Events

Upcoming Demonstrations and Events

No Meetings in July or August

September 2019

Wed. September 4, 2019
Gar Waterman

Gar Waterman’s sculpture explores organic form. A combination of observation of natural phenomena, sensual devotion to the tactile possibilities of material, and a model maker's tinkering sensibility inform his work. He grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, with a formative year in Tahiti at the age of 9 to 10, where his father, pioneer underwater film maker Stan Waterman, documented the adventure in a National Geographic Special. Waterman’s daily contact was with the exotic flora of the Polynesian landscape and the barrier reefs of the South Pacific, with their hydrodynamic fish, rays, sharks, and corals. After college at Dartmouth, Waterman moved to Pietrasanta, Italy, where he lived for seven years and learned to carve stone. A foundation of ocean imagery experienced first hand over a lifetime of diving infuses his sculpture with marine forms, from fish, nudibranchs, and squid to the spiral perfection of shells.

Friday September 27, 2019 - Boston Art Experience Day Trip

October 2019

Wed. October 2, 2019
Dianne Brown

If you like discovery through excavation then I bet you will love working with the Oil & Cold Wax medium. When I begin a painting, I may have an idea of where I’m going, but as I begin layering color on top of color and working to create textures, I find my idea vanishing and a completely new and exciting direction taking hold. That’s when the fun begins. Experimenting with various tools, stencils, solvents and pigments all add to the excitement of the Oil & Cold Wax experience.

"12th annual "Art in the Garden" Fall 2019 Show at Cheshire Nursery,
October 12 to October 20, 2019
Opening Reception Friday Oct. 11, 5:30- 7:30pm

November 2019

Wed. November 6, 2019
Steve Durkee

The demonstration includes the following sequence:

We will begin with showing some finished carvings that will include song birds, shore birds, decoys, birds in flight with wings open, as well as competition birds.

Next will be stages of the block of wood from solid to two dimensional cut (that was done on a band saw), to rounding out the piece. (Basically you take away everything that does not look like the bird you are carving).

From there I will demonstrate the different tools we use to round out the carving using knives, rotary tools, burning and texturing tools, etc.

Next we will demonstrate the detailing of the carving, cutting in the eyes, feather patterns, mandible, legs and feet, etc.

Detailing tools will be used to show how we bring each individual feather to life.

Sealing the carving for painting.

Demo on block painting and then move on to the mixing of the acrylic paints and fine detail painting, etc.

Questions and answer session.

December 2019

Wed. December 4, 2019
Kathie Miranda

Silverpoint, a drawing medium used by the Old Masters, is enjoying a revival by artists today. A holder containing a pointed sterling silver jewelry wire is drawn over a specially prepared paper resulting in delicate, pale gray lines which tarnish over time to golden browns. Drawings have an ephemeral glow due to thin layers of silver reflecting light.

An exhibition of my silverpoint artwork will be on view at the Cheshire Library from December 2 - 28, so we’ll begin with an artist gallery talk. I will present a brief history of silverpoint drawings through the ages as well as the many ways silverpoint is being used today. Highlighting examples in the exhibition, learn how simple silverpoint materials - supports (paper, panels) and grounds (white paint, gesso) - work in combination to produce a variety of different effects.

Back in the meeting room, I will demonstrate how to prepare paper to receive silverpoint strokes. A slightly abrasive surface is required in order for the silver to leave marks on the paper. Learn how to draw with silverpoint in traditional and non-traditional ways as well as options to enhance the design with additions of color.

Kathie Miranda is a contemporary botanical artist who graduated from Pace University, with further studies at Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts and Paier College of Art. She is the former coordinator of the Botanical Art program at the New York Botanical Garden and past-president of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, Greater New York Chapter. She exhibits regularly with the Spring Bull Gallery (SBG), Newport, RI; American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA); Connecticut Watercolor Society; and the Colored Pencil Society of America. Recent exhibits include Stephen and Peter Sachs Museum, St. Louis, MO; the West Gallery of the National Botanic Garden, Washington, DC; and The Silpe Gallery, Hartford, CT. She is the recipient of numerous awards including the Anne Marie Carney Award (ASBA) and Best in Show, Magic of Colored Pencil, (SBG).

Previous Events & Guests

June 2017

Wed., June 7, 2017, Monthly Meeting and Art Demonstration
Jan Prentice

May 2017

Wed., May 10, 2017, Monthly Meeting and Art Demonstration
Lief Nilsson note: week change

April 2017

Wed., April 5, 2017, Monthly Meeting and Art Demonstration Claudia Post

March 2017

Wed., March 1, 2017, Monthly Meeting and Art Demonstration
Hannah Hyu Jung, Chinese Brush Painting

February 2017

Wed., February 1, 2017, Monthly Meeting and Art Demonstration
Michael Angelis, printmaker and painter

Michael Angelis was born in 1977 in Haverhill, MA. He obtained a BFA from SUNY Purchase in 2001, and a Masters of Art Education from Teachers College in 2005. He has taught high school Studio and Digital Art in Redding, CT for 12 years. He works primarily in woodcut andoil painting, and maintains a studio in theMill River District in New Haven. He is represented by Fred Giampietro Gallery in New Haven, CT.

Monoprinting is a direct printmaking process where the artist applies and/or subtracts pigment from a plexiglass plate and prints the results on paper. It's called monoprinting because each print is unique, as their is no "master" plate to work from - each impression varies with the artist's application of ink. A series of prints can then develop from modifying the "ghost" image once it has been printed, and printing again.
There are many ways to monoprint. The method I'll be
demo-ing involves working with a reference image (placed
underneath the clear plexiglass), and applying and subtracting Akua soy-based inks with a variety of materials (brushes, cotton swabs, scrapers, cheesecloth, etc) and printing by hand using a baren and cotton rag printmaking paper.
Printing ghost prints from dried plates will also be covered.
Visit his website at website: http://michaelangelis.com/

December 2016

Wed., December 7, 2016 Monthly Meeting - Art Demonstration
Professional Artist and Instructor: Eileen Eder

Eileen Eder received her MFA from New York Academy of Art. She is an accomplished painter who has won numerous awards both locally and nationally. Her work was a recent top award winner in the Hudson Valley Art Association Juried Exhibit hosted by LAA. Eileen's work has won top awards for 3 years running in Artist's Magazine in the category of Still Life. She exhibits in Galleries in Connecticut and New York along with juried local and national shows. An experienced instructor, Eileen is known for her positive attitude while making painting and drawing easily understood and rewarding.

for more information go to Eileen's website

September 2016

Wed., Sept. 7 , 2016 Monthly Meeting - Art Demonstration
Professional Artist and Instructor: Carol Ganick

Carol Ganick
Professional Artist and Instructor

Carol Ganick has been a teacher of watercolor painting at the West Hartford Art League for almost 20 years.
She works in various media including acrylic, oil, printmaking and watercolor. Having exhibited widely in Connecticut independently, in group shows and in juried shows, her awards include work submitted to the Connecticut Watercolor Society, Canton Gallery on the Green, the West Hartford Art League and Guilford Arts Center. In addition to teaching at the art league, she teaches privately and has conducted workshops and demonstrations for various organizations.
Work by her and by many of her students may be seen at
www.flickr.com/carolganick.
Some earlier work may be seen at her website
www.carolganick.com.
Course descriptions are available at
www.westhartfordart.com.
Recently her area of interest has expanded to include hand painted paper collage.
Her work in this area includes flower and landscape images; as well as abstraction.
At the demonstration she will show how she paints her paper using watercolor paints and acrylic inks and she will use prepared paper to demonstrate the process of creating collage. Materials used will include stretched canvas, acrylic gel medium and painted tissue papers as well as water media.

Sat., Sept. 17 "A Day At Ives Farm" Outdoor Festival and CAL Paint Out

Cheshire Land Trust's 3rd Annual "A Day at Ives Farm"

When: Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016 (rain date Sunday Sept. 18)
Time: 10am- 4pm
Lots of fun for the whole family! - Bounce House, Touch-a-Truck, Face Painting, Baby Animals, Cheshire Horse Council Horses, Music, Tractor Rides and More! Food and Drinks available for purchase.

If you'd like to join the Cheshire Art League paint out please contact Dale for more information at cheshireartleague@gmail.com

October 2016

Wed., October 5, 2016 Monthly Meeting - Art Critique
Professional Artist and Instructor: John Massimino

Born in New Haven Connecticut, John Massimino received his A.A. Degree from Quinnipiac College, and his B.F.A Degree from Hartford Art School. Additionally, he has studied privately with Professor Dean Keller at Yale University.

John has traveled throughout the continental United States, Italy and Hawaii as an artist, teacher, lecturer, and juror. He taught at Paier College of Art in Connecticut for over 20 years and is currently a visiting professor. He is also the Past President of the New Haven Paint and Clay Club.
Massimino is a member of many outstanding art associations, as well as listed in Who's Who in the East, USA, The Dictionary of International Biography, Men of Achievement and is part of the NASA Team of Artists.
Presently, John conducts critique classes in Connecticut as well as workshops in creative design, color, drawing, painting and advance studies of the past masters as a tool for learning.

John's Critiques Classes are informative, insightful, encouraging and educational. We can all learn from each other on how to improve our artwork. The critique is geared for bringing out the best qualities of a piece of work while giving insight to where a in a piece improvement could be made. Whether it's the framing or matting that could effect the overall view of the work or a compositional adjustment. John's passion to help each artist grow and improve is clearly evident in these critique sessions.

for more information go to John's website: jmassimino.com

October 14 to October 23, 2016
Art in the Garden" Fall 2016 Show at Cheshire Nursery, Cheshire, CT

A bountiful backdrop is where our annual fall show takes place. Located on Rt. 10 in Cheshire, Cheshire Nursery one of Connecticut's leading garden centers has graciously hosted our fall show for the past 9 years. 22 of our members display and sell there work in this vibrant surroundings The show runs for 1 week during normal business hours Mon - Sat 9am-6pm and Sun. 9am to 5pm.
Come and meet the artists during our opening reception.
Open Reception- - Friday Oct 14, 2016 5:30-7:30pm
Since this is members only show and you want to participate please go to our contact/join page and send in your form.
Prospectus and form will be sent out soon. Space is limited.

November 2016

Wed., November 2, 2016 Monthly Meeting - Painting Large
Professional Artist and Instructor: Tony Falcone

Tony Falcone has painted professionally since 1974. After serving as a New Haven firefighter for seven years, Falcone discovered his love of mural-painting and left the Fire Department to establish his studio in a vintage dairy barn located in Prospect, Connecticut. It is there, as well as on location throughout the United States, that Tony creates most of his “imaginistic” murals, canvases and portraits. Today, Falcone Art Studio is known for its wide spectrum of fine artworks created primarily on a commissioned basis. Falcone’s monumental murals, highly detailed canvases, and heirloom quality portraits enhance public spaces, corporate settings and private homes. Widely known for his skill in capturing familiar landscapes and cityscapes, Tony also reproduces many of these nostalgic images as collectible fine art prints, posters, Giclees and greeting cards.

for more information go to Tony's website: www.falconefineartstudio.com