Opportunity

WDC 2014 An exciting lino-cut workshop with an opportunity to exhibit overseas

Artist Opportunity

Call for submissions: StateoftheArt.co.za

StateoftheArt.co.za is inviting South African artists currently studying or who have graduated within the last five years from a recognised higher education art or design course to apply for online representation. Artists working in any visual media can submit works for consideration.

Please complete the Preliminary Application Form by following the link http://www.stateoftheart.co.za/artists/join. All applications will be reviewed by the StateoftheART.co.za Curatorial Panel and the successful artists will be notified by email. The application period closes on the 31st of July 2013.

About StateoftheART.co.za and the StateoftheART Gallery

StateoftheART.co.za is a dynamic art marketplace offering contemporary fine art for sale by South African Fine Arts graduates and emerging artists - we make art more accessible to the world and provide a platform for selected artists to make a living without giving up their artistic vision. These are a few of the benefits that StateoftheART.co.za can offer you as an artist:

• Opportunity to consign work to the StateoftheART Gallery in Cape Town
• Free professional portfolio on the www.StateoftheART.co.za website (we take a commission on sales) 
• Press coverage - in the last few months we have featured in Leadership Magazine, Conde Nast House & Garden and Business Day as well as many online blogs and publications. 
• Introduction of your work to our corporate clients and collectors both nationally and internationally.

For more information visit www.StateoftheART.co.za or
contact Jennifer on T:021 801 4710

Tips For Painting Landscapes With Watercolors

When stretching your paper, make sure you use enough water, to ensure that you'd be able to do washes and add several layers of paint for your landscape.

If you're painting from a photograph, make sure that you're sitting in a comfortable position with ample natural light. I prefer to paint during daytime, as it's more difficult to see and judge the colours you are working with at night, even with a strong light.

If you are painting on-site, make sure that you find yourself a comfortable spot and that you have good support for your stretched-paper-on-board. Try and find the ideal light conditions - the shade of a tree, or somewhere where the reflected light from the sun onto your paper does not strain your eyes.

Working with layers are a nice way to 'build up' your landscape. This ensures that you don't darken areas too quickly. The secret to a great watercolor work is to have a balance between unpainted and painted areas, so leave areas and highlights white from the start, you can always add colour, but you can't take it away! Start very light, with thin washes, and only when dry, add your next wash.

For mountains, clouds, sky and the ground, use a lot of water. Two techniques for this is as follows:

• thin down your paint with a lot of water before applying it to the paper in long, loose strokes
• Use loose, long strokes to apply water to the paper and then add colour to the wet areas. Use the brush to spread the paint as desired, but be careful not to brush excessively in these wet areas, as you're paper might start to fluff!

Start adding shapes and structures quite loosely - blobs for bushes, keeping your paint flowing and quite diluted with water. After having a layout of your landscape that resembles you looking at the real landscape in front of you (or photograph) through squinted eyes, start using your paint with less water for more opacity. Add details, distinguishing marks and lines.
 
To achieve different textures, use different items such as:

• different sizes and shapes of brushes. You can also make your own brushes by tying hair, grass or other thin strands tightly to a twig!
• different types of sponges and foam
• cloth - bunch it up and press unto areas where you've added paint and it's still wet, or put paint unto the cloth and dab onto the paper
• wool of different grades - bunch them up or roll a strand over the wet painted surface
• the plastic net bags that veggies are packaged into can create textures for bushes, foliage and trees

You can also use cut vegetables to achieve different results

• cover a section on the skin of an orange with paint and roll it onto your paper
• cut shapes into the flat side of a halved potato, and use it to create a repeat pattern or texture, e.g. the rocky bed of a landscape. Fill in details and different sized rocks with your brush for variation and breaking the monotony.

Experiment adding different particles and substances to your paint - try mixing before applying it onto the paper, but mostly add it on the paper into the wet painted area and brush it off when the paint is dry. Some examples:

• Sand, to partly absorb some paint and leave whitish areas
• Sprinkle salt onto a wet painted area. It dissolves partly and give great effects, nice for a snowy feel
• Grass - gives great texture and dry grass absorbs quite a bit of paint
• Look around you, what could you use? Especially if you're painting on-site you'll find a lot of things that you can experiment with and use to get different effects and textures to make your painting interesting

Have a booklet, notepad or pieces of paper with you whenever you're painting - preferably thick card, textured or watercolor paper similar to the paper that you create your landscape paintings on. Use this for tests and experiments, testing your colours, textures, and the addition of other materials to the process. And keep these tests and experiments for future use. Make notes next to each 'test' to remind you how you achieved the result.

This booklet is also handy to start playing on before you start your final landscape - make pre-sketches, quick studies and try to do the landscape - capturing its essence - within 2 minutes. Use quick, loose and unconstrained strokes. Try not to think too much and just 'feel' it. Loose and free. Now carry this feeling over when you start with your initial strokes on your artwork.

If you get frustrated and don't like what you've done, start a new one, or take the 'failure' off the board, soak in a bit of water, wipe off some of the paint, paste/stretch the paper onto the board again, and carry on over what's left when it's dry. Painting landscapes with watercolours is fun, and it can forever stay a learning process, journey of discovery and source of abundant joy. Keep all your experiments, failed attempts and final landscapes together and you'll be able to see your progress over a time period of weeks, months and years.

Play, have fun, experiment and practice!

Published in 2012 on Ezine Articles

Ink & Watercolour Workshop

Studio 41 presents: 
INK & WATERCOLOUR WORKSHOP
by Janet Botes

DATE: Friday 15 February & Saturday 16 February 2013
TIME: 10 am - 12:30 pm
PLACE: Studio 41, 41 Glynn Street, cnr. Canterbury & Glynn, Cape Town

COST: R350 per workshop/per day (includes materials & refreshments (vegetarian, wheat-free))

Techniques include working with washes, with different tools and materials, working loose as well as detailed, and creating texture. Booking & payment is essential - Limited space is available, with individual attention and guidance a focus within the workshop, making it suitable for beginners who want to learn a new art form or medium, as well as experienced artists who just want to develop their skill or expand their medium.

Facebook event page

For bank details & booking, contact me at art@janetbotes.co.za

Moving towards 350

Wondering what I'm busy with? Finishing an application for a mutli-disciplinary artist workshop up the West Coast, and making plans for building a non-motorized float on wheels, along with Nicolle Marais (www.nicolleart.yolasite.com). This is for the Cape Town Moving Planet event on 24 September, themed "Tread Lightly". Here's a bit of information about the event:

The Cape Town Moving Planet event will feature a huge march/parade with floats, costumes, puppets and more, with thousands of people, young and old, marching to make change. The event will seek to raise awareness of climate-friendly alternatives to damaging practices like driving your car, cutting down trees, and many other harmful actions. As fun and exciting as it will be, the event will also be a petition, demanding change in the policies and programs put forth by our government that damage the environment.

If we are able to finish the float in time, it will aslo be used druing the opening parage for the Out the Box festival, held annually in Cape Town by UNIMA SA, opening on the 3rd of September this year.

We will need a great amount of time, energy and helping hands to succeed in doing this. So for the GYA gatherings this month as well as next month you are invited to come and help create the float and additional meterials, placards and props for the procession. Sms(0723315057) or email (art@janetbotes.co.za) me the days and times that would suit you best, and I'll plan some sessions when a couple of us are all available to join and create together!






For more information about Moving Planet, presented by 350:

www.350.org
www.moving-planet.org

AND for more info about the Cape Town event:

Go to the event page: www.moving-planet.org/events/za/cape-town/978
Check out the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/350-Moving-Planet-Cape-Town/137845456301050

Please come and join, share in the fun and get involved!

Come and join on Friday!

22 July 2011
3pm

37 Bryant Street, Bo-Kaap

Cape Town, South Africa

GYA is about "Greening your art" and at the moment is focused on creating a platform for artists to gather and talk about ways that we can change all stages our artmaking to be eco-conscious and authentic.

On the 22nd of July we'll be having a look at what Michelle Searle did in a park in Bryant street in the Bo-Kaap in Cape Town. She initiated and pulled through a project where she and her neighbors improved the park so it would be safe for kids to play there. She did a creative mural, and also painted a flower on the pavement in the park, where kids now play and Michelle and other women can have activities with the kids.We'll have snacks and something to drink in the park and at Michelle's home (just around the corner from the park) while talking about either further improving the park or identifying another park or area that needs creative upliftment.

Please bring:
a smile, creativity, enthusiasm, snacks and something to drink (no Coca-Cola please - try and bring ethical, fairtrade and environmentally aware snacks and drinks!) :-)

Looking forward to see you there!

DIRECTIONS
Buitengraght...into Bloem...sharp left into a road with no name...into Buiten street.....up...& up turn left at Big green house..and drive along Bryant Street to a bright pink house. We meet at the house and then walk the few metres to the park.

For more info about the park or this gathering call Michelle at 021 424 7054 / 0825044130. For more info about the GYA gatherings in general call Janet at 072 331 5057.

Google map link to the venue



Facebook event page: www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=209404052413414

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Greatmore Studios, Cape Town, 2 – 16 April 2011
Closing date for applications: 7^th March 2011

Thupelo Workshop for Printmakers
WORKSHOP DATES: 2 to 16 April 2011
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 7^th March 2011 (12:00pm)

Established printmakers are invited to apply for the Thupelo Workshop 2011 which will be held at Greatmore Art Studios, Woodstock, Cape Town.

The workshop:

• will focus on oil and water based proof prints using woodcuts, lino cuts, mono prints, silkscreen, dry point and collagraph
• will include up to 20 artists all with experience in various print making practices
• will provide an environment for experimentation, the exchange of ideas and skills and the encouragement to expand one’s own practice

Applicants need to commit to working all day, everyday.

The workshop will:

• provide basic materials but artists should also bring their own rollers, cutting tools, pegs, aprons, ideas and any other special requirements
• provide shared accommodation for up to 6 people on a first come first serve basis
• serve lunch daily
• offer a small budget for local transport
• end with an exhibition including a catalogue

The two week workshop will end with an open day exhibition on the15th and 16^th of April 2011 at Greatmore Art Studios.

To download the application form, go here: http://www.greatmoreart.org/the-news.html