"The Old Shepherd's Chief Mourner"
by Edwin Landseer
Masters Exhibition 2022
(Image cropped to fit space)
Welcome to the blog feature of our Santa Rita Art League (SRAL) website. We hope to use this feature as a way to connect our creative community and share new ideas. In the blog posts you will find member news, challenges, techniques, tools, and everything art related our members would like to share.
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If you have an idea for a blog post, go to the "Contact" item on the top menu and submit your idea. We'd love to hear from you.
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The new March Member exhibition is up at Canoa Hills! Thank you, Karen Workman and Suzy Webber, for co-chairing this undertaking and to Michaelin Otis, our judge, and thank you to all our wonderful members who helped throughout the process.
What a team! What a successful exhibition! Be sure to stop by to see this event!
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Realistic
First Place: Veronica Johnson for Big Sky
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Second Place: Pat Doughty for Beyond the Chapel
Third Place: Maureen Kirk-Detberner for Alheri
Honorable Mention: Susan McKelvy for Going Away
Honorable Mention: Bruce Wamsley for Above the Clouds
Honorable Mention: Sharon Wirth for Pigtails
Four-Way Tie for Artist Choice Award:
Jan Harnish for Desert Spring
Susan McKelvy for Going Away
Karen Workman for Following the Sun
Pat Doughty for Beyond the Chapel
Non-Realistic
First Place: Janet Johnson for Versatility
Second Place: Pat McKean for Water Music
Third Place: John McGraw for Dark Passage
Honorable Mention: Camille Vonnegut for Golden Orbit
Honorable Mention: Laurel Sponseller for Take Your Shoes Off
Honorable Mention: Nan Lux for Song in a Minor
Artist Choice Award: Camille Vonnegut for Golden Orbit
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Realistic Category Winners
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1st Place: Veronica Johnson for "Big Sky"
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2nd Place: Pat Doughty for "Beyond the Chapel"
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3rd Place:Maureen Kirk-Detberner for "Alheri"
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Honorable Mention: Susan McKelvy for "Going Away"
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Honorable Mention: Bruce Wamsley for "Above the Clouds"
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Honorable Mention: Sharon Wirth for "Pigtails"
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Four-Way Tie for Artist Choice Award:
Jan Harnish for "Desert Spring"
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Susan McKelvy for "Going Away"
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Karen Workman for "Following the Sun"
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Pat Doughty for "Beyond the Chapel"
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Non-Realistic Category Winners
1st Place: Janet Johnson for "Versatility"
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2nd Place: Pat McKean for "Water Music"
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3rd: John McGraw for "Dark Passage"
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Honorable Mention: Camille Vonnegut for "Golden Orbit"
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Honorable Mention: Laurel Sponseller for "Take Your Shoes Off"
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Honorable Mention: Nan Lux for "Song in a Minor"
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Artist Choice Award: Camille Vonnegut for "Golden Orbit"
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The winners with the most votes for the 2023 Masters Show, in alphbetical order, are:
Kathleen Bolivar - " Kachina Painter" after Irving Couse
Diane Conant - "After the Misdeed" after Jean Beraud
Cheryl Jackson Schaeffer - "The Wise Men" after Maynard Dixon
and "A Wet Night, 6th and Hill" after Frank Coburn
Linda Sparks - "The Golden Hour" after Thomas Moran
This show is referred to as the "All Member's Show" as all art entries submitted are hung, then judged for awards.
The Members' Exhibition 2022 is currently on display for the months of November and December at Canoa Hills Recreation Center in the main lobby and hall galleries.
Many thanks to our co-chairs, Arlene Szypulski and Jan Harnish, and volunteer crew, for their efforts in putting this show together. There are many moving parts to these exhibitions. Their efforts are appreciated by our entire membership, especially those that entered and those who were able to attend the reception on November 3rd.
Judging of awards was done by Leslie Miller, Director of the Tubac School of Art. Thank you to Leslie.
Following is a list of the award winners in the Abstract and Representational categories. Images of the award winners follow the list. You really need to head on over to Canoa Hills and see the art in person. (Notes - Apologies for the reflections on the artwork with glass. Every attempt was made to minimize them.)
Congratulations!!
Winners - Abstract Category
1st Camille Vonegut - "Autumn in Umbria"
2nd Janet Johnson - "Chance"
3rd Karen Keim - "Mary Poppins on the Grid"
Honorable Mentions
Robert Hamilton - "Fall of the House of Cards"
Ellen Meents - "Fleeting Anxiety"
Laurel Sponseller - "Deep Space"
Winners - Representational Category
1st Annella Campbell - "Desert Blooms"
2nd Margery Baker - "Big Jim"
3rd Connie Butz - "Tomatoes and an Angel"
Honorable Mentions
Nanci Sheppard - "Madera View"
Elizabeth Wolf - "Echinacea"
Karen Workman - "Once a Tiny Seed"
REPRESENTATIONAL CATEGORY WINNING ARTWORK
1st Place - Annella Campbell "Desert Blooms"
2nd Place - Margery Baker "Big Jim"
3rd Place - Connie Butz "Tomatoes and an Angel"
Honorable Mention - Nanci Sheppard "Madera View"
Honorable Mention - Elizabeth Wolf "Echinacea"
Honorable Mention - Karen Workman "Once a Tiny Seed"
ABSTRACT CATEGORY WINNING ARTWORK
1st Place - Camille Vonnegut "Autumn in Umbria"
2nd Place - Janet Johnson "Chance"
3rd Place - Karen Keim "Mary Poppins on the Grid"
Honorable Mention - Robert Hamilton "Fall of the House of Cards"
Honorable Mention - Ellen Meents "Fleeting Anxiety"
These words of Makoto Fujimura inspire me, and cause me to think more deeply about what I create and why. From the heart of the artist flows inspiration to create. And the things we create have purpose. Our work is needed to influence and impact our culture. As I write these words I regain a much needed sense of purpose in my retirement life. Retired from years of work I considered helpful to the building up of our culture, I am grateful to be finding purpose once again.
Artists have historically contributed to raising awareness and impacting culture. When a culture strays from its spiritual roots and deepest values, artists are often the first to realize it. The call of our work is to either return or transform. Sometimes I wonder if we are the equivalent of the ancient prophet.
We create things of beauty to connect with the love of beauty in the heart of the viewer. The viewer can be powerfully impacted, sometimes with resulting life changes. At times artists expose what is hidden or broken in culture, so that it can be healed. I strongly identify with Fujimura’s desire to produce art that will bring healing to our culture.
As facilitator of our Desert Doodlers SIG, I am excited to provide an environment where we can create. This group meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 9am till noon, and is open to all regardless of skill level. The only things needed is SRAL membership ( $35.00 yearly) and a micron pen and paper. If you are looking for a sense of purpose, I hope you will find it here. For more information go to our webpage at SantaRitaArt.org and send us a message through our website. Hope to see you soon!
Geneva Seeds, facilitator
Desert Doodlers, SIG