Welcome to our March Newsletter, where creativity blossoms and inspiration flourishes!  Whether you're a seasoned creator or just beginning your artistic journey, this season invites us to unleash our imaginations and explore new horizons. So grab your brushes, pens, or instruments, and let's cultivate a garden of creativity together as we welcome the arrival of March! 🌷 

OUR NEXT TNSC DEMO DAY  - March 16th

N-PERSON @ HERITAGE HOUSE - MARCH 16, 2024, 10:00AM

Our next Demo Day is scheduled for SATURDAY, MARCH 16th, at 10:00am at the Heritage House.  We are thrilled to bring you Nikki from TINTAPRESS.  Nikki will show us her process of print-making and her use of inks.  More details to come.

Following Nikki's presentation, we will have our Critique Session.  If you have a painting that you would like some feedback on, or if you have a WIP that could use some constructive advice, take part in our Critique Session.  Please submit 1 or 2 images to showchair@tnsc.ca by March 12th.

•  DATE:  MARCH 16, 2024
• TIME:  10:00AM
• PLACE:  Heritage House, 100 Lorne Street, Kamloops
• COST:  Members - FREE   
• Non-Members are Welcome - $5.00 drop in fee

 TNSC Annual General Meeting

The TNSC AGM will take place at our next Demo Day event.

DATE: SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 10:00 AT HERITAGE HOUSE IN RIVERSIDE PARK, 100 Lorne Street, Kamloops. 

We will meet in the upper lounge. We need a quorum of members to attend, so please make an effort to join us. Board of Directors:  All current members are willing to stay on and serve the chapter. President: Elaine Burns; Secretary: Kathleen Feschuk; Show Chair: Patricia House; Treasurer: Cathie Peters; Membership Chair: Cathy Tetarenko; and, Member at Large: Barb Klie 

WHERE ART SHINES! SPRING 2024 TNSC SHOW

 
Submissions Close:  March 3, 2024

Let your art shine at the 17th Annual TNSC Regional Spring Show and Sale! This is a qualifying, juried show and we invite all Active and AFCA members from the Thompson Nicola Shuswap Chapter, the North Okanagan Chapter, the Central Okanagan Chapter and the South Okanagan Chapter to submit.  (SFCA members may submit one painting but it is not eligible for awards.) The show takes place from April 9 - 20, 2024 at the Old Courthouse Gallery, Kamloops, BC.

You may submit up to to 5 entires at $20 each. Submissions close March 3rd, 2024. More information can be found on the TNSC website HERE. 

Make sure to read ALL of the rules and pay attention to those regrading sales and how to hang/present your work!  Read the rules here:  INFORMATION AND RULES

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT

When was the last time you tried something new? Venturing into the unknown can be a scary undertaking, especially when it comes to our art. We are comfortable with our chosen subject matter. We have mastered a few tricks that help us succeed and get us to the finish line with a great outcome. But, are we learning anything new? Are we adding to our skill set? I decided to try something new - to paint my very first ocean wave - a mesmerizing, crashing wave with a blue so transparent you can see through it! Well, that was the vision painted in my mind, at least!  Did I succeed? Let's just say, I made a really good start. On the upside, I did discover some new paint mixes, how to create the feeling of energy with brushwork and how to describe the form of a wave. More importantly, it was the nervous excitement of painting something new, feeling alive and bringing that feeling to the canvas. I can honestly say that now I look at waves in an entirely different way! What new subject matter have you tried lately? Let me know -president@tnsc.ca - it would be great to hear from you! Happy Painting! Elaine

TNSC DEMO DAY - February Recap!

Our February Demo Day featured Jan Poynter demonstrating the time honoured tradition of Grisaille, using watercolour.  Jan brought us the magic!  She used a variety of subject matter to show us how to create a value sketch in watercolour and the application of transparent glazes to bring out the colour.  It was fascinating and we all learned so much from her tips and technical advice.  Thank you Jan!  It was a great evening and our zoom was very well attended, with over 20 people tuning in to see the demo.  You can visit Jan's website here:   JANPOYNTER

SUSIE CIPOLLA WORKSHOP - COMING IN MAY!

We are thrilled to bring you a workshop with Susie Cipolla!  This is a rare opportunity for you to learn and create with one of our Senior Signature Members! Mark your calendars now - coming May 4/5, 2024.

Here is what we will learn:  Your painting skills are built by practicing and training and by challenging yourself with new techniques and ideas. This intermediate level acrylic workshop will help you do just that. We will spend 2 days on fun and challenging drills and exercises involving speed, limited palette, limited and expressive brush strokes, tool use, different grounds and more. This workshop is for acrylics (as it dries quickly) but the techniques will apply to other media, like oils. For more information and to register click HERE

ABOUT SUSIE

Susie first broke into the art world at the age of seven, winning a bicycle in a Dairyland colouring contest. After that, art languished on life’s back burner while she finished school and pursued a career in physiotherapy. In 2009, at the urging of a friend, she took a painting workshop with Brian Atyeo. Discovering a new passion in painting was life changing for her. Over the last ten years she has committed herself to improving her skills as an artist by attending classes and workshops with Master Artists. She now spends her days with her family on a rural property north of Pemberton, B.C. Her large studio hosts guest instructors and provides learning opportunities for other artists. Susie’s preferred painting medium is acrylic and her subject matter is primarily scenery and wildlife of the Pacific Northwest Region. Susie is a Senior Signature member and past board member of the Federation of Canadian Artists. You can view Susie's website here:  SUSIECIPOLLA

TNSC AND FCA MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL TIME!

 If you have renewed your membership, thank you, and we look forward to an exciting year ahead!  If you haven't renewed, that means your membership has now expired!  Renewing your membership with the FCA and the TNSC has loads of benefits to assist you with moving your artistic endeavours to the next level. You can renew both your FCA and TNSC dues online here:  FCA-TNSC RENEW  There are options to pay online, by cheque or credit card. Having trouble renewing?  Contact Cathy, our Membership Chair, she is here to help:  membershipchair@tnsc.ca

TIME TO PAINT

NEXT SESSION - SUNDAY, March 3, 10am - 1pm "Time to Paint" continues on Sunday, March 3rd!  There are only two sessions left - join us before its too late!  This monthly event is a great way to share knowledge and skills in a small and welcoming group setting. Each artist gets their own table.  Bring your own easel and supplies.  Spend time with friends you know or make new friends, share art tips and give yourself the “Time to Paint”!  Limit:  10 Artists

• Drop in fee: $5  (fees collected help offset the room rental)
• Dates:  One Sunday each month, 10 - 1.
• Location: Riverside Park, lower lounge in Heritage House. Free parking.
• 2024: March 3, May 5

CALLS FOR ENTRY 

Federation Canadian of Artists

The FCA 2024 Exhibition Submission Calendar is now available!  Access it here:  2024 FCA Calendar

Online Federation Showcase - Submit by March 12 - Exhibition: April 1-21

Annual International Mail-In - Submit by March 15 - Exhibition: May 6-26

Landscapes - Submit by March 30 - Exhibition: May 27 - June 16

KAMLOOPS ART COUNCIL

Art in Public Spaces - Royal Inland Hospital:  The Kamloops Arts Council is accepting artwork to be showcased at the hospital between April 2024 - April 2025.  Artists can submit up to 2 pieces.  Submissions Due: March 15th, 2024 at 11:59pm. For more information, click here:  AIPS-RIH 

Art in Public Spaces - Sagebrush Theatre: The Kamloops Arts Council invites artists to submit their 2D artwork to hang at the Sagebrush Theatre from March 28 - June 28. Submissions Due: March 19th, 2024 at 11:59pm. For more information, click here: AIPS-SAGEBRUSH 

FCA North Okanagan Chapter

The North Okanagan Chapter is having a regional FCA show June 1 - 30 2024 at the Armstrong Museum and Gallery. Submission details coming soon.

Dianne Carson's “Spring is in the Air”

Claire Burnham

I achieved my active membership this past December and submitted these three paintings to the 2024 Scenes From Canada exhibition. I was over moon to learn ‘Kiwa’ was accepted, and the other two, “Catching Clouds-Mt. Edith Cavell” and “Mt. Sir Donald From the Tracks” were recognized. These are all pieces from different adventures I’ve had in 2023. Kiwa Glacier is a hidden gem west of Valemount, we accessed it by helicopter and waded in the freezing glacial lake, listening to the cracking and rumblings of the glacier moving. Nothing super-charges my need to create a piece like the ancient blue ice of glaciers and their bergs. 

Mt. Edith Cavell is a not so hidden gem, but is always an inspiring face to see when I explore around Jasper. The light dancing gently through the clouds that morning was striking.

The Mt. Sir Donald painting was conceived in sketches and photos from the CP rail tracks in Rogers Pass. The clouds had just parted revealing the bare rock face, stunning as it appeared further and further into the sky. 

These are exhibiting with the Federation Gallery until March 10th. 

	Congratulations Claire, Awesome work!

Kit Bell

Kit Bell AFCA is very pleased to announce that one of her new mixed media pieces, Tear Here to Open, has been accepted into the 2024 Bloom Exhibition at the FCA Gallery on Granville Island.  This is the first “outing” for this new process and it is very nice to have it recognized by the jurors. The Bloom Exhibition will be open from April 2^nd to April 18^th so if you are in the vicinity, stop by and take a look. “Tear Here to Open" serves as a reflective exploration of our intricate and dynamic world. Through the interplay of organic and man-made elements, the piece captures the complexity of our surroundings, offering viewers an invitation to engage with its multiple layers. This intentional fusion creates an immersive experience, prompting contemplation and exploration of the interconnectedness of our environment.”

	Kit Bell Tear Here To Open
Way to go, Kit! Nice acheivement!

Mairi Budreau

 

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Art Tips and Tricks

Avoiding Tangents - 9 Visual Blunders Every Artist Should Watch Out For 

 Have you ever been caught off-guard by a visual tangent in your art?

The word tangent usually just indicates that two things are touching, but in art the term describes shapes that touch in a way that is visually bothersome. When creating a composition, there are so many different things to juggle that it’s easy to miss even the obvious flaws—and that’s when tangents sneak in.

Most tangents can easily be avoided, however, as long as you know what to look for during the early stages of the piece. To simplify that process, here’s a chart illustrating nine of the most common tangents. (A full description of each tangent follows below.)

	1. Closed corner: When a shape completely covers any corner of the artwork, it visually isolates that corner from the rest of the painting. Solution: Find another way to crop the image or soften the edge of the object so that the tangent is not so distracting.
	2. Halved shape: When a symmetrical shape is cut in half by the edge of the painting it creates an uncomfortable, chopped-off feeling for the viewer. Solution: Bring the entire shape inside the picture plane or crop the image somewhere other than the halfway point. You will also want to avoid cropping directly at any joint of an animal or person, or at a corner of an object or structure.
	3. Fused edges (object with frame): When the edge of an object touches the edge of your painting it can create an awkward, crowded sensation for the viewer.   Solution: Crop slightly inside the object, leaving some of it up to the imagination of your viewers, or place it entirely inside the picture frame with room to spare.
	4. Fused edges (object with object): When the edges of two shapes touch, the same “crowded” sensation is felt. Solution: Overlap your objects or put some space between them.
	5. Hidden edge: When the edge of one object is hidden behind another object oriented in the same direction, the two may appear strangely joined together. Solution: Change your angle so the hidden edge can be seen or put some space between the two shapes.
	6. Split apex: When a vertical shape intersects or is directly aligned with the apex of another shape it causes a strange, unwanted symmetry.  Solution: Shift one shape or the other so there is no overlap at the apex.
	7. Stolen edge: When the edge of one shape aligns perfectly with the edge of a second shape, it creates an ambiguous edge for both. Solution: Change your vantage point to avoid overlapping edges like this.
	8. Antlers: When distinct vertical shapes appear directly behind an object, they often appear to be growing out of that object like antlers. Solution: Shift the background shapes to the side, out from behind the object, or change their value or color to blend more with the background.
	9. Skimmed edge: When the top a vertical object ends at the bottom edge of horizontal object, the two shapes may seem to merge. Solution: Raise the vertical object slightly so that it overlaps the horizontal, or lower it so that there is extra space in between.

Practice looking for these nine tangents in everyday life. As you begin to develop an awareness for them they’ll be much easier to spot in your art, making it a simple task to eliminate them from your compositions early on.