iMAGine

Issue

8 April 2017

BI-MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

IN THE LOOP

Flagstaff Rotary: April 22 — 29, 2017

MAG at Colonnades: May 8— 21, 2017

Rotary Art Shows—Go to www.rotaryartshow.org for

information exhibitions, forms and entry dates.

Colonnades Raffle Prize: Seascape by Kay Hague

Editorials, Events… P.1

Artist in Focus & Art Good For Body and Soul by Glenys.… P.2

Art Tips: Lyn Robins Workshop by Lee-Anne Kling… P.3

Up-coming Exhibitions, Poem: Friendship by Rae Long…P.4

MAG EVENTS AT A GLANCE Monday 10 April:

Studio & Still Life Session & Daw Park

Changeover

Monday 17 April:

Easter Monday. No Session.

Monday 24 April:

Studio session & Committee Meeting,

Colonnades Forms Due

Monday 1 May:

Studio & Portrait Session

Monday 8 May:

Studio and Still-life session.

Colonnades Exhibition Commences.

Monday 15 May:

Studio session

Sunday May 21

Colonnades Exhibition Concludes

Monday 22 May

Studio Session,

Monday 29 May

Studio Session & Committee Meeting

Monday 5 June

Studio & Portrait Session

A DAUB FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome to our eighth edition of iMAGine.

ART IS MY HAPPY PLACE

Central Australia, way back when I was a teenager, the trailer cracked up and we were stranded. While the men took their sweet time working out how to fix the trailer, I sat under a tree, hot, grumpy and hungry. Then a thought struck me. I know what I can do to distract myself from worry and waiting, I can paint. Painting makes me happy, and when I’m in the zone, the hours those men would spend fixing up the trailer would fly by while I enjoyed painting.

The value of art to our health and well-being is so often under-estimated. How often have certain well-meaning individuals said to us rather condescendingly, that our art is a hobby, an indulgence. What would they know? I know for me, Art is my happy place. I choose to be creative, and with other happy artists, bring joy and a sense of community through art.

~Lee-Anne Kling

MAG’s long-time members: examples that show Art is Good for Body and Soul.

Marion Art Group

Website: marionartgroup.org

More Opportunities…

If you wish to display your work on our MAG website. Documents are ready if you would like to showcase your work. For more information, see Jim Green.

Privacy Policy: MAG members’ personal information will be limited to MAG-purposes only. This information will not be conveyed or sold to a third party (including electronic means), without the member’s consent. MAG will not be held responsible for any unintended use or disclosure of information.

To contact the Editor or MAG committee, go to the MAG website for details.

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THE PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

I’ve been mulling this over for days – what deep and meaningful message can I put before the members today? Nothing has come to me. As I’ve unpacked paintings from one exhibition and filled in paperwork for the next two, I’ve thought about it. Still nothing. What will I write? Nothing! …And then I thought, That’s it! I’ll write about nothing! But what is nothing? If I look at an empty paper or canvas, is that nothing? No, it’s a masterpiece waiting to be revealed. When I stare up at the night sky, am I looking into nothingness? No, I’m looking as thousands and thousands of points of light, which few people know anything about. I’m looking at a mystery. When I close my eyes to meditate do I sink into nothing? No, that’s when the colours appear, consciousness expands, and everything is possible. So where is nothing? What is nothing? Does nothing exist? Well, if it doesn’t exist, then what have I been writing about? Nothing. Well if I’ve been writing nothing, I suppose I’ll have to contact our editor and say, ‘Sorry Lee-Anne, when I came to write, nothing came to me. There’s no Presidents Perspective for this edition.’ Stop reading. There’s nothing here – you’re just reading nothing.

~Glenys Brokenshire

ART IS FUN WITH FRIENDS

FRIENDSHIP By Rae Long

The true gift of friendship Is precious and rare;

Not given lightly, But chosen with care.

Nurtured by love And tested by time.

I thank God for friends I’m proud to call mine.

©January 1986

Exhibiting artists deliver their paintings Sunday 16 April, 9am to1pm at Flagstaff Hill Primary School.

All paintings (framed and unframed) are to be delivered by individuals. Flagstaff Hill Art Show labels issued through Gallery 247 will be sent with instructions how to attach to the work. MAG Participants still need to attach MAG cards to the back of both framed and unframed paintings. Framed paintings will be displayed on a dedicated group of screens. Peter and Jim welcome offers of help to hang paintings on Sunday afternoon. Some of our MAG artists will be involved in a Group Demonstration Sunday 23 April. Maggie Turner has donated a beautiful work as MAG’s raffle prize raising money for GROW SA. The raffle draw will be at 3.00 pm on the Saturday 29 April. The Flagstaff Rotary Art Show Preview Night is on Friday 21 April, from 7 to 9 pm. An entry cost of $10, provides food, drink, live music and catalogue. There’s plenty of room for artists and their family and friends. If past experience is anything to go by, this is a great event, and the food is excellent. ~Jim Green

Flagstaff Rotary Art Show Our first exhibition opportunity for the year is just around the corner, Flagstaff Hill, actually, in April. This time, a number of our members will be displaying paintings as a group, with around 90 works. This year, our artists tested their technology skills by officially entering through Gallery 247. Something new for Flagstaff Rotary Art Show was the opportunity for MAG to sell unframed paintings which will be available in our MAG basket.

Flagstaff Raffle Prize by Maggie Turner

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portraiture, as well as belonging to several life-drawing groups in the southern region. I find that it gives me immense satisfaction and is totally absorbing. I no longer concentrate on exhibiting with MAG, but have had several solo exhibitions and will do so again when I have sufficient good quality work, maybe never! I hope to remain a member of MAG where I find great

PORTRAITURE PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Try your hand, practise your skill.

First Monday every month.

My first love was watercolour painting flowers, wildlife and land/seascapes, but other mediums beckoned and now I dabble in pastels, oils and acrylics also. In recent years, I have become involved with life-drawing studies and

Dry brush in clouds and so add interest to your painting.

Warm sky using cobalt blue, with horizon 2/3 down page. A dominant sky can give mood to a painting.

Have a go at STILL LIFE

—every 2nd Monday of the Month.

ART TIPS

MAG LIBRARY…a great resource of books and videos for your art…

Your friendly librarians:

Margaret Pope & Anne Bates

They work on positive (or healthy) thinking and problem solving strategies, which can help with making personal changes. The Five Foundations of Maturity are: Understanding of both ourselves and others. Acceptance of ourselves and our situation. Confidence & Self-control in both thinking and actions. Love, which includes self-love, love of others and love of activities. This is very much focused on the soul and the spirit. Facilitators ensure the groups function in a safe environment, but these groups have become such an integral part of peoples’ lives that there are also other meetings such as structured social activities. The support and bonding with others who

LYN ROBINS

WORKSHOP

Photo Essay

By Lee-Anne Kling

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Photos in this edition have been taken and provided by Maryla Wawrzycki & Lee-Anne Kling.

Artist in Focus

Mary Margetts

Like most artists, I have been keenly interested in painting for most of my life. However, a career in nursing, marriage and family-life took precedence and it was not until retirement that I was able to indulge myself and paint.

understand, has even seen the groups going away together at times. There is also an art group, which has given great solace to participants, who say it helps soothe their spirit. Shirley told us there is some government support and funding for their programmes. What isn’t funded though is work with younger people.

We decided, after a vote, that we would like any money we raise this year through our fundraising, to be put towards funding programmes in high schools. This was a fascinating and inspirational talk, based around focal points we could all incorporate into our interactions with others, and which would help all of us to nurture our body and soul.

~ Glenys Brokenshire

Magpies in Garden by Mary Margetts

After defining what they thought were the crucial points, each of these participants went out to start new groups based around their 12-step programme, and this spread around Australia. As Shirley told us of the programme, it impressed me as being a formula for a happy, healthy, well-balanced life for everyone, whether they have these problems or not. The participants meet in small groups, for two hours weekly.

companionship, stimulating conversation and several worthy critics of my work, sometimes hard to take, but good for me when I get too big-headed! Examples of my work can be seen on Facebook at: Mary Margetts Artist.

Cool sky. Using pthalo blue, to create that more wintery atmosphere. Perspective’s achieved by adding more white to blend in with the blue as go down page.

Once upon a time Lyn had a “magic hand’…Then she had to learn the craft of art. It is practice, techniques, and continual learning that refine an artist’s work.

On February 27, some of our MAG members enjoyed a workshop with Adelaide artist, Lyn Robins. Not only was she a fantastic teacher, imparting new techniques, but she was entertaining too.

Lyn demonstrated many styles and techniques ranging from Impressionist, to palette knife. The main take-away is to enjoy painting and to be adventurous.

More photos of this wonderful session are on display in MAG’s record folio for 2017.

GOOD FOR BODY AND SOUL—GROW SA

Recently our group had a talk from Shirley Lavender, programme and training coordinator for Grow SA, which is our chosen charity for 2017. GROW SA is a group who support those with mental health issues, to function well in the community. This is GROW’s 60th anniversary year. The group began in Sydney, where a group of seven people with mental health concerns met to talk about what helped them with their recovery from their problems.

Lots of laughs at MAG. (Left to Right) Ann Lindsay, Rae Nation, Liz Maxted