September 2014 Program (RRAA Membership Meeting)

Gain Some Insight on How to Better Approach Your Artwork

Photographer, Pat Berrett will be the guest speaker at the September Rio Rancho Art Association's (RRAA) monthly membership meeting. This program will be held on Wednesday, September 10th at 6:30 pm (after the business portion of the meeting), is free to the public and you need not be a member to attend. The meetings are held at Don Chalmers Ford Community Room (also known as the break room) 2500 Rio Rancho Blvd., Rio Rancho.

Berrett holds dual degrees in English and Journalism and received his MBA with a concentration in marketing from the University of New Mexico in 1997. He teaches classes for UNM’s Department of Continuing Education and is a frequent speaker at art-related seminars.

Berrett also works for high tech and emerging-technology companies and has carved out a special niche among local dance and theater companies and received a Bravo award in recognition for his work.

Berrett is known as the photographer's photographer and the artist's photographer. His portfolio includes industrial, people, performing arts, and products. One of his specialties is photographing artwork for artists-all mediums, both 2D and 3D. His clients include many well-known New Mexico artisans and craftspeople and he has about 300-400 active clients per year. As a result, Berrett does see recurring problems across the board with all artists. Even with the well known artists. There are common 'mistakes' that are made, no matter what medium it is. Pat will be pointing these areas out for many of the mediums-such as painting, mixed media, 3D and photography, etc. and his talk will focus on what it is that artists need to pay more attention to in their work. 

Don't miss this talk and gain some insight on how you approach your work!

Pat Berrett at Tent Rocks © Paula Scott Molokai Girl Studio

Program and Guest Speaker for June 2014: Michael Meyer

June 11th, 2014 MEETING
at 6:30 P.M.

The RRAA Membership Meeting
is meeting at the Don Chalmer's Ford
Education/Community Room
2500 Rio Rancho Blvd., Rio Rancho

Membership meetings are held on the SECOND Wednesday of the month at this location. The public is welcome to attend and you need not be a member to attend (feel free to bring a guest).


JUNE 2014 PROGRAM EVENT

Artist, Michael Meyer

Michael has garnered many awards for his work and is well known for his oil portraitures. Michael has a very extensive background not only in the fine arts area, but in publishing and graphic design work. You can read more about his background at his website under the Artist Bio section.

Michael will be doing a live demo of portraiture painting-from what we've heard, it is very exciting to watch the transformation take place on canvas!







Mayan Warrior

36 X 24 Oil on Canvas

$5500

Winner of People's Choice Award at Encantada 2013 Art Show

Winner of Award of Excellence at Masterworks Art Show 2014

Featured in Article in Albuquerque Sunday Paper 3/30/2014

Rio Rancho Public School's 2014 Annual Senior Art show: "Rising Stars"

"Portrait of March Tenth" glass sculpture by Rachel Rounsville

City Hall Hosting Rio Rancho Public Schools Senior Art Show ‘Rising Stars’

The annual Rio Rancho Public Schools Senior Art Show ‘Rising Stars’ is taking place on the third and fourth floors of Rio Rancho City Hall from March 27 through April 22, 2014.  Normal viewing hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Artwork from seniors at Rio Rancho and Cleveland high schools will be on exhibit as part of the show.  A reception will be held on Friday, April 4 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on the third floor of City Hall.  During the reception at 6 p.m., awards will be presented to students featured in the exhibit.  At the free reception refreshments will be served and the public is invited to attend.

Participation in the show was open to all students in the class of 2014 at Rio Rancho Public Schools’ high schools. The show is judged by Rio Rancho and Cleveland high school guest artist teachers and student alumni. The awards are sponsored by the Rio Rancho Art Association and the New Mexico Art Education Association.

National Art Honor Society (NAHS) students will also have their art on exhibit from March 27 through April 22 on the fourth floor of City Hall as part of their membership requirement. The induction ceremony for these students will take place on April 4 at approximately 6:30 p.m. following the awards ceremony for the senior art show.  Seniors who earn membership receive an honor cord that will be worn at graduation to distinguish them as an NAHS student.  The NAHS is a local chapter of the national organization that recognizes excellence in achievement and community service in the arts by junior high and high school students.

Rio Rancho City Hall is located at 3200 Civic Center Circle.

"Solitude" installation by Miguel Lastra

Repurposed Books Revisited

After the amazing talk by Meredith Chapman on repurposed books my eyes have opened to all the possibilities, and I have begun looking around the internet for more examples and ideas.

It was then I cam across  The Island of Dr. Mastrovito and The Island of Dr. Mastrovito II.  The piece was first installed at Governors Island in New York back in 2010 and again last year in a different configuration at Mudac in Lausanne, Switzerland by artist Andrea Mastrovito. 

This paper diorama was made from repurposed textbooks, and celebrates the idea of the power of books.  From the artist: "the infinite possibilities that knowledge—through books—can give us in order to create and re-create the world that we can only imagine."

The Book As An Art Object=Book Arts

Spherical Bible © Linda Ekstrom Altered Bible & Cloth Bound Box 24x6x6”

Most people never stop to think that the book can be elevated to an art form or object. In fact, there are limitless ways in which a book can be transformed into an art object. The book as an art form explores and cultivates contemporary aesthetic interpretations of the book as an art object while sometimes employing traditional artistic practices of the art of the book (as in traditional book binding methods).

For our March Program, RRAA member Meredith Chapman will be giving a lecture (and perhaps a small demo if I can talk her into it) of book arts as a medium. Meredith will discuss and show the different types of book arts from visual journals, zines, altered books (found object), handmade books, book as a sculpture, and so forth. Meredith will also have on hand the tools that are used for traditional bookbinding techniques.

There are many other mediums that lead to book arts: printmaking, paper making, fiber arts and sculpture, for example. Book arts also lends itself to many kinds of collaborative projects between artists.

There will also be on hand a substantial collection of real life examples of book arts for all to see.

Don't miss out on this unique chance to find out about the fascinating world of book arts. You can find out more about book arts at this blog that is dedicated to it.

Book Arts from the private collection of Paula Scott

Golden High Flow Acrylic Review

Golden High Flow Acrylics on Hot-Pressed Paper
by Ursula Roma

 For those acrylic painters or multi media artists looking for new techniques and tools, consider Golden's High Flow Acrylics.  This review of   High Flow Acrylics  by professional illustrator and fine artist Ursula Roma appeared in The Artist’s Magazine, March 2014, and was reprinted by the Artist's Network .  It explores a variety of uses for Golden brand high flow acrylics and their effectiveness on different papers and with different tools.   You can read the article HERE
 
For more information on the entire line of Golden acrylics visit their website HERE.
For more great information visit the Artist's Network HERE.  They are a wonderful resource. 
If you would like to read more articles about art, artists, and techniques subscribe to The Artist's Magazine  HERE.

February 2014 Guest Speaker and Program

“Making a Mark”

A short lecture and demonstration on printmaking by Ren Adams

 Hybrid print © Ren Adams

At this month's February program, our guest speaker will be Ren Adams. Renee will be giving a brief overview of printmaking.

Printmaking. What is printmaking? For those artists who use printmaking as their medium, they are often encountered with confounded looks from people when answering the question as to what medium they work in.

Printmaking is one of the oldest art forms in the world and it is a versatile medium with a wide variety of techniques that are used to create the matrix from which prints are made. These techniques include woodcuts, linocut, etching, intaglio, serigraph, and lithography.

The matrix used for printmaking is classically a block of material such as wood, rubber, or metal. In relief printing, the matrix is carved away to create a raised image, which prints in reverse. Intaglio printing involves incision of the matrix (which is how our currency is made-by plates that are etched), while planographic techniques like lithography use specially treated limestone or flat plates, with the ink adhering in some areas and not in others. The use of stencils and screen-printing tools is also a form of printmaking.

Renee will also demonstrate a watercolor monotype (without the use of a press). The painterly approach to monotypes can range from loose and spontaneous to structured and carefully planned ... and everything in between. In other words —this technique is for everyone!!

A short bio on Renee Adams: a Southern California native, Ren has been working in the visual arts for more than 20 years, with an emphasis on painting and printmaking, integrating traditional Chinese ink techniques with contemporary digital and mixed media concerns. She has a BFA in Studio Art (printmaking) from the University of New Mexico and is an MFA in Visual Arts candidate at the Art Institute of Boston. Ren has participated in a number of regional and national exhibitions and has also published poetry and illustrations. Ren’s primary body of work is concerned with the emergence of being from non-being, and its relationship to Eastern philosophy, physics, information systems and social networking. Ren currently teaches arts and humanities courses through the University of New Mexico.

Kicking Off 2014 With An Art Critique!

Image from University of Alaska Anchorage

Many of you have requested to bring in someone from the outside to critique our work-we've heard your request and have responded! For our art critique format this month you are asked to bring in a piece of art that you are NOT satisfied with, feels unresolved or not quite completed for a critique. Ralph Greene, owner of the Free Style Art Gallery will critique the piece and give you an informed and very professional feedback of your work.


Ralph Greene, not only is an international artist, but has been active in the local art scene for many years now and owns the Free Style Art Gallery in downtown Albuquerque. The gallery is located at 1114 Central Ave. SW.


If you are not in the habit of having your work critiqued regularly, this is a great chance to get that done (and has always been a popular program format with RRAA membership). You must be a current member in order to have your work critiqued, so make sure that your dues are paid up for 2014!