Plein Aire #1: Saxon Harbor

Join up with RAA artist members at the Plein Aire location #1

Location: Saxon Harbor, WI

Date: June 10th

Time: 10AM-?

what to bring: paints, pens, pastels, canvas, paper, camera, easel (i.e. medium of choice)

optional: lunch, water, bug spray, sunscreen, hat

everyone is welcome: beginners, professionals, area visitors and vacationers

What's there to see: Beautiful Lake Superior, rocky shoreline, trees, blue sky, boats, and seagulls

map it:

http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Saxon+Harbor&state=WI&country=US&latitude=46.562778&longitude=-90.434174&geocode=CITY#undefined

Currently on Display: Betsy Wesselhoft "Awaken Spring"

Dewy Threads - 17"x17"

Taking Turns - 17"x20"

Mesmerizing Mist - 17"x17"

Currently on display for May at the River Valley Bank in Ironwood, MI: Betsy Wesselhoft.

(hours: M-F 8 to 5, Sat. 9 to 12, closed Sun.)

This show, entitled “Awaken Spring” includes 13 framed, matted photographs taken by Betsy Wesselhoft. The vast majority of the photos were taken locally, and all are submitted as a celebration of spring!

Betsy Wesselhoft began enjoying photography shortly after she moved to the Northwoods in 1978. “There was so much to photograph and appreciate in the natural world around us, and it helped me to embrace the area as my new home.”

She took a class at GCC taught by her neighbor, Jerry Maki, and enjoyed learning how to develop her own photos and more about the technical aspects of shooting a good picture. During the busy years of working full time and raising children, her hobby took a back seat to her other priorities.

In 2006, she had the opportunity to work with a professional from Cold Snap Photography from Two Harbors, MN. This reignited her interest in photography and she has been honing her artistic eye with intentionality since then.

Ray and Mickey Mickevicius of Two Hawks Photography in Wausau have provided ongoing inspiration and support to her efforts. Locally, Cindy Franck, Janelle Edwards and Phil Kucera are key mentors.

Betsy won “Best of Show” in 2009 at the Range Art Association’s annual art fair held in Bessemer. Her submission, entitled “Sweet Baby James” was taken of her grandson when he was 9 days old.

A newcomer to the Range Art Association, Betsy is enjoying being part of the group. “It is gratifying to meet with others who enjoy appreciating nature and bringing it to a new form through their creative talents” she states. She encourages other artists to consider joining this well-established Rangeland organization.

Betsy is a retired Human Services provider and administrator who resides with her husband, Steve, in Ironwood. Steve is the Dean of Students at Gogebic Community College, and will be retiring next month. They have two adult children, Michael and Leanne. Michael resides in San Diego, CA and Leanne resides in Madison, WI.

Mark your Calendars: Plein Aire Dates are Set!

Dates for plein aire sessions are:

June 10th
June 24th
July 15th
July 29th
August 5th
August 19th
Sept. 2nd
Sept. 16th
Sept. 30th

Location details to come.

Get to Know the RAA Art Show Judge- Beth Stebbins

The judge for our show will be Beth Stebbins.
She is a magazine illustrator and has illustrated two books. She has been an art teacher and a tutor. She was awarded the obsidian cross – the highest honor of the Chris McCandless Educational Foundation for a portrait painting. Her mediums include pen-and-ink, Japanese colors, watercolor, pastel, pencil, textile art, embroidery and sculpture in Sculpey, and oils. She is currently attending the College of Business at the University of Wisconsin Superior. The following is written Ms. Stebbins.



Thoughts on Art
By Beth Stebbins

I like to get to know an artist by discovering that artist’s preferences among the masters. My method does not apply to artists in toto; for example, I would not critique the work of animal artists, such as elephants (whose works sell to collectors worldwide) in this manner. Yet, regarding most human artists, I think is amazing the things that can be learned about them and their artistic goals in this way. For example, a person who aspires to paint at the level of Claude Monet cannot be held to the standards of da Vinci. Yet, if that person achieves his goal, (in my opinion) he is just as successful as a person who aspires to paint like da Vinci.

My own paramount preference among the masters is the work of Jacques-Louis David, for his realistic historical portraits. My lifelong goal in art is to paint historical works in the neoclassical manner of Jacques Louis-David with the incredible realism skills of the modern wildlife artist Carl Brenders of Belgium.

When I look at human art, I like to think of each work in terms of the artist’s vision (spirit), hand, and eye. I think art is best when it is inspired. Inspiration, then, requires a preliminary “vision” of what the work will be. Sometimes – even when the hand cannot entirely translate the vision through the chosen medium – if the vision is powerful enough, it may still shine through. That is why the original vision is so important to an artist’s success. The “hand” means how skillful the artist is in translating his vision through his chosen medium. Has he mastered the technique? This is only important if it affects the interpretation of the vision. The “eye” means that the artist has acquired skills that can influence others to interpret the artist’s vision as closely as possible to the original vision. A famous musical artist once said that when he is creating an album he continually asks himself, “Can my audience sing along with me?” He did not mean that he merely wanted to lead the party. He meant that he realized the importance of translating his feelings through the medium of music in a way that others could interpret and relate to. Some art can be so esoteric that it only holds meaning for the artist – and not for humanity. The fact that many works by the old masters still speak to us today is the best illustration of this important concept.

Though the years, I have had my work judged harshly by other artists and competition judges. I have learned that even when a piece that I have created speaks to me, it will not endure unless it speaks to many others. Additionally, another wonderful artist once told me, “If you cannot part with what you have already created, then you are not a true professional. A true professional knows he can do better – and actually feels uncomfortable seeing any of his previous work.” He continually looks forward – to newer and better visions.

55th Annual Art Show

The Range Art Association 55th Annual Art Show will be held at the Bessemer Heritage House in Bessemer, MI from July 2nd-July 4th 2010.

ARTIST RULES
All artwork must meet the following criteria:
*Be original in concept & design * be signed by the artist *not have been exhibited in any Range Art Show *have been completed in the last 12 months * created by an artist 18 years of age or older.

CATEGORIES
There will be five categories in the show: a. Oil & acrylics, b. Watercolor, c. Pastels, d. Mixed media, including pen and ink, charcoal, etc., e. Photography and computer art.

REGISTRATION
Registration fee for the show is $20.00. Entry forms must be postmarked by June 13th, with correct fees, to the address on the entry form. Each artist may enter 3 works of art; however, if space becomes a problem we may have to change this to a lesser amount.

DISPLAY REQUIREMENTS
*An ID tag (included on the entry form) must be firmly attached to the back of the work before it is submitted. ** Paintings, photography, graphics, etc., must be wired for hanging, NO SAWTOOTH HANGERS

** The league reserves the right to refuse any oversized or hard-to-display items due to limited display area. ** The league has the privilege of deleting from the show any work that does not conform to the entry specifications. ** If an entry that is deleted, we will refund the fee.
** Please call or email with questions about any of the above Gail Kniska (715)561-2072 gkniska000@centurytel.net

RECEIVING
*Artwork is to be delivered on Wednesday June 30th, between 2PM and 5PM, and July 1st between 10AM and11AM to the Bessemer Heritage House (also known as the Bessemer Historical Society) on South Sophie Street in downtown Bessemer Michigan. A receipt for all artwork will be issued at the time the artwork is brought in.

SALES
If an artist wishes to sell their artwork, they may list a price on their entry tag. No changes in title, price and no substitutions will be allowed once the registration is received. The artist is responsible for collecting any sales tax and any shipping of sold artwork. All proceeds go to the artist.

PICKUP
All artwork must be picked up on July 5th between the hours of 9:30 AM and 2:00PM. You must present your receipt at the time of pickup. Any work not picked up by 2:00PM will be stored at the Bessemer Historical Society for 1 week. You must call Gail Kniska to arrange for pickup. If you do not pick up your work within 30 days, it becomes the property of Range Art Association.

JUDGING
Judging will be done on Thursday, July1st at 1:30 PM.
The judge for our show will be Beth Stebbins. She is a magazine illustrator and has illustrated two books.
She has been an art teacher and a tutor. She was awarded the obsidian cross – the highest honor of the Chris McCandless Educational Foundation for a portrait painting. Her mediums include pen-and-ink, Japanese colors, watercolor, pastel, pencil, textile art, embroidery and sculpture in Sculpey, and oils. She is currently attending the College of Business at the University of Wisconsin Superior.

AWARDS
Awards will be as follow: An award of excellence in each category, plus $25.00 in cash, one best of show award, and one judges choice. There will be a total of 10 honorable mention awards. The visiting public will have an opportunity to vote for their choice and that piece of art will receive a people’s choice award.

RANGE ART ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP
To become a member: Please request and complete a membership application and send along with a check for $20 for your annual dues made out to Range Art Association, Gail Kniska, 14002 N River Rd, Hurley WI 54534 (715) 561 2072 Our meetings are held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

Please see the form above for dates and further details as well as disclosures.

Any questions please email: rangeartists@gmail.com

*Click on the application image to open in a new window and then you can print a copy from there.*

Range Art Association Welcomes You

Welcome to the new site for Range Art Association. We currently have about 25 member artists specializing in a variety of medias. We meet the third Tuesday of every month in Hurley, WI. We have numerous upcoming events and opportunities for area artists and visitors alike. RAA strives to encourage artists and support the arts in our communities.

The 55th Annual Fine Art show is coming up. Work will be displayed at the Bessemer Historical Society, with judgng by artist Beth Stebbins. More info. to be posted soon, with a downloadable application.

Naturally as summer approaches, our thoughts turn to outdoor adventures and sites to see. Range Art Association would like to invite you to our pleine-aire painting events, beginning Thursday, June 10th. Any level of artists, amateurs, professionals, or even simple sight seekers are encouraged to join our members as we create artwork at beautiful locations. Again, more info. to come as the dates approach, with locations, details, and maps.

Stay tuned for further details of these events as well as featured individual member artists, where you can see some of our member's works displayed, and how you too may get involved as a member.