NEWSLETTER

March 2021 Donna Aldridge p s a m - m a p s , Editor VOLUME 24 ISSUE 3 x x

Did you enjoy the curmudgeonly, bemittened Bernie Lisa Stauffer has been a member of MAPS since 2007, Sanders meme that virtually blew up the internet but many of us have not met her because she lives in after the Biden inauguration? Many of them made me Duluth, Minnesota. Lisa will be presenting our March laugh out loud, including Bernie “sittin’ on a corner in program. Her topic will be “Reflections on the Winslow, Arizona.” (Sing it along with the Eagles and of Water.” Lisa describes herself as a Plein Air Painter, me: https://youtu.be/6SVzdUCzP6A ) But the meme and she has had many opportunities to paint her subject that sent me wandering down another mental path was matters in her home state. giving Bernie some “happy little mittens.” Lisa has a Master’s in Design from the University of Minnesota and studied Illustration at Parson’s School of Design in New York. Her work has been featured in Plein Air Magazine and Pastel Journal. She has Signa- President’s Letter tureMarch Status in Pastel Program Society of America from (2012) MN. and was awarded Master Circle by the International Association of Pastel Societies in 2011. i d merica aTwo strecent awardsel emphasizeociet her mastery of water painting. “Keller Lake Lillies” won Best Watery Inter- pretation in Plein Air Magazine’s August 2020 Plein Air Salon, and “Lillies On a Silvery Day” won Best Paint in Place at Plein Air Grand Marais in September 2020. And please see Lisa’s story “A Trip to Remember” on page 7.

Bob Ross is a fascinating American cultural icon. He Join in the Plein Air Painting on March 20: filmed 403 episodes of his PBS show during its 11 www.midamericapastel.com/events seasons, and it’s still playing on YouTube and other sites, MAPS Meeting on MarchS 23: years afterM his untimely death in 1995. Ross-system P www.midamericapastel.com/page/6058/meetings teachers are active throughout the US, convincing hundreds of people that anyoneA can paint, and (cont. p. 2) x x 2021 Members Only Online Show • Local Colors • N e x t O n -L i n e M e e t i n g Showing October 4 thru 31 March 23 on Zoom ~ 7:00 pm Entries open June 1 Check-in and conversation at 6:30 pm Deadine is August 31 Program begins at 7:00 pm Lorenzo Chavez will be our Show Judge.

1 2021 Events Next Meeting x xx

Ross paints, brushes, and easels still sell on major art Please share news of shows and awards, plus other lovely supply sites. accomplishments in your art with our fellow MAPS artists at [email protected]! We love to read about what I’ve lost a New York Times article that listed the key you have been doing—and it can inspire others, as well! phenomena in the past 50 years of US history, but I do remember Bob Ross was one of them. And as if to Michele Seeley’s painting "Between a Rock and a Hard emphasize the point, the Smithsonian Museum of Amer- Place", below, was accepted into the 2021 Arizona Pastel ican History recently acquired several Bob Ross paint- Artists Association’s Online Open National Exhibition ings and a selection of memorabilia for their permanent which will open on-line on March 31st. collection. This is particularly ironic because Phil Donahue once tried to goad Ross into admitting that his work would never hang in a museum. “’No,’ said Ross withPresident’s a smile. ‘Well, maybe Letter...cont. it will, but probably not the Member News Smithsonian.’ ‘Why?’ Donahue asked. ‘This is art for anyone who’s ever wanted to put a dream on canvas,’ Ross said. ‘It’s not traditional art. It’s not fine art. And I don’t try to tell anybody it is.’”

They may not be fine art, but Ross’s , if you can find one, have been posted on eBay for thousands of dollars, including a triptych for $55,000.

I have to admit I’m not fond of Bob Ross’s paintings of snow-capped mountains, hidden lakes, and happy little trees. But it’s pretty hard to criticize someone who liter- Randall Bennett has been accepted into the Southern ally brought to thousands of people . Watercolor Society Annual Juried Exhibition 2021 at the —Vicki Thompson, President Gadsden Arts Center and Museum in Quincy , as xx well as into the Missouri Valley Impressionist Society Online Membership Show, from February 8 thru May 9 with an oil on canvas. Randall has also been accepted Karen Stair is our newest Signature Member. Recog- into the International Guild of Realism Spring Salon nized during our February meeting, Karen shared three Online Exhibition, from March 20 thru May 20, also of her paintings, including the one pictured on page 4. with an oil on canvas. And then in May, Randall and two Karen has been painting for twelve to thirteen years. others will have a three-person exhibit at the Tim She cautioned that it took her at least the first two years Murphy Art Gallery in May 2021. The show will run to find her style. Karen is a member of the Program May 6 thru 29, with works in several media including Committee and is currently working on the upcoming pastel paintings. Opening Reception to be announced. Members Show committee. Congratulations, Karen! Carol Rubsam is Artist of the Month at First Gallery, If you would like to pursue obtaining a Signature member- Olathe, KS at 12755 B12 Murlen Road with a show of her ship, you can find the documents explaining the require- work there through March. Carol has also been accepted ments on our website, www.midamericanpastel.com. into the Art for Animals at Buttonwood Art Gallery, 31st YouSignature can also talk to Jan Membership Wheeler, Vice-President and and Main, KCMO, with Macaque and Baby Bison. It is our Signature and Master Chair. ­—Karen Johnson a benefit for SPCA. The Opening Reception is May 7.

Rita Kirkman won Best of Show at the Austin Pastel “Escape to the Country” (love watching it!) week- Society Juried Member Exhibit, with her latest large day afternoons on Dabl (channel 1261 - KSMO3 on figurative piece “Cousins” which we can see on page 4. Spectrum) shows luscious English views of streams, The show is online at www.artframingservices.com/Art- hills, mountains, very old villages, broad fields, and Art-List.php?eventId=19 - and in person at the Austin other interesting things along with home-hunting! A Fine Art Gallery, Austin TX, February 8 thru March 31. lot of info and inspiration to add to our local sights! To view Rita’s paintings: www.ritakirkman.com/. 2 x the importance of value and movement in your work.

It’s been a long and at times, frigid winter. However, the It’s clear to me that working on location has made me a days are getting longer, the sun warmer, and we’re get- far better painter of landscapes than any time spent in ting to the time of year that one wants to pack up their school or studio. Combine that with the fact that you’re pastels and head outdoors to work. No, not to do yard outside enjoying the beautiful gifts of nature, smelling the work but to paint in plein air, a perfect excuse to get out earth and what’s growing in it, hearing the birds and bees, of the yard work. If you didn’t already know, MAPS has feeling the cool breeze and seeing butterflies dance on the a group of like-minded members who love the challenge tops of thistle flowers working at the nectar is much more of painting in the open air like our beloved Impression- rewarding than being cooped up in the studio. Painting in ists once did. plein air works on all of your senses at once and I think this helps one achieve a higher level of focus on the cho- We meet once a month at an announced location to share sen subject that can never be gained from a photo. in this passion and cheer each other on as we attempt to Pleincapture the moodAir and Painting lighting of the settingPlanning while So, if you’ve ever thought about trying a little plein air dealing with the elements. What could be more fun, painting but needed that extra push or a little guidance, right? Oh yeah, there are bugs and scratchy weeds too. this is the perfect opportunity for you. When working However, the rewards of working in plein air far exceed as a group we have unique subjects, safety, shared skills the trouble you might face from any natural elements. and comraderie, the perfect combination. If interested or Plus, that’s where the best stories come from. Yes, I’ve have questions please contact me, had my whole paint box blow over, twice, but I also had Mike Flora at [email protected]. a mother deer and her fawn walk out of the patch of Dates, times and locations will be posted each month on the wildflowers that I was painting and come within 10 the MAPS website, Facebook and Instagram. An email yards of me before heading in another direction. will also go out to members.

If you are looking to improve your skills as a painter, I hope this piqued your interest and maybe you’ll give working in plein air is a wonderful exercise that helps some serious thought to joining us as we test our skills you loosen up, define compositions, edit a scene, see in capturing the landscape as Monet and Van Gogh light, shadow and color as it really is and understand >>> once did. —Mike Flora

Trees have been depicted since ancient times in Anceint Egyptyian wall carvings, on the left, and on Old Sumerian seals rolled out on soft clay, to the right; in sculptures and throuughout time in paintings and drawings around the world. We landscape painters are simply carrying on an age-old heritage.

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"Reflections on the Painting of Water."

Two new members: Karen Jensen “Butterfly” MAPS Members’ Paintings! Lisa Stauffer “Peaceful On Pleasant Creek”

Donna Yeager’s “Lily Pads” in the Missouri Valley Impressionist Society Online Membership Show February 8 thru May 9 First Place: ”Lily Pads” Pastel by Donna Yeager Comment by the Juror, John Lasater IV: What drew me to this pastel painting as the best of the show is the excellent design. There is a compelling tension between the sharp, severe grass shadows, and the bright, but soft light on the lily pad shapes. There is a nice organic motion in the piece as well. One other thing to say is about the color: you might at first think this is a brightly colored painting, but when you really look, there are really nice naturalistic choices all around that Karen Stair “Hessdale Road Barn” give it sophistication. Newest MAPS Signature Member Rita Kirkman “Cousins” Best of Show at the Austin Pastel Society Juried Member Exhibit

4 xx Michael most often uses the smooth side of Canson Mi Tientes paper, preferring a beige or blue color although To say our February program presented by Michael he has recently experimented with using black paper. Duane reached new heights would be no exaggeration He uses Rembrandt pastels because they are between literally or figuratively. We were privileged to see a soft and hard and blend well. He does use softer pastels new perspective of the Flint Hills of Kansas. Michael’s such as Sennelier and others to finish. He has found friend who is a pilot flew Michael to the Flint Hills Townsend good with his black-paper paintings. He does where he was able to shoot aerial photographs that he a preliminary color sketch to put the two photos togeth- would later use to create paintings he would submit to er. He is not spontaneous and loves to “build a painting.” the Symphony in the Flint Hills Art Show. One of those He frames all his paintings with museum glass and he paintings, “Storms Lined Up” does spray them with Crylon won Michael his first Best of Gallery Series Fixit. Show award. In this painting, Michael welded together We were treated to a total of Februarytwo reference photos fromProgram Review seven of Michael’s paintings. his flight, using yellow and One of those, “Sunset Storm purples to create a stunning Reflection” below was sky. Another of his paintings described by one of our based on aerial photography members as “ethereal.” It not was “Storm Horizon” in only was stunning in its pal- which his brilliant sky glowed ette, it captured movement. with orange, purple, and blue. Rain shafts, sunsets and A later flight took advantage sunset shadows provided of a setting sun with lakes and a wide variety of features. reflections. Michael has been fascinated by the sky since he was a “Flint Hills - Storms Lined Up” The use of aerial photography is only child. He has studied weather part of the unique style that Michael brings to his and counts a local television weatherman as an owner landscape paintings that emphasize sky over land. The of his paintings. colors Michael chooses are not necessarily those he sees when he looks at the scene. Rather, he uses “colors When we started focusing on the use of photographs to that you see in a dream.” And in the examples of all create paintings, we posed several questions. Among his paintings we were shown, one might best describe those questions were “Can I change the colors?” “Can the colors as vivid and pure. And his scenes are well I leave out some features?” “Can I add features?” The blended by using his fingers. He routinely uses two ref- answers to all those questions are a resounding “Yes!” erence photos to create one painting. One photo might As Michael so aptly advised, “Be fearless.” show the land; the other will be a sky photo. >>> —Karen Johnson “Flint Hills Sunset” “Sunset Storm Reflection #2”

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x xx Olathe Visual Arts Adventures

Here is an interesting story shared by David Keys in AU. MidAmerica Pastel Society is pleased to announce: When Pink Was a Yellow Color 2021 Members Only Online Show By George O’Hanlon Local Colors October 4 thru 31, 2021 At one time in history, the English word pink referred to a yellow color. There is no satisfactory explanation All MAPS artists, from beginner to professional, are as to why the word pink meant a yellow color. There is invited to submit their artwork for jurying into our speculation, owing to its greenish yellow tone, that it is 2021 Members Only Online Show. This is a unique derived from the German word pinkeln translated in a opportunity to display your work publicly and earn dictionary of 1798 as ‘to make water.’ points towards Signature or Master Pastelist status. As a community of pastel artists, we continually encourage The color most often known as Dutch pink was ‘a and inspire one another using one of the most unique Pinkyellow lakeWas prepared Yellow from Persian Back berries orThen? from Ourand expressive Next mediums MAPS soft pastel! WhatShow better way to quercitron and used chiefly as an artist’s pigment,’ support and enrich our community than by participating according to Webster’s Third New International Dictio- in our Member Show? There's plenty of time. nary, under the definition of Dutch pink. This color was • Entries open on June 1. ‘a light yellow that is greener and slightly darker than • Deadline to submit your paintings is August 31. jasmine and greener and stronger than average maize or Additional information is outlined in the Prospectus, popcorn—called also English pink, Italian pink, madder which is linked below. Today is the day to get started on yellow, stil de grain, yellow madder.’ your next beautiful work of art!

When we review the literature on Dutch pink, we find Prospectus: https://userfiles.faso.us/52608/12181.pdf that it is a lake pigment made from various organic sources, the most often mentioned is from Persian ber- If you lose this email, you can always find the prospectus ries. These pigments also contained other yellow dyes, on the MAPS website at: https://www.midamericapastel. such as fustic, turmeric, weld, dyers’ broom and dyer’s com/page/6063/shows-and-competitions oak. Chemically, the colorants of all these yellow dyes Marcia Kenley, MAPS Co-Webmaster are types of aromatic molecules known as flavonoids. The various yellow dyes all have a very similar appear- x ance and were probably used indiscriminately by color makers and artists. Plein Air on March 20: To read the entire article: www.midamericapastel.com/events https://www.naturalpigments.com/artist-materials/cat/nat- Meeting on March 23: ural-pigments-supplies/post/pink-was-yellow-paint/ www.midamericapastel.com/page/6058/meetings And a related article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_pigment#cite_note-5 And new paintings on our website: We just finished doing a website refresh and have up- A lake pigment is made by precipitating a dye with an loaded all the beautiful new member paintings. Thank inert binder, or “mordant”, usually a metallic salt. Unlike you so much to all of you that sent in your images. If you vermilion, ultramarine, and other pigments made from click on the first slide, you can see all of the paintings ground minerals, lake pigments are organic. Manufac- (enlarged) in a slideshow. Here is a link: turers and suppliers to artists and industry frequently omit https://www.midamericapastel.com/collections/98839 the lake designation in the name. Many lake pigments are MAPS WebsiteHappy viewing! News! fugitive because the dyes involved are not lightfast. Red —Cris Chapin & Marcia Kenley, Co-Webmasters lakes were particularly important in Renaissance and Baroque paintings; they were often used as translucent Jackie Borge shares this link to the Pastel Society of glazes to portray the colors of rich fabrics and draperies. America 48th Annual Exhibitions: www.pastelsociety- The term “lake” is derived from the term lac, the secretions ofamerica.org/48th-annual-pastel-exhibition/ of the Indian wood insect Laccifer lacca (formerly known as the Coccus lacca). It has the same root as the word lacquer, and comes originally from the Hindi word lakh, Inspire a Friend to Join MAPS! through the Arabic word lakk and the Persian word lak. They will be so glad you did! 6 xx with smaller, less expensive rooms - bunkbeds!), then hit a highly recommended Turkish/Greek/Lebanese (Zaytinya) My painting pal, Cheryl LeClair-Sommer, and I took a fusion restaurant enjoying the tasting menu - exotic and trip the first weekend in January 2020 before we knew great food. Sunday morning we were off to the National about the pandemic. We had a whirlwind three day ad- Gallery to see the history of pastel exhibit - The Touch venture; we flew in to New York City Thursday evening. Of Color: Pastels at The National Gallery Of Art. What First thing Friday we saw the Sargent Charcoal Portrait a spectacle for pastel painters, whee! We also saw more Show at the Morgan Library, amazing! The permanent Dutch Masters including Vermeer, along with many of collection is fascinating too, many manuscripts and the rotating exhibits. Flying back home our minds were letters displayed on a rotating basis. Then we headed exploding with all the visual information we had taken uptown to see the special Impressionist show including in these 3 days; we had so much fun that we promptly pastels at the Metropolitan Museum Of Art. We dashed booked tickets back to D.C. for mid-March to see Degas’ through the permanent Impressionist exhibit, the “At The Opera” and True to Nature: Open Air Painting In exhibits around them, and saw the American wing, , 1780-1870. We would be able to see the Sargent Afabulous! Trip A Dutchto Remember Masters special exhibit included portraits again, this time at the National Portrait Gallery. many Rembrandts - wow! We then walked to the nearby Unfortunately for us, air travel was cancelled a few days Neue Gallery and Museum, this houses a permanent col- before our second trip. We are so glad to have experi- lection of Klimt’s paintings including “Woman In Gold” enced the first one though! (title is actually “Adele Bloch-Bauer I”); this painting’s recovery is documented in the movie of the same name. The good news is that at the National Gallery’s website, It is so amazing to see his work in person, the texture and nga.gov, you can immerse yourself in a virtual tour of subtleties are not captured in print (true for all paintings). Degas At The Opera and the Plein Air show- True To We closed the Neue down (open until 8 the first Friday Nature. Don’t delay! The Morgan Library has a brief of the month), staring at “Woman In Gold”, then capped video about the Sargent charcoal portrait show online off that great day with a fun Italian meal at Lidia Basti- that is well worth viewing. The catalogs (books) on anich’s Eataly, yum! these exhibits, which can be purchased online, are really nice as well. Saturday morning we continued the New York experience with a bagel for breakfast, and a quick trip to the NYC I urge you to visit to our fabulous museums, the inspiration institution, the Strand Bookstore. We left hundreds of is incredible. The Smithsonian museums are amazing, you must-see possibilities for the next trip and headed up to could spend weeks and not see enough; take advantage Penn Station for our train to Washington, D.C. Upon of this national treasure and happy travels soon! arrival we checked in to the Pod Hotel (a newer hotel >>> —Lisa Stauffer xx • When we add a stack of books to a still life, it will look a bit more interesting if, perhaps, we give the books a bit • Make sure that cat’s whiskers are made with a tapering more “casual” stack than one rather perfectly aligned. tip rather than a blunt end. Begin the stoke on kitty’s • When we have a warm light on one side of an object(s) face, lifting the pastel gently off the painting toward the it will be cooler on the other. If the light shining on the whisker’s tip, giving a naturally fine tip at the end. object is warm, be sure that the cast shadow on the cool • When we are painting clouds in the warm sunshine, be side is cool—because the object that is sitting in warm sure that you are showing the warmth of that sunlight— light will be blocking the warm light from falling on that is, be sure you add a bit of pale yellow ochre or the far side of that object, giving that cool side the cool other warm yellow to the white of the cloud, rather than shadow. And warm light will be surrounding that cool leaving the cloud cold, shivering sunless white. shadow. If the light on the object(s) is cool, it’s just the • We need to make sure that the branches of our trees reverse all the way through. end naturally, tapering off as that particular tree does, • When we are painting a landscape that goes off into unless the branches are broken off. the distance a good long way, we need to make sure that Details• And do be sure Details that those branches, Details... as well as the bark we are addressing the changing colors that we would and the base where it comes out of the ground, match see as the land stretches out before us though the atmo- the type of the particular tree you are painting. This sphere. As Da Vinci mentioned in his writings, things time of year in the midwest is a great time when we can appear cooler and a bit paler as the land stretches into really study those qualities while the trees are bare! the distance. Still does. —Donna Aldridge, Editor 7 x a chin and a forehead. Oh and ears. Let your new friend voice your frustrations and say the bad words. When I had a really fun day a couple of Saturdays ago. I hosted you go back to painting, life will look better! a cartooning workshop! The Olathe Visual Artists puts —Carol Rubsam, Ex-Officio on a free 2 hour mini-workshop on the 4th Saturday of every month. Yup, it is my job to organize them and • Forget yourself. Become one with eternity. Become see to it we have a topic, a presenter, and supplies. A part of your environment. —Yayoi Kusama couple of months ago our own Loreta Feeback intro- • Artists are just children who refuse to put down their duced a small group or artists and non-artists to the ART crayons. —Al Hirschfeld of Pastel. She brought some of her work and explained • The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery. about the different types and papers, and then we let —Francis Bacon everyone try a few. It too was a fun time and Loreta was so appreciated. xx ButHaving when I say, this Fun Saturday in was Olathereally fun…. Well, it was REALLY fun. I laughed till I cried a lot that day, Vicki Thompson PRESIDENT & MEMBERSHIP and mostly at myself. Our presenter that day has an art 15320 W, 89th Terr. Lenexa, KS 66219 degree with a specialty in media arts. He has added sev- 913-461-9535 [email protected] eral quirky characters to his family and Monty, Rab- Janet Wheeler VICE PRESIDENT bit, and Ribbit entertain his children, decorate cards for 816-803-2660 [email protected] birthdays, communicate with his friends, even decorate Karen Johnson CO-PROGRAM CHAIR kid’s lunch bags. He taught us to make a simple face but 913-722-6048 [email protected] one that can tell a story. He taught us to make hands and Ralph Klapis CO-PROGRAM CHAIR feet that create movement, and a body that is just a basic 219-246-1000 [email protected] shape to hold everything together. Karen Stair CO-PROGRAM CHAIR 816-765-7296 [email protected] Once we had the cartooning basics, he had us do each Deborah Martin CO-SECRETARY other, caricatures vs a cartoon. That was when it started 913-631-0842Contact Information [email protected] getting really entertaining. The 12 year old in the group Bonnie Stair CO-SECRETARY enjoyed it the most. It isn’t often he is able to make fun 816-540-2817 [email protected] of adults, get away with it and have them laugh with Bev Amundson CO-TREASURER him. We drew fast and furious. Pulled the mask down 913-593-7489 [email protected] for a few seconds when asked and showed our work to Michele Seeley CO-TREASURER anyone in the room who would look. 918-331-6034 [email protected] Cris Chapin CO-WEBSITE MASTER Cartoons are most effective in black and white. The 785-691-7924 [email protected] characters tell the story without assistance from hue and Marcia Kenley CO-WEBSITE MASTER value changes. Our pastel art is lovely, colorful art. We 913-660-2722 [email protected] do it because we love the intensity of the pigment, the Loreta Feeback BOARD MEMBER many hues, tones and shades. We create paintings that 913-648-7925 [email protected] tell stories, that have movement, and a body that holds Mike Flora BOARD MEMBER it all together. Yah, really. In fact, the word “cartoon” 913-205-1433 [email protected] came about when the concept of using simplified figures Carol Rubsam BOARD MEMBER and shapes was used by the great masters, to create the 913-706-8068 [email protected] “storyboard”, the body for the huge frescoes they built. Donna Aldridge NEWSLETTER EDITOR Start a painting or project with a cartoon, a simplified 7503 W. 54th Terr. Overland Park, KS 66202 study or plan for the piece, and let it help you recog- 913-831-3990 [email protected] nize the darkest dark, the lightest lights and values in MAPS Mailing Address only: between. Find the perfect composition. Think cartoon. 8532 Cardinal Street, Lenexa, KS 66219 When you are comfortable with where everything goes, start putting in the color. Donna Aldridge PSA M-MAPS Monday 1 to 4 pm ~ Painting Class When you get frustrated, pull out a blank sheet of paper Private Classes by Appointment and draw some eyes, then a mouth, put in a nose, >>> 8