra’s obsessions is learning. “I love to learn new and more about everything. I also am constantly experimenting – trying new colors on my palette, for instance, to see how they work and interact with each other. While I am really organized about my working process, my approach to research has more of the trajectory of a pinball machine. I tend to bounce back and forth between several books at once. I set myself self-study sessions where I focus on a given topic but I’m always looking for multiple perspectives and these often lead to new questions. Consider, for instance, ‘What is composition?’ You could start with a basic art how-to book and be given a formula that, in limited fashion, could be successful and call it good. However if you are really looking at lots of different artwork you will begin to see it doesn’t always follow what you were told was the answer. So now the question is, ‘What types of composition are there?’ Then, does it change from era to era, culture to culture? And then, do I have a natural preference? Do my natural preferences work well with my chosen subject matter or would my art be better served by learning something new? Am I willing to explore further? And on it goes.” Given her ability to absorb and retain libraries of visual images as well as her rather varied background in the arts – from silversmithing to illustrating to www.americansocietyofmarineartists.com | 11 Notes From Brush Hill "Dragons Run" - 24" x 40" - Oil the fine arts (both Eastern and Western), Debra recognizes her challenge is to somehow pull all of this together - or as she says, “connect the dots. Some people speak several languages. I can do that visually. I am fascinated with the language of patterns. And they are all about us – from the ridges on the back of your hand to those on a beach or the roof of your mouth – it is just amazing once you start to visualize this way.” (See Big Blue with its patterned shadows, waves, tree limbs and roots and the geometrical patterns of Swanskeep - a scene on the nearby Flat River.) “So, yes, I suppose you could say that I am a workaholic about art – that I am indeed afflicted. But I love it. It is so much fun.” And lest you think she gets all of her fun going through these intellectual exercises in self-imposed confinement seven days a week, she does not. She is also a “storm chaser” – something few of us ever heard of until recently when a famous one on the Weather Channel was 12 | ASMA NEWS AND JOURNAL done in when the storm he was chasing unexpectedly turned on him. Actually, Debra explains this passion as merely part of her plein air painting. When she hears news of a pending storm and confirms it on the webcams stationed along the Lake Michigan, she grabs her equipment – especially her camera – and jumps into her truck (one imagines with her black and tan hound on the front seat with her) and heads out for the action. “I like storms. I like being out at the Lake when it is crazy wild. Flat line fronts come thru, power lines go down, sheets of hail rain down, and great waves are whipped up by tearing clouds. They move so fast – in two or three hours the whole saga is over. It is one of my favorite times. I am a nut for it!” Well, these storm chases are not just an emotional release for Debra, for she then draws on her “visual sponge” skills and recreates these in her studio. She has more on her easel and has shown others at the Mystic competitions. (See Dragon’s Run depicting the closing scenes of one of these passing storms on the Lake.) Heroes Debra cites the works of Joaquin Sorolla (1863 – 1923), Anders Zorn (1860 – 1920), Mark Tobey (1890 – 1976) the American poet, author and artist who was one of the “Big Four” who founded the Northwest School in the 1930’s centered in Skagit County, WA known for a style that combined the art of the Puget Sound with an Asian aesthetic and calligraphy16but who traveled widely internationally and was a proponent of the Bahá'í Faith with a keen interest in Asian philosophies. Debra’s interest in Asian art also prompts her to list the Japanese ukiyo-e artist and printmaker of the Edo period, Katsushika Hokusai (1760 – 1849), and the Japanese painter in the Shin-hanga style and woodblock print maker of a century later, Hiroshi Yoshida (1876 1950) who was trained in the Western Art tradition in Japan and who traveled widely internationally especially in the United States. She also has a fascination with line drawings and DC Comic Book art – Superman, Batman and the like. “This is what I like about Wayne Thiebaud (b. 1920) – the artist known for his luscious paintings of pies and cakes. He flips back and forth between flat images and depth using an outline quality. This does not exist in real life, of course, but it can work real miracles in two-dimensional art. It is the way a line is handled – very expressive.” Charles Thomas “Chuck” Close (b. 1940), the highly credentialed (Yale MFA, Fulbright at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, art teacher at the University of Massachusetts, etc.) portrait painter and photo realist, appeals to Debra’s fascination with the interaction of elements in abstract art – his combinations of hundreds of miniature palettes of color all of the same dimension to create, at a distance, a striking and vibrant portrait. And last among but probably first in influence upon her – is Diebenkorn, Jr. (1922 13 | her heroes – terms of early Richard Clifford – 1993) who ASMA NEWS AND JOURNAL Notes From Brush Hill schooled in the discipline of classical art at Stanford University, served as a Marine during WWII and thereafter was increasingly drawn to the New York School eventually became a leader in abstract expressionism on the West Coast where he taught at the University of California, Los Angeles. But Debra first saw his work when she was in high school in the Educational Park program at the Grand Rapids Museum of Art. “The Museum had purchased one of his works and I passed it every day. I was intrigued with how he handled space on a couple of different levels at the same time. It is very relevant to my own work now as I seek to create compositions in color that exist as flat planes of patterns and recede in natural space simultaneously.” A Word to the Wise When asked about what advice she would give to young artists starting out she says, “Look at art as much as you can. Education is a lifelong process. Try to learn from criticism rather than be wounded by it. Practice, practice and practice more. I recommend entering competitions on a regular basis. Not for the awards, but for the practice of meeting deadlines and learning to work consistently. The award is having actually created the work instead of just wishing you had. I believe it was Picasso who said you have to paint a thousand bad paintings before the good ones start to show up. Don’t get attached to your finished painting, but learn to love the process.” Clearly Debra Reid Jenkins does. Charles Raskob Robinson is a Fellow of the Society. He paints at Brush Hill, a studio built in 1752, located in Washington, CT and formerly owned by Connecticut and New Mexico artist Eric Sloane. Some of Charlie’s work may be seen on his website at: www.brushhillstudios.com. www.americansocietyofmarineartists.com | 13 1812 - Star Spangled Nation AS M A’ s F i r s t Th e m e d E x h i b i t i o n opened at the Detroit Public Library The “1812: Star-Spangled Banner Nation” exhibit opened on Friday, January 25, 2014, and was presented by the Detroit Public Library with support from the Michigan Commission on the Commemoration of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812. The traveling exhibit of 25 original oil paintings was created by the American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA) to help commemorate the bicentennial of the War of 1812. The paintings, reflecting nautical scenes from the War of 1812, were created by contemporary artists For Immediate Release who are members of ASMA. November 20, 2013 The exhibit ran through Saturday, March 1, 2014. A series of free For more information, contact Romondo Public Locke, Publications Specialist public lectures on “War of 1812” themes were offered at the Detroit Detroit Public Library 5201 Woodward Avenue , Detroit, MI 48202 Library while the exhibit was on display. The lectures were: (o) 313-481-1344 (f) 313-481-1481 www.detroitpubliclibrary.org Sat., Jan. 25 Phil Porter “Mackinac in the War of 1812” [email protected] Sat., Feb. 1 Jim McConnell “Detroit in the War of 1812” Sat., Feb. 8 Eric Hemenway “Native Americans in the War of“18121812” Star Spangled Nation” Exhibit to visit Detroit Public Library Sat., Feb. 15 Ralph Naveaux “Battles of the River Raisin” Opening on Friday, January 25, 2014 the “1812: Star-Spangled Banner Nation” exhibit is presented by the Sat., Feb. 22 Jim Spurr “The Story of ‘Friends Good Will’” Detroit Public Library with support from the Michigan Commission on the Commemoration of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812. Sat., March 1 Brian Dunnigan “The American Attack on Mackinac, 1814" The traveling exhibit of 25 original oil paintings was created by the American Society of Marine Artists The exhibit locations include Buffalo (Fall 2013); Detroit: (ASMA) Connecticut to help commemorate theEric bicentennial of the Warthe of blizzard 1812. The paintings, reflecting nautical Hemmenway braced to view the exhibit scenes from the War of 1812, were created by contemporary artists who are members of ASMA. River Museum (April-June 2014); Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (Julythe January the exhibit be open free to the public through Saturday, Sept. 2014); Star-Spangled Flag House Museum, Baltimore Following (October to 24, 2014 opening, before the will opening, Phil Porter presented March 1, 2014. An Opening Program is set for 3:00 p.m., Saturday, January 25, in the Library, 5201 December 2014). a A lecture on “Mackinac in the War Woodward Avenue. Detroit, MI 48202. free lecture, “Mackinac in the War of 1812” will take place in the exhibit area prior to the opening program. Phil Porter, Director of Mackinac State Historic Parks, will of 1812". Porter serves as Director of The governor-appointed Michigan Commission on the Commemoration of Mackinac State Historic Parks. the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 was charged with encouraging, planning and developing activities, events, programs, observances and services appropriate to The program also featured James commemorate Michigan's role in the War of 1812. More information, including a Spurr, a member of the Michigan War complete list of War of 1812 bicentennial events, can be found at www.michigan. of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, who gov/war1812. discussed “A Naval View of the War of 1812”. Spurr is a Senior Partner and trial The Opening lawyer, with the firm of Canfield, Paddock and Stone. Other program participants An opening program took place on Saturday, January 25, for the “1812: Star included: Debra Reid Jenkins, Signature Spangled Nation” marine art painting display at the Detroit Public library. At 2 p.m., Member, American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA); Ralph Naveaux, Lacroix’s Company from the River Raisin National Battlefield Park, Monroe; Janina Jacobs, United States Navy Detroit Recruiting District Assistance Center; Atiim J. Funchess, Assistant Director for Marketing Detroit Public Library’ and Phil Porter, Chair, Michigan War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission. After the ceremony, all enjoyed a reception with light refreshments and time to view the paintings. 14 | ASMA NEWS AND JOURNAL Gadsden Arts Center set for Region South Exhibition By Anne Brodie Hill Gadsden Arts Center, Quincy, Florida The Gadsden Arts Center in Quincy, Florida, will be the host for the 2015 ASMA Region South Exhibition from April 10 to June 20, 2015. The prospectus for this regional exhibition will be in the ASMA News & Journal 2014 summer issue, and all ASMA members will be eligible to enter. Please see the website www. gadsdenarts.org for more information about this beautiful and important arts center in the Florida Panhandle, close to Tallahassee, FL. The Gadsden Arts Center was established in 1994 and has featured exhibitions by nationally acclaimed artists, leading artists' organizations, and private collections. Grace Robinson is the Executive Director and very familiar with ASMA. Ms. Robinson was employed at the Vero Beach Museum of Art from 19982005 and was the Deputy Director during Robert Lloyd Webb 1947 - 2013 Honorary ASMA member Robert Lloyd Webb died peacefully at home on December 25, 2013 from complications of hereditary hemochromatosis. Born in Santa Monica, California in 1947 to Effie Margaret Young and James Milton Webb, Bob grew up in Culver City, California. He attended Culver City schools and the University of Oregon, and graduated from California State University at Northridge, with a degree in English. Bob had a life-long love of history and research and was fascinated by a wide variety of topics, from the geology of California to automobiles and aircraft, antique firearms, sailing ships, the history of the Martin guitar and the writings of Jack Kerouac. Childhood explorations around the Los Angeles waterfront with his uncle, Ted Brown, gave him glimpses of vanishing times and a desire to preserve and document those times. Maritime history brought him to the East Coast, first as librarian and educator at the Kendall Whaling Museum in Sharon, Massachusetts and later as curator at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath. In addition to public programs and exhibitions, Bob wrote dozens of 15 | ASMA NEWS AND JOURNAL the 13th ASMA National Exhibition in 2004. Angie Barry, the Gadsden Curator of Exhibitions and Collections and ASMA Signature Member Bill McKeown from Quincy, FL, will be working with the ASMA South Regional Representatives to create this exhibition. Angie Barry and Bill McKeown in the Gadsden Arts Center Gift Shop articles and three significant books: Sailor-Painter: The Uncommon Life of Charles Robert Patterson (2005), On the Northwest: Commercial Whaling in the Pacific Northwest 1790-1967 (1988), and Ring the Banjar: The Banjo in America From Folklore to Factory which was published in 1984 to accompany a groundbreaking exhibition on the history of the banjo in America at the MIT Museum. Music also framed Bob’s life and adventures, from the hootenannies of his youth, to the True and Trembling String Band on the West Coast, two tours with the young Tom Waits, festivals around North America and Europe and happy afternoons of tunes around the house. A talented player of the clawhammer banjo, guitar and MacCann duet concertina, he was also a fine singer of songs of the sea, old-time ballads and songs of the American and Canadian West. He was a talented raconteur, and a lucid and facile writer, comfortable in fiction, non-fiction and poetry. He could discuss, at the drop of a hat (he liked hats), The Dharma Bums, the relative tonnage of Maine-built sailing ships, or the banjo's African antecedents. Whatever his subject, in public or private, he brought an artist's eye and a scholar's sensibilities to the discussion. Those who knew him, even briefly, came away with the imprint of a man dedicated to his work, to collegiality and conviviality, to scholarship and truth, and to artistic expression, whether in print, on the stage, or in conversation. A loyal friend and a loving and supportive husband and father, Bob is survived by his wife Helen Richmond Webb, daughter Margaret Richmond Webb, brother James F. Webb, of Ojai, California, and many cousins, nieces and nephews. A memorial service is planned for the spring. www.americansocietyofmarineartists.com | 15 The Fellows Corner Insights and Inspirations from ASMA’s top artists Len Mizerek Upon my return from a painting trip in Europe, I felt like I had gained some experience in my travels. I decided to share what I have learned with my fellow members who venture near and far outside the studio. GETTING READY Since traveling overseas has become more difficult today, you must be even more prepared as an artist. A good practice is to familiarize yourself with painting outdoors. The best way is to go on plein air outings nearby to get to know what tools you may need on a trip abroad. Isolate those items that you find most important and those that can be eliminated. Carrying less certainly helps when getting through security as well as carrying less. It’s smart to plan your trip. I look for town events that coincide with my trip such as a boat or holiday festival giving me some great subject matter. For marine art this provides a lot of harbor activity and more to paint. Don’t worry about the crowds, they usually enjoy watching (as long as they stay quiet). Check your tide schedules as a marine artist, nothing is worse than arriving in a boatless or low tide harbor. 16 | ASMA NEWS AND JOURNAL PAINTS AND SUPPLIES I bring half used paints in tubes. I found they were more accepted by security and could be checked easily. I placed my tightly capped oils in a clear plastic bag within a self-addressed priority-mail box in my checked luggage (just in case security pulls it, I can mail them home). All my painting equipment is kept in one backpack A big help this trip was to roll my canvas or linen around a two-inch cardboard tube within a mail courier box (available at most overnight delivery shops). The box is about 36” long triangular in shape and very strong for protecting the canvas inside. It held up beautifully during my trip and was in good shape for the trip home. I kept my rolled paintings on the airplane with me during the trip home. The best way to roll your painted canvas is to are roll with paint side out. Since I painted large, I ordered a roll of oil primed Belgium Linen (54”x 6 yds.) which I cut lengthwise into pieces sized, 18”x 24” and 24"x 36” with some overlap 2” for stretching later. I recommend Claessens Linen 13 as a good surface to paint. It gives a good smooth surface in which to paint. This makes it much easier to allow the brush to apply paint with no annoying “skips” when you paint. I toned the canvases with diluted Raw Sienna before my trip to “kill the white” of the canvas and allow a more neutral toned background for me to work. For smaller canvases, I bring a 12’x 16” or 9”x 12” pad of “The Real Thing” (brand name) canvas. This gives me the precut shapes ready for mounting and framing upon my return. They are toned before leaving and later mounted to 1/8” wood panels with acid free glue. I bring many small and medium Clips to help hold the canvas on to the “found” cardboard. My easel is a folding Winsor & Newton “Bristol” easel along with a convertible luggage cart that converts into a seat. It is good to bring extra screws and fasteners for your easel since I have lost a screw on my trips. This trip I had to hunt for a 1/2 inch screw (in an English bike shop) that held my easel together. Upon my arrival in Europe, I begin my search for white spirits or kerosene for my brush cleaner. It can usually be found in any hardware or food store. I pour a days supply into a plastic bottle which I carry with me. Don’t try to bring any solvents with you on the airplane it won’t work. If you use medium, I bring an empty 35mm film container to hold it. Also, since my canvas is unstretched, I find a large piece of cardboard on which to clip my canvas (check behind furniture stores). I bring a short clothesline along also to clip my wet paintings and let them dry in the bathroom of my hotel room. They normally dry by morning because I mix some colors with Alkyds. More on that later. I pack extra paint tube caps in case one should get lost, Fog Lifting on the Seine - 16" x 20" - oil Golden Evening on the Harbor - 16" x 20" - oil which happens more than I would admit. A plastic palette knife makes good sense when going through security. I also brought an old cut up credit card, which helps for putting in some masts quickly and sharpen edges in the painting. This is a time saver and a life-saver if you are on a rolling sea. An old sheet or shower curtain is helpful to save furniture or rental car seats from stains. I am always interested in trying other painter’s choice of colors. So, I will share mine. My palette consists of the following; Cadmium Yellow Pale, Cadmium Lemon, Cadmium Red Light, Cadmium Red Deep, Raw Sienna, Cobalt Blue, French Ultramarine Blue, Alizarin Crimson, Dioxazine Purple, Phathlo Blue and Titanium White. I create my black by mixing my dark colors together. This gives more color to the darks and allows subtle warm and cool shifts in them. Lately, I have added black to my palette to expand my usage but I find too much mixing of black dulls and my colors. I try to shorten my list of colors that I use. It certainly saves money and keeps me experimenting with new mixtures. I squeeze more paint than needed so that I don’t interrupt the flow of the painting process. I squeeze my paint into a small plastic box with lid with ten plus compartments for holding the paint. I find that this saves set up time, and makes clean up easy. At the end of the day, I place the box into the freezer to keep the paints fresh. Also, a square palette which fits into my backpack makes it easy to carry. I use Winsor & Newton Alkyd paint most importantly for my Titanium White and mix with my darkest colors (usually French Ultramarine, Alizarin Crimson, Dioxazine Purple). The darks take longer to dry so I mix Alkyds with my oils. They dry to the touch, usually overnight. This allows me to move from place to place. The palette 17 | ASMA NEWS AND JOURNAL needs to be cleaned after each session as well as the brushes each time or the Alkyds will solidly dry by morning. Bring a small container of solid brush cleaner. Traveling is made much easier with quick drying ability. To save paint, sometimes I wait to finish the sky or water, which requires much more paint. I can finish them at home in my studio. I give myself color “notes” to remind me of my overall colors. When I have too many paintings to dry, I will hang them on the clothesline in my room. I leave a note in the language of the country in which I have traveled. “Wet Paint” Please don’t touch. This seems to work with the help of Berlitz. BRUSHES For brushes, the #10 Bristle Flat, #6 Flat and #4 flat brushes work best for me. Working with a large brush saves time and gives me a quick start with my shapes. I use the medium brush mostly to define and fill in smaller areas. I think of the entire canvas and composition as I work. I “draw” directly with my paint to start with a mixture of French Ultramarine and Raw Sienna. My drawing will dry as I add a thicker paint. I will add my highlights close to the end. I carry a new #3 Red Sable mostly for signing and painting rigging. I hate cleaning a brush just for my signature! A good idea is to have an “emergency” brush. This consists of a sawed off #6 brush at the bottom of my bag in case I forget to bring my brushes (which happens more than I want to admit). At least I can start painting. PAINTING TECHNIQUE When I find that perfect spot to paint, I set up my canvas against the light. I don’t want sun hitting my canvas or palette if possible. This will throw off my values. I bring a small painting umbrella for shade. Small Velcro strips firmly hold the umbrella to my easel. A found rock hanging from a plastic bag will keep the easel from tipping over. I begin by framing my subject usually with my hands to see what would work in my composition. I follow the advice of a very accomplished outdoor painter, Trevor Chamberlain, who states, “ Don’t spend all your time looking for what to paint. Begin by painting”. I aim to simplify what I’m looking at in order to understand what elements I choose for my painting. I ask myself, where is the structural makeup of my composition? Shall I paint a large sky or raise the horizon to emphasize the foreground? What will I use as my focal point? Where will I place it? All these questions I ask before one stroke hits the canvas. Sometimes this comes quickly but I try not to rush. The layout, position of shapes and soft edges all are crucial to the success of the piece. Breaking shapes down helps me decide. Squint! At this point. I am not concerned about color. As I begin, I loosely apply thin paint to lay in dominate shapes in my composition and vary them in size and position within the canvas. I want to remain in control and direct the viewer. This can be done in any number of ways either with directional lines within the painting or larger to smaller masses counterbalancing each other. Maybe even using various shades of light and dark or varying hard and soft edges is a solution. Where is my center of interest? I ask myself. Night Lights - 24" x 36" - oil Now that I have my general layout and know where I’m going, I look to keep things interesting. I may emphasis this or that but generally, I have a good idea before I begin. I place my darks first by massing in the dominant shapes and local color and other subordinate elements. I squint continuously at the scene as I work. This helps me simplify the values of my subject. Where is my darkest dark? Maybe it’s the hull of a boat against a lighter sea. Should I emphasis this contrast? I constantly ask myself questions as I paint. This keeps me alert and helps me avoid losing the direction of the painting. Continued on Page 18 www.americansocietyofmarineartists.com | 17 The Fellows Corner Island Yacht Club - 12" x 16" - oil The Fellows Corner - continued from Page 17 about good drawing. Now the lighting takes over. I look carefully at how the light affects the scene…is it warm with cool shadows? Again, I squint and consider the temperature of the light is it cool or warm. I have only two to three hours to paint till the light on my subject changes. I may add a nearby boat or building if it fits into my composition even if it is not exactly in my view. After all, I am in control so I can add or omit items in the finished painting! One is inspired to do justice to the subject and present the viewer with the best that can be created. I’m always considering how the values relate to every other color on the canvas. They will affect one another so I am on constant guard to keep control. As I work, I’m drawing with the brush keeping the paint thin. It’s still early. Since my canvas is toned neutral, I now have my darks and mid tones in place. I move on to the lights. I choose my lightest areas and place them so I have my full range of values for reference. I isolate elements so as not to confuse myself and look at too much at one time. Painting is Finally, I try to stay fresh in my approach to each painting. Bringing inspiration into each piece by challenging myself, this opens up many possibilities and sometimes with wonderful results. From The Archives: Canvas, Paint Mediums and Dryers * Since the publication of this article in 1993, W&N has introduced "Fine Detail Liquin" which many marine artists find very useful in detail work and also glazing. Gamblin has introduced a nice oil medium similar to Liquin called "Galkyd", along with "Galkyd Light" (similar to Liquin Fine Detail) and "Galkyd Slow Dry". All are archival and superb products. From October 1993 AGM "Secret Stuff Workshop" Various types of canvas materials and paint mediums for different applications were discussed. A majority of the artists polled preferred Winsor & Newton's "Liquin"* as an oil medium. A recommended mixture is 5 parts Liquin; 4 parts Turpentine and 1 part Stand Oil. To increase drying time of white paint, use 3 parts of white to 1 part of Liquin. Cobalt Drier seems to be the standard drier of choice for most artists, although caution must be taken if used over a previously painted surface. Accelerated drying and shrinkage of paint containing Cobalt Drier may result in cracking. 18 | ASMA NEWS AND JOURNAL Most important, I try to always have fun when I paint. Len is a long time member of the Society and former Secretary and lives in Connecticut. A favorite canvas of marine artists seems to be Fredrix #589 linen Portrait weave. It has a fine tooth for very detailed work as well as for portraits. Claessens also makes a fine line of linen canvas. All artists were in agreement that only linen canvas should be used for serious work. Cotton Duck should be avoided since most galleries generally only accept linen. In addition, linen "breathes" to help avoid cracking, whereas cotton duck does not. Inaugural internet exhibition of the american society of marine artists the 16th national October 2014 through December 2015 www.american society of marine artists.com The Society's first Virtual Exhibiion ever held. In addition, we are in the planning stages for special presentations of the digital exhibition at appropriate host venues. Stay tuned! News From the Fo'c'sle - continued from Page 5 Member Debra Nadelhoffer's painting "Shallows", 24"x 30" oil on linen, was selected for 3rd place overall, in the Plein Air Salon competition for OctoberNovember 2013. It will appear in the next printed issue of Plein Air Magazine. She also had 2 paintings accepted into the Women Painters of the Southeast Third Annual Juried Members Show. The pieces accepted are: "Shallows" - Oil on Linen - 24x30 "Highlands Pond" - Pastel - 12x15 Two.” The Puget Sound Group Northwest Artists Gallery has three of his paintings in a group Figurative Artwork show at the Seattle Design Center, January 19 through March 22, 2014. "Highlands Pond" - 12" x 15" Pastel Debra Nadelhoffer "Shallows" - 24" x 30" Oil on linen Signature member Debra Nadelhoffer Carolyn Hesse-Low's work is included in a three-person exhibition, "Triple Threat", at Knowlton Gallery in Lodi, CA, through February 2014. Her work is featured in the January 2014 issues of Art of the West and American Art Collector. Her painting, "Afternoon in Central Park" was the recipient of the Best Studio Landscape Award from Plein Air Salon. "Afternoon in Central Park" - Oil Carolyn Hesse-Low Member Bill Schmidt has been honored by having three of his paintings selected for the Art in Embassies program, for exhibit in the residence of Ambassador David D. Pearce in Athens. This is the sixth time his paintings have been selected by AIE for exhibition at U.S. Embassies. The three paintings chosen by Ambassador Pearce for Athens depict scenes from midcoast Maine. Bill's painting of "Winter Old "Winter Old Womans Cove" - 16" x 24" Bill Schmidt Womans Cove" was also featured in the exhibit Winter Themes 2014 at the McBride Gallery, Annapolis, MD from January 5 to February 16th. The Navy Memorial in Washington DC is hosting a yearlong exhibition and series of events called “The Year of the Coast Guard.” They will be exhibiting ten works from the Coast Guard Art Collection, two of which are Signature Member Frank Gaffney's! They are the 2013 painting of the “Healy Escorts The Renda” and 2012 piece based on Frank’s deployment in Hawaii, on a Coast Guard Cutter, “Prepping The New Number Signature Members Val Sandell and Robert Semler had a two-person exhibit that opened February 17th at the Hughes Gallery, Boca Grande, FL. Their two different styles of work complimented each other and has been well received. Over 25 paintings were included in the exhibition. The gallery season generally runs from October through June. "Semper Paratus" - 16" x 30" - Oil on Linen Robert Semler "Healy Escorts the Renda" Frank Gaffney Robert Semler and Val Sandell "A Classic Race" - 24" x 36" - Oil on Linen Val Sandell Signature Member Suzanne Morris had 2 of her marine paintings, "Full Moon", 8x10, oil on linen, and "Saturday Sail", 9x12, oil on linen, juried into the Women Artist's of the West National Exhibition at the Women's Museum in San Diego, CA. The show opens May 2 with an artists' reception and runs through May 31. "I am very honored to be represented in this show featuring some of the most outstanding women painters in the country." She will also have a solo artist show entitled "The Color of Light" at Art Source Fine Art Gallery in Raleigh, NC. The show, which "Full Moon" 8" x 10" - Oil on Linen Suzanne Morris features 20 new paintings, opens May 9 with an artist's reception, 6-9 PM, at the gallery and runs through the month. The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition took place February 1316th in Charleston, SC. Fellow Kim Shaklee has been showing her work in Charleston Place hotel for the past 18 years. It has become an annual tradition to head for Charleston each February to meet with Patrons who attend the show from all over the country. This year, special guest Jack Hanna stopped in Continued on Page 27 www.americansocietyofmarineartists.com | 19 Regional Reflections by Anne Brodie Hill [email protected] After the wonderful response to the 2013 National YMAS (Young Marine Artist Search) competition, we will continue our nationwide quest to find and support young adults, college students, and high school seniors (ages 16-18), who are interested in marine art. This search has also led us to several art teachers, who will encourage and seek out “budding” marine artists every day in schools across the USA. Student, teacher, and young adult ASMA membership will help us continue the ASMA mission of education and promotion of the genre of marine art. Sponsoring these young people with a gift membership ($15 for students ages 16-23, and regular membership of $50) is a wonderful investment in the future of marine art and ASMA. One way to find and encourage teachers and students in your area is to look up the school website, search for the art teacher’s emails, and send them an email about YMAS and ASMA. Then you could volunteer to visit the school and talk and demonstrate painting techniques, or even hold a workshop for the teachers and students. Dick Elam, ASMA member in Texas, is encouraging teachers and students in his area - thanks Dick! Please see the page in this issue that describes the procedures to enter a young person in your area in the YMAS National competition. Please email Anne Brodie Hill if you have any questions - [email protected] ASMA South In January, Anne Brodie Hill was invited to visit and demonstrate watercolor techniques to North Gwinnett High School teacher Yvette Kim’s AP senior art class of 24 students. Anne used these visits to promote YMAS and ASMA by giving each student information about YMAS membership. Ms. Kim enters her senior students in the Georgia Watercolor Society’s High School Seniors Scholarship Show. Her students are awarded top prizes each year and in 2013, her student, Ha Truong, won the First Runner-Up award in the YMAS National Competition. The 2014 Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE) on Scott and Kaye Penegar at SEWE 20 | ASMA NEWS AND JOURNAL February 14-16, went on as scheduled despite the terrible snow and ice storm in South Carolina and the South. Fellow Kim Shaklee and Signature member Scott Penegar displayed their sculptures at the Charleston Place Hotel. Scott participated in the Duet & Quartet on Saturday with another sculpture artist, building a clay piece to the music of a symphony quartet. Debra Nadelhoffer also displayed her landscape oil paintings. Signature member from Florida, Larry Moore, was published in the March issue of Plein Air Magazine - “Having Fun With Outdoor Painting.” ASMA members at the Sarasota Annual General Meeting remember Larry “having fun” on the docks at the hotel during that weekend on a large canvas - we all had fun watching him! To promote the Naval War of 1812 Illustrated, the Social Studies Department Chair of Riverside Military Academy, Gainesville, GA, was contacted by email and encouraged to show this marvelous video production to their students. Mr. Jobson’s response: “Riverside Military Academy, established 1907 in Gainesville, GA, is a college preparatory boarding and day school for young men in grades 7-12. Riverside follows a military structure with curriculum and activities designed around the way boys learn. Our ethos includes teaching respect for the military through the JROTC program. With small class sizes and an excellent faculty, RMA strives to promote interdisciplinary activities where possible. Thus, we are grateful for the ASMA's contribution of "The Naval War of 1812, Illustrated" video, which enables us to teach military history in a visually arresting way that also promotes a better understanding of the arts.” Mr. Jobson also emailed “Thank you for this link. You are right; it is full of beautiful art and provides great detail on an important but often-overlooked portion of our history. We will certainly add it to our repertoire of visual resources for our cadets.” Riverside Military Academy is also home to a wonderful art department, led by Mitch Freeman, whose student, James Graham, won Honorable Mention in the 2013 YMAS National Competition. ASMA East Our new ASMA East Representative, Sharon Way-Howard sends news from her area. “Hopefully when you read this there is some small sign of spring like a shivering crocus or snowdrop blooming. Where I live on the south shore of Long Island, the Great South Bay has been frozen several times, which makes the ice boaters happy! I like to welcome a new member, Jason Goscha, of Gallery 211 in Baltimore, MD. Jason is a lover of the arts and is hoping to host a marine invitational show at his gallery in the future. The Excellence Committee for COGAP recently met to review submitted art for the 2014 Coast Guard Art Collection and just finished up their selections, but I don’t have all the names of the accepted artists yet. But you can mark your calendars for the exhibition and formal acceptance ceremony, which will take place at the Salmagundi Club, 47 Fifth Ave., NY. The exhibition runs from June 21 to July 5 and the official ceremony will be on June 26, starting at 6:30 pm; all are welcome. Sometimes we receive information from even non-members. Such is the case of an email from Mary Habstritt, the museum director and president of the “Lilac Preservation Project.” The Lilac is a 1933 lighthouse tender with a small dockside museum in New York City. The Lilac is the only surviving steam-powered lighthouse tender and Mary hopes that ASMA will consider the possibility of a plein air day and/or possible regional exhibit in the future. Sounds like a great place for ASMA members to visit! They are open from May to October and further information can be found on their website www. lilacpreservationproject.org.” Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, Canada and International Steve Lush Nella Lush [email protected] [email protected] advisor to area representatives Lois Salmon Toole [email protected] Asma East Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia Sharon Way-Howard ASMA West From ASMA West Representative, Dutch Mostert, comes this report: 21st Annual Coos Art Museum Maritime Art Exhibit “The event will run from July 12th till September 27th, with an artists preview and dinner on Fri. the 11th, followed by the gala opening on the 12th. For the 21st annual, our featured artist will be signature member Richard Boyer from Salt Lake City, Utah. Mr. Boyer has received a number of awards at previous CAM Maritime Art Exhibits, and we are looking forward to being able to present more of his marvelous work at this years event. Our jurors this year, representing the Northwest and Southwest will be Signature Member Frank E. Gaffney from Mountlake Terrace, Washington, Signature member Ray J. Hunter from Santa Barbara, California, and Signature member Marshall L. Johnson from Federal Way, Washington. The prospectus for the show was mailed to all ASMA members by the Museum on the 28th of February. If you have not received it by mid-March, please contact Archi at Coos Art Museum 541.267.3901, or download it from their website at www.coosart.org We hope you will all send us your best work, and be there for the opening on July 12th. We usually have between 20 and 25 exhibiting artists attend the opening weekend activities and it is a great opportunity to meet fellow marine artists and paint the beautiful Oregon Coast. Hope to see you all there.” ASMA North [email protected] advisor to area representatives Bill Schmidt Christine Diehlmann [email protected] [email protected] Asma South Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee Anne Brodie Hill [email protected] Continued on Page 27 Charles Sharpe [email protected] Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Puerto Rico, Texas, and the US Virgin Islands Val Sandell [email protected] advisor to area representatives Robert C. Semler [email protected] Asma West Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming FPO and AE Bob Dykes [email protected] North Regional Representative Steve Lush sends this report: “A few ASMA members were invited to display 8 paintings to compliment the USS Constitution Steve Lush and Maris Platais AREA REPRESENTATIVES Asma North Dutch Mostert [email protected] advisors to area representatives Kim Shaklee Jon Olson [email protected] Alan Ryall [email protected] [email protected] Austin Dwyer [email protected] Grant Saylor [email protected] www.americansocietyofmarineartists.com | 21 2014 ASMA ANNUAL WEEKEND • October 16-19 Baltimore Inner Harbor, Maryland restaurants, is just a short walk from our hotel. Registration for the meeting’s various events will begin soon, and a registration form will be posted on the ASMA website. Reservations for the hotel can be made now, so be sure to book early! Many arrangements are still being worked out and exciting activities are still being added, but here is the schedule as it stands now. Thursday October 16 • Members begin arriving • Check-in at Hampton Inn & Suites • Casual happy hour at Phillips Seafood Plans are coming together for a fun and informative Annual General Meeting this October 16-19 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Hampton Inn & Suites Inner Harbor will host our meeting and they are offering rooms at a discounted rates starting at $129/night. Be sure to book by September 19th in order to get this rate. Hampton Inn & Suites Baltimore Inner Harbor 131 East Redwood Street Baltimore, Maryland USA 21202-1225 Telephone: 1-410-539-7888 Baltimore’s Inner Harbor offers an incredible variety of attractions for marine artists. Historic and contemporary boats and ships line the harbor, the National Aquarium features a huge variety of marine life, and the water taxis make getting around the harbor easy. All of this, along with many great Friday October 17 • Breakfast at hotel • Registration all day • Fellows meeting • Joint meeting of the Fellows & the Board • Board of Directors meeting • Tour the historic ships of Baltimore (US Sloop-of-War Constellation, US Submarine Torsk, US Coast Guard Cutter Taney & Lightship Chesapeake) • Tour Fort McHenry, travel via water taxi from near hotel • Tour Baltimore’s famous National Aquarium, also just a short walk from our hotel • Noon-4pm Paint-out on Inner Harbor. Wet paintings then displayed on easels at Hampton Inn through Saturday evening. • 4 - 7pm Opening Reception, “1812: Star Spangled Banner Nation”, Star Spangled Banner Flag House • Dinner upstairs at the Flag House Saturday October 18 • Breakfast at hotel • Registration all day • 9 - 11:30am General meeting, Hampton Inn & Suites • Lunch- Members’ choice, at hotel or nearby Baltimore Inner Harbor • 1 - 4pm Panel Discussion with gallery owners and artists • 6-10pm Bob Skemp Dinner, Cocktails & Dinner at McCormick & Schmick's on Baltimore’s Inner Harbor Speaker, Dr. William S. Dudley Sunday October 19 • Painting demonstration, artist still being determined 22 | ASMA NEWS AND JOURNAL American Society of Marine Artists YMAS National Competition 2014 Young Marine Artist Search (YMAS) National Competition Art Students ages 16 to 23 June 15, 2014 - Deadline to receive entries August 1, 2014 Notification of artwork selected by ASMA Fellows • National YMAS Awards announced at the Fall 2014 ASMA Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD, October 16 -19, 2014. Award ribbons, certificates, and scholarship money will be given. • All entries must be original created by the student from personal photos or imagination. Any media will be considered (paintings, sculpture, etc.). No art work that used calendar or magazine art will be accepted. Any maritime subject will be considered. • Students should be sponsored by an ASMA member or local art center or museum who has paid for the student’s YMAS membership ($15). Please see www. americansocietyofmarineartists.com in “Join ASMA” section. To enter: 1. Take a digital picture of the artwork and save it as a jpeg. Up to two entries per student may be submitted. For sculpture, please submit 3 views of each sculpture. 2. Crop the image so that the entire artwork is visible ASMA Member visits AP Art Class "North Gwinnett High School AP Art Class of 24 seniors and teacher Yvette Kim (white scarf, red sweater) in Suwanee,GA. ASMA South Rep Anne Brodie Hill was invited to the class twice in January 2014 to speak about ASMA, YMAS, and watercolor. Yvette Kim's student, Ha Truong, won the 2013 YMAS National First Runner-Up Award." without extraneous background or framing showing. The saved image should represent the artwork exactly. 3. Image size should be 300 pixels per inch minimum. The file format must be jpeg (highest quality, no compression). 4. Please title the jpeg “YourNameTitleofArtwork.jpeg” (Example: “AnneBrodieHillSailboat.jpeg” 5. Save your images to a CD and mail (to be received by June 15, 2014) to: Anne Brodie Hill, ASMA 7720 Appaloosa Trail Gainesville, GA 30506 6. a. Please include this information (printed) with the CD: Student’s name, year of birth, mailing address, email, and phone numbers. b. Title of artwork, medium, size, value, and school name and address. c. Art Teacher’s name, email address, and phone number. d. All information given remains private. Questions – please contact Anne Brodie Hill [email protected] or call 770-718-7586 YMAS Awards Presented Photo taken at the Quinlan Visual Arts Center on December 12, 2013, when two of the YMAS National Awards were given to Charles Calkins (Best in Show) and James Graham (Honorable Mention). Anne Brodie Hill presented these awards at the Quinlan opening reception for the new exhibitions opening that day. left to right: Anne Brodie Hill, Mitch Freeman (art teacher at Riverside Military Academy), James Graham, Charles Calkins, Thomas Calkins www.americansocietyofmarineartists.com | 23 Christine's Logbook - continued from Page 5 down from the bird feeders, we knew it was time to help out a bit. Our winter food budget has expanded to two bags of deer feed a week. Our local Southern States fills its warehouse to the rafters each fall so those “big dogs” who treat our yard as home will emerge this spring well and strong. It is never a good idea to feed wild life to the point that they are dependent. However, we take our cue from what we learned on a skiing trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Each winter, the elk come down from the mountains by the hundreds to settle in a great plain on the edge of town where the Park Service feeds them. It is a truly awesome sight. The Park Service conducts regular “hay rides” through this remarkable docile herd. There are so many that you can hear them breathe! During the course of the winter, the elk lose their antlers. Each spring when the elk go back up into the mountains, the local Boy Scouts collect the antlers and sell them to the artists who make lamps and furniture of them. As an artist I am fascinated by our deer. They are so graceful, ready to take flight at the snap of a twig. There is always one “on watch”. Seeing them with the woods as background is an interesting exercise in color as the browns and grays take shape and then also blend into vanishing. One other of my pleasures this winter is the result of my taking on another hat to wear in ASMA. Lisa Egeli has taken on the double chores of working for the Fellowship as well as organizing the Baltimore AGM scheduled for this October. She has turned over her job as ASMA East Regional Representative to Sharon Way-Howard who calls Long Island, NY her home. Bill Schmidt and I are now Advisors for ASMA East and would love to hear from you. It is such a pleasure to get to know Sharon and Bill more closely. I asked Sharon to tell me more about herself "November Twilight" - Sharon Way-Howard and find that I can quote her own words. “I am a representational artist who focuses on the natural beauty surrounding us. I love working in many different mediums including watercolor, oil, acrylic and pastel with a little printmaking thrown in now and then! When the weather permits, I enjoy working en plein air, especially in oils. Growing up, I worked in a small boatyard on Long Island’s south shore, owned by my parents. My Dad and I were avid bird watchers. This love of the marine environment and birds continues to this day. Four years ago, my husband and I renovated my childhood home on a canal in Suffolk County, Long Island and I was able to design my “dream studio” during the construction. Teaching is another passion and I do demos for many art organizations. For the past 15 years, I’ve taught various media at the Islip Art Museum along with exhibiting at national and 24 | ASMA NEWS AND JOURNAL regional juried shows, galleries and outdoor festivals.” Before taking on ASMA East, Sharon served as 3rd Vice President of the Salmagundi Club and was on their Board of Directors 12 years. She is the first woman and former Chair of their Art Committee. Sharon is an elected member of the Pastel Society of America, Audubon Artists, American Artists Professional League and the Salmagundi Club. She is a signature Artist of the Baltimore, Rhode Island and Missouri Watercolor Societies. She "Checking the Ice" - Sharon Way-Howard is represented by Gallery North, Setauket, L.I., the Laughing Gull Gallery in Ocean Beach, Fire Island and the Courtyard Gallery in Mystic, CT. Bill Schmidt is practically a neighbor of mine. He hails from Rockville, MD about an hour from Annapolis. However, he is one of Annapolis’ McBride Gallery artists so is in and out of my neck of the woods frequently. Like so many of ASMA’s versatile artists like Alan Ryall, who is a painter as well as a Seismologist, Bill Schmidt has an undergraduate degree from Cornell in chemical and nuclear engineering. After working as a nuclear engineer, consultant and president of a training firm, Bill started to paint professionally full time. He is a past president and longtime member of the Washington Society Bill Schmidt hard at work of Landscape Painters which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2013, a signature member of the American Impressionist Society, and is a member of the Salmagundi Club and Oil Painters of America. He is also a member of the State Department’s Art in Embassies Program. At present, he has two paintings on exhibit at the residence of the Director (Ambassador) in Taipei, Taiwan and three in the Ambassador’s residence in Athens, Greece. He has shown frequently locally, regionally and nationally in juried shows and in solo and group shows. He was one of ten prominent plein air painters from across the U.S. invited to spend ten days painting at the Forbes-owned Chateau de Balleroy in Normandy, France. A group exhibit of the resulting works was held at the Forbes gallery in New York City. He has paintings on exhibit in galleries in Washington, DC, Annapolis, Solomons Island, MD, Leesburg, VA and Jeffersonville, VT. After that impressive introduction, I don’t doubt that you all will love to hear some thoughts from Bill in his own words on his art. “I became a plein aire painter with my first outdoor lesson one October day about 50 years ago and have continued to do almost all my work on site except for adding any needed finishing touches in my studio. For me, there is a special excitement that comes from being inspired by a scene and then meeting the challenge of completing it outdoors before the light and effects are gone. Many of my paintings are marine scenes, painted in an impressionistic or loose-realistic style. The Chesapeake Bay area is only about an hour from my home, so it naturally provides lots of material throughout the year. I have also made many painting trips to New England, with Gloucester and Rockport, Mass and mid-coastal Maine as favorite locations. I’ve also painted frequently in Bermuda and California. As evident from my work, I’m fascinated by harbors, inlets, boats and coastlines. My countrysides and town scenes have been done throughout the country, and city scenes include Washington, San Francisco, New York, Santa Fe and Paris. Again, even the foreign scenes are mostly done en plein air using a Pochade Box and archival boards when it’s too difficult to fly with a full-size easel. People have asked me how I developed my style and create paintings that are so easily recognizable as “a Bill Schmidt”. My distinctive paintings are the result of inspiration, planning and a colorful palette. I’m inspired to paint a scene by the colors, contrasts, light effects and design elements I see before me. I then make numerous pencil sketches to develop the composition I want and proceed to paint en plein air in most " Returning to Gloucester" - Bill Schmidt cases. The dozen colors on my palette enable me to paint bright, lively scenes as well as react to overcast skies, fog and even rain. Later, I review the painting in my studio, make corrections and add the little touches that finish the painting while still keeping my style of loose realism. I have served as mentor, judge and speaker and have done workshops and demonstrations for many art organizations. My art “training” consisted of working with several superb outdoor landscape painters and studying the masters of French and American Impressionism and the New England school of marine painters.” Bill lives in Rockville, MD which is a suburb of Washington, DC. He and his wife, Dottie, have three children and five grandchildren. Besides painting, Bill enjoys art, opera and theater. He says,” When I am working in my studio, I always paint to opera recordings because the music energizes me!” I think both Sharon and Bill would love to get together with Mike Killelea ASMA’s plein air enthusiast Secretary of the Board of Directors who has been traveling and painting his way through Portugal and Russia this fall and winter. ASMA East is not the only region to have new representation this winter. Nella Lush has joined husband, Steve Lush, Regional Representative and Lois Salmon Toole, Advisor, to represent ASMA North. Charlie Robinson wrote up Nella in the fall 2013 edition of “Notes from Brush Hill” so I won’t repeat that information. However, I asked Nella for a few words to tell the members of ASMA North about herself. Before I do so, I want you all to know that I take this time with Sharon, Bill and Nella to help you understand and come to know them as “your” representatives. It is so much easier to contact people you feel that you know and we would like you to have rapport with them so you can all work together on this great project which is ASMA. Nella explains her contribution to the art world as follows. “I am the type of person that likes to share knowledge that I have gained through the years. Perhaps this is the reason why I find myself conducting classes, demos and workshops. I do not consider myself a teacher but I consider myself a motivator and a mentor. I am the person that gives the permission to others to be themselves and throw away their fears because fear of making mistakes and fear not being accepted inhibits us and blocks the creativity. This is also the reason why I feel I am not constrained to just paint marine work or any other subject matter. I am focused in my art but that focus allows me to constantly listen to my inner voice and paint for myself. In my last solo show in January at the Robert Lehman Gallery, among 27 other paintings, I was able to exhibit my 13’ wide painting. Even though the painting was of secular trunks of olive trees in Italy, some of the viewers said that they could feel and smell the ocean even though that painting was not of the ocean. I feel exhilarated by these comments because these viewers were connecting to my emotions and that is priceless to me. I agreed to join Steve as an ASMA North Rep because not only are we both ASMA signature members but we share this creative journey and the need to be of help to others. With that said, we would love to see some gatherings of members in our district, a plein air outing, or a workshop or something that will not only add to the awareness of ASMA’s existence but it will also allow all of us to share our experiences and have fun in the process.” Here are two random items for your consideration. My Kings Point grapevine tells me that there is trouble with the payments on the new expanded Panama Canal construction. Finances are not in tune so some construction has been halted. Everyone should see the film “Sole Survivor” which is based on a series of true events with our military in Afghanistan. It is not just a gripping action packed adventure movie. One comes away with a deep understanding about what our men and women are facing over there as well as some unexpected insights into the Afghan people. Well worth your time! Continued on Page 26 www.americansocietyofmarineartists.com | 25 Christine's Logbook - continued from Page 25 As promised in the last edition of my column, I am revisiting that marvelous “Report of the War Shipping Administrator (E.S. Land) to the President “ at the end of WWII on January 15, 1946 on the operations of the U.S. Merchant Marine and all shipping during WWII which was sent to me by ASMA member Keith Adams. The booklet, originally published by the Government Printing Office, is no longer printed by the U.S. government. It has been reprinted by the American Merchant Marine Combat Veterans Just Compensation Committee, PO Box 1705, Santa Rosa, CA 95402. I think I can accurately say that for most of us who are not part of the Greatest Generation, that our first perception of the magnitude and scope of the invasion of Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944 was through that wonderful classic movie “The Longest Day”. Quoted below from the WSA report is more illumination on the role of merchant ships and the merchant seamen involved in Operation Mulberry. “In 1944, 74 percent of the WSA tonnage was allocated for the use of the Army and Navy, compared with 59 percent so employed toward the end of 1943. Ships allocated to the Army alone comprised about 60 percent of the WSA fleet, while the dry cargo tonnage allocated to the Navy amounted to 14 percent. The military calendar of 1944 will explain that increase, In the beginning of the year, the Allies had taken Sicily, had gone into the Italian boot, and were hammering at the historic Cassino gateway to Rome. The beaches at Anzio had been occupied with substantial losses. General Eisenhower had returned to England to open wide the valve on the great flood of American troops and gear needed to build up overwhelming power for the assault on the Normandy coast. The vast war raging along the Russo-German front from the Baltic Sea called for more and more shipments of American war materials for Russian armies; these had been moving only around the northern and southern flanks – the North Cape into Murmansk, and the Cape of Good Hope to the Persian Gulf, until the opening of the Mediterranean to our ships. And in the Far East the tempo was stepping up. At the start of the year, the incredibly difficult Burma campaign was in its opening phases, and General MacArthur had established a firm hold on eastern New Guinea. On the eastern sea approaches to Japan, Admiral Nimitz had begun investment of the Marshall Islands. The long stretches of the Pacific were now American highroads to numerous powerful bases where supplies were being assembled to attack the Philippines and the home islands of Japan. Our forces were successfully installed on the northern flank, the Aleutians. All of these movements needed steady maintenance of supplies by the merchant fleet. By mid-1944, the global war reached maximum fury. The greatest sea-bourne invasion in history crossed the moat of Hitler’s Fortress Europe, the English Channel on June 6. In the van were 32 American merchant ships to be sunk off the beachhead to form a breakwater. They were manned by more than 1,000 merchant seamen and officers who volunteered for 26 | ASMA NEWS AND JOURNAL hazardous duty. These ships, many of which had previously suffered severe battle damage, were charged with explosives for quick scuttling. They sailed from England through mined waters, filed into position off the Normandy beach under severe shelling from German shore batteries, and were sunk by the crews to form the artificial harbor. Behind this breakwater, prefabricated units were towed in to handle the subsequent debarkation of men and equipment, to make invasion of Fortress Europe possible. Ten oceangoing tugs operated by the WSA and manned by merchant crews assisted in the famous MULBERRY operation by towing the harbor units into position. Seven of these tugs had towed prebuilt sections from the United States to England en route to their assignment. From D-day until the last tug departed the Channel area, they towed 182 units including 75 “phoenixes”, as these units were called, plus 27 disabled ships from the landing area back to the safety of British harbors. This project stands as one of the most remarkable water-bourne engineering accomplishments of all time. All merchant seamen and officers in the operation were commended and the ten masters of the tugs decorated by Admiral Sir Bertram H. Ramsey, Allied Naval Commander in Chief, for their part in the successful invasion. Later, the English Channel was nicknamed by the merchant crews “Liberty Lane” because of these cargo ships ferrying back and forth in a shuttle run supplying the Anglo-American armies in France.” I hope you noted that the merchant seamen sailed through mined waters with ships fully charged with explosives and were under severe shelling from German shore batteries as they constructed the breakwater that made the invasion possible. Eventually, after victory “two steel roadways supported on special floats lead from shore to wharf” protected by the breakwater of sunken ships and concrete caissons “Phoenixes”. Maybe I’ll include some more next time. IMPORTANT NEW COPY DEADLINES. ASMA News & Journal Deadlines Winter - December 1st • Spring - March 1st Summer - June 1st • Fall - September 1st Please note: Since ASMA uses Bulk Mail, delivery will vary with each post office. If you have time dated items, be sure you allow for a 3 month delivery delay when submitting dated material. News from the Fo'c'sle - continued from Page 19 Assorted Scuttlebutt - continued from Page 4 From left: Anne Brodie Hill, Bob Hill, Kim Shaklee, Mike Karas, and Fern Karas to admire Kim’s work during the Thursday evening gala. “It is a tremendous job to exhibit in the Rotunda, with set-up Fellow Kim Shaklee's display in Charleston, SC taking nearly 10 hours, but the show has been good to me and I have built a good following of collectors. I look forward to it every year.” Though the focus of the show is wildlife art, many ASMA artists have been participants over the years. In fact, one of the past Executive Directors of the show shared a memorable experience of meeting Willard Bond many years ago during a special exhibition for ASMA which was featured during the Expo. Other ASMA members in this year’s show were painter Debra Nadelhoffer from Dawsonville, GA and sculptor Scott Penegar from Charleston, SC. Other ASMA friends frequent the show too. Anne and Bob Hill attended again this year, and Fellow Mike Karas and wife Fern came for a short visit at the end of the show. ASMA Signature Member Debra Huse’s painting, “Island Tradewinds” will be featured in the 103rd Annual California Art Club Gold Medal Juried Exhibition at the Autry National Center in Los Angeles. There will be an Artists’ Gala Reception on March 29th and the Exhibition will run from March 30thApril 20th. Debra recently returned from the 9th Annual Maui Plein Air Painting Invitational. Held on the beautiful island of Maui, the event featured 25 professional artists creating 150 original paintings. Debra will be participating in the 16th Annual Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational in October. "Island Tradewinds" Debra Huse strict deadlines. The other item I would also like to stress again, is the subject of dated material. A prime example of what we face occurred with the Winter issue and I'm sure most of you were affected. Utilizing bulk mail we always are at the mercy of the US Post Office regarding delivery times. Every area of the country is different, and most folks receive their copies somewhere between 2 and 3 weeks after going to the mailing house. This usually occurs about 8-10 days after the publication date. In the case of the Winter issue, the deadline was January 2 and the issue went to the mailing house on January 9, a bit quicker than usual. Then the country got dumped on with a continual run of bad weather. That was the main excuse of the PO, when they could be pinned down. Ultimately, the bulk mail, combined with the weather, made for a very long delivery time. So, what I'm saying is that if you submit articles with dated material, you should take this into consideration. At least two months time, and sometimes more. We cannot guarantee dated material. We try, believe me, but it's very important when exhibition deadlines, etc, are involved. With our eNews, that has helped, but just keep this in mind. So, hope to see you in Baltimore and I'll be back in July with the all important Summer issue. Regional Reports - continued from Page 21 Museum’s Annual Model Ship Exhibition at the museum’s home within the Charlestown Navy yard, Charlestown, MA. This exhibition opened for the public on February 1st and runs until March 22, 2014. A reception for the museum overseers, several model shipwrights, and the ASMA artists was held Thursday night, February 27th at the museum. Fellow member Charlie Robinson, Signature members Maris Platais, Steve Lush and Paul Beebe along with ASMA member Ray Crane each had 1 or 2 works on display. It is hoped that future ASMA/ USSCM partnering will continue as a result of this exhibition. Steve Lush has a model in the exhibition as well and has been Ray Crane, Steve Lush and Maris Platais a member of the USSCM Model Shipwright Guild since 1984. Steve is a Master model shipwright in the Guild.” www.americansocietyofmarineartists.com | 27 A Special Offer For ASMA Members Only C 15th National Exhibition R T artists.com A tists A R I N E Marine Ar yofmarine M Society of ricansociet M E R I C A N American ww w.ame A Special Reduced Prices for ASMA members ONLY by mail and this offer.** O N T E M P O R A R Y COLOR C ATA L O G CONTEMP ORARY AMERICA N MARIN EA 15 th Natio nal Ex RT hibition o f the Amer The 15th National ican Societ y of Marin e Artists, Exhibition color catalog 2011-2013 is now available to all members for $16.95 ea. (Members with work in the exhibition: $10.00 ea). Send a check or money order (Drawn on a US Bank Account) for $16.95 or $10.00, if applicable, per catalog, plus Shipping and Handling (see below), payable to ASMA along with your name, shipping address, phone number and email. 9/9/11 11:2 7 AM Members Appearing in Catalog 10 $ ASMA Member Discount Price 16 00* $ r O Each 95* Each *1 to 2 add $8.00; 3 -10 add $15.00; 11 or more request quote Canada: 1 to 2 add $15.95; 3 or more request quote International: 1 to 2 add $19.95; 3 or more request quote o Please send __________copy(s) of the ASMA National Exhibition Color Catalog. Enclosed is my check/MO for _____________which includes_____________shipping and handling costs. ( o I am an Exhibiting Member ) *Delivery by Priority Mail 2 Please note: Retail Price is $21.95 for Non-Members, + S&H. Name.............................................................................. Address.......................................................................... Please make checks payable to "ASMA" City............................................... State..... ...Zip.............. and mail with this form to: Phone............................................................................. E-Mail.............................................................................. ASMA 15th National Color Catalog PO Box 247 • Smithfield, VA 23431 Vi s i t o u r We b S i t e a t : w w w. a m e r i c a n s o c i e t y o f m a r i n e a r t i s t s . c o m
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