2016 Titustown Sumi–e and Bonsai Show and Reception February 6

Norfolk Botanical Gardens Holiday Show a Great Success

Jan 16

Blue Heron Chapter of the Sumi-e Society of America

Blue Heron News

Our Sumi-e/Bonsai show and reception at Titustown is coming up. You may start dropping off the paintings beginning on January 6.

Each member may submit two paintings. Paintings must be properly wired and ready for hanging.

The last date for drop-off is Saturday, January 16, 2 PM. Any food you bring for the reception must be commercially prepared (i.e., from a store or restaurant).

The show opening is February 6, from10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Happy Holidays to all.

Joan G

Three dozen paintings are on display and well worth your while to view. Jill wants to remind us to pick up our paintings on Saturday, January 30 or Sunday the 31st, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday is better.

From previous Titustown exhibits.

Club Officers 2015-2016 Co- Presidents: Cathy Peyton/Joan Grosch Vice President: Jill Brunner Secretary: Mary Ann Matika Treasurer: Lynette Corley Blue Heron News is published nine times a year by the Blue Heron Chapter of the Sumi-e Society of America, Norfolk, Virginia. President/Publisher: Joan Grosch Editors: Ann and John McCarthy

Happy New Year! We had record attendance at our December meeting, and it was exhilarating to be with so many of our sumi-e friends. The Blue Heron Chapter is an educational group. By attending the monthly meetings, we can gain insight into old and new ways of enhancing our paintings. Do you remember Rose Burroughs’ demonstration of Sumi-e on Grape Leaves? The grape leaf came to life in a new way as Rose painted a living tree using watercolors on the leaf, and then she outlined the leaf with gold paint. Rose gave us directions on how to mount a painting on a scroll. We also learned how to use contour doodle to loosen ourselves up for more expressive painting.

Sandy Bone presented Using White. She showed us how the magic of white can be used for highlighting, emphasizing translucency, and creating opaque qualities. White can be used as a single color, mixed with other colors, or as white space. Sandy enhanced a painting using chalk to simulate white paint. She told us about milk resist and gesso. She showed how to use white to make the moon glow, how to paint flowers, landscapes, and white veins, and to create mist. She shared paintings of color washes on either side of the rice paper to make the whites in the paintings pop and add contrast.

Lee Gerry Wertheimer presented Asian Notecards,

which was a great motivator for our holiday card exchange. She demonstrated how a 2-D card can become 3-D. She used tools such protractors, transparent t-squares, and others to emphasize preciseness, detail, and added interest of design. She demonstrated how we can collage materials, such as an accordion fan and flowers, for three-dimensional interest. She shared special papers for members to take home and practice making their cards.

Each month, we learn so much in our meeting, including techniques we can carry with us as artists. We look forward to seeing everyone at our chapter meeting on January 10th. There will be more to learn, more to enjoy, and lots of ideas to practice.

Joan and Cathy

President’s PageJo

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For more on the English Rose workshop, see page 6.

Meeting MinutesDecember 20, 2015, Pretlow Library Co-President Cathy Peyton called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m.. The November minutes were approved as written. Twenty-eight members and one guest were present. Norene Spencer introduced the guest, Cathee Giagenacova. The treasurer reported a balance on hand of $8,123.87. Calendars were on sale for $7.00. Cathy Peyton recognized Treasurer Lynette Corley for increasing the number of members, completing the OAS order, and compiling the membership list. Through their applause, members thanked Lynette for her work for the chapter. Cathy Peyton recognized Lee Gerry Wertheimer as an excellent artist and thanked her for her beautiful lesson about making Asian cards at the November meeting. Committee Reports Exhibitions: Cathy Peyton and Joan Grosch reporting for Jill Brunner.

Members were reminded to pick up their paintings from the Norfolk Botanical Garden show on January 31, 2016, from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Robert Kennedy and his team are reviewing applications and photos submitted for the Central Library exhibition.

The deadline for entries has passed. Cards entered in the Pretlow Library display will be returned at the January meeting. The Sumi-e/Bonsai Show and Reception at the Titustown Visual Arts Center will be February 6, 2016, from 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. The reception will serve as the February chapter meeting. Members may submit two properly wired and ready-for-hanging paintings for the show. The paintings should be dropped off January 6-16, 2016. Members were asked to donate commercially prepared food for the reception. External Exhibits: Gail Goodman

A list of suggested topics for the Henry Li workshop was passed around, and members were asked to vote for seven. Newsletter: Ann and John McCarthy

The deadline for the January newsletter is December 31, 2015. Please send articles to both John and Ann. Old Business At the January meeting, the Nominating Committee will announce the slate of officers for the 2016-18 biennium. Co-President Joan Grosch sent copies of the 2016 calendar to Bok Kim and Henry Li. Bok Kim replied that she had fond

memories of her work with the chapter. Henry Li responded that he was impressed with the artistic talent of the chapter members. At the January meeting, Norene Spencer will show slides of paintings from the National Sumi-e Society Exhibit in Mobile, Alabama.

New Business Joe Nicholas presented a display of Korean Christmas cards. Norene Spencer reported that Joan Lok may be in the Tidewater area in May and would like to do a workshop for the chapter. A thank-you note from Michiko Mathews for her award from the chapter was read.

Announcements Joe Nicholas announced his new class at the Primeplus Center beginning January 16, 2016.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:30 p.m. Refreshments and the holiday card exchange followed. Joan Grosch raffled a bottle of champagne, which was won by Mary Ann Matika. Respectfully submitted,

Mary Ann Matika, Secretary

Mary A

nn Matika, Secretary

LearnJo

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las Words from the Pros

by Joe Nicholas Dear Members,

I don’t have a subject for this month. Instead of “words from the pros,” you will be getting my random thoughts on brush painting. They are, in no particular order:

✦ Practicing calligraphy will improve the brushwork in your paintings.

✦ Use soft-hair brushes for soft subjects/edges and good tonal variation.

✦ Use stiff-hair brushes for detail and hard/crisp edges.

✦ For side strokes, keep handle and bristles at the same angle to the painting surface.

✦ Visualize what you want your brushstroke to look like before putting brush to paper.

✦ Chances are, you are using too small a brush when painting flowers.

✦ Save your practice sketches for note cards.

✦ Every once in a while, review the proper way to hold and load the brush.

✦ When trying out a new subject, use just ink/water to focus on shape and tone; use color later.

✦ You can’t execute a good brush stroke if your brush is improperly loaded.

✦ Study the Masters to get a “feel” for good brushwork and composition.

✦ Squint to help evaluate your composition’s design, values, and edges.

✦ Be careful in mixing more than two colors together; it may result in mud.

✦ You’ll never get there if you don’t know where you are going.

✦ Make use of thumbnail sketches to aid in composing your painting.

✦ Don’t let white get into your mixing water; it’ll affect the transparency of your other colors.

✦ Practice, practice, and practice. Better lots of short sessions than a few long ones.

Have a great New Year! Joe

Show

Sumi-e Paintings by Henry Li

EnjoySh

aron

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in Sumi-e in Winter This is the perfect season for Sumi-e painters. The trees are stripped bare.

The frill of leaves is gone. The lines and bones remain.

And then, the red and pink camellias come.

The hooded mergansers on the ponds and lakes arrive. The females with permanent brown bad hair days.

The males with classic black and white designs.

The beauties of winter have a perfect backdrop. Nothing takes away from their stunning surprises.

Our brushes at the ready. Our eyes honed from the lushness of summer and fall.

Our winter quest begins.

December workshop:Jill Valentine’s “The English Rose”

Learn MoreG

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New Information about the Henry Li Workshop As most of you know, the Henry Li Workshop has been filled for some time. Mr. Li has decided to also do a second EVENING WORKSHOP while he is here in Virginia. If you were unable to sign up for the Day Workshop, then you may want to consider the Evening Workshop to be held on Friday and Saturday evening, also at Westminster Canterbury. Details are on the flyer below. There will be space for 10 additional participants. Or you may want to sign up for both. Subject matter will be different from the Day Workshop.

This month’s meeting. There are potentially two presentations this month. Health willing, Joe Nicholas will do a demonstration. Also, Norene Spencer will present “slides” of the paintings from the most recent national convention, always a great delight for those of us who were not able to attend.

2 pm-4pm Pretlow Library

10next meeting

January

Blue Heron News

5941 McClure Road

Norfolk, VA 23502

December 1—January 31—Norfolk Botanical Garden Show, Baker Hall January 10 —Blue Heron Chapter, Pretlow Library, 2-4 pm February 6 —Visual Arts Center at Titustown: Saturday, Bonsai/Sumi-e Exhibit Opening/ Reception 10 am-1 pm March 13—Blue Heron Chapter, Pretlow Library, 2-4 pm April 15-17—Henry Li Workshop, Westminster Canterbury (see page 7) April 17 —Chapter Meeting and Demonstration, Westminster Canterbury 2-4 pm May 15—Blue Heron Chapter, Calendar Selection/Slate of Officers, Pretlow Library, 2-4 pm June 5 —End- of-the-Year Luncheon

As always, food items are encouraged and welcome.