Jim Shlett Photograph
News From Our President
Meet the Member: Denise Dittmar
Great Things Happen in LRA: Nina Sokolova & Tania Ogneva
WhiteBoard: Call for Art and … much more!
LRA Around the town
What Our Members Are Doing outside LRA
Upcoming Art Class
“Creativity is just connecting things” -Steve Jobs
Hello and Greetings,
As you should be aware, we have had a very successful first half of 2015 and now moving into connecting with our exhibition venues and the stunning colors of autumn.
I wanted to recap some of the events that we have going on such as the Ernst Exhibition in October, ArtReston at Lake Anne, another Barnes & Noble Book fair on November 14, a new speakers series at the RPS and the possibility of another “pop-up’ event at the Harrison House with regard to Holiday gifts ideas.
In the last year, LRA has been featured in both Reston Lifestyle and the Reston magazine. As word of our ability to find locations to showcase members’ work spreads, about 12 new members have joined in the last few months bringing our membership to well over 100. Within the next few weeks, we should also be finalizing a new agreement to provide our members’ paintings and photographs in over a dozen buildings in northern Virginia in both solo and small group shows.
I am convinced that we can do more as we continue to make connections. One way to make connections is by not just paying your annual dues, but volunteering to take on specific tasks and projects. On a personal level, in the last three years, I have found the connections within the art world that I have made have led to extremely rewarding experiences, including a week of photographing Paris this past April. Getting involved with LRA seems to open doors when you least expect it.
Many other art organizations either have higher fees or required mandatory volunteer hours each month, LRA doesn’t, but we need some more help. Please don’t wait for the next person to help out. Step up.
We are looking forward to seeing a lot of creative work as we move forward and 2016 looks to be even better. Enjoy the autumn.
Jim Schlett
LRA President
Abstract artist, teacher, and an active volunteer with LRA, Denise recently took over LRA’s speakers program, organizing a great event at the Lake Anne Community Center: “Art and Empathy” led by our new member, Margaret Newton.
Depths – Acrylic on Canvas
Long involved with design and art education, Denise teaches art classes part-time at Glen Echo, including a new class for teens at the Yellow Barn. Her primary interest is acrylic abstract painting that focuses on color, expressive marks, and experimental media techniques. She is interested in moving back to portraits and landscapes. Trained as a landscape architect, Denise is fascinated by the natural landforms, rivers, and forests of Virginia, Maryland and DC and incorporating that into her work. Interest in the expression of spiritual or meditative expression is also part of her exploration. She is seeking ways to emulate and combine the sensibility of Mark Rothko with a centered approach found in mandalas from Buddhism.
Denise’s background includes 11 years as a high school art teacher in Texas, and 15 years as a Landscape Architect. She has lived in Sterling, Virginia with her husband since 2011. Previously they lived for twenty-five years in Texas. Their daughter and grandchild live in San Antonio, and their son is a Hindu monk living in India.
Art and Empathy: Between serious topics and fun activities Margaret Newton guided the audience in a two-hour workshop, including painting and sculpting simultaneously with right and left hands.
Next event in Denise list will be to organize a workshop with our member Charlene Fuhrman-Schulz, Oriental Brush Painting.
“Charlene will demonstrate a more abstract technique of Oriental painting called “PoMo” or “Splashing Ink.” This technique involves working wet in wet, throwing or pouring watercolor on a shikishi board (Japanese gold board) and then finishing the painting through the use of traditional brush work. The technique can also be used on rice paper, canvas or watercolor paper.”
The event will take place in November.
Miles away from their native country two Russian artists found common artistic ground thanks to LRA.
Pine Trees – Nina Sokolova
Tanya and I, have been living in the neighborhood for a long time and never met before. Both of us were aware of each other’s existence because we saw the paintings signed by our names at the LRA shows. I was wondering who that mysterious Russian painter, Tanya Golubeva, was (that she was Russian I could guess from her name). Then came a surprise – dropping off my paintings for the LRA show at the USGS I saw a woman adjusting her paintings signed “Tanya Golubeva” at the wall. I came to her and said a few words in Russian. She was delighted to respond in Russian too. But another surprise was that we both came here not only from the same country, Russia but from the same city, Moscow, as well. So if not for LRA we would have never learned of each other, never met and never started our friendship.
Nina
San Pietrosburg – Tanya Ogneva
One happy day at the Reston Art League (LRA)
It was a warm sunny morning was on July 31, 2015, the day for art exhibition entry at the US Geological Survey, in which I participate.
I put my art in the exhibition, signed the needed papers, met several RAL members, and was ready to leave. It will be the busy day ahead. I needed to visit my studio at the Workhouse Art Center, Lorton. I needed to finish several art pieces, preparing them for a new exhibition coming in several days. Then one lovely looking lady came to me and asked: ”Do you speak Russian?” I was very surprised to hear this question. Of course, I speak Russian; I told myself: my family and I had immigrated more than 20 years ago to the USA (Reston, VA) from Moscow, Russia. But I didn’t expect to hear this question in this busy morning in the US Geological Survey place.
This lovely lady was Nina. She came here to the USA from Russia too. It was so unexpected and nice to meet here, in Reston, at the US Geological Survey Art Exhibition. And both of us artists, participating in the LRA Exhibitions! Such nice, pleasant surprise for both of us to meet! In some part, we should thank LRA for this!
Tanya
Art Show Opportunities with LRA click the link: https://sites.google.com/site/restonarts/shows
Richard J. Ernst Community Cultural Center. Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale Campus. Dream, Create, Inspire. October 3 – November 7, 2015. Paintings and Photography, Mixed Media and 2-D
The exhibition area includes two floors of space that can hold approximately 80 pieces of work. The space has great lighting and a hanging system in place. This building has a great deal of traffic almost seven days a week, with numerous performing arts events that are held in a theater adjacent to the gallery space. In 2013, they estimated that over 110,000 patrons visited the arts center.
The show will be presented on October 3rd and run through November 7th. Deadline for registering on the LRA website is September 18th. Awards will be presented by Mary Welch Higgins during the reception on October 10 between 1:30-3:30 Don’t miss this show register today space is limited:
https://sites.google.com/site/restonarts/shows/2015oct-ernst-center
The Sound of COLOR October 5 – November 2, 2015. Paintings, Mixed Media and 2-D
As has become a tradition for the Lake Anne show, Artists are invited to provide a short note to add a dimension to their work and deepen the viewer’s understanding of their vision.
Music produces images, colors, dreams…
Reality changes when you listen to music…a new world opens up the window of your imagination.
LRA invites its artists to open that window, to paint freely, and through brush strokes and color make the music come alive.
Be creative! Give color to the notes!
Deadline for registering on the LRA website is October 2nd. Awards will be presented during the reception on October 11, 2.00pm – 4.00pm. Jo-ann Rose Gallery in Lake Anne Community Center is a charming location with great foot traffic. Register today for this show:
https://sites.google.com/site/restonarts/shows/2014-oct-artreston-at-lake-anne
Exciting News for the artReston show we will ask the public to vote for the Best in the Show!
More opportunity for art shows is coming up, with more than 15 public locations where our artists can exhibit their artwork. LRA continues to colorfully spread art around town accomplishing its mission to make art accessible to all.
Solo Shows will be available again in 2016 and announced in December News Letter. Stay tuned!
We had an excellent display of work at the new Harrison House near the Reston Town Center! A big thanks to our Artists volunteers for introducing LRA to Harrison House residents with amazing art pieces! A New event will be scheduled soon, if you would like to participate email Jim Schlett, LRA President, at president.lra@gmail.com
LRA is out to promote art and raise money for the Scholarship Program, this time at Barnes & Noble in Fairfax! The event could not have been more successful; almost all the necessary funds were raised during that day. Our next event at Barnes & Noble will be Saturday, November 14th, 2015, if you would like to participate, email Jim Schlett, LRA President, at president.lra@gmail.com
Message from RESTON PHOTOGRAPHY SOCIETY
September Meeting: All RPS meetings this year will be on the third Monday (except as noted below), 7:30-9:30 pm in Room 6 at RCC Hunters Woods. On Monday, Sept 21st we will have the popular annual Members’ Showcase. Please bring your presentation (15 min approx.) on CD, DVD, or memory stick. You may bring matted prints also. Ellis Rosenberg will be coordinating this meeting. Please let him know what you intend to show so he can schedule this event. He can be reached at erosenberg@cox.net or 703-855-4008.
You may recall that I polled the members on their interests. The responses were so diverse that we could not cover all the interests in one year, but I will keep your requests in mind for later years if we cannot meet them this year. Here is the schedule for the year as it stands at present. I am still looking for a photojournalist. Please contact me if you know of anyone who might be willing to speak on this topic (Anne Emerson 703-471-8449; caemerson6@verizon.net).
Sept 21, 2015: Members’ Showcase
Oct 19, 2015: TBD, the possibility for Fine Art Photography
Nov 16, 2015: Karen Messick, iPhone Photography
Dec 2015: No Meeting
Jan 25, 2016 (4th Monday): Jim Guzel, Adult Portraiture and how to set a subject at ease.
Feb 22, 2016 (4th Monday): Joseph Miller, Abstract Photography (get tips in preparation for the annual Abstract Photography show)
Mar 21, 2016: TBD. Would members be interested in “How to Put Together a Slide Show with Video?”
Apr 18, 2016: Don Rosenberger, Low Light and Night Photography
May 16, 2016: Club Competition
June-August 2016: No Meetings
The club representatives for the Nature Visions Photo Expo are Ellis Rosenberg erosenberg@cox.net 703-855-4008, and Sharon Kennedy sgkennedy1@comcast.net
If you have questions about Nature Visions, please refer them to Ellis or Sharon.
What are our members doing outside of LRA? Art, Art, and more Art… the mandatory word for our passionate artists!
Serendipity synthesizes the work of eight artists who met through Reston Community Center exhibits and programs. Together their art encompasses the bold and colorful, the abstract and eclectic, the meditative and cathartic. The styles and media they work with are as diverse as the women themselves. Congratulations to: Karen Danenberger, Karen Hutchison, Melanie Z Stanley, Marie Georgette Wright!
Charlene Fuhrman-Schulz will be teaching “Landscape Painting in Sumi-e” Dec. 5 and 6, 2015 at The Torpedo Factory – Art League School & Gallery – 105 North Union Street; Alexandria, VA 22314; To register please contact the school at 703-683-1780; use the following link to register online: https://www.theartleague.org/school/course_desc.php?class_id=4796 or contact Charlene at charschulz@hotmail.com
Description: Learn how to paint landscapes using ink, brush, and rice paper. The workshop is ideal for the first time painter or for those wishing to refine their skills and offers step-by-step, hands-on instruction. The techniques covered range from spontaneous (or splashing ink) to fine line detail and washes. Instruction concentrates on the elements necessary to create a landscape painting in the oriental style- that is, mountains, waterfalls, trees, and mist.