Volume No. 51 Issue No.1 Winter 2020 www.redwoodart.us

Redwood Art Quarterly

A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E R E D W O O D A R T A S S O C I AT I O N

I N S I D E

3 Thriving and Surviving Painting Workshops

4 2020 Painting Workshops

5 Featured Artist: John Hewitt

New Year's Exhibition

U P C O M I N G E V E N T S

EurekaA themed exhibitionFebruary 19 – March 13, 2020Entry Day: February 15, 2020Arts Alive: March 7, 2020

Redwood Art Association62nd Spring ExhibitionA judged exhibition with awardsMarch 18 – April 17, 2020Entry Day: March 14, 2020Arts Alive: April 4, 2020

Youth ExhibitionApril 22 – May 8, 2020

A Focus on FiberA judged exhibition with awardsMay 13 – June 19, 2020Arts Alive: June 6, 2020 Second Place: Doug Freie "AB.9, Big Bang"

Awards announced for the New Year Exhibition, judged by Tim Clewell, fine art teacher at Arcata High School. Clewell holds degrees in Art Education, Studio Art and Art History. He received his teaching credential from HSU in 2011 and has taught drawing courses through HSU’s Extended Education. Clewell was a member of Empire Squared Gallery for Contempo-rary Art and Giant Squid Ink Printmakers. His artwork has been exhibited at the Morris Graves Museum of Art, Piante, First Street Gallery, Hunter Plaid Gallery, the Ironside Gallery and Empire Squared. Tim had this to say about the exhibition: “I was very honored to be invited to judge the Redwood Arts Association New Year’s Exhibition. It was very exciting for me to be in the presence of the work of such talented artists. That being said, it was a dif-ficult task to judge a show where people were pouring so much energy into their art. The artists that were awarded this year created very engaging work, some for the gorgeous aesthetics, and some for other aspects, narrative qualities, etc. Though, I was only allowed a few selections for winners, it can be said that there is so much talent at this year’s show.”

Best in Show $250: Mike StengelFirst Place $150: Jon BoutSecond Place $100: Doug FreieAwards of Merit $50: Erica Brooks, Steve Taylor, Beth Cline, Dolores Terry, Jon Exley, Patty YancyHonorable Mentions: Matt Dodge, Karen Merry, Barrie Love, Paul Rickard, Amanda Morettini, Patty Yancy

Best in Show: Mike Stengl "River Days"

2

A F E W WO R D S

The Redwood Art Association is a community dedicated to the creation of art as an important and indispensable part of life and the economy of Humboldt County.

Redwood Art Association Board of Directors

OfficersPresident: Erica BrooksVice President: Steve LemkeSecretary: Lynn NiekraszTreasurer: Jon ExleyDirectorsDavid BostonBenjamin FunkeRoy GrieshaberWes JulianaSara KimberJeff McCallayAmanda MorettiniDiana SchoenfeldCarol W Telesky

The RAA Newsletter is published four times a year by: The Redwood Art Association 603 F Street Eureka, CA 95501

Newsletter Editors: Erica Brooks &Steve Lemke

Newsletter design and layout: Paula Goldstein, Blue Bungalow Design

Color version of newsletter avail-able at www.redwoodart.us

follow us and our newslettercontributors on instagram:

@redwoodartassociation@fineartbyerica@clewell73@jimmie_nord@newell_pamWes Juliana, Steve Lemke, Lynn Niekrasz, Roy Grieshaber, Erica Brooks, David Boston,

Louise Bacon-Ogden, Amanda Morettini, Diana Schoenfeld, Jon Exley, Martha Haynes

Good heavens, it is 2020! How did that happen? It was the year before yesteryear that we were all scared of the change from the nineteens to the twen-ties. Folks had gone off to the mountains and off the grid because the computer systems were going to fail. Well, we know how that turned out, don’t we.Last newsletter I wrote about thanking people for their efforts, in whatever form. Let me give you a couple of examples for how to do that. If any of you have exhibited your work in either of the two front upstairs galleries, you know that sun light is a huge concern for the integrity of your work Well, a HUGE thank you to the Representational Art League for the purchase and donation of the appropriate type of shades to deal with that concern, that worry. We, the RAA, are indeed grateful for their awareness of a need and their willingness to step in and resolve the issue with their donation. Another “thank you” takes a different form. We are an all-volunteer orga-nization. As such, we rely on the willingness, the ability, of members to assume the various roles required to keep the gallery open, to keep it clean, and to keep it functioning. While money does not change hands, there are ways in which we can thank volunteers. Gallery sitters can bring their work with them and of-fer it for sale on the day they sit. They can bring their materials and work while they sit. If someone volunteers once a month for an 18 month period they can earn a year’s membership. If you have an idea of a way in which the RAA could “thank” a gallery sitter, speak up, and be heard. A final way in which you can speak up and be heard is to provide feed-back. Did you ever have your have a teacher say to you, “Good job”? What in the world does that mean? Feedback wants specifics. To help you with that idea, think of a sandwich cookie. Begin with the outer cookie – something positive you liked. The cream filled center can be a suggestion, a question, or an obser-vation. The outer cookie is another positive piece. I don’t know about you, but living in the world today is a challenge. If each of us could practice “The Power of Positive Feedback” instead, as Normal Vin-cent Peale preached, “The Power of Positive Thinking,” maybe, just maybe life would be a bit easier to live. Find an artwork in the next show that you like, contact the artist, and give that artists a sandwich cookie feedback. My wish for all of you is a Happy and Healthy New Year. Martha Haynes, RAA President 2016-2018

3

Thriving and Surviving Painting Workshops

"Every Artist Was Once An Amateur" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

So, you've signed up to take a painting workshop with an instructor whose work inspires you. You want to learn to paint, paint en plein air, florals, still life or landscapes. Maybe you want to learn to paint with a different medium than your usual and try your hand at soft pastel or oil because you've always painted in acrylic or watercolor. Or your goal is to learn more about composi-tion, selecting a subject, values, edge work, palette knife, color mix-ing, or the perennial - "I just want to paint looser". Perhaps you only paint in a workshop. Or you've not painted for years because of work or family obligations and you are longing to get back to it. Maybe the workshop is a gift from a loved one who wants to see you enjoy your creative side again. These are all valid reasons to jump in and sign up. I want you to remember one thing, "Every Artist Was Once An Amateur" - Ralph Waldo Emerson I've taught workshops and classes for years and have come to expect various goals, abilities and motivations from workshop attendees. Workshops can be a struggle. It's completely normal to feel performance anxiety and to stress about your work in front of a roomful of other artists. Just know the biggest obstacle to prog-ress is FEAR. Fear of looking like an amateur. Fear of wasting materials. Fear of the judgement of others. But the biggest obstacle is fear of trying something new. I've taken many workshops myself with "rock star" artists and I can tell you no one paints at their best level in a workshop. (Shhhh, even the instructor.) A workshop is the place to experiment, try new techniques, and get out of your comfort zone with the guid-ance of the instructor. The real work and growth happen after the workshop... but only if an artist reviews and then applies and practices what they've learned in the workshop. Struggle shows a person is learning and open to change. As they say, "no pain no gain!" It takes loads of practice to implement new techniques and concepts. It's really like learning a new language - a visual lan-guage. So, bottom line is, don't be hard on yourself! You are learn-ing, experimenting and pushing yourself. Just keep practicing and the joy and new painting skills will come. I've witnessed artistic breakthroughs where an artist dances for joy because they've tried something new and it worked. And don't expect one workshop to solve all your painting is-sues. There is always another level to learn - there is no end to the artist's road of learning. Just know that some people have started on the road a bit earlier and have passed a few milestones. The artistic challenges never end. Every fresh canvas is the next mas-terpiece because for an artist, the best painting is always the next one. If it were easy, everyone would be an "artist." There is no such thing as the artist who was magically bestowed with genius and talent. That's Hollywood. Even for the best it takes work and dedication. So don't compare yourself to anyone but yourself and you'll see the progress. Take those workshops and shorten your learning curve. I wish you good painting.

Pamela C. Newell (pnewellart.com)

ANNUAL FUND The RAA is an all-volunteer organization and has no debt other than our mortgage which we continue to pay down. We support art in our community by curat-ing exhibits at the Eureka/Arcata Airport, the Hago-pian Gallery in the Humboldt County Library and the sculpture exhibit at the Madaket Plaza on Eureka’s waterfront as well as the new sculpture exhibition at the Botanical Gardens. This year we are offering differ-ent workshops led by talented and nationally known instructors. Our gallery is also the meeting space for other non-profits. As we look to grow with the times and reach out to young and emerging artists, we have two new young directors who are committed to bring-ing in young members. What is there for you to do? You can help by contributing to the RAA Annual Fund. Your donation helps us balance our budget, meet operating expenses and grow our building maintenance reserve. Your sup-port helps us to maintain our financial stability so we can focus on our members, their art, and our commit-ment to the many ways in which we contribute to the community. The generous support of members like you makes it possible for the Redwood Art Association to contrib-ute to the rich cultural fabric of our community. Our gallery on the F Street Art Corridor offers the opportu-nity of year-round exhibitions to showcase and sell our beautiful art. Please consider giving generously. Every dollar helps. Donations are tax deductible, and a receipt will be provided for tax purposes. Thank-you for your support!

Annual Fund 2019 ContributorsJulia BednarDoug Freie

Robert HaynesRandy Mayers

Martha HaynesDolores TerryShawn GouldHenry Ingham

Jim WelchCamille Regli

Jon CraterRoy Grieshaber

Elaine GrayMurline Georgeson

Jack SewellLinda Bareilles

4

Upcoming Painting Workshops for more details and to sign up visit our website: www.redwoodart.us

Jim McVickerStill Life PaintingFebruary 7-9at the gallery

John Hewitt Watercolor Painting

March 21Humboldt Bay

National Wildlife Refuge

Daniel MarshallWatercolor PaintingMay 29-31

Terry Miura Demystifying the

FigureJuly 17-19

5

Featured Artist:62nd Spring Exhibition

Judge John Hewitt

John Hewitt will be teaching a one day painting workshop on March 21,2020 at the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. He will also be judging RAA's 62nd Spring Exhibition.Artist Statement As a representational artist, I am by definition inter-ested in reality as an inspirational starting point. My goal is to interpret, not to copy. By using every tool available I attempt to create an image that will have strong visual and emotional impact on a viewer. I have learned from the previous generation of Ameri-cas' best painters (Millard Sheets, Vernon Nye, George Post, Rex Brandt and many others) that this strong impact is most often achieved by adherence to the academic guidelines formu-lated by hundreds of years of searching and experimentation. These are best distilled into a list of the elements and principles of design listed in any good text. I think particularly important to me is dominance, contrast, color and rhythm. A painting must be constructed from a scene, not copied from a scene, to create the most com-pelling works of art.Artist Biography Retired from a Medical career, Hewitt now devotes full time to painting. He enjoys teaching and leads several workshops yearly in Europe as well as the US. For many years he entered the usual competitions and rolled up over 130 such shows before discontinuing most of them.Most notably, Hewitt is a Watercolor Honor Society inductee which consists of major show winners nationally. As a transpar-ent watercolor landscape plein air devotee, he also treasures his Transparent Watercolor Society signature membership earned many years back. In 2013 Hewitt started the Mendocino Open Paint Out with the Mendocino Art Center, which has grown into a major art event on the West Coast. His goal is to make Men-docino an arts destination like it was nearly 100 years back at the birth of the 'California Style' of painting. He believes that outdoor painting is being given little notice in most of the "so-ciety" shows and he hopes the Mendocino Open Paint Out will help retain the relevance of direct outdoor painting as the basis of all landscape work. johnhewittart.com

"Paper and Wire Sculpture Workshop with Jimmie Nord"

Saturday, February 22, 2020, 9 AM to 4 PMRedwood Art Association, 603 F Street, Eureka, CA The purpose of the workshop is to learn the process of mak-ing paper sculptures on a wire frame. All designs will become part of a large installation in the RAA gallery during the Focus on Fiber show which opens in May. Designs will be returned to participants at the end of the fiber show in June. The workshop will begin with a description of the elements of art used to make these sculptures. Examples of this type of art work will be provided. The meat of the experience will be the step-by-step making of your own paper sculpture with the tools and materials provided. You will be guided through constructing a wire form and then attaching tissue paper. You will leave the workshop with the skills to construct your own creations at home. Jimmie Nord has a Masters of Fine Arts in Sculpture from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. He works mainly in wood and metal, and his art is often a playful look into construc-tion and the tools and equipment that are used. His art has been exhibited widely. Nord is a lecturer at Humboldt State University teaching 3D and 2D foundations, ceramics and special topics in sculpture. Coffee is provided, bring your own lunch $40.00 non-refundable fee, includes all materials ($20 for students)

*sign up through our website: www.redwoodart.us

Paper and Wire Sculpture Workshop

with Jimmie Nord

REDWOOD ART ASSOCIATION603 F Street

EUREKA, CA 95501