Post 498: PWAS Member Zee Berrios Answers to Questions

PWAS Member Zee Berrios Answers to Questions

Many of our Prince William Art Society members answer the questions sent out to for what they are currently working on and what art shows do they have coming up. Occasionally, other questions might be asked and here are Zee Berrios' answers and art tips to share with you. 

 

Zee Berrios in Studio

The Questions Asked and Answered by PWAS Member Zee Berrios

1. How do you find inspiration?

Inspiration comes depending on photos taken or books and articles read.

2.  Why are you drawn to a certain style of art?

Drawn (no pun intended) to semi abstracts because of the challenge to the viewer in completing the image in their heads. This style because it is not realistic or totally abstract and because there are no gradations form one tone or one color to another. There is basically a "hard edge" to all colors. The merging of the colors and forms happens in the viewers mind.

3. Who are your favorite PWAS artists and why???

Favorite PWAS artist are a few, but will mention Evelyn Chatters and Ana Gatling because they have an excellent control in form and color on their "Pour" paintings (a style difficult to manage and harmonize).

4. Which art tips have helped you that you'd like to share?

Art tips that have helped so much (when painting with acrylic paints):

• Create your own blacks instead of using Mars Black ( for example: ultramarine blue + burnt umber + alizarin crimson)
• Never leave brushes in water, always clean them after each use.
• Store brushes with the hair (bristle) facing up, not on the hair to keep the hairs straight)
• A few drops of distilled white vinegar to the stored jar of paint avoids mildew and the loss of your paint. (there is an excellent book by Gill Barron, titled "Compendium of Acrylic Painting Techniques".) (wish would have read a book like this when I started painting decades ago.

5. Have you taken any of the PWAS art classes and which have been your favorites so far? What classes would you like to take?

Yes, took the PWAS class on "pour acrylic by Ann Gatling. It was great!

6. Why do you create art?

I don't create art, but rather express something that already is, an expression of what moves (inspires, hurts, bothers, inspires, lifts) ... to share that expression with the viewer. 

Any other PWAS members want to answer the questions for a blog post?

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Author: Donna Liguria
Artistry Spin Blogmaster and an artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Donna's Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

Photography/Video Credits: Zee Berrios

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Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

Post 497: PWAS Lime Challenge

PWAS Lime Challenge

Arts Alive was Saturday, September 14, 2024 and a fun day it was. What puzzled our creative artists was this lime sitting near an exit door all day where we were set up. A still life? Yes and no. A paint project? Yes! Hence, the PWAS Lime Challenge was born.

 

Photo from Donna Liguria

Let's Have a Paint Challenge!

Get a group of artists together and the ideas start happening. This lonely green guy sat on this table all day. The question was raised, why was it here? Who did it belong to? What should we do with it? We had no idea but we decided at first that it was a still life. Should we add more oddball items with it through the day to make a more interesting still life scene out of it? Was some woman without her lime in the coconut?

The final decision was a PWAS Lime Painting Challenge for the entire art group. We would like to throw down the Lime Challenge and have anyone in the PWAS art group do a painting of a lime and we can bring the paintings to a meeting and see and enjoy our results.

Paint the lime in whatever your style is: realistic, abstract, paint pour, whatever. Create a Picasso Lime! "Mona Lime" by Leonardo da Vinci. "Girl with a Pearl Lime" (Johannes Vermeer). "Starry Limes" (Van Gogh). "The Son of Man" with a Lime instead of a green apple (René Magritte).

Or a simple lime on a table.

Small painting? Maybe...but you do you.

Lime is a color so shoot for whatever interpretation of a lime you want to do.

Maybe even as you see his ultimate purpose in life. A margarita? A Corona? A Keylime Pie? 

We offer here a few reference photos to get your lime thoughts stirring, no limetations.

 

Photo from Donna Liguria 

 

Photo from Donna Liguria 

 

Photo from Anna Gatling

 

Photo from Anna Gatling

When to Show Your Lime Challenge Paintings?

With the next PWAS Meeting scheduled for Monday, September 23 at 7:30, at the Tall Oaks Community Center - 12298 Cotton Mill Drive, Woodbridge - there may not be enough time for everyone to get limed up. Do you want to shoot for October's meeting on October 28?

Next steps...How to sell our lime paintings/interpretations? We'll need to come up with some good ideas on this too. Want to vote on your favorites as a group? (Perhaps don't sign the front for this idea.)

Don't show your Lime paintings beforehand but we'd love to know if you are taking part in the Lime Challenge! May this not be our first and only PWAS Challenge!

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Author: Donna Liguria
Artistry Spin Blogmaster and an artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Donna's Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

Photography/Video Credits: Anna Gatling and Donna Liguria

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Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

Post 496: PWAS Art Up at Arts Alive!

PWAS Art Up at Arts Alive!

Arts Alive! Yes they are! The Prince William Art Society (PWAS) was at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas, Virginia on Saturday, September 14, 2024 for this wonderful, annual celebration of the arts. Let's have a look at some photos from the day.

PWAS Artists at Arts Alive

Arts Alive used to be on a Sunday but this year it was held on a Saturday. Prince William Art Society had 17 artists showing a variety of art from small to large, from multiple mediums, prints, and other art merchandise. The artists at the show:

Anna Gatling
Sandra Lewin
Evelyn Chatters
Nicole Goble
Nicole Fisher
Donna Liguria
Staci Blanchard 

Jewel Pratt Burns
Maria Briganti
Elena Jochem
Anna Huerta
Richard Tyler
Kathleen Gates

April Mckether

Ana Quispe

Mark Clifton

Kenneth Mckether 

 

Photo by Donna Liguria of the Hylton Performing Arts Center, 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, VA 20109

Let's See the Show!

Around 10 am the artists begin to arrive. The art hanging equipment comes in and gets set up first and the artists draw numbers to mark their territories. Up goes everyone's art and those with art prints and other merchandise, prepare their tables. The art show begins at 12 noon and went until 5pm.

 

Photo from Staci Blanchard

Photo from Donna Liguria

Photo from Donna Liguria

Photo from Donna Liguria

Photo from Donna Liguria

Photo from Donna Liguria

Photo from Donna Liguria

Photo from Donna Liguria

Photo from Donna Liguria

Photo from Donna Liguria of our dear PWAS member, Jewell Pratt Burns, next to her art

It was so good to see not only the visitors enjoying our art creations and seeing all of our art friends, but to see Jewell Pratt Burns arrive. She is an original PWAS member from the 1971 Woodbridge Art Guild that later became the Prince William Art Society. Three pieces of her art are up here at Arts Alive. You can see it here along with some of the other PWAS members at https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/category/all-products

When they say it takes a village to do some things, an art group gets some things done too! A big thank you to all that stopped by and to the folks that took some of our creations home by supporting the arts!

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Author: Donna Liguria
Artistry Spin Blogmaster and an artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Donna's Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

Photography/Video Credits: Staci Blanchard, Donna Liguria

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Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

Post 495: Prepare Your Own Go-to-the-Show Art Bag

Prepare Your Own Art Show Go Bag

If you are an artist having your own art show or you are in a group art show, prepare an art show bag for yourself so that you have what you need so that you are ready to start selling art when the show opens! Here's a check list of supplies to have stashed in your show bag.

 

Photo by Zac Meadowcroft on Unsplash 

Being Prepared

You know the drill: There is always that often -frantic- hour or two before an art show begins where every artist scrambles to ensure that their art is up and out, labeled correctly, organized nicely and displayed perfectly by the time the show doors open. It is up to each artist to be as prepared as possible - and on time.

Anticipating the supplies you need before the show is something that should happen BEFORE you even leave the house. Know before hand what the venue provides and what they do not. (Tables, chairs - how many?)

Besides the obvious of bringing your artwork, prints and other creatives, there is much more that is needed AND desired, in anticipation of what could be important for last minute fixes or adjustments. Or if something gets broken!

If your are responsible for your own show, the check list is considerably larger as you will need to hang your own art and whether or not the show is indoor or outdoors which has its own challenges and lists. Nonetheless, you or your group MUST have:

• Sales - point of sales equipment, charger, and invoice sheets 
• Cash - in case you need to make change OR to purchase lunch, or other art! As per typically happens, the first sale of the day starts with a large bill coming in and wiping out the change drawer. It is good to know your art group companions might be able to help you out from their "stash".
  
• Bubblewrap, Paper wrap - wrap artwork with bubbles OUT!
  
• Gift bags to able to package smaller art
  
• Print Rack(s), Gridwalls and all the other paraphernalia that goes with those
  
• And much more
  

But here is what could be in your art show go bag no matter if a solo or group show:

Art Show Go Bag (ASGB) Supplies:

• Your Phone/Camera and Batteries
• Chargers, Extension Cords
• Your Business Cards, Brochures
• Invitations or Flyers to your next event
  
• Your Exhibitor Badge or other ID
• Your QR Code for your Website
• Your Name on a Sign or Tablecloth (Branding)
  
• Price List, Inventory of Art
  
• Price Stickers, Red Dot Stickers
  
• Clip Board, Stapler and Staples, Paper/Notebook, Index Cards, Paper Weight
• Pens, Pencils, Rubber Bands, Paper Clips, Calculator
  
• Scotch tape, Masking Tape, Blue Tape, Duct Tape, Glue
  
• Price Cards, Labels - front and back tags for nearly all shows
• Red and Black Sharpie
• Tape, Twine, String, Wire, Wire Cutter, Fishing Line
  
• D-Rings
• Scissors, Multi-Purpose Tool – screwdriver, hammer, pocketknife
• Zip Ties, Clothespins, Curtain Hangers, Clothesline
• Sewing Kit, Safety Pins, Measuring Tape
• Bungee Cords, Bulldog Clips
• Battery Powered Lights
• Wet Wipes, Paper Towels
• First Aid Kit 
• Small Folding Step Stool
• Umbrella, sunglasses, hat
• Personal Items: Ibuprofen, Chapstick, Tissues, Mirror, Lipstick
  
• Snacks, Drinks, Water, Chocolate
• Trash Bags
  

An ASGB can be a backpack, a duffel bag, a tote bag or whatever you deem necessary. I'd keep the bag prepped and readjust or resupply it periodically too.

Are you planning on painting/creating while at the show? 

Bring your equipment and an apron so you can do so if space and the venue allows. People love watching people doing what they do.

Good idea to have and know:

• Guest Book - do you have an email list you can build on?
• Know if you have to bring your own chair and a chair cushion 
• Know HOW to use the POS equipment!
  
• The weather forecast!
  

All that said, at every group show I attend, there is always at least one person, or ten, or even someone in the next booth saying, "Hey, do you have __fill in the blank__ I can borrow?" And its always something from the list above.

Can you think of anything else that should be included?

See also: How to Art Show and Lessons Learned After the Art Show

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Author: Donna Liguria
Artistry Spin Blogmaster and an artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Donna's Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

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Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

Post 494: Artists Gotta Art

Artists Gotta Art

Most months, I like to ask the Prince William Art Society artists what they are working on, sometimes in various ways. What's on your easel isn't always the right thing for every artist as they work in various mediums. Nonetheless, let's see what the artists are doing at the moment and what might be on their radars.

PWAS Member Mark Murphy

Below are two quick paintings from my sketchbook.  One is of the Kinderdijk windmills outside of Rotterdam (definitely worth the visit) and the other shows a man that I met on the Rotterdam water taxi with his bike and dog.  I'm trying to get in the habit of quickly documenting recent events with a loose ink sketch and watercolor washes.  Many artists recommend adopting the practice of quick, daily sketches so I'm giving it a try.  It certainly takes the pressure off of trying to always produce the next "masterpiece" and they help me see what I need to do differently if I choose to develop these into larger paintings.

Also below, is a black and white image of my reference photo modified with Notanizer.  Side by side, you can see that my quick, freehand rendering strays from the original image and I might do another version that is truer to the values of the photo.  There are many ways to produce a simplified "value study" like this but the Notanizer app (only $1.99) lets you choose how many levels you want between black and white and providers sliders to adjust the threshold or sensitivity of each level.  It is a convenient way to quickly visualize the range of values.  I learned about this in the watercolor class taught by Gwen Bragg at the Workhouse.  She is an excellent instructor.

PWAS Artist Zee Berrios

What is on the easel...an acrylic on canvas 36" X 48". In the Original Natives" series to be exposed next year.

What's on the radar: a solo show at the FCCA (Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts) next year.  (presently showing 8 paintings at the Open Arts space (in Stone Bridge)

PWAS Member Donna Liguria

Although I recently had this painting in the artist reveal video at our last PWAS meeting, it wasn't quite complete. I believe it is now as of TODAY, less the varnishing. So sitting upon my easel is "Lincoln Memorial in the Fall", which is the 3rd commission from a fellow that resides in Washington DC. I've previously painted Spring "Cherry Blossoms, an Annual DC Event" (the Washington Monument), and Winter "White House Having a White Christmas", so I have a whole DC seasons series going. The final Summer season painting is yet to be determined but it just seems like it should be fireworks, don't you think?

 

 

I ended up throwing more Fall at it. 

And we have Arts Alive this Saturday, September 14, 2024 at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas from 12 to 5. Come on out and support the arts!

PWAS Member Elena Jochum

The painting I am currently working on is for my small business, Tidewater Trove. It is a depiction of riverglass and pottery artifacts from the Potomac River. Some of the artifacts date back to 1800s.

This is a watercolor painting where I am focusing on light, reflections, textures, man-made objects - and the fleeting of time. The composition is also representing negative space. I am challenging myself with abstracting realism. 

PWAS Member Pierre George I'm back in town and was able to get back on the canvas again. What's on my easel? A 30 x 48 painting, I have just completed this weekend. I am currently in the sketching phase of another very, very large painting called "Wash Day". Inspiration: J.C. Leyendecker, Michelangelo and a host of other artist who has come and gone. PWAS Member Otis Stanley Here's what I'm working on; Morning Cast, acrylic,  24" x 36' PWAS Member Mandy Powell I’ve been working tremendously and have a solo show that just opened this weekend at Sunshine Ridge Winery! It will be there until November 17 with the reception on Sat Nov 16th! I’m so excited!! Please share.
Drop a comment below and let them know what you think.

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Author: Donna Liguria
Artistry Spin Blogmaster and an artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Donna's Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

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Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

Post 493: Learning to Gild with Bettie Sperty

Learning to Gild with Bettie Sperty

The Prince William Art Society has been sponsoring various art workshops for the last few months around the area on various art topics. The classes have all been very well attended - and enjoyed. The latest in our workshop series was Gilding (Metallic Leafing) with Bettie Sperty on Saturday, September 7, 2024. What a fun, creative tool to add to our artist skill sets!

 

Bettie Sperty with some samples of Gilding with Metallic Leafing

Learning About Leafing

Bettie Sperty is a Prince William Art Society member and the current Secretary of the art group. She is an outstanding self-taught artist of often whimsical and fantastic subjects. And she loves adding a bit of sparkle to her art pieces, hence making gilding right up her alley.

We had 8 students taking her workshop and all of us so enjoyed it. A really eye opening and inspirational workshop and the students asked some great questions about the process, things to try, and more.

Gilding Workshop Photos

 

Bettie going over the basics on the gilding supplies like types of adhesive, types of foils, many tips and techniques, some do's, some do nots, and some work-arounds. Plus, the bonus of you CAN gild almost anything.

 

We had 5 Prince William Art Society members, 6 including Bettie, and several others that weren't - but they found out about the gilding workshop on Facebook. The registration filled so fast! Hopefully, Bettie can do another class soon.

 

Sandra, me, Nicole and our new friend Dawn showing off our "Pizza Boxes" 

 

Our Pizza Box Gilding Supplies and artwork to take home!

 

Bettie's husband, Brian, Sandra McClelland Lewin, Nicole Fisher, and Penny Shaw

 

Staci Blanchard and I using the hair dryer to quick-dry the adhesive

 

Dawn trying gold leafing with water colors, and it worked!

 

Nicole experimenting with gilding on one of her artworks, and it ended up so cool! Note that her work is still in progress and many areas are still taped off.

I said at one point during the class, when have you ever had 9 women together in one room and it ever be so quiet? Everyone was so intently focused on their gilding projects that the silence was 'golden'. And oh my goodness, the artwork and the creativity that surfaced that was shown was outstanding! And for some of the gilding students, this was their first time doing the craft too!

 

Amazon, here we come for more gilding supplies! This stuff comes in lots of colors and variegated too. My little artist heart is gilded!

 

Leave a comment below about the class or if you would like to take a leafing class!

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Author: Donna Liguria
Artistry Spin Blogmaster and an artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, her Donna's Esty site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

Photography/Video Credits: Bettie Sperty and Donna Liguria

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Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm

Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Have an idea for a blog post? Are you a writer and want to help with the blog? Let me know! Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!