Monthly Meeting Information
This year's 1st Thursdays and Themes are:

July 1,  2010    Self Portrait (Any Style)

Our globetrotting leader is so overtaxed by her recent 9 day immersion in art higher education, study and her efforts to become a great artist that she is exhausted and wishes to cancel the July 1 meeting.  

In lieu thereof she suggests that we all meet for a drink next Thurs, July 8 when she will mesmerize us all with her exploits and impart unto us what she has learned so that we may all be overtaxed and exhausted by the wonders of the world of art.....which is what we all want anyway!

Contact Sharron with suggestions about where to meet.

June 3, 2010     Still Life, White + 1 Color

For our June meeting - lets keep the good vibe going and paint together - this months theme is THE STILL LIFE! We will only use one color and white - a good challenge to practice the art of values. I will bring items for a set up, and everyone else is welcome to bring items if there is something specific they would like to paint. Use any medium you wish!

Meeting day: Thursday, June 3rd at 7:30 pm - see you all there!

Change of Plan:

Sandy was able to secure a guest for us from Dick Blick for our June HEAL meeting and he will have plenty of hand outs and information on all kinds of new items available. Please come and enjoy this opportunity. You will be on your own to complete a still life if you choose to do so and bring it to the meeting for the critique after.

May 13, 2010     Abstract, done to music

Due to business travel I have had to change the date of our May meeting. We will meet the SECOND Thursday of the month, May 13th. I hope this won't be a conflict for anyone. We are having an outstanding artist coming to do a demo. Also, if you have done an abstract, please bring it for critique time along with one other piece if you wish. 

On Thursday, May 13th May 6th, Ann Feldman will be giving a portrait demo. Ms. Feldman is a find oil portrait painter and her work can be viewed at http://annfeldmanportraits.com/ . Please bring a piece of your work to share for Peer Critique following the demo.

Our painting theme for May is abstract art. For some of us, this will be easy, for others, very difficult. I have personally never had success with abstract, but want to give it another try. Remember this is to be done to music on your own time. The link below offers some interesting thoughts on the subject. Some possible ways to approach this would be to take a reference that is familiar to you, turn it upside down and try abstracting it, or if you wear glasses like me, remove them and see a whole different view of the world!! Try looking at a highly magnified photo of something to the point where it becomes abstract. Or, just let the music move you to the point where it moves your body to create a work of art! Don't worry about success or failure - just experiment and bring your result to the May meeting. Also tell us what music you were listening to when you painted your abstract!

http://emptyeasel.com/2007/01/10/
what-is-abstract-art-and-how-should-we-look-at-it/

• April 1, 2010     Palette Knife Painting

Let's get together and paint! April's theme is working with a palette knife so bring your knives! I recommend bringing a box or something to carry your work home with since palette work tends to take a longer drying time. If you work in a medium that doesn't lend itself to palette knife, either try a new medium that does, or work something in your usual medium without a palette knife. To get your creative juices flowing, how about working on something to the theme of "Signs of Spring". I saw this theme at the Dupage Art League building, with some lovely interpretations. More about what I was doing there when we are together. 

***In addition to our painting, I am going to tell you about an exciting project that Ann Tucker is developing for us to work on. 

April Meeting Palette Knife Paintings

Rain Barrells at Schaumburg TDL

• March 4, 2010     Expressionistic Nude
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• March 4th meeting: Members will give 5 minute demos on various areas of expertise. Nothing fancy- just something you would like to share and feel confident about. If you prefer not to do a demo, think about showing some new tools, or books you'd recommend and why, or some tricks and tips that work best in your art studio. Let's share our wealth of knowledge!

  March Art Theme: Expressionistic Nudes. Please bring your work to group viewing. See below for definition. Google some examples to help you become familiar with this style. Some artists in this genre would include Ernet Kirchner, Karl Schmidt-Rotuff, Max Beckmann, Anades Modigliani, Egon Schiele, and Oskar Kokoschla. Have Fun!!

  Peer Critique to follow meeting. Members may bring two pieces including one Monthly theme piece.

  Expressionistic Style:

  A manner of painting, drawing, sculpting, etc., in which forms derived from nature are distorted or exaggerated and colors are intensified for emotive or expressive purposes. A style of art developed in the 20th century, characterized chiefly by heavy, often black lines that define forms, sharply contrasting, often vivid colors, and subjective or symbolic treatment of thematic material. (Dictionary.com)

  Some people regard an expressive or painterly style to be less finished, or even unfinished. But it's not a style of painting where the end result is intended to look smooth and glossy like a photograph. It's a style which celebrates and shows off the materials made to create it: paint and a brush. The result is something only a painter could produce. (About.com)

• February 4, 2010     Sky & Snow
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• January 7, 2010     Sky (Meeting Canceled due to Heavy Snow Storm)

In January, we all will owe Annual dues ($25 membership, $10 for website). Please give your payment to Maria Vera.

In January we will have a gallery exhibition at Positive Strokes (the first in their new location) More to come on that.

• December 10, 2009     (second Thursday!!)

Christmas Party, 
(click invitation for fullsize)

                                                       

• November 5, 2009     

For our November meeting, we will have a distinguished gentleman named Dr. Taylor, a dear friend of Maarten's, and a very interesting artist. I'll give more details closer to the meeting - but please mark your calendars, because this promises to be a very interesting and thoughtful evening

Our Members Exhibitions and Art Fairs

HEAL Group Exhibitions
Member Exhibits

For Prior Monthly Meeting Info Click Here.