Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Hazel Soan Workshop

Book Now!

Hazel Soan
will be giving us a FOUR DAY workshop
from 23rd to 26th March 2010
At a low fee of
R1800 per person!

E-mail Barbara on lowveldart@gmail.com NOW to reserve your place on this workshop.
The subject matter will vary from wildlife to landscapes.
Enquire Barbara on 082 454-3233

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Workshop - Photographing your Art

Saturday's wrokshop is going to be a two-phase one, where I and Odette Espach will offer our help in not only photographing artworks, but also in sorting images, doing basic editing, and getting your art on the web.

There is no fee, except for a voluntary contribution to teas, since this is being held at Ilona's home.

The details are:

0845 for 9am Saturday 21st November
at Ilona's home, 2 Uitsig, off Enoch Mabusa Drive, Nelspruit
Once you enter the gate, drive a short way and take the first drive to the right. Ilona's house is the first one on the left.

IF YOU CAN SHARE A LIFT WITH SOMEONE TO REDUCE CAR NUMBERS, THIS WOULD BE APPRECIATED!!

Please bring

2 unframed paintings - must NOT be under glass!
A cardboard support onto which you can tape your paintings (if they are not already mounted) to keep them reasonably flat.
Your digital camera
A small plate of tea snacks if you ar able to


Please note that you can download and print off the photography manual from www.wssa.org.za (click on special box on home page).

Monday, August 31, 2009

82nd Open Exhibition

Its almost time for the next Open Exhibition! We hope you've been painting towards your Associateship or HIgher Associateship.

Because of the logistics, costs etc., the WSSA is no longer sending out snail mail entry forms, except to those who are not able to receive e-mails. These members will get a snail mail copy but with the current postal strike its anyone's guess when they might receive these! Its a real problem - thank goodness for e-mail!

Download your entry forms:

You can print these off by clicking on this link http://www.wssa.org.za/exhibition_forms/index.htm and then clicking on "Entrants outside Gauteng".

Perhaps if you know someone who has no access to e-mail (forms have been e-mailed to all paid up members) or the internet, you could simply print off an extra copy for him/her. With the postal strike you could be doing him/her a great favour.

What's In the File?

This is a simple three page document with all the details you could wish for - admission and selection dates, entry form and instruction form, as well as entry slips.

BE SURE TO READ HOW THE PRICING AND COMMISSIONS WORK:
You should enter the price you want to receive on the entry slip - WSSA HO will add the commission.

BE SURE TO NOTE HOW MANY NEED TO BE FRAMED:
More good news - one of your accepted paintings may be unframed! So you only have the cost of framing two out of three. However, do note that the unframed painting must be attractively mounted and covered in cellephane (not plastic).

Start getting ready now!

Friday, March 6, 2009

DIARY MAY 2009

If you have not received e-mails about our workshops, please urgently contact lowveldart@gmail.com or phone Barbara 082 454-3233.

May 15th, 16th & 17th
Zanne Bezuidenhoudt - Artist's Turnkey Workshop
White River Primary Lapa (over the road fromt he school overlooking the rugby fields).
Friday and Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm (come early Friday to register and set up)
Sunday from 08h30 am to 12h30, followed by crits so bring any paintings you want advice on.

May 22nd
New Signatures Selections. See blog postings below for information.
Selection venue and time to be announced soon.

May 29th
Uplands Exhibition opening at 6 pm.

Random Splashes!
Barbara is to host one or two paint outs at random during the last two weeks of May. Sms and e-mail to be sent out when dates are confirmed.

2009 New Signatures

Selection:

Monday May 25th at 5 pm at 7 Muirfield Close, WRCE.
Entrants may drop their work at any time over the weekend.


Your entry forms will reach you with your next Aquarelle. Please do not hesitate to contact Barbara should yiouy not receive your Aquarelle. Forms can also be e-mailed to you.

If you are a member and would like to attend the selections for purposes of learning from them, please let Barbara know on 082 454-3233 or e-mail lowveldart@gmail.com.

THERE WILL BE NO ENTRY FEE.

Please see the next posting for more details on how New Signatures Exhibitions work.

Your work must be framed or mounted and covered tastefully.

Exhibition Know How


New Signatures Exhibitions


The Watercolour Society of SA holds an annual New Signatures exhibition to enable its new members to gain points through submitting watercolour art, and to achieve New Signature status with the Society.

All members who have not yet achieved Associateship may enter up to three paintings for each New Signature exhibition (even if they already have New Signature status).

· One point is awarded for each painting accepted.

· Once six (6) points are achieved, New Signature status is awarded, and one full point is added to the artist’s Associateship points.

· New Signatures standard is not as high as Open, therefore it is easier to get a work accepted.


This is how it works:

  • You must be a fully paid up FULL member of the WSSA.

  • Your work must be professionally mounted and covered, or framed, for the Selection. If selected, the work must be framed before sending to Manor Gallery.


How Selection works:

The Branch will organise the selections and will advise you of the dates, as well as supply you with forms to be filled in. See the instructions on each form.

There are five selectors (at least two Associates and two members, plus one outside selector with a good knowledge of art)

.

To ensure anonymity the artist’s signature is covered before being displayed to the Selectors.

Each selector awards points out of 10 and the total of all points (by adding up the scores awarded by the five selectors) must total at least 30 for acceptance.

At the end of the Selection, unaccepted paintings are brought back and if the artist has requested a crit, the selectors give their comments which are written down for the artist concerned.


Exhibition:

All selected works are sent to the Watercolour Society’s Manor Gallery in Johannesburg where they are hung for the duration of the exhibition.

Manor Gallery does extensive marketing in order to sell the works it hangs in its gallery.

Unsold works must be collected by the date given by the WSSA for each exhibition.


Transport:

You may send or take your own work up to Johannesburg and deliver to Manor Gallery, or you could get together with other members and send up a bulk delivery. Costs of packaging and transport are for your account.

Important Note:

You should cover your glass with a criss-cross of masking tape. In the event of the glass being accidentally broken, this should hold the glass shards together and prevent the painting being pierced or cut.

Open Exhibitions


The Watercolour Society of SA holds Open Exhibitions twice a year to enable its members to gain points through submitting watercolour art, and to achieve Associateship status with the Society.

Associateship status gives members the right to sign their paintings with the letters AWSSA after their name. This is a status that is internationally recognised by art collectors, and is a prized addition to any artist’s CV.

The difference between New Signatures and Open exhibitions are as follows:

· Open Exhibition standard required is much higher.

· Selections are done in Johannesburg.

· There are five selectors, but three must be at least Associates, one Fellow and one outside judge. These selectors are chosen from a database of trained artists. This selection function is run by the Fellows of the WSSA.

· You need to accumulate 10 points over 8 years to be awarded Associateship. After 8 years, the oldest points lapse, except for the New Signatures point.


This means that you have the cost of getting your work to Johannesburg and back, and it is obviously essential that you send only your best work.


Barbara Moore

2009

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Diary & Important Info for 2009

26 members attended our AGM today. Each received an Artist's Journal and are challenged to fill it with crative thoughts, sketches or whatever this year.

We also announced this important new item:

We will have four workshops this year (interspersed with art get togethers - crits, paint outs etc). The fourth workshop fee will be discounted by 25% for each of the other workshops attended. So if you attend one workshop you will get 25% knocked off workshop No. 4's fee.

Diary for Feb to April 2009

February has lots of exhibitions - see your Aquarelle and your Lowveld Aquarelle. We are probably not going to do a get together in February.

April 3rd, 4th and 5th - Sue Orpen Wildlife workshop.
Please put your name down for this. The fee will depend on how many people attend, but we do have a maximum of 25 attendees so act now!

Postponed to May - Zanne Bezuidenhoudt's "Turnkey Workshop for Artists".
Please note that the final dates will be available soon.
This workshop covers everything from what to paint through how to paint, framing and selling it.

e-mail lowveldart@gmail.com for more enquiries.