Sunday, June 30, 2013

Sistine Chapel in Woonsocket

If you are looking for something "artsy" to do on a Sunday afternoon, take the tour of St. Ann's ceiling frescoes in Woonsocket, RI. The former Catholic church, and now cultural center, gives tours every Sunday 1-4 to show off the largest collection of Michelangelo-type fresco paintings in North America. In fact, it is larger than even the Sistine Chapel -- and a lot closer! Completed over an 8-year period in the 1940s by Florentine artist Guido Nincheri, the spectacular frescoes boast over 475 faces of parishoners at the time, and were painted  the same way as Michelangelo -- on scaffolding 65 feet high over wet plaster. This photo shows the dome above the altar and is only a fraction of the amazing art you will see, including the incredible stained glass windows. The Cultural Center is located at 84 Cumberland St., and is easy to find -- 2 blocks east of Rte. 126, in northern Woonsocket, just over the Massachusetts border -- a straight shot from Wrentham. For more information go to www.StAnnArtsandCulturalCenter.org.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Guest columnist :: JT HARDING on plein air painting

We are happy to present this article from guest columnist JT Harding.Please feel free to leave your comments about your own plein air painting tips and experiences. Thanks and Enjoy! 

Making a Smooth Transition from Studio to Outdoor Painting

Posted by  on Jun 27, 2013 in Hardingville | No Comments
3
JT Harding
The Good Book
Oil on Panel, 10 x 8″
If you’re like me, you’ve been cooped up all winter painting inside your home or studio.  Now that summer has arrived, it’s prime weather for Plein Air painting but you still may be wondering how to make a smooth transition from the comfort of the studio to painting on site.  For even the most experienced painters, the inherent challenges of Plein Air painting makes the idea a bit daunting.  Another great blog post here will help you with making preparations.  But, for now, forget those thoughts because I’d like to make some recommendations which will help you ease into and even enjoy the experience.
Namaste
Most mornings, I start my day with a 15-minute video program called a.m. yoga.  In it, the instructor describes that after a night of sleep, the body is rested but stiff from inactivity.  To awaken the body/mind, he takes me through a series of gentle poses designed to allow me to meet my day with openness, peace, and serenity.  A similar set of exercises can help you transition from studio to outdoor painting.
Warming up
Like my yoga program, you can ease into Plein Air painting with Plein Air drawing.  That’s right, I’m asking you to leave your French easel and paints at home and just bring a sketchpad, pencils, and erasure to a favorite outdoor spot.  Sit in a comfortable folding chair and quietly contemplate the scene but remain alert and observant.  Now, make some notes about the time of day, weather conditions, and colors.  Really try to notice what is happening with the light effects and color contrasts.  Is reflective light bouncing off the grass and coloring the shaded trunk of a tree?  What happens to the color of objects in the distance?  If you’d like to eventually paint the place, make a few compositional sketches and take some photographs.  Not to paint from, but to further understand the scene.  This exercise helps to hone your powers of observation and better understand the various light effects on outdoor objects.
Paint in your back yard
Hensche
Henry Hensche Color Study
Untitled
, oil on canvas, 24″ x 20″
 c. 1960′s
Collection of Emile Henault
With your sharpened powers of observations, take your easel and paints out into your back yard or a local park and set up a colorful but simple still life.  Here, I want you to think in terms of color studies, not finished paintings.  Keep your painting surface small and your brushes large.  Using burnt sienna, draw in the shapes with your brush, separating the light and shadow masses.  Observe the colors of the planes in the light and the planes in the shade.  Describe each mass with its’ associated color.  Relate each color note to another in the setup.  Make sure all color notes are different.  Keep the studies short (two to three hours at most) because the light direction will change quickly.  Paint the same scene in the morning and late evening light keys and compare the studies with one another.  You can learn more about the practice of color study from the Henry Hensche Foundation website and follow the Henry Hensche facebook group page for some great insights and inspiration.
Planning is the key
Now that you are ready to tackle outdoor landscape painting, planning is key.  Enlist a friend and make a date.  Keep your eye on the weather and try to pick a day that will afford you full sun and clear skies.  Deciding on a painting location has been made easier with new facebook and pinterest pages.  Here, you will find local locations in Massachusetts that have been pre-scouted and approved of by other Plein Air painters.
Arrive early and set up prior to the time of day you would like to paint.  To keep your frustration factor low, your subject should be simple just like your back yard color studies.  Bring along several panels and change them out if the weather changes dramatically.
Continue to think in terms of colors, color contrasts, and masses — not details.  Key all the colors and color values off of the color value of the sky.  To see what I mean, click on the video clip of Marc Dalessio below.
If you are still having difficulty, do more back yard color studies.  With continued practice, your landscape color studies will become full-fledged Plein Air paintings.  Plus, you can use the best little gems to work up larger studio pieces.
Most of all, have fun and enjoy the process!
PS: I encourage you to leave your comments or questions below.  Also, please consider joining other outdoor painters at Kim Morin Weineck’s Vermont workshop or at this year’s Adams Farm Plein Air Paint Out on September 7, 2013.  Click here to pre-register and download a prospectus.
Interested in writing a column for the Foxboro Art Association website?
Email foxboroart@gmail.com for details.
Thanks! 

Call for art :: Zullo Gallery

Zullo Gallery Center For The Arts
19th Annual Juried Exhibition

PROSPECTUS

September 21 - November 9, 2013

~ OPEN TO ALL ARTISTS ~

TO ENTER: The 19th Juried Exhibition is open to all artists (18 years or older) working in all mediums.
Applicant's may submit up to three works - on CD, by e-mail (files must be in jpg. form with a resolution of at least 300dpi ) or as photographic prints.
Work must have been created within the past two years.
The gallery requests a $20 donation from each applicant. (e-mail applicants please use the zullogallery.org web site, under HOME scroll down to DONATION, make a $20 donation - write 19th Juried Exhibit in comment area.) Checks should be made payable to the Zullo Gallery.
Each application must include: 1. Artists's name, address, phone number and email address

 2. Title, size, medium and date each work was completed

Send to: Zullo Gallery, 19th Annual Juried Exhibition, 456A Main Street, Medfield MA 02052

DEADLINE: All entries must be received by Wednesday, August 21, 2013
 (If you wish application material returned please include a self-addressed stamped envelope)

NOTIFICATION : All artists will be noti ed by email of the juror's selection by August 31
Selected art work must be properly framed and delivered to the Zullo Gallery by Saturday, September 14.

The gallery reserves the right to exclude any work that, on delivery, is different from what was represented in artist's application. All work must be for sale. The gallery receives a 35% commission on all work sold.

Images of selected work may be used for publicity purposes.
Juror: Mim Brooks Fawcett
Mim Brooks Fawcett has served as the Executive Director of the Attleboro Arts Museum since 2006. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design. Fawcett additionally served as the Sr. Art Director of Boston’s Keane, Inc. as well as Art Director for Boston-based Scudder Funds and Waterline Publications. For 18 years Fawcett instructed a wide range of undergraduate graphic design courses at both Northeastern and Boston Universities. Currently, Mim Fawcett lives in Sharon, MA
with her family and devotes much of her time to promoting and expanding the arts and education in the city of Attleboro.

ZULLO GALLERY CENTER FOR THE ARTS
456A MAIN STREET MEDFIELD MA 02052
 web: www.zullogallery.org tel. 508.359.3711
 email: art@zullogallery.org

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Paintout June 15

The Artists' Studio & Gallery at Patriot Place in Foxboro will host a giant "paintout" Saturday afternoon, June 15, weather permitting. The rain date is the following Saturday. All artists are encouraged to bring their easels or tables and paint away outside -- anytime between noon and 4 pm. You can also bring completed pieces to sell to the public. The goal is to make Patriot Place look like a mini-Paris, with artists everywhere painting away and selling their work. You can set up anywhere you want, so long as you don't block store windows or entrances. But there's plenty of room so c'mon down! Bring the family, rub elbows with fellow artists and kibitz with the public. It should be fun for everyone.