Featured Artist: Michelle McDonald
Michelle McDonald has been doing art forever. She got interested in art in high school. In between having children she tried to keep her art going all the time. She was taking art in college in California when she discovered water color. That seemed to be the medium for her. It was also more convenient when there were small children around. Michelle has lived in Casper for 30 some years now. She was asked by Anniedeen Creel to take over her watercolor classes when Anniedeen went to India. That was fifteen years ago. Rather than being a teacher, she considers herself to be more of a cheerleader to keep everyone painting. she has been doing the May Show at the West Wind Gallery with her students for a long time. Michelle's thought about art today is that the economy is bad and art isn't really selling so now is the time that artists need to jump in and try new things and really play with their art. She is currently going back to trying oil painting after going primarily water media for many years.
May Show at the West Wind Gallery
Featuring Students of Michelle McDonald and Anniedeen Creel
Michelle McDonald teaches painting classes at the Casper Recreation Center. Currently there are about twenty students. Tuesday classes are mixed media, anything but oil. Wednesday classes are water color only. This year the theme for the student show is “Golden Oldies”. Each student chose two or three songs from the golden era and then painted a scene reminiscent of the song. During the show, the paintings will be numbered and people who come to the reception will try to guess the song the painting goes with. Michelle will donate a painting to the person who guesses the most paintings correctly. The reception for the show will be on Sunday, May 17th from 2-4 PM. Please come enjoy the art and participate in the voting.
Ken Hosmer Water Color Workshop
The Ken Hosmer Workshop which will be presented July 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th is full and there is a waiting list! If you are interested, please considering registering anyway as some persons have had changes of plans and those who were on the waiting list have already been assured a spot. If you have been intending to register and have not yet done so, please come in and register soon and make a down-payment of $75.00. The balance will be due by June 8th. The price is $150.00 per person for members and $170.00 per person for non-members. This workshop generally costs $275 to 300 per person. (Note that this fee is for the four-day workshop. There are no one or two day spots available.).
Thank You To Our Volunteer Desk Attendants!
A big thank you to the following persons who have been serving the Guild as Desk Attendants during March and April: Ellen Black, Robin Broumley, Pat Fonnesbeck, Carole Glenn, Marj Haass, Shirin Hola, Elizabeth Lugg, Bev Mathisen, Carol Newman, Joanne Odasz, Ellen Schreiner,. Special thanks to Bev Mathisen for coordinating the desk attendants. If there is any way that you can volunteer for one four hour session once a month, please call Bev at 235-1845. Please help us out by volunteering. Please notice that only fourteen members out of 75 are keeping the gallery open by serving as desk attendants. YOU ARE NEEDED!!
Casper Artists' Guild Logo Contest
We are almost there. Our new website will be up and running in May. In conjunction with that event, we are holding a “Logo” Contest for a new logo to be used on our website. Above is the logo that we have been using on our stationery and cards, but we need a colorful, creative, design that will add to our website. Therefore we are soliciting entries for our August show to be shown in conjunction with our Miniature Show. Designs which are submitted should be in an 8 ½ by 11 inch format printed out and matted so that they can be displayed. We will have voting by members and show viewers to determine the winner of the logo contest. The winner will not only have their logo displayed on the Casper Artists’ Guild website, but will receive one year’s free membership in the Guild. Any entry which is chosen as the winner will automatically become the property of the Artists’ Guild so that we can use it without constraint, but credit will be given to the designer.
Mini-mester Painting Class
Casper College Instructor, Justin Hayward will be offering a short painting class during the Mini-mester at Casper College. The class is Painting 2210 for Painting I-IV levels. It will be Monday through Friday from 9-12 AM and 1-3 PM and will run May 18th to June 5th. He needs a minimum of six persons to register for the class by the end of April so that the class is not cancelled. If you are interested in a brief college level class, this is your opportunity!
Justin presented a great workshop for the Guild last summer and there is a possibility we may be able to have him return soon. He has had 2 years at the New York Art Academy, 2 years at Brigham Young University, and two years at the Florence Academy.
International Miniature Show
Keep this in mind as you spend time painting. We would like to have at least one entry from every member. Miniatures cannot have more than 25 square inches of picture space, not including the frame. A prospectus is available at the CAG office. Even if you have never painted a miniature, this is a good time to try something new and have a “miniature” experiment.
News From Around The Region
Americas 2009 All Media Show sponsored by the North Dakota Council of the Arts. Registration due by June 1, 2009. Exhibition dates are 8-18 to 9-26-09. Works in any medium, traditional or experimental qualify. All works must be original and not measure over 60 inches in any direction. Work must be ready to exhibit, completed within the last two years, and not previously exhibited in an Americas 2000 exhibition. For more information, go to www.minotstateu.edu/nac or E-mail: nac@minotstateu.edu or Telephone: 701-858-3264 or 800-777-0750 (ex 3264).
Cody Country Art League will have their 44th Annual Art Show from June 12th through July 12, 2009 Entries are due by May 15, 2009. A copy of the entry form is available in the office.
Wind River Valley Artists’ Guild will be having a National Art and Photo Show in July. An entry form is available at the CAG Office.
Riverton national Art Show and Sale will be held June 6-15. Entries are due by May 15th. An entry form is available in the CAG office.