Post 195: Shopping for Art Supplies (or Anything) on Amazon, Smile for PWAS!

Shopping for Art Supplies (or Anything) on Amazon, Smile for PWAS!

I have used Amazon Smile for some years now to donate to some things dear to me. Well, there is a new Smile in town - the Prince William Art Society!

PWAS Has an Amazon Smile Link

Starting up my "art biz" in the last couple of years - especially with these last couple of years (!) meant that a lot of my shopping for those art supplies were done online and as well as offline. I was hitting some of the usual art supply warehouses like Jerry's Artarama, along with Michael's and Hobby Lobby. And often, the best price research and purchase led straight to Amazon. We sure didn't have to leave the house and the box(es) arrived so fast!

 

With back to school on our doorsteps, Halloween on the radar, Christmas season coming shortly, the latest Firestick TV thingies being a must have, and art supplies an ongoing - MUST HAVES, I hit Amazon. Hard. OH, and darn, we just missed Amazon Prime Day, too. Start the "if onlys" here, my local art group could have made a mint off of me for the stocking up and things I needed. 

 

Nonetheless, as shopping online is just so dang convenient, BEFORE you go shopping on Amazon, consider going through this link:

 

https://smile.amazon.com/?ref_=smi_ext_ch_23-7300705_dl 

 

You don't have to do ANYTHING, Amazon does it all. A lot of items on Amazon are Smile-able. Which mean Amazon takes a small piece of the purchase and donates to the Prince William Art Society because it is a non-profit organization. You just do your thing on Amazon as usual and PWAS does the donate. Pretty snazzy, right?

On our website, I added the Amazon logo at the top and the bottom of the website, for your convenience...hint, hint:

 

https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/

 

 

 

 

So, have fun finding your Amazon must haves, whatever it may be. Just know, we'll all get a smile.

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Author: Donna Liguria
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com & her Blog at https://donnascavepainting.blogspot.com/.

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Local Art: Visit us at Stonebridge Open Space Arts at 15000 Potomac Town Center, Woodbridge, VA - Open Wed to Sat 12-7 and Sun 12-5
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.

Want to know how to get involved at OSA? If you are an artist (18 or older) living in Prince William County, or a are a member of a PWC art group, you are welcome to get on our next art show's emailing list. Send it to us, OR come by the gallery to find out more.

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

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

Post 194: Aug 5-24 - A Call for Art for Hispanic Heritage Art Celebration Show at OSA

Aug 5-24 - A Call for Art for Hispanic Heritage Art Celebration Show at OSA

August 5 - 24, 2022 Open Space Arts (OSA) has just released their next Call for Art for the local, Prince William County artists and art groups, to submit their Hispanic and Latino influenced art to be considered for display at the gallery.

Open Space Arts Gallery in Woodbridge, Virginia

The new art gallery is located at the Stonebridge Shopping Center.

15000 #140 Potomac Town Center

Woodbridge, VA

It is between Ulta on one side and The Loft and Barnes and Noble on the other with DSW directly across the street. 

Periodically, a Call for Art is sent out for artists that wish to show their art to submit their information and images via a Jotform. All artwork that is displayed at the gallery is juried, which means it is selected to appear. 

Typically, most art shows or Calls for Art for Open Space Arts do not have a particular theme per se. It has happened that a lot of art selected has had a similar theme and were grouped that way (example: beaches, sand and sunshine paintings). For this Hispanic Heritage Art Celebration, we obviously want to celebrate everything with a Hispanic, Latino, Spanish style influences. We strongly urge artists from these cultures as well as artists with work about the cultures to enter the Call.

Title of Show: ­­­ Hispanic Heritage Celebration

Exhibition Period: September 21 - October 16, 2022

Call for Art Submission Period Opens: August 5, 2022

Call for Art Submission Period Closes: August 24, 2022

Notification of Acceptance/Regrets: August 31, 2022 (via email)

Delivery of Art: September 18 (5:00-6:00) and September 19 (12:00-2:00)

Artists in Prince William County

Open Space Arts is all about promoting the art of its residents AND its arts groups. As it turns out, we do not know who the artists are in the county. How would we? Well, you will need to let us know that you are interested in showing at the gallery and we have provided a way to do just that!

On the Prince William Art Society's (PWAS) website we answer a LOT of questions about submitting your art, display requirements, and so much more, so spend some time on the site so you know what to expect - and to have your best chance to be selected.

Artist Requirements

• Go to the Prince William Art Society's website and let us know who you are in the Call for Art signup form.  Get on our emailing list right away to be included in the most current Call for Art. Or contact shawonesent@gmail.com
• You must be 18 or older - and all artists will need to volunteer some time at the gallery.
  
• The artists must reside in Prince William County OR be a member of a Prince William County art group - like the Prince William Art Society, Manassas Art Guild, Prince William County Arts Council or other art or photography group.
  

Let me emphasize the resident and art group thing. 

- You need to be an artist that lives in Prince William County (PWC), anywhere in the county....OR...

- Or you are a member of PWAS, MAG, PWCAC, PARTners - any art or photography group based in Prince William County 

 

Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash 

A Call for Art 

What's at the gallery right now?

The "Summer Spotlight on Art" featuring Prince William County artists will wrap up on August 14 at Open Space Arts. The gallery will be closed Wednesday and Thursday, August 17 and 18 and will open on Friday, August 19 to the PWCAC sponsored show, "A Walk Through Ghana". This is a solo photography exhibition by Kwadwo Birikorang Adjei.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=447349120734018&set=a.274168651385400

https://www.facebook.com/PWCArtsCouncil 

Always a lot to see at Open Space Arts so come by and see it!

And for PWC artists and art groups:

We look forward to meeting you and seeing your art! You have to Jot-over-to-the- Form!

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Author: Donna Liguria
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com & her Blog at https://donnascavepainting.blogspot.com/.

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Local Art: Visit us at Stonebridge Open Space Arts at 15000 Potomac Town Center, Woodbridge, VA - Open Wed to Sat 12-7 and Sun 12-5
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.

Want to know how to get involved at OSA? If you are an artist (18 or older) living in Prince William County, or a are a member of a PWC art group, you are welcome to get on our next art show's emailing list. Send it to us, OR come by the gallery to find out more.

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

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

Post 193: The Definition of Art Is Endless

The Definition of Art is Endless

We all know what art is. The definitions of art are as endless as there are people on this planet. But we all agree that art is a word that encompasses all of those thoughts, emotions and/or statements. When contemplating this concept, my personal opinions don’t seem to really matter because the next person may not have anywhere near the same impression as I do. But it does matter. I am an artist. I create my art according to my definition and how I would like to share it with you.  

For a very long time, my own expression was very upsetting to me. No matter how I tried, it seemed I could not create a serious, impactful artwork.  They all looked childish, silly and clumsy.  This has been a roadblock for me. Yet, I still persevere everyday. For every artwork I create, there is a feeling, idea, process or statement I want to share. And in coming to accept my work, as many artists struggle to do, I have found that there is a place in the world for the childlike, the whimsical, and the imperfect. Coming to that realization has been long and soul searching.  There are many times still when my work is unpleasing to me. Not everything one does ends up as a Magnum Opus.

Being an artist doesn’t have an expiration date. If you are not currently painting, sculpting, dancing, singing, acting, writing or creating in some form you are looking at a sunset and seeing the beauty of it. You are resting at a bus stop and glorying in infinite faces and movements of passers by or are puzzling through a concept or process with a few gestures, words or musical notes on a page. You are always an artist. Create what you define as art.  

Flamingo by Stephanie McGee

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Author: Climbtree1
Quilling Artist Stephanie McGee, is a Member of PWAS and MAG, and is currently showing at Art a La Carte in Occoquan, VA 

Photography/Video Credits:
Stephanie McGee

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Local Art: Visit us at Stonebridge Open Space Arts at 15000 Potomac Town Center, Woodbridge, VA - Open Wed to Sat 12-7 and Sun 12-5
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.

Want to know how to get involved at OSA? If you are an artist (18 or older) living in Prince William County, or a are a member of a PWC art group, you are welcome to get on our next art show's emailing list. Send it to us, OR come by the gallery to find out more.

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

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

Post 192: Open Space Arts Gallery on Google Maps

Open Space Arts Gallery on Google Maps

by Tony Muller

Have you ever googled yourself or your art? Now you want to, don’t you? Go ahead; I’ll wait. While you’re there, Google “art galleries near me.” What sort of results came back? Was Open Space Arts in Potomac Town Center one of them? I sure hope so because we’ve just added it to Google Maps! If you’re surprised that a rando like me added a new business to the world’s most used GPS technology tool, read on …

As with most things, the mobile experience is going to have slightly fewer options and features so I would suggest poking around in the desktop version of Google.com/maps if this kind of thing interests you. To begin, grab your phone and open the Google Maps app. At the bottom of the screen look for the “contribute” option (it’s got a little encircled “+” as an icon); if you don’t see this you’ll probably need to sign up to become a Local Guide (https://support.google.com/local-guides/answer/6225846?hl=en). The contribute utility has a few options like “Add place” and “Edit map” but it’s also where you may “Write a review” or add a photo to the map.

To add a location, it’s best to do so on site so you can gather pictures to prove the validity of your suggestion. When I added Open Space Arts, I included a picture that contained the store front itself, the address, opening hours, and the Open Space Arts signage … the edit was approved within a few hours. /properties: {muchRejoicing} Some edits I’ve made take a bit longer to be approved, and some are even disapproved, but the Google maps contribute function – and the Local Guide program in general – is a great example of the power open source, community-powered knowledge distribution has to shape the collective experience of the world around us … just like art can, eh?

 

Screenshot of Google Maps - Open Space Arts at 15000 #140 Potomac Town Center, Woodbridge, Virginia 22191

 

 

Screenshot of the Google Maps sidebar. Notice 3 reviews, photos are added. You can add your own review and photos, then Share to Facebook and Twitter. Let's get those numbers up there! Also note, you can embed a code on your website or blog to show the location of the gallery as well... -> take a look in our right side bar ->

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Author: Tony Muller 

An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA (Instagram @Toobamoo), 2022

Photography/Video Credits:
Donna Liguria, added the screenshots, additional text.

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Local Art: Visit us at Stonebridge Open Space Arts at 15000 Potomac Town Center, Woodbridge, VA - Open Wed to Sat 12-7 and Sun 12-5
The Prince William Art Society is a 50-year old non-profit art group in PWC for the the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia.

Want to know how to get involved at OSA? If you are an artist (18 or older) living in Prince William County, or a are a member of a PWC art group, you are welcome to get on our next art show's emailing list. Send it to us, OR come by the gallery to find out more.

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

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

 

Post 191: Composition 21. Look at Your Edges for Distractions

Composition: Look at Your Edges for Distractions

This is Part 21 of my series on Composition and the final "rule". Let me know if you have enjoyed them!

Photographers learn to look at the entire frame before snapping the image. And obviously in editing, they crop the image to avoid oddities at the edges of the photo. A partial person walking into or out of the image is left out when possible.

Positive space is generally referred to the subject(s) that should be the focus of the viewer's attention.

Negative space can provide the frame around the subject(s) in the image.

Trapped space can occurs when an object in the image and the edge of the frame collide, which can result in a strange shaped light space. Remember, our eyes are drawn to lighter areas of the image as well, so that trapped space can be a distraction.

Cropping and editing can go a long way in taking out these odd areas and put the focus directly on your subject - aka the reason you took the picture in the first place.

 

Hopefully the cropping from these photos will give you an idea of what this all means.

 

Photo by Psk Slayer on Unsplash 

 

 

Photo by Justin Buisson on Unsplash  

 

Some photographers take the all or nothing approach to focus on their subjects - or include all or include nothing. I see it as get EVERYTHING in the original photos and crop it up! How about you?

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This is the very last part of a series of blog posts on the guidelines, or rules of composition. Look for all of them in the Search this Blog feature at the top right by searching for the word "composition". I hope you enjoyed the posts! Let me know in the Comments.

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Local Art: Visit us at Stonebridge Open Space Arts at 15000 Potomac Town Center, Woodbridge, VA - Open Wed to Sat 12-7 and Sun 12-5 – it’s free to see the artwork! Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

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Author: Donna Liguria
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com & her Blog at https://donnascavepainting.blogspot.com/.

Post 190: What's On Your Easel Right Now?

What's On Your Easel Right Now?

PWAS Members show off what's on their easel (in the studio) right now.

PWAS Member's Artwork on the Easel in July 2022

The Prince William Art Society members are periodically asked this question for this blog and they graciously answer with a sneak peek into their studios (or wherever they are right now) to have a look at what they are currently working on. Some pieces look nearly finished, some are in the beginning processes. Psst, come on, let's take a look...

1. Donna Liguria

"A Day at Blue Ridge Shores" Acrylic, 24x24 https://donnaliguriaart.com

Still tweaking a few areas of this painting that I began while on vacation earlier in July. 

2. Otis Stanley

"This Far By Faith" Charcoal drawing, will paint in acrylic16x20

3. Jortt aka John Hartt

Oil on canvas 20” x 20” www.jortt.com

4. Bilee Sciuto

This is Tango... He passed away and the granddaughter has asked for a picture to be done. Acrylic 11x17

5. Scott McDonald

My easel is currently set up at the Bob Ross Studio and Workshop in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. I’ve been here for two weeks getting certified to teach floral painting in the “alla-prima” or Wet-on-wet technique. I have one more week to complete for the certification.

6. Bruce Fasick

Rube Foster (for Rev Sims NLLHOF) “Can we play?” part of the upcoming Duets show (painting and sculpture)

7. Maureen Guillot

This is what's on my easel.  I'm attempting to paint these sunflowers before they die.  Each day they are different and they kind of move because they are slowly dying.  A real challenge.  I'm a slow painter. Oil painting on an 11x14 linen panel.

8. Staci Blanchard

Here is what is on my table/easel.  It’s a diptych and each piece is 12x24. It is an untitled acrylic pour.  I was inspired by the red color I used in this piece.  I hadn’t used it yet and I was really drawn to it and to see how it would play with the other colors.

9. Michelle Baker

My goal in this painting is simply to capture the beauty of one of my favorite places-an historic one-room school located in Fauquier County, Virginia. Built in 1887, Number 18 School sits in a tiny community garden which is lovingly tended to by volunteers in Marshall, Virginia.

10. Mark Murphy

I'm working on a small watercolor with a "Día de Muertos" theme for Hispanic Heritage Month.  Although death is a typically serious subject, I'm shooting for a whimsical skeleton couple that may end up under the "fun" portion of my website - http://www.markmurphystudios.com

11. Urmila Kumari

I used warm colors in this painting. I love to play with these bold colors. Theses colors keep me happy, warm and energetic. Medium: Acrylic, Size: 38x50x1.5 inches, Title: Happiness

 Thank you to all of the PWAS Members that responded. Please share the blog post to all your social media and websites too.

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Local Art: Visit us at Stonebridge Open Space Arts at 15000 Potomac Town Center, Woodbridge, VA - Open Wed to Sat 12-7 and Sun 12-5
The Prince William Art Society is a 50-year old non-profit art group in PWC for the the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia.

Want to know how to get involved at OSA? If you are an artist (18 or older) living in Prince William County, or a are a member of a PWC art group, you are welcome to get on our next art show's emailing list. Send it to us, OR come by the gallery to find out more.

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

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

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Author: Donna Liguria
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com & her Blog at https://donnascavepainting.blogspot.com/.

Post 189: The Fear of Putting a Price on Your Art

The Fear of Putting a Price on Your Art

This art topic can be quite the stumbling block for artists.

Finding Art Formulas for Pricing Your Art

I have written on the topic before and the link to that post is https://artistryspin.blogspot.com/2022/02/post-115-pricing-your-artwork.html. Some artists do not even get off the ground to sell their artwork because they just don't know where to start.

I recently came across this article at Artwork Archive that is well worth sharing. The writer shows 3 formulas to configure your price:

https://www.artworkarchive.com/blog/how-to-price-consistently-for-art-sales-success

 

Photo by Louis Hansel on Unsplash 

It's not a slippery slope, just do the research and start somewhere! Remember to ALWAYS COVER YOUR COSTS - at all costs!

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Local Art: Visit us at Stonebridge Open Space Arts at 15000 Potomac Town Center, Woodbridge, VA - Open Wed to Sat 12-7 and Sun 12-5
The Prince William Art Society is a 50-year old non-profit art group in PWC for the the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia.

Want to know how to get involved at OSA? If you are an artist (18 or older) living in Prince William County, or a are a member of a PWC art group, you are welcome to get on our next art show's emailing list. Send it to us, OR come by the gallery to find out more.

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

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

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Author: Donna Liguria
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com & her Blog at https://donnascavepainting.blogspot.com/