Int'l Artist Day - October 25, 2018

DIANE'S CORNER ... 

Celebrate International Artist Day

Art has been an important part of the human experience for time out of mind, the first records of the world are not written in books, but are captured in paintings, sculptures, and music that helps to paint a picture of world lost to the past. Whether it’s revealing a style of dress worn in a period by the clothing worn in the painting, or the slight heresy’s hidden in some of the worlds most religious works, art can reveal a hidden or lost side of us to the present.

International Artists Day honors those creative souls that will leave a record of today for the future that can’t be captured in history books. The anguish and joy of the human soul is portrayed through the haunting tones of a melody, the violence and fury caught in a photograph, or the serene gaze of a statue staring off into eternity.

History of International Artist Day

International Artist Day was founded by Chris MacClure, a Canadian artist who specializes in the style known as ‘Romantic Realism’. His paintings were a way to bring out his own “Romantic Realist” views on life, and have served to make him one of Canada’s most important artists. He created this day to bring recognition to the world of art, and to celebrate all the ways that artists bring their own special view to life.

Pablo Picasso was the most dominant and influential artist of the first half of the 20th century. Associated most of all with pioneering Cubism, alongside Georges Braque, he also invented collage and made major contributions to Symbolism and Surrealism. He saw himself above all as a painter, yet his sculpture was greatly influential, and he also explored areas as diverse as printmaking and ceramics. Finally, he was a famously charismatic personality; his many relationships with women not only filtered into his art but also may have directed its course, and his behavior has come to embody that of the bohemian modern artist in the popular imagination.

Word of the Day

trackless
Definition:	(adjective) Lacking pathways.
Synonyms:	pathless, roadless, untrodden
Usage:	They had to traverse the most dreary and desolate mountains, and barren and trackless wastes, uninhabited by man, or occasionally infested by predatory and cruel savages.

Idiom of the Day

pay dirt  — Something very, particularly, or abundantly valuable or useful, especially that which has been discovered after a long or arduous search. Used especially in the phrase "hit/strike pay dirt."

This Day in History

The Charge of the Light Brigade (1854)

The Charge of the Light Brigade, immortalized in Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem of the same name, was an ill-advised British cavalry assault on Russian forces during the Crimean War. As a result of miscommunication, British soldiers advanced on heavily armed Russian troops who thought their attackers must be drunk. Though hundreds of British soldiers were killed or injured in this battle, their commander, the Earl of Cardigan survived.

Richard Evelyn Byrd (1888)

A pioneer in aviation and exploration, Byrd was a member of the first expeditions to fly over the North and South Poles, undertaken in 1926 and 1929 respectively. The North Pole flight earned him a Congressional Medal of Honor and helped him secure funding for his subsequent expeditions, like the one to Antarctica two years later. From the base he established there, he went on to explore and map large areas of the continent.

Grenada Thanksgiving Day

On October 25, 1983, the U.S. and other Caribbean forces invaded Grenada to destabilize the Communist regime that had overthrown the government of Sir Eric Gairy in 1979. Democratic elections were held in December 1984. October 25 is observed as Thanksgiving Day, a public holiday in Grenada.

A new study on how dogs make sense of human languages explains which commands they understand

We love to tell dogs what to do, but we rarely consider whether they understand what we're saying. Pet owners assume their dogs comprehend commands like sit, stay, or heel— even play dead and make me Instagram famous, for that matter — but without the ability to ...

MORE INFO:
A new study on how dogs make sense of human languages explains which of our commands they can actually understand


1838 - Composer Georges Alexandre-Cesar-Leopold Bizet was born. He is best remembered for his opera "Carmen."

1870 - The first U.S. trademark was given. The recipient was the Averill Chemical Paint Company of New York City. 


1881 - The founder of "Cubism," Pablo Picasso, was born in Malaga, Spain. 

1955 - The microwave oven, for home use, was introduced by The Tappan Company. 

1960 - The Accutron watch by the Bulova Watch Company was introduced. 

1962 - American author John Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature. 

1964 - The Rolling Stones made their first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show." 

1995 - Cliff Richard received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II. 

2001 - It was announced that scientists had unearthed the remains of an ancient crocodile which lived 110 million years ago. The animal, found in Gadoufaoua, Niger, grew as long as 40 feet and weighed as much as eight metric tons. 



DAILY SQU-EEK

If You Were Born Today, October 25

Your appetite for life and experience is big, but you also know that you have to work to achieve all that you want. Although your emotions run deep, you are a practical person with a sound mind and intelligent outlook. You are charismatic, original, and your interests are many and varied. Your sense of humor is sarcastic. Seldom afraid of a challenge, your approach to problems is to embrace them and then conquer them! You are charismatic, bold, and intelligent. Famous people born today:

1838 Georges Bizet, French composer (Carmen), born in Paris (d. 1875)

1881 Pablo Picasso, Spanish artist (3 Dancers, Guernica), born in Malaga, Andalusia, Spain (d. 1973)

1888 Richard E. Byrd, American aviator and polar explorer (1st to reach both the North Pole and South Pole by air - disputed), born in Winchester, Virginia (d. 1957)

1948 Dave Cowens, American NBA forward (Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks), born in Newport, Kentucky

1954 Mike Eruzione, American ice hockey player(Olympic gold Medal 1980), born in Winthrop, Massachusetts

1984 Katy Perry [Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson], American Pop Singer (I Kissed A Girl, Waking Up In Vegas), born in Santa Barbara, California

READERS INFO

1.

NC Latin American Film Festival 2018

Oct 3 - Nov 8, 2018 | Raleigh, NC 

UNC-CH and Duke Campuses in the Triangle, Greensboro, and Charlotte

The annual NC Latin American Film Festival in North Carolina, celebrates cinematic storytelling and the artistry of Latin American audiovisual production. The multiple-day engagement features screenings of documentaries, feature films and shorts, some of which are premiered in the U.S. at the event. The festival also offers Q&A sessions, panel discussions with industry experts, cultural events, seminars and after parties with live music and dancing.

further information: NC Latin American Film Festival

2.

Hungarian Film Festival of Los Angeles 2018

Oct 18 - Nov 1, 2018 | Los Angeles, CA

Laemmle's Royal Theater, NoHo7 & UCLA

The Hungarian Film Festival has been a noteworthy presence in the film scene, bringing an array of diverse Hungarian films, features, documentaries and shorts each year to Los Angeles, a city renowned for its film events. The festival provides a great opportunity for those looking for an introduction to Hungarian filmmaking to meet and learn from those who believe in the power of the nation’s cinema and its filmmakers’ quests to be heard though their artwork. The festival consistently presents unforgettable cinematic and artistic films and is a highly anticipated showcase in the Los Angeles filmmaking community.

further information: Program

3.

Kids Euro Festival 2018

Oct 20 - Nov 4, 2018 | Washington, DC

Kids Euro Festival brings a little bit of Europe to Washington, D.C. with performances and presentations by talented European entertainers. The cultural showcase additionally offers performances in music, theatre, magic, puppetry and more. There are also a variety of movie screenings, storytelling sessions and workshops in subjects ranging from circus arts and opera to crafts, reading and writing, all with the enjoyment of the little ones in mind.

further information: KIDS EURO FESTIVAL 2018



Pictures of the day


Jellyfish is an informal term used for members of the subphylum Medusozoa and similar animals such as those in the phylum Ctenophora. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animals with umbrella-shaped bells and trailing tentacles, although a few are not mobile. They move by pulsating the bell. Their tentacles are armed with stinging cells and may be used to capture prey and defend against predators. Jellyfish are found all over the world, from surface waters to the deep sea. This image shows a labelled cross-section of the flower hat jelly (Olindias formosus).

FAMILY REUNION

We found them early one morning feasting on a new kill of a springbok (antelope). It was an intense sight to watch them feed – our close proximity to them gave us an opportunity to observe their relationship with one another. It was fascinating to watch the brothers intermittently embrace each other and lick the blood off each other’s faces while the mother kept guard. This photograph captures the harshness of the wild and yet softens us to witness the strong bond between the brothers.

knit, vintage
thanks, Patty

Baby Booties Pin Cushion Pattern

knit
thanks, Jennifer

Elfunny Beret/Hat

knit

Boy's Hoodie & Pants

knit

Illusion Alphabet Scarf pattern by Luciana Young

knit

Bobble Cowl

crochet
thanks, Helen

Sweet Potato Pie Cowl!

crochet
thanks, Vera

gray sky pattern by Natalia Spolita

crochet

Lucky Wanderer

crochet

Simple Crochet Purse

crochet

Snappy Sockers



RECIPE ... Halloween

thanks, Sara

Pumpkin Shaped Cheese Ball

CROCKPOT RECIPE

thanks, Abby

Slow Cooker Maple Herb Butter Turkey Breast with Apple Cider Glaze

SWEETS

thanks, Shelley

Apple Pie Cake with Chocolate Cashew Filling

ADULT COLORING

CRAFTS ... Halloween

Spiderweb Kirigami

With Halloween around the corner, how about some festive papercutting for the occasion? Try making spiderweb kirigami!

Here's how:

Start with a piece of square origami paper in your desired size.
We used our favourite 50 Colours Origami Paper - the 7.5cm / 3" size.

1. Fold paper in half diagonally. Crease well.

2. Fold paper in half again. Crease well.

3. Turn paper so that the top point is facing down / towards you. Visualize dividing the triangle into 3 equal parts. Fold the right third towards the left. Crease well. Then fold the left third over the right. Crease well. This part may take practice or refolding to get three equal parts - no worries, just keep trying!

4. Cut straight across the top of the folded triangle. Discard the paper parts in red.

5. Cut the top of your triangle into a curve. Discard the red part. Copying the top curve, cut lines along the entire length of the triangle leaving a thin line of paper at the end of each cut. Cut as many strips as you can / would like.

6. Cut out every other strip - seen in red - and discard. Cut off tip. Don't cut off the tip until all other strips have been cut and removed - just in case!

7. Carefully unfold to discover your kirigami spiderweb. If desired, you can gently press with a warm, dry iron to remove creases.

8. Use your spiderwebs anyway you'd like - decorate a table, string into a garland, use in a handmade card.

CHILDREN'S CORNER ... Halloween craft

thanks, Jill

Spooky Spider Handprint Craft

Spooky Spider Handprint Craft



PUZZLE

Clock Face Wedges Jigsaw Puzzle



WORD SEARCH

adorn apple basic button cannot continuous corsage

devil edition ethics halter hats hooey

inept issue jacket leader natural noble

order pasta plunge poppycock prate proper puzzle

rape recess roll ruler sell state trash trunk typical

SUDOKU ... hard

solution:

QUOTE

thanks, Cher

CLEVER

I would never actually wait if I needed to go. According to my mother (she was an endocrinologist), the bladder is always being filled so you can go before, during and after every event if you want!

EYE OPENER

A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF AN ARTIST IN OUR MIDST ----- ARA'S DAUGHTER SUZE!

 visit: https://suzeart.wordpress.com/

In June I greatly enjoyed being a juror for the Utah Watercolor Society’s annual plein air week in Capitol Reef National Park. I got to hike around, paint in, encourage artists about, sell work near and otherwise learn to love yet another national treasure landscape. Below, top: The Reef from near Fern's Nipple, watercolor on paper, 7.5" x 22" Below, bottom: Cathedral Valley, watercolor on paper, 5.5" x 30"

In July I returned unofficially to Stehekin in the North Cascades for a 2-week visit to the people and places I met as official Artist-in-Residence in 2013. I finally got to Boulder Butte and Purple Pass, as well as delighted in painting the informal fleet of aging trucks dotting the valley. Mark Scherer gave me some beautiful honey-colored and buprestid-bored scraps of yellow cedar. Top: Diamond T Pole Setter watercolor on paper 11" x 15" Middle: Town of Chelan Fire Truck, watercolor on paper 11" x 15" Bottom: Stehekin Bakery Truck, watercolor on paper 15" x 11 In August-September I joined 3 other visual artists and 2 writers as residents at Jentel near Sheridan, Wyoming. Those scraps of yellow cedar became a book with stamped leather pages and wood covers, recapitulating the boring beetle galleries I found in the Lost Fire of 1988 in the northeastern Big Horn Mountains. I learned to love yet another landscape. Below top, Book made from Wyoming truck plate, hinges, eyelets, pop rivets, 6-ring notebook clasp, digital prints of original watercolors, steel plate, opens to 6" x 43". Below bottom: Bark Beetle Book Volume XII: Buprestid Katakana, yellow cedar, leather, linen thread. 9"H x 8"W x 4"D.  In September-October – almost the only time I was home long enough -- I taught a 5-week class at Gage Academy in Seattle. I’m thrilled that one of my burned tree paintings was the cover of their winter catalog. I have realized that my favorite week of the year in the Cascades is when the larches still have golden needles and the first snow has fallen in the mountains. This year included at least three sunny days and almost every painting from then has been a winner. Top: Colchuck Tarn, watercolor on paper, 11" x 15" Left: Stuart and Ingalls Slope, watercolor on paper, 11" x 15" Right: Back along the Maple Loop, watercolor on paper, 11" x 15" In late October I hit the road again for Mancos, Colorado, to return to Willowtail Springs for a collaborative residency. I managed to finish a number of small plein air landscapes and two large burned tree paintings. Wildland firefighter and author Lorena Williams and I are working on an installation together which we hope to have realized by next fall. Top: Jolie laide, varnished watercolor on torn paper, 52" x 26"W (rotated right) Bottom: Blazed (sold), varnished watercolor on torn paper, 52"H x 20"W (rotated right) In November I again joined my friends and colleagues at the annual Zion Plein Air Invitational. After six visits I am still finding new places and new views to celebrate, and I came home with lots of sketches for winter studio work as well. Top: Above the Checkerboard Mesa Viewpoint (sold) watercolor on paper, 11" x 15" Middle: Zion from the Rockville Bench, watercolor on paper, 11" x 15" Bottom: Eagle Crags, watercolor on paper, 15" x 11" Two of my burned tree portraits, printed on fabric and suspended from the ceiling, are on exhibit for the Grand Canyon Trust at Dark Sky Brewery in Flagstaff, Arizona. Like all who are lucky to have their friends and family nearby, I survived a multitude of holiday events with only a few nights’ less sleep and lots of extra calories. And now, for what's coming up in 2018: The group show “Re: Acclimating” opens January 12 at the Kirkland Arts Center. You can see that bark beetle book made from Stehekin yellow cedar scraps in person. It will be up until February 17. Photo is shown above in the Wyoming section, Volume XII: Buprestid Katakana.  I'm giving a presentation January 13 at the University of Puget Sound's Collins Library, for the Puget Sound Book Artists' annual meeting about how I use technology to create my artist books. Another bark beetle book will be part of "So Sew" at the Vestibule Gallery in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood from January 25 to February 18. I plan to attend the reception on February 15. Top: Bark Beetle Book, Volume XI A and B: Teanaway Log. Fir-engraver-inscribed log, magnets, linen thread, stamped text.  8"W x 4.75"L, 4.5"H closed Bottom: detail, how the stamped pages open. Each page has a phrase from a Department of Natural Resources paper about bark beetles. It's true that I paint individual charred trees and make artist books about the bark beetle epidemic as ways of thinking about climate change. But it’s the sublime (in its art historical sense) beauty of wilderness landscapes that got me noticing the changes in the first place and that keeps me painting small landscapes for the pure joy of it. A selection of these will be up at Bakery Nouveau in West Seattle from February 14 till the end of March. Two of my “rockbound” books will be at an exhibit, “What *is* an artist book?” at thePort Angeles Fine Arts Center February 20 – May 13. Left: Dendritic Rhyolite, rock, laser-cut and -etched mat board, linen thread, wood case. Case: 4.5"W x 7.25"L x 3"D Right: That Transparent Alabaster of Memory, rock, laser-cut Duralar, Tyvek (R) endpapers, wool felt, silk thread, wood box. Case: 4.25'W x 6.375"L x 4.25"D I am planning to stick closer to home in 2018 but I am thrilled to have been selected as one of Capitol Reef’s 2018 Artists-in-Residence and I will be there in October. In 2016 one the high points of my artistic year was seeing 12 of my burned tree portraits suspended from the ceiling at the Museum of Northwest Art’s SURGE exhibit in La Conner WA. I’m happy to be participating in this year’s extended event which will be on display from October 6 – January 6, 2019. The photo below is of a just-completed artist book. The beetle-inscribed log was sawed in half and pages inserted between the halves. Each page is essentially a single bar from a bar chart describing the areas of British Columbia and Alberta affected by mountain pine beetle from 1999-2007. Bark Beetle Book Volume XIV, fir-engraver-inscribed log, laser-cut mat board, laser transfers, paint, linen thread. 16.5"H x 5" diameter.