August 18th Meeting Notes

Attendance: 26
The 4x4s for our Christmas nursing home community service project have arrived. Many thanks go out to one of our founding members, Anne Huskey-Lockard for being our liason with the Miami County Community Foundation to acquire the 4x4s and for ordering, labeling and placing the hangers on them for us.
Susan Kline is again the project manager for this year. Anyone wishing to create these much appreciated Xmas gifts for the elderly may sign out the blank little canvases and then sign them back in as they are completed. Susan has the sign up sheet at her studio behind/through the Cafe Du Cirque.

The Clark Gallery Themed Art Competition at the Honeywell Center based on the 4 elements, displayed from July 17-August 16 honored 3 of our members: Audrey Ann Diaz, Teri Partridge, and Brenda Ramseier.
Audrey Ann received a blue ribbon and cash award for her print work titled "Potted Tree".
She also received an honorable mention for another printmaking piece titled "We Are Next" and a third, mixed media piece of hers was juried in as well; it's title being "Mockingbird Lament".
Teri Partridge had 2 of her watercolors accepted into the show, their titles being: "Elements Four" and "Hint of Elements".
Brenda Ramseier, member and Maconaquah Elementary art teacher also had 2 works juried into the show: a watercolor named "Grana Haven" and a mixed media/collage piece which received an award: "Deep in the Forest".
CONGRATULATIONS ALL! We are proud of you.

Deb Saine presented her sketchbook and told us about the project she is involved in called "Sketchbook Project 2011.
By Googling "Sketchbook Project 2011" you will find the web site offering this adventure in art. "It's like a concert tour but with sketchbooks."
For $25 you will receive a blank sketchbook with a theme chosen by you.
Sign up ends October 31st and the return postmark date of January 15, 2011 for the mailing of your finished book.
They will tour the country and then become part of the permanent collection of the Brooline Art Library.
For more info log onto Google.

This coming Saturday, September 18th, Logansport will be presenting "Art On the Avenue"
from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Our member Rudy Ridenour will be displaying his abstract digital artworks there.
Go and give him your support.

Our next meeting is this coming Wednesday, September 15th, 7 p.m., at the Cafe Du Cirque when Teri Partridge, one of our members from Logansport, and an art teacher, will be doing her program on another collage technique.
Here I will use her quote: "This is a technique with water based paint and various papers. The process results in inspirational, one of a kind papers for you to use in collage, abstracts, journals, card making, backgrounds... the possibilities are endless."
Everyone will have a part of the project on Wednesday that will be returned to them in October.

Our following meeting in October we will be displaying our new works based on the chosen word "WOMEN"
I know a lot of us will come up with something for that, it's such an easy topic.
Keep creating......

Profile: Deb Saine

This is Deb Saine, she was the featured artist for May and June. She lives in Logansport and writes for the newspaper there, the Logansport Pharos Tribune. For that reason I asked her to write her own profile. And here it is:

Art, for me, provides an escape and is therapeutic. I suffer from Bipolar Disorder and tend to keep to myself. Taking lessons twice a week-sometimes more-gets me out of the house and affords me the opportunity to work with others.

I started taking lessons from Teri Partridge(artist and Co-Op member) in the fall of 2008, but I've always enjoyed art-whether I'm creating something myself or enjoying the work of others. Over the past 18 months, I've dabbled in drawing, worked with acrylics and watercolor and recently started keeping an art journal.

I loved art classes when I was in grade school and junior high. There was nothing better than a new box of Crayolas with those 64 colors. I went on to take a class or two in high school and college. When it was time to draw a nude figure, I freaked out and dropped the class. That happened more than 30 years ago.

In 2006, I was going through a difficult period in my life. I turned to markers and started drawing all kinds of things. I also started working through Mark Kistler's "Draw Squad". This was in 2006. Two years later, I wound up at Teri's studio.

My art vocabulary isn't extensive, but I make no apologies about that. All I know is that I like drawing and love watercolor.

As for the photographs, I've been taking photos off and on since high school. I mostly take photographs of nature, flowers,clouds and animals. And most recently, I've been photographing old barns.

The artwork immediately above is a work done by Deb for the Cole Porter Festival Art Show, held in June. The title being "Don't Fence Me In" a song written by Cole Porter.

Profile: Kathy Lauman

Kathy Lauman is the current featured artist at the Cafe Du Cirque. Numerous works of hers are being displayed in the entrance alcove at the cafe until the end of August.

She likes realism, but her favorite artists are mixed media artist Kelli Perkins; Susan Kline, a Community Artists Co-Op member who also does mixed media works (Kathy likes her vibrant colors); and Maxwell Parrish.

Her mother was an artist and sparked her continued interest in being creative. She always wanted to be an artist as well, but lacked the confidence and didn't think she could be.

She's originally from western Michigan, but has resided here in the Peru area since 2002; moving here to be near family.

She has been married 34 years to her husband and has 2 daughters, ages 29 and 33; the latter is about to make her the grandmother of a baby boy.

Her collage on canvas seen here above is titled "Friendship" and was created for the Cole Poter Festival Art Show and has been purchased, I believe. "Friendship" is a song composed by Mr. Porter.

Every other month we pick a word and create an artwork portraying an aspect of that word. April's word was "Mellow" and Kathy's artwork demonstrating that word is seen here, again on the left.

Ages ago Kathy went through a major depression that took many years to work through. It causes her to avoid sad things, movies, music, etc. That expresses itself in her mixed media works which display her witty, quirky, often ornery sense of humor primarily with a muted palette of colors.

She works on canvases as well as creating works with fabrics; utilizing her quilting/sewing skills.

She will sometimes transfer a photo onto fabric, stitch around it and incorpoate other elements, creating a piece of art.

A little bit more about Kathy:

Favorite movie: "Batteries Not Included"

Favorite band: Doesn't really have one, but likes the "oldies, but goodies".

Favorite song: "I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash

Favorite Colors: Purple, orange and green, not necessarily in that order.

Make an effort to come by the Cafe Du Cirque to see Kathy's artwork up close, I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

Rudy Wins 3rd Place in Griffith

July 17th and 18th Rudy(Kenton) Ridenour was a participant in the 36th Annual Park Full of Art taking place in the northwest corner of Indiana in the town of Griffith.

Pictured here is Rudy with a background of his colorful framed abstract digital(computer generated) artworks.

Notice the white ribbon above and to the right of his head; it indicates his 3rd place prize in the category of drawing/graphics. Along with his white ribbon he received $125.00.

This is only Rudy's 2nd year to do art shows outside the Peru area. This year he's going as far north as Saugatuck, Michigan and as far south as Sellersburg, Indiana.

We wish you well, Rudy.

Photo courtesy of Larry Titak

July Monthly Meeting

Attendance: 20

Our monthly meeting was moved up to this past Wednesday, the 14th due to the circus festivities this week.
Joining us were three new people: Terry Jones is from Macy and works in pen and ink, and oil pastels
Hilary Lohrman lives in Logansport and uses pencil, ink and watercolor to create art works.
Gina McDowell resides here in Peru and is into textiles.
Welcome all.
At the meeting we discussed "Sundays at the Gallery"; a presentation of art owned by the Peru High School. The latest one was this past Sunday, the 18th. The next one will be Sunday, August 15th from 1-4 p.m. and will be presented by Charles Shephard, director of the Ft. Wayne Museum of Art. Also entertaining guests will be the newly formed Peru Symphony.


The Cole Porter Inn has invited us to display, for sale, our Cole Porter works created for the recent Cole Porter Festival Art Show held at the Miami County Museum June 12th and 13th.
Also requested are works portraying the Peru area.
Anyone interested may contact Susan Josette at 765-460-5127 or sgehle@ivytech.edu


For the remainder of the meeting we moved out of doors, to the courtyard of the Cafe Du Cirque where we watched Brenda Ramseier, the Maconaquah Elementary School art teacher, give us her presentation demonstrating her collage technique using the cleaning product "Citrasolv".
She brushed the concentrated fluid on several pages of an old magazine, dated prior to 2002, pressing them together then setting them aside.
She continued discussing the process while showing us a few of the collages she has made in this method. One of the pieces was a portrait of Cole Porter she created for the Cole Porter Festival Art Show mentioned above.
After about 5 minutes or so(normally 10-20 minutes) she separated the still wet pages to reveal the beautiful, interesting, abstract pages formed by the action of the Citrasolv on the old magazine inks.

She also demonstrated that you can further manipulate the inks by drawing onto the pages with different tools, among them: q-tips.
Once that is done lay the pages to dry before continuing with your projects.
I, for one, am inspired to run right to the Sun Spot in Kokomo or get online to Cheap Joe's to order some Citrasolv.
That was really fun. We all thank you Brenda!


Next month our meeting held at the Cafe Du Cirque falls on Wednesday, August 18th, 7 p.m. It will be the evening to display and discuss your theme works based on the word "EXPRESSIVE".
I hope see you then.


Photos of Brenda courtesy of Teri Partridge. Thank you so much Teri.

The week of December 14th was busy for us with our Community Service project, completing,wrapping and delivering the many beautiful 4x4 works of art to the nursing homes in our area, Miller's Merry Manor, Caring Hands and Hickory Creek. Monday, the 14th, we had a wrap party at Susan Kline's studio with wine and snacks graciously provided by Susan.

Member's creating the works are too numerous to name, but we are VERY grateful for all of their enthusiatic participation.

Members engaged in the wrapping and delivery were Susan Kline, Carol Day and friend, Bobbie Jackson, Linda Butler, Megan Montgomery, Shane Mohler, Diane Lehman, Alisha Referda and her 2 small children (shown in the photos) and me, Valerie May. And I hope I haven't forgotten anyone....

Thank you all SO MUCH!

The nursing home residents were very pleased they were remembered, and very pleased to see children visiting them and delivering gifts.

The Community Artists Co-Op hopes to repeat this event again for the Christmas of 2010!

It was so gratifying to have been there and given back to others and I know the other members that were there feel the same way...

Meeting Notes from Wednesday, October 21st

Attendence: 22

The Tippecanoe Arts Federation will host 2 free workshops for Individual Artists Grants presented at the Tippecanoe Arts Federation Wells Community Center at 638 North Street, Lafayette, IN. For further info contact Paige Sharp, Director of Regional Services, rsd@tippecanoearts.org, phone #: 765-432-2787

Saturday, September 26th, a fundraiser was held for the sister-in-law of member Dan Harshman's wife(Renee), who is battling breast cancer. Dan, Susan Kline and Keri Ellis donated artworks for the event that raised $2500.
Renee's family was very thankful for the members generosity.

Jill Marconi works with Dan Harshman and came to speak about the Arts and Crafts Festival being held in the Circus Building on November 14th, 9-4 and 15th, noon-4pm. Cost is $50.00 per 10'x10' booth space, plus $5.00 for access to electricity.
Anyone wishing to register for a space to for more info, get in touch with Dan Harshman at: www.harshent@wwdb.org

Brenda Ramseier would again like to invite the public to visit Maconaquah Elementary School to view the tapestries she temporarily has charge of.
The display of Thomas Hart Benton's works ended this past Friday, but from November 16th to the 20th the paintings of Diego Rivera will be exhibited in the school's hallways. Just sign in at the desk and you will be directed to them.

The weather was cold, breezy, and rainy(off and on) for Oktoberfest held on October 3rd, but Linda Butler sold her lovely painting of red tulips. Others displaying their works were Dan Harshman, Rudy Ridenour, Valerie May, Bobbie Jackson, Shane Mohler, and Haley Richardson.
Good going Linda.

Susan Kline gave a report on Cafe art sales and the progress of our 4x4 Christmas project for the nursing homes: less than 40 remain to be acquired and transformed into artworks for gifts.
We have set the date of December 14th for their wrapping and 6 p.m. December 16th for their delivery. Thank you all again for your involvement.

Diane Tracy Lehman gave a talk on her portrait work and exhibited several done in Prismacolor(colored pencils) on the reverse sides of Cason mi-teines paper. Particularly well done was a portrait of her daughter, with well defined shadow contrast and intricate work on the fabric of her blouse.
Many well earned praises came her way.
Well done and thank you, Diane.

Our next meeting is November 18th when our theme works inspired by the word "Sunrise" will be due. We will all be pleased to see what is produced.