Author: Blackstone Valley Art Association

2020 BVAA Sunflower Show at the Booklovers’ Gourmet

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Image by Alexandra Spano

Our Fourth Annual BVAA Sunflower Show celebrates the sunny beautiful flower! The art show is in conjunction with a stunning lush garden of sunflowers out front of the Booklovers’ Gourmet.

Where?
The sunflower art show is held at the:
Booklovers’ Gourmet
72 E Main St – NOTE NEW LOCATION! DOWN THE STREET!!
Webster, MA 01570

About the Show
If there ever was a flower which symbolized glorious summertime, the sunflower is the one. Did you know that nearly all of the 70 species of sunflowers are native to North America? They can grow to be up to six feet tall and they even tilt as the sun moves so they always face it!

The Blackstone Valley Art Association is celebrating this sun-shaped delight with a sunflower show throughout the month of August at the Booklovers’ Gourmet in Webster. Come on out to admire the live flowers, appreciate the artistic versions, and explore the shop’s offerings!

Submissions
The submission deadline for the sunflower show is Monday, July 27nd, 2020. We have limited wall space here for 18 items sized 16×20 so what we’ll do is have each member submit one JPG of an artwork via email to info@bvaa.org they’d like to include. If we get too many for the wall space we’ll do a Facebook vote. All submissions will be in the virtual version of the show.

This show is open to all BVAA members and is free to participate in. This is not a judged show – it is primarily a visibility and sales opportunity. Any sales will include a 30% commission taken by the shop. The BVAA takes no commission on this show. Full BVAA terms: BVAA Show Terms and Conditions

Drop-Off
The drop-off for the Sunflower Show is Friday, July 31st between 10am-6:30pm. If you can’t make this date, contact Lisa via the info@bvaa.org email and she’ll arrange something. The Booklovers’ Gourmet shop will take care of hanging the items.

Public Reception
For safety reasons there will not be an in-person public reception. We’ll arrange a virtual reception with the online video, date to be determined.

Pick-Up
Pick-up for the show is Monday, August 31st, any time during their open hours.

Theme
This show is all about sunflowers! The Booklovers’ Gourmet is well known for their beautiful sunflower garden, which will be in full bloom during the show’s run.

Here’s a look at previous shows, to give you some ideas!

News Clippings from the 2017 Sunflower Show

Photos from 2017 Sunflower Show

Photos from 2018 Sunflower Show

Sunflower Show 2019 – Image Collection

How to Record an Audio Narration for an Art Show

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The Blackstone Valley Art Association has been doing a number of its art shows online in a virtual format. To do these, we arrange JPGs of the art in a slideshow format and then have the artist provide a narration to go with them.

The artist can speak at any speed they wish, and for as long as they wish. We will arrange the JPGs of the art to match along with the words.

The artist should have a computer with a microphone (built-in is fine) or a smartphone.

Luke MacNeil has kindly created this how-to for any artists who are using a Mac computer.

For those on a Windows PC, here are the steps. It might vary slightly depending on which versions of Windows you are using.

First, click the Windows icon in the lower left. You should be able to find “Sound Recorder” under Windows Accessories. In Windows 10 it is called “Voice Recorder”. Either way, if you search for “recorder” you should find it.

The recording function is fairly straightforward. You press the button to start recording. You talk. You press again to stop. If you want to do another take, just press the button fresh. Eventually you get a take that you like. If you need to do it in segments, that’s fine. That way you get each segment the way you like it and send those final segments along to us.

Making Recordings with your Smartphone

Your phone has a built-in microphone. It’s how it can hear you when you make phonecalls. It should also have a built in sound recorder. Look through your apps and you should find it. Again, just press the button to start recording, say what you want, and then press again to stop recording.

Ask with any questions!

How to receive Charity Donations via Facebook

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You’ve probably seen charity donation requests on Facebook. Maybe someone is having a birthday and they’d like people to donate to their favorite charity. Maybe they are doing a Facebook Live presentation and the request is for people to donate to a charity.

How does a group get their name onto that list of charities, so they can be chosen?

First off, you do have to be an official non-profit organization. Every state and country has its own rules about how to acquire that non-profit ID. Check with your state or country to figure out the steps, and go through them.

In the US, you are required to have a 501(c)(3) organization with a Tax ID number. You also need an official bank account associated with that non-profit, that will receive the funds.

You need a Facebook page for your charity, so people know where to connect to.

Once those things are set, then you follow these instructions to enable your Facebook page for your charity’s donations.

https://www.facebook.com/help/1640008462980459

Ask with any questions!

Luke MacNeil and Laura Cenedella Workshops Sat May 16 2020

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Our Saturday, May 16th, 2020 lineup is delightful! Set your alarm and enjoy a day of relaxing creativity! Free!

Luke MacNeil 10am – 1pm

Luke MacNeil is an absolute wizard with computer design. Come participate live on Facebook as Luke shows us how to work with shapes, text, and patterns to create wonderful banners, promotional images, and much, much more.

You can comment live as he works, ask questions, and practice along if you’d like!

Luke often uses Photoshop, Procreate, and other similar applications to create his works.

Free and open to the public!

ONLINE VIRTUAL ON FACEBOOK!

Let us know what else you’d like him to talk about!

Hang out and chat, work along with him, and enjoy your Saturday morning!

Ask with any questions.

https://www.facebook.com/luke.macnei1

Laura O. Cenedella 1pm – 3pm

ONLINE VIRTUAL ON FACEBOOK!

Come join Laura in her studio for an amazingly fun paint session! You can just watch and chat or you can paint along! Use oil paints or acrylic paints, your choice. Get a handle on shapes, values, and drawing!

Drawing and Painting with Oils or Acrylics


Palette knives/ straight edge like kitchen knife, credit card or anything similar
Artist Oil Color and Acrylic Artist Color or Comparable
White, Yellow Ochre, light yellow, Red, Blue

·        Grey Pad Disposable Paper Palette/Plate anything
·      oil  Impasto Mediums/ Walnut oil/ drying medium or Acrylic impasto medium
·        Mineral spirits/ Water for acrylic
·        Paper towels
·        Brushes for Oil or Acrylic Painting
·        A can or jar for mineral spirits/water
·        A bag for trash
·        A clip to clip your trash bag to your easel or tripod
·        An easel or paint box
·        Canvas Artist Board or Paper

Anything else you may be comfortable to use.

Ask with any questions. Free, open to the public, and relaxing fun!

Laura’s event runs here:
https://www.facebook.com/Laura-O-Cenedella-269143975260/

Luke MacNeil and Laura Cenedella Workshops Sat May 9 2020

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Our Saturday, May 9th, 2020 lineup is delightful! Set your alarm and enjoy a day of relaxing creativity! Free!

Luke MacNeil 10am – 1pm

Luke’s workshop this week will be on animation. Add some pizzazz to the online videos and projects you’re contemplating! He’ll show how it works with words, but you can apply these techniques to pretty much anything you wish.

ONLINE VIRTUAL ON FACEBOOK!

Let us know what else you’d like him to talk about!

Hang out and chat, work along with him, and enjoy your Saturday morning!

Ask with any questions.

https://www.facebook.com/luke.macnei1

Laura O. Cenedella 1pm – 3pm

ONLINE VIRTUAL ON FACEBOOK!

Come join Laura in her studio for an amazingly fun paint session! You can just watch and chat or you can paint along! Use oil paints or acrylic paints, your choice. This week we’re working on an intriguing still life. Get a handle on shapes, values, and drawing!

Introduction to Drawing and Painting with Oils or Acrylics
Still Life

OIl Or Acrylic

Palette knives/ straight edge like kitchen knife, credit card or anything similar
Artist Oil Color and Acrylic Artist Color or Comparable
White, Yellow Ochre, light yellow, Red, Blue

·        Grey Pad Disposable Paper Palette/Plate anything
·      oil  Impasto Mediums/ Walnut oil/ drying medium or Acrylic impasto medium
·        Mineral spirits/ Water for acrylic
·        Paper towels
·        Brushes for Oil or Acrylic Painting
·        A can or jar for mineral spirits/water
·        A bag for trash
·        A clip to clip your trash bag to your easel or tripod
·        An easel or paint box
·        Canvas Artist Board or Paper

Anything else you may be comfortable to use.

Ask with any questions. Free, open to the public, and relaxing fun!

Laura’s event runs here:
https://www.facebook.com/Laura-O-Cenedella-269143975260/

Luke MacNeil and Laura Cenedella Workshops Sat May 2 2020

Blackstone Valley Art Association Leave a comment

Our Saturday, May 2nd, 2020 lineup is amazing! Set your alarm and enjoy a day of relaxing creativity! Free!

Luke MacNeil 10am – 1pm

Luke will be guiding us through the restful, relaxing, serene practice of creating mandalas. Mandalas are repetitive designs which bring about calm and contemplation. Learn how to make and enjoy your own mandalas!

ONLINE VIRTUAL ON FACEBOOK!

Let us know what else you’d like him to talk about!

Hang out and chat, work along with him, and enjoy your Saturday morning!

Ask with any questions 🙂

https://www.facebook.com/luke.macnei1

Laura O. Cenedella 1pm – 3pm

ONLINE VIRTUAL ON FACEBOOK!

Come join Laura in her studio for an amazingly fun paint session! You can just watch and chat or you can paint along! Use oil paints or acrylic paints, your choice. This session is all about the relaxing palette knife style. With this, you’re moving thick sections of paint around. You don’t need a palette knife. You can use a straight-edged kitchen knife, a credit card, or anything else that is reasonably thick. Be creative!

Introduction to Drawing and Painting with Oils
Session 1 – Garden Bicycle

Tools & Supplies
· Artist Grade Oil Paint
· White, Yellow Ochre, Light Yellow, Phthalo Rose, Red, Ultra
Marine Blue, and Prussian Blue
· Grey Pad Disposable Paper Palette, Paint Palette of your choosing
· Oil Impasto Mediums/Drying Oil/Drying Medium
· Odorless Mineral Spirits
· Paper towels or cloth rags
· Brushes for Oil Painting
· Palette Knife – ‘Trowel Shaped’
· Can or jar for the Mineral Spirits
· Bag for Trash
· Clip for your trash bag to attach to your easel or tripod
· An easel or paint box
· Ruler
· Canvas Artist Board
· Pencil
· Journal, Sketch or Scrap paper
· Anything else you think you may need to be comfortable
· Print outs available


Content:
I will discuss the importance of using a journal in painting. The practice of shape recognition and identifying the basic shapes necessary within the project image to construct the basis of the portrait. The use of this technique will help to define the composition and placement on the canvas.

The steps to color mixing using a limited palette to develop the color scheme. Making of new color combinations starting with the darkest of darks to the lightest of lights. Demonstration of the technique I use to accomplish this color making process. A discussion on additives or mediums used including drying oil and resin.


Demonstration of tools and techniques used in the application of the paint to the canvas and portrait construction.
This is a beginners basic painting class. No prior experience is required and the ultimate goal is to get the basics down to build a foundation. Additional sessions will be added to my Go Live Videos to fine tune what you have learned and we hope to help you find your creative style.

Ask with any questions. Free, open to the public, and relaxing fun!

Laura’s event runs here:
https://www.facebook.com/Laura-O-Cenedella-269143975260/

Al Weems Workshop – Lighting in Photography – May 3 2020

Blackstone Valley Art Association Leave a comment

Want to take your photography to the next level? Want to learn more about lighting for when you craft a scene for a portrait or still life?

Talented photographer Al Weems has the solution!

Al will take us step by step through this process of setting up a photo. Learn how light and shadows bring a photo to life.

Come join us for a 2-hour workshop on Sunday, May 3, 2020 all in the comfort of your own home. We’ll be doing this online workshop via ZOOM.

The Zoom session is now over.

Here’s the video from the workshop: