Article and Photos by Debbie Orrison Janssen, OneBlood Exhibit Chairperson
The September OAG art display at OneBlood had thirteen lovely art pieces submitted by six artists. The theme was “Slice of Orange“. The staff and patients continue to express their appreciation of the beautiful art that the Ocala Art Group shares during each show. This show will be on display until November 6th. These artists have shared art during this show – see photos: Joyce Cusick – Withlacoochee Autumn, Palms on the River Barbara Fife – Bird of Paradise Heather Doherty – Six Tangerines, Now Drop the Color, Rainbow of Light Debbie Orrison Janssen – Asiatic Lilies, Pomegranates June Holly Reichenbach – Sunset Paddle, Brittany Sue Primeau – Lone Journey, The Hideaway, The Gift
Jan Vermilya has recently moved to Ocala from Homosassa, and we eagerly welcome her to our Art community. After our August 12, 2019 meeting at “The Brick”, Jan was our featured demonstrator. She shared her wealth of experience and her techniques of painting realistic fog in landscapes: morning fog, evening fog, fog reflecting so delicately the colors of a rosy sunrise or the oranges of sunset; coastal fog, mountain fog, the ground fog we see so often in Florida hovering over pastures. Fog swept by winds or teased by breezes. Jan finds great pleasure in painting miniature landscapes with atmospheric effects, and her small works in pastel are incredible!
Jan described her art process, how she gathers ideas, selects
materials, achieves desired effects with pastels, and frames her work for the gallery.
Her camera is always with her! Jan recommends a substrate of sandpaper and she
prefers UArt. Beginners may want to use 400-500 (medium) grit as it will hold
several layers of pastel. Colored paper for pastels can be used or any surface
with a sanding ground applied in two light coats, first across, dried, then
down. Choose an appropriate foundation color or black for a high contrast
painting.
Jan uses soft pastels. When a sketch is needed, she draws or paints the general features and then fixes that layer with 90% rubbing alcohol. As layers of pastel are added an old brush can be used to lift out excess pastel and a blender can soften edges. Found tools such as packing “peanuts” or “noodles” can be dragged over a patch of fog to spread the pastel for a wispy and ethereal look.
In the photos below Jan shows on one “canvas” several methods that can be used to represent different kinds of fog.
Reference Books
Tools to move and lift pastels
UArt sandpaper substrate
When finished, Jan turns the piece over a waste basket and taps it to release excess pastel that hasn’t bonded to the substrate. The art is ready to frame, without a mat, pressed directly against the glass.
Thank you, Jan, for opening our eyes to observe the many nuances of atmospheric effects and for giving us the inspiration and a little courage to try to capture those effects in our paintings.
Article and Photos Contributed by Deb Janssen, OneBlood Exhibit chairperson.
The July art show at OneBlood had eight art pieces submitted for display by five artists. The theme was “Sky Blue”. The staff and patients continue to express their appreciation of the beautiful art that the Ocala Art Group shares during each show. This show will be on display until September 4th. These artists have shared art during this show – see photos:
Joyce Cusick – Lands End, Ft. Island Beach
Heather Doherty – Sunflowers at Beynac, Out of this World
OAG members carpooled to the Orlando area for an “Art-Venture” on July 8, 2019. First stop was a morning boat tour of the beautiful vistas on the Winter Park Chain of Lakes. Several art museums, renowned Rollins College, and many points-of-interest rim the lake shores, beckoning us to return another day.
Lunch was at the Cheesecake Factory in Winter Park where the extensive menu listed choices to satisfy every palate. We simply had to finish, as you must have guessed, by ordering a slice of decadent cheesecake!
Jan Kiszonak, June Reichenbach, Barbara Fife, Terry Avick
Last stop on the itinerary was the Orlando Grand Bohemian Hotel. Aptly named, this opulent hotel is legendary for its collection of fine art, lavishly displayed throughout, in every room, hallway and nook! We enjoyed a private guided tour provided by the very knowledgeable gallery manager. The photos cannot begin to share the art-immersion experience of the Bohemian.
Thank you, Terry Avick for planning this great road trip. We look forward to the next opportunity for a day-trip to another art destination in Florida.
OAG President Sharon Harris introduces Guest Lecturer David D’Alessandris
Surrounded by his own art works, an MCA gallery exhibit, and a backdrop screen showing David’s website, David D’Alessandris exhorted OAG members to be ACTIVE in the organization to revitalize OAG, and to keep re-inventing ourselves as artists: experiment with new materials, be open to inspiration at every turn. David D’Alessandris, Artist, Educator, Juror, Lecturer, and Advocate for the Arts, lives and breathes art! Thank you, David!
Couch Session creation June 2019
Blue Banyon
Lunch with Einstein
Three Muses
A few more thoughts from David’s presentation:
Drawing is fundamental to all art forms. Keep sketchbooks… sketch Everything! Reinforce your creativity… buy canvases in 3s. Develop Your style. More is never enough!!!
PREPARING FOR EXHIBITS:
Always keep in mind it is not about getting ribbons BUT getting to show your work.
Rejection comes with the program, sometimes you can win a prize in one show and with the same piece be rejected in another. IT IS ALL SUBJECTIVE
Read Show entry forms carefully, follow the rules and take into account the gallery or venues directions.
Do not throw in the towel, learn from your experiences, your wins your loses your successes and your failures.
Take workshops if they apply to your genre. You’re never too old to learn.
Go to lectures and critiques, these are most helpful.
PRACTICE, practice, practice, this could not be more important. Keep journals and sketch books. Document your ideas and thoughts. Take pictures of your subject matter, use these as inspiration….BE ORIGINAL.
Visit galleries and museum’s when out of town, there is nothing more rewarding than to see what other communities are doing in their art worlds.
Hang with fellow artists, share thoughts and ideas, possibly do collaborative pieces, learn together, share together.
The Ocala Art Group Exhibit hosted at “The Brick” gallery was judged by Frank Zampardi of the Villages. Thank you to Leona Asta and Lynn King, Chairpersons for the Exhibit. Thirty-one artists participated showing 54 pcs. of art: 5 in 3-D and 49 in 2-D. Our Judge deliberated for more than 4 hours and gave the following awards: 1 ribbon for 3-D, and the rest for 2-D in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 3 Honorable Mention. Award Winners are listed below. We hope you enjoy the slideshow of photos taken by Mac Harris at the Reception and Award ceremony.
BEST OF SHOW FOR ALL MEDIA: Alexander Turnbull for “Reflections”….Pastel
FIRST PLACE IN 3-D: Nancy Wall for “Terror of a Homeless Night”…Clay
FIRST PLACE in 2-D: Victoria Peterson for”Aloe” ….. Colored Pencil
SECOND PLACE: Barbara Wensel Severns for “the Actress” …Pastel
THIRD PLACE: Cindy Vener for “Confluence”…… Oil/Cold Wax
Honorable Mention:
1. Sharon Harris for “Dead End”… Acrylic;
2. Sharon Repple for “Florida Nature Coast”….. Acrylic
Article and Photos Contributed by Deb Janssen, OneBlood Exhibit chairperson.
The May art show at OneBlood had nine art pieces submitted for display by five artists. The theme was “Mellow Yellow”. The staff and patients continue to express their appreciation of the beautiful art that the Ocala Art Group shares during each show. This show will be on display until July 3rd. These artists have shared art during this show – see photos:
Debbie Orrison Janssen – “Asiatic Lilies” and “Just Peachy” Heather Doherty – “Lemons and Daisies” and “Peachy Keen” Joyce Cusick – “Private Garden” and “Rawlings Grove” Sue Primeau – “Taking Flight” and “Happy Hour” Barbara Fife – “Queen’s Confidant”
OAG members and guests met at Chili’s Restaurant Wednesday May 8th at 12 noon for installation of officers for 2019-2020, lunch and social gathering. Artists were invited to bring a small piece of art (painting, card, sculpture, etc) for an exchange with fellow artists. We drew numbers again to make a personal selection from the trove. Photos below! Click to see larger images…
Featured this month will be an art demonstration by Don Borie, who will be using a clothed male model as he draws the human figure in pastels. Don Borie’s demo will show lighting, posing and figure art tips.
“Pastel simplifies the craft of applying color in art. The mechanics of drawing with a stick of pastel is much like sketching with a pencil only in color and a plus is no solvents or water needed. Cleanup is washing your hands!”
Don Borie
Don says, “Drawing and painting to include the character or actions of a person lend a connection to inspire me in developing oil or pastel painting. Now my paintings improve by simplifying and focusing on the emotion and impact as needed. Self-satisfaction is my reward for a successful painting along with the acceptance of the viewer.”
A Masterful Rendering!
Don Borie entertained attendees at the April 10, 2019 meeting of the Ocala Art Group with a masterful rendering of a full portrait of a clothed live model. Don explained each step of his painting process beginning with the positioning and light on his model, John, who also models for the Figurative Painters group (See Area Happenings under the OCG website Calendar). John’s skin tone, white shirt, and hat make an interesting subject.
Don worked on neutral tone Mi-Tientes Archival paper that can accept a few layers of pastel, less than sandpaper subtrate would hold. The initial, carefully considered drawing was made with vine charcoal. Don then used a variety of pastels ranging from hard NU-Pastels, softer Rembrandt pastels, and very soft and rich Unison pastels. A light touch produces a half-tone, a harder touch gives the full intense color of the pastel. Don layered his available pigments to optically render desired colors, a visual merger of colors.
With pastels, Don cautioned that one should start darker, and continually keep the light source in mind. Don usually chooses to work first on the head, a part of the painting he most enjoys. Charcoal pencil on eye details and well-placed white to highlight facial contours made the painting magically come alive. Final touches included blue pigment to correct skin color in the shadows.
A Brief Bio of Don Borie
Don Borie’s career in art spanned some 50 years in graphic design and drawing and painting. His art subjects range from astronaut to landscapes while giving creative workshops in all art mediums. His specialty evolved into sketching, painting and illustrating people—portrait and figure.
Mr. Borie has been the organizer for the Ocala Figurative Artists group which meets at the Webber Center of the College of Central Florida. With a background in commercial art and illustration, Don’s work has appeared in The Artists Magazine, Colorado State of the Arts publication, Florida Times-Union Sunday Magazine, Longmont Times-Call, a requested piece by National Geographic Society offices, a commissioned portrait of astronaut Vance Brand and has private collections across the country.
At the April 2019 meeting, OAG members elected to change our meeting date to every2nd Monday,beginningJune 10, 2019. OAG will now be meeting at the Brick City Art Center downtown Ocala.
