Category Archives: Administration

Administration, Member news, Monthly Meetings

A Last Minute Change for Monday’s Meeting!!

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A reminder that Central Virginia Watercolor Guild is found online at www.CVWG.art.

Two Challenge! Paintings This Month

We apologize for putting this on you at the last minute but we are advancing July’s Challenge! paintings into June. This means that members and guests should plan to bring 2 paintings inspired by our themes:

MonthTheme
June Challenge!A Faraway Place
July Challenge!Favorite Flowers…in a vase

Our July meeting is going to be a bit different (see below) and we feel it is best to bring the Challenge! into this month.

Speaking of Our Meeting on June 27…

A reminder that we are back to our monthly in-person meetings. Our next meeting is on June 27 with a program by member-artist Peg Sheridan entitled “Creating Water Features In Your Paintings” .

We meet at 12:30 PM for social time, start our business meeting by 1:00 PM, begin the program by 1:30 PM, and end around 3:00 PM. Members and guests are welcome!!

You can find details for our entire 2022 lineup along with location details and a map on our Meetings & Programs web page.

… and July 25

A reminder that our July 25 member meeting is going to be something out of the ordinary for our guild. This special event is going to be an evening meeting with artist Amy Shawley Paquette entitled “Summer Evening Soiree“.

Note the special time: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM. The venue is our usual; we will still meet in the Fellowship Hall at the Church of Our Saviour on Rio Road in Charlottesville. Address and a map to aid you are located on our Meetings and Programs web page.

This event is planned in the evening in hopes that non-member guests and artists might attend. Please invite a guest to meet the Guild.

Member News

Member-artist Susan Crave Rosen sent us her latest news:

I am overjoyed as I just learned I won a Purchase Award for my painting “Puzzle” at the VMRC Annual Art Exhibition. The show will be there for the month at the Park Gables Main Street Gallery, VMRC, 1491 Virginia Avenue, Harrisonburg.

Be sure to congratulate Susan when you have the opportunity.

Our Featured Painting

Apologies to the artist as we have lost the title and credit for the wonderful painting shown at the top of this post. The guild has a number of paintings by our member-artists in our media collection that we like to feature from time to time. If you are the artist who created this, please send an email to our webmaster and we’ll provide credit in a future post.

We’d Love to Hear From You!

Drop our CVWG Webmaster an email to let everyone know what you are doing and how your artistic journey is progressing.

Administration, Art News, Classes/Workshops, Member news, Monthly Meetings, Resources for Members

CVWG is Sorry to Cancel Jan 24 Member Meeting

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A reminder that Central Virginia Watercolor Guild is found online at www.CVWG.art.

Cancelled– CVWG Member Meeting on January 24

As previewed in our last posting, the COVID-19 virus and its variants continue to exhibit high infection rates. Our CVWG Board of Directors, out of an abundance of caution, have decided to cancel the January 24 CVWG member meeting. CVWG President, Donna Koutrakos, notified our members in an email earlier this week.

Next Member Meeting on February 28 at 12:30 PM

The nexct member meeting will be on February 28. This is still being planned for in-person at our usual time– 12:30 pm gathering and social time followed by the meeting at 1:00 pm– and place– the Fellowship Hall behind Church of Our Savior on Rio Rd in Charlottesville. See our Meetings page for more information.

The monthly Challenge! theme is “Wind, rain, snow…all are one”. We have been fortunate to be able to reschedule member-artist Jane Skaftke, Jane will be addressing a common problem area for so many of us, Negative Painting Techniques. You can view the full year of meetings, programs, and Challenge! topics on our Meetings page.

ArtTutor.com Site May Be Shutting Down

Member and Membership Chair, Rosemary Connelly, writes:

I just got an email saying the online UK art site, Art Tutor.com, has to shut down at the end of March. That’s too bad!

A quick visit to the site doesn’t give any insight or outlook. Having visited and been a student of the site many times, I agree with Rosemary, they will be missed!

Member News

We received wonderful news from a long time friend and member, Donna Brune:

I have rejoined CVWG. I have enjoyed the newsletters and decided I missed being a member. Living in Northern Va, I won’t be able to attend many meetings but I hope to come to a few when the days get longer.

If anyone cares to see what I have been doing in the past few years, here is a link to my page on the Rappahannock fall art tour. https://fallarttour.org/studios/donna-brune/. This tour is held each year on the first weekend in Nov., usually. Each artist submits a dozen images of their work to go on their page of the website. All of the paintings shown on my page were completed in 2021.

The tour in 2021 was very successful for most artists. Quite a lot of art was sold throughout the 2 days of the tour. People were so happy to get out in the country and we had a large attendance both days.

Given our recent heavy snows and cold weather, Donna’s painting on her website, entitled “Afternoon Delight“, shown at the top of this post, seemed like a good omen to share.

Apologies to member-artist Jane Matthews for getting the following news out later than we’d hoped:

Several of my paintings will be hanging in the Northside Library for the month of January.

We still have the final week of January to swing by that branch, located on Rio Rd just to the west of US Rt2 29 north of Charlottesville.

It has been awhile since we heard from member-artist Susan Crave Rosen but she seems to have kept busy and sends the following:

I am teaching a two day workshop at Beverley Street Studio School in March on the 26th and 27th. It will be an introduction to Gel Plate Printing, which I use to make collage papers for my mixed media work. I am team teaching with Chris Watts who is a painter and printmaker and uses the gel plate to work towards finished monoprints. Go to the website www.bssschool.org to see a full description of the workshop.

We’d Love to Hear From You!

Drop our CVWG Webmaster an email to let everyone know what you are doing and how your artist journey is progressing.

Administration, Art News, Classes/Workshops, Monthly Meetings, Resources for Members

CVWG Ramping Up in 2022!

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A reminder that Central Virginia Watercolor Guild is found online at www.CVWG.art.

As we enter mid-January, the Omicron variant of COVID is spreading fast and furious. Your CVWG Board is continuing to monitor Department of Health advisories. At the moment, we intend to offer our monthly meetings and programs at in-person meetings. We will advise our members by email if we need to re-plan any event.

A Correction– Revised Dates for Workshops by Juliette Swenson

Back in a post in November, we cited an incorrect date for the next workshop by member-artist Juliette Swenson. That post should have read:

I am pleased to offer watercolor painting classes lasting a few weeks. These will specialize in animals and flowers. I have taught for some years now and have a large open room in which to teach in Staunton. My next series of classes starts on February 17 and run until March 10 on Thursday evenings from 5-7pm. Take just one class or all.

See Juliette’s website at www.julietteswenson.com for information about her classes. You can email her at artbyjuliette950@gmail.com.

Member Meeting on January 24 at 12:30 PM

Our first member meeting of the year will be on January 24. This is still being planned for in-person at our usual time– 12:30 pm gathering and social time followed by the meeting at 1:00 pm– and place– the Fellowship Hall behind Church of Our Savior on Rio Rd in Charlottesville. See our Meetings page for more information.

The monthly Challenge! theme is A Portrait and the program will feature member-artist Jane Skaftke addressing a common problem area for so many of us, Negative Painting Techniques. You can view the full year of meetings, programs, and Challenge! topics on our Meetings page.

“Let’s Get Back Painting!” with Peg Sheridan

Professional artist and CVWG member, Peg Sheridan, has let us know that it is time to break out of the deep winter blues and re-discover our muse.

Let’s start the new year by getting back into watercolor painting! I am offering new classes. Details are on my website for opportunities to learn more about watercolor painting.

Peg Sheridan

Our Web Pages Have Been Updated

Our webmaster has been busy updating our various pages. Please take a few minutes and “surf” our pages to see what you might find. Of special note:

Let us know if you don’t see something you want and our webmaster will see what he can do to bring it to the benefit of our Guild.

We’d Love to Hear From You!

Drop our CVWG Webmaster an email to let everyone know what you are doing and how your artist journey is progressing.

Administration, Art News, Local Events, Resources for Members, Shows

With Thanks!

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A reminder that Central Virginia Watercolor Guild is found online at www.CVWG.art.

Westminster Canterbury Exhibit Until Dec 31

The CVWG water media exhibit at Westminster Canterbury will be hung on December 1 through 31. CVWG is represented by thirty member-artist paintings. Due to COVID protocols in place at this care facility, opportunities to view our show are limited. Your one and only opportunity to view our show will be on December 2 when member-artist Chee Ricketts is set to give a live demonstration.

Chee Rickett’s Demonstration at Westminster Canterbury

Fortunately for CVWG, member-artist Chee Ricketts has been chosen to present a live demonstration at Westminster Canterbury toward the beginning of our exhibit on December 2 at 2:30 PM. CVWG members will be allowed to attend. You must wear a mask when on the property. Drive up to the gatehouse where the guard will take your temperature, ask the usual COVID-19 questions, provide directions to get to the Gallery Walk and the Rotunda Room. The map, below, might help guide you.

WCBR Site Plan notated 3Download

I encourage you to come, not only because Chee is a wonderful teacher, but also it may be the only time you will be able to view the entire show. For those of you who are new to the guild, Chee is a past president, past annual show chair, past newsletter chair, and has given workshops to CVWG. We are very grateful and proud to have her volunteer to represent us at WCBR. Hope you can make it on Dec. 2.

Linda Verhagen, CVWG’s Exhibit Chair

Beverley Street Studio’s “30 Artists x 30 Days”

Member-Artist Susan Rosen sends in a timely notice about the “30 Artist x 30 Days” fundraiser for the Beverley Street Studio School in Staunton. Says Susan,

For a $30 donation you will receive an email each day for 30 days with an essay from an artist about a piece of art that has inspired them. An image of that art and an image of their own work will be included. I am happy to be one of the 30 artists this year! I will be writing about Richard Diebenkorn, a 20th century painter from the California Figurative School. These subscriptions are a great gift idea for your friends and family who appreciate art…… buy one for yourself too!

Go to Beverley Street Studio’s website (www.bssschool.org) to purchase and donate.

Courthouse Exhibit Through June 2022

Many thanks to our Courthouse Team for facilitating the installation of our new and long awaited exhibit at the Albemarle County Courthouse! CVWG’s exhibit will be available for the public to view thru June 2022. We’re very grateful to the twelve artists who participated in the show exhibiting16 beautiful paintings.

So, come down to the Albemarle County Courthouse at 501 Jefferson St in Charlottesville and check out our lovely exhibit. Each painting is labeled and sales may be made by contacting the artist direct.

Carolyn Ratcliffe, CVWG’s Courthouse Committee Chair

Membership for 2022

Our Membership Chair, Rosemary Connelly emails:

The 2022 annual dues will be $25.00 for a single membership and $30 for a family of two, minimum age 18. Make checks payable to CVWG and send with our membership form at this link to:

Robin Kuzen, CVWG Treasurer, 848 St. Charles Avenue, Charlottesville, VA 22902

If your contact information changes during the year, please notify Rosemary Connelly. Changes in email addresses are particularly important as emails are the principal way for officers and other members to contact you.

Let Us Hear From You!

Drop our CVWG Webmaster an email to let everyone know what you are doing and how your artist journey is progressing.

Administration, Call for Entries, Classes/Workshops, Local Events, Member news, Monthly Meetings, Resources for Members, Shows

Giving Thanks While Hoping for a Brighter Future!

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A reminder that Central Virginia Watercolor Guild is found online at www.CVWG.art.

As we enter late autumn of 2021, we give thanks for all the blessings and grace in our lives. We rejoice that our Guild has adapted to the year’s special challenges and recognize our leaders for their works on our behalf.

Final Member Meeting of 2021– Oct 25

Our Guild held its final member meeting of 2021 on Monday, October 25 with a full program of refreshments, social time, a short business meeting, the Challenge! show, and a program. Our guest artist leading our program was Eleanor Cox. You can read about Eleanor in our last post and see her art on her website, https://eleanorcox.com/.

While, in “normal” years, we would enjoy a pot luck luncheon, the CVWG Board decided that posed too much of a health risk for our members so that event is not planned. Our next in-person meeting will be January 24, 2022. Look for more details in the coming weeks.

Membership for 2022

Our Membership Chair, Rosemary Connelly emails:

Starting in 2022, annual dues will be $25.00 for a single membership and $30 for a family of two, minimum age 18. Make checks payable to CVWG and send with our membership form at this link to:

Robin Kuzen, CVWG Treasurer, 848 St. Charles Avenue, Charlottesville, VA 22902

If your contact information changes during the year, please notify Rosemary Connelly. Changes in email addresses are particularly important as emails are the principal way for officers and other members to contact you.

Call for Artists– A CVWG Exhibition at Westminster Canterbury in Charlottesville

Member and Past President, Linda Verhagen, is leading the Guild’s exhibition at the Westminster Canterbury village. Linda, in a recent email to all members, says:

CVWG will be having an exhibit at Westminster Canterbury of the Blue Ridge Dec. 1 -31 this year. There are still spaces available for a painting from you. Please open the attachment to read all the needed rules to follow in order to enter. If you have any questions, please contact me at linda@cyrusfirst.com .

Open and download Linda’s information at the following link.

2021_10 WCBR ART ShowDownload

Member News

Member-Artist, Susan Rosen, emailed the following announcement:

Member-Artist Juliette Swenson emails:

I am pleased to offer watercolor painting classes lasting 2-5 weeks. These will specialize in animals and flowers. I have taught for some years now and have a large open room in which to teach in Staunton. My next series of classes starts in April 2022 on Thursday evenings from 4.30-7pm.

See Juliette’s website at www.julietteswenson.com for information about her classes.

We’d Love to Hear From You!

Drop our CVWG Webmaster an email to let everyone know what you are doing and how your artist journey is progressing.

Administration, Call for Entries, Local Events, Member news, Monthly Meetings, Shows

Back to In-Person Meetings, Calls for Artists, and More!

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A reminder that Central Virginia Watercolor Guild is found online at www.CVWG.art.

Guild Member Meetings

Our Guild resumed our monthly meetings on Monday, September 27 with a full program of refreshments, social time, a short business meeting, the Challenge! show, and a program. The photo at the top of this post shows many of the members in attendance.

Twenty-nine (29) of our members and guests attended. Here are a few photos of the meeting, the 7 member-artists who met the monthly painting Challenge! interpreting the theme of “Quiet Valley“, and the program by Patricia WIlliams entitled “Stop Hating Critique and Learn to Love Your Failures“.

The next CVWG meeting is October 25:

  • President Donna Koutrakos has called a meeting of the Board of Directors for 10:45 AM;
  • Members and guests should arrive at 12:30 PM for refreshments and social time;
  • The business meeting will begin promptly at 1:00 PM and is expected to end by 3:00 PM.

The Challenge! theme for October is “Favorite Book” and our featured program artist is Eleanor Cox who will demonstrate her painting of Virginia landscapes. Our Meetings and Programs web page has been updated and provides a map to aid you in finding us.

Featured Artist Eleanor Cox

Eleanor Cox is our special guest-artist leading our program at our meeting on October 25 (se above).

Eleanor specializes in watercolors that feature color and light in the landscape and garden. Her work focuses on Virginia but she has traveled abroad annually for 30 years to paint en plein air in England, Ireland, France, and Italy. Holding a BFA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, she has won many local and regional awards including honors from the Southern Watercolor Society, the Baltimore Watercolor Society, the Potomac Valley Watercolorists, and the Virginia Watercolor Society, all of which she is an artist member. Her work is in many private and corporate collections, including Forbes Magazine, Wachovia Bank, Philip Morris Corporation, CSX, Capital One, First Union Bank, and James River Corporation.

Says Eleanor,

I paint for the joy of painting. It is a natural way to express my ideas, impressions and reactions to nature, color and mood. Using landscape, the garden and still life, I am able to paint my responses in a way that expresses my sheer excitement of putting the brush to paper with watercolor paint, making marks, creating edges, washes and using brilliant color. Local regional scenes as well as traveling abroad give me endless opportunity to paint en plein air and in my studio. Gardening, cooking and teaching are passions I share with my brush.

Eleanor can be contacted through her email, eleanorscox@gmail.com. Her website is www.eleanorcox.com.

Call for Artists– A CVWG Exhibition at Westminster Canterbury in Charlottesville

Member and Past President, Linda Verhagen, is leading the Guild’s exhibition at the Westminster Canterbury village. Linda, in a recent email to all members, says:

CVWG will be having an exhibit at Westminster Canterbury of the Blue Ridge Dec. 1 -31 this year. There are still spaces available for a painting from you. Please open the attachment to read all the needed rules to follow in order to enter. If you have any questions, please contact me at linda@cyrusfirst.com .

Open and download Linda’s information at the following link.

2021_10 WCBR ART ShowDownload

The Guild’s Courthouse Exhibit is Changing…A Call for Artists

CVWG’s current exhibit at the Albemarle County Courthouse has been on continuous display since January 2020 as COVID and courthouse protocols have prevented our committee from making changes. But that is changing!

A new set of paintings will be put on exhibition on November 15. All members are encouranged to enter a water media painting in this exhibit. Our Activities page has been updated with the details so be certain to look there for guidance including framing, hanging, labeling, and drop off. Please contact Carolyn Ratcliffe if needed.

Member News

Member-artist John Hancock emails great news:

My Fall has already been busier than usual, especially with classes and sending out pieces of my work to several exhibitions around the country. I was especially pleased to be invited to be in a group exhibition at the Alexandria Art Museum (Louisiana) and in the 2021 Rocky Mountain National Watermedia show. Here is a link to the catalog of the RMNW exhibition. Aside from my solo exhibition back in February, those two were certainly among the most exciting of my several exhibitions around the country so far this year.

Please Share Your Activities!

We invite you to share any aspect of the artistic “you” with us…activities, muses, workshops, travel, etc. We are also always looking for ways to feature our member artists’ work and invite you to be featured in one of our periodic Featured Member Artist profiles. Simply contact the CVWG Webmaster.