WHAL Newsletter

Demonstrator Corner

Look Who's Coming!

Connie Moore

Thursday, January 15, 2009,

7:30 pm meeting of WHAL

Come and share in the excitement of

multiple media in creating art.

Connie Moore is a local artist who makes her home in O’Hara Township and works out of her new studio. She has been a Graphic Design Instructor at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh for 26 years.

Connie has worked in a broad range of media that include oil, acrylic, colored pencil, pastel, wood cut and monoprint, and also mixed media. Her experience also includes digital art and computer illustrations.

Connie is the President of Pittsburgh Progressive Artists and a member of Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators, Pittsburgh Society of Artists, and the Artist coop - Double Door Gallery.

Among her many shows and awards are a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place awards and a Best of Show in the Annual Peoples Show, PPG Wintergarden, and a number of solos shows.

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Hello everyone,

As the election of our new art league president approaches, I’d like to take a moment to express my gratitude to all who have helped me over the past three years. You’ve been instrumental in making the last three years seem almost effortless.

Our league has met with a few changes during this time; and while change is not always welcomed by some, I’ve received many voices of approval for the direction we’ve taken and we will continue to grow as a group. It has been a privilege to guide our league through this exciting time and I look forward to many years to come as a member of a great art league!

To ease the minds of those individuals considering stepping into my shoes as president, we have a wonderfully organized and dedicated Board. My job has become almost effortless due to their seamless teamwork.

The job of the president is to coordinate with our Board members through email, oversee and coordinate our venues, preside over our monthly meetings and be the point of contact for any outside interest in our league.

While I provide assistance to our Board members as necessary our vice president, Elene Page, provides the speaker/demonstrator program for our monthly meetings; Audra Zampogna handles all our finances as treasurer; Cathy Vignolini is our webmaster and membership director; the newsletter continues to be written & distributed by Connie Serapigla; Marjorie Thompson, as recording secretary, documents the minutes of our meetings; and Rita Wilson covers our events as our publicity director.

Additionally, we have many members who continually step up and volunteer their time and the combined efforts of all make my job very, very easy.

I look forward to working through the transition of our new president and will continue to be available to him/her, as well as our entire league.

Please submit your nomination(s) to Elene Page prior to our April meeting and feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.

With warmest regards,

Kim Iyer

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An Invitation from the AARP Foundation

The AARP Foundation invites members to enter its 2010 calendar contest. Fourteen paintings on the theme “There’s Nowhere I’d Rather Be” will be selected and exhibited at AARP’s Life@50+ National Event and Expo in Las Vegas, Oct. 22 to 24, 2009.

Contestants must be amateurs and their painting must be original. Pastels, oils, acrylics and watercolors are eligiable.

To learn more and get an entry form, go to

www.aarp.org/foundation or call 1-888-687-2277.

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New Month and Extended Dates!

A discussion is under way with Robin Hill to move the Annual WHAL Juried Art Show to March, instead of May.

Also being considered is to hold the show for a month instead of the traditional 2-week time period. This will allow greater opportunity for visitors to view the show.

More information will be forthcoming as we move closer to March and the dates are confirmed.

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W. Korol Selley

Art has always been an integral part of my life. I have endeavored to experiment in various mediums until I settled on oils, which I've used extensively since 1965.

For three years into oil painting, I've worked with one color only, (burnt umber) as a self-teaching method in the study of "value". Within the first ten years, I worked from life and in doing so, I often found that Nature and live models weren't always accommodating and hindered the creative process. Studio painting and photo referencing became the

norm, in that I could paint whenever I wanted and time was no longer an issue.

In going public with my work in 1983, I made my debut in a juried studio exhibit at the Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History.

My style is that of super realism. My life's work is representative of the people I've met, places I've been and things I've seen.

I strive to create as natural and true to life depiction of all my subjects. My city and landscapes are never contrived, rearranged, nor do I eliminate elements for any reason. My paintings are intended as being historical and therefore must be true and precise in every detail within the time frame in which they were created.

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D. Zoe Shutka

I have been creating art ever since I could hold a pencil or a paint brush in my hand, and have engaged in many artistic interests throughout my life.

I create both commercial and fine art ~ designing logos, hand-painted signage, lettering, monogramming, custom painting on many kinds of vehicles, airbrushing and pinstriping are some of the commercial services that I perform.

My fine art focuses on many different mediums including portraiture, illustrations, pastel, watercolor, oil and acrylic painting, and works in clay.

I established D.ZIGNZ Studio & Gallery in 1986 in Glenwillard, PA. I have developed & honed my artistic skills over the last twenty years and continue to broaden my interests.

I teach students privately and instruct through various organizations and schools. I pride myself on developing techniques that are fun and have a place in the art world. My styles and methods vary to accomodate my students age and ability whether they are 5 or 65. I find it very rewarding to inspire people to express themselves artistically, at any level.

I am an instructor at Sweetwater Center for the Arts in Sewickley, PA. I am the Coordinator and instructor of the Art Enrichment Program at the Glen Montessori School in Emsworth, PA. I also teach art in the Mooncrest Afterschool Program for dis-

advantaged children in Moon Twp. and at St. James Afterschool Program in Sewickley.

As a member of several art leagues, I have exhibited my artwork both locally and nationally and won many awards in various categories. I served on the board of the West Hills Art League as a membership officer and am currently a member. My other affiliations include the Associated Artists of Butler County, Beaver Valley Artists, and the Art League of Bonita (Bonita Springs, Fl.)

Visit Zoe's page in our Website.

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Marjorie (Kocuba) Thompson

Painting is my passion. I feel alive and fulfilled when I’m creating. It becomes an adventure and many times a real challenge, that is, when I’m not wrestling with the ego and afraid of making mistakes on a perfectly spotless innocent sheet of paper.

My preference is plenn aire, there is nothing that compares to painting or drawing on location. My favorite spot to study is McConnell’s’ Mill with its hills, trees, rocks and rushing waters. It has become my home away from home since 1991. To me it is a mystical magical place. Initially I had set out to draw the spirit of the mill instead its spirit captured me. Many images will pop up in my paintings and charcoal drawings, most of which I am not aware of until a few days later.

The mediums I choose to work with are: watercolors, charcoals (to music), ink, acrylic and pencil. My current subjects of interest are: nature (landscapes and flowers), angels and people.

I prefer to paint to music. I like to feel the music and to feel the brushstrokes as they come through it. As I get lost in the music interesting things begin to develop in the piece I’m working on. Such as Ken’s painting, which is another story in itself.

Education: Ivy School of Professional Art – commercial & fine arts; Community colleges – watercolor & photography; Watercolor Workshops & Classes (Tony Couch, Bill Vrsak, Frank Webb, Ron Thurston, & Don Getz);

DVD & VHS demos & workshops (too many to list – ongoing process)

Member of: West Hills Art League, Pittsburgh Watercolor Society

Exhibits: WHAL, PTI, Gateway, Mt. Lebanon Library, Weirton Community Center, McConnell’s Mill Heritage Days, Traveler’s Paradise, Mellon Bank, The Coffee Shop and a doctor’s office.

email: Marjorie.thompson8@yahoo.com

cell phone: 724-413-5094

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Will C. White

Will C. White used to create TV commercials for Alka-Seltzer and Triumph Sports Cars. After retiring, he moved to Sewickley, where he writes a newsletter, conducts computer classes for seniors, and paints in watercolor.

Now, no longer constrained by other people’s creative requirements, he feels free to explore anything that comes into his head.

His influences range from Hieronymus Bosch to the Surrealists and modernist Odd Nerdrum.

While individual elements of his pictures tend to be representational, the themes and subjects of his art are imaginary and even evolve as he creates them. The result is art that doesn’t insist on a single meaning and an artist who delights in viewers’ interpretations.

Will has enjoyed awards, one-man shows, exhibits in galleries and having his pictures in collections across the country. He’s a member of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh and the West Hills Art League.

For more information, contact the artist at (412) 741-0255 or e-mail him at willwhite04@yahoo.com Also, visit Will's page in our Website

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McMurray Art League is offering classes in January/February 2009. The classes will be held in the McDowell Shops behind Atria's in McMurray, PA located off Rt.19.

January 28, 29 - Wednesday & Thursday with Christine Swann, portraits 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. $30 per day for members, $33 non-members.

February 3, 10, 17, 24 - Tuesdays with Tom McNickle, watercolor landscapes, 10 a.m. -2 p.m., $25 per day for members, $28 non-members.

February 19, 26 - Mary Kay Richardson, painting,

10 a.m.-4 p.m , $30 for members, $33 non-members.

Registration Contact: Alena Lutton, alena145@comcast.net or call 412-279-3840.

2009 Bucks County Art Workshops

Besides the traditional oil, watercolor, and pastel painting, workshops in furniture painting by Maxine Stahl, fabric painting by Maureen Baker, and mixed media by Cathy Taylor are being offered.

March 13-15, John Ennis Studio: Understand the fundamentals of portrait painting!

March 20-22, Coulter Watt Studio: Study the Old Master's of Still Life painting with award winning painter Coulter Watt.

March 27-29, Dot Bunn Studio: This information packed workshop is for painters wanting to learn color mixing for consistent success.

April 17-19 Peter Hunt, Plein Air: Peter will take you to some awesome sites for this workshop!

Also new this year are three day workshops on weekends. For more information and enrollment form please go to www.buckscountyartworkshops.com or call (215)249-9186.

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Art. Music. Dance. Networking. Fun.

Presented by:

Trust Education and Community Engagement Department, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Venue: Throughout the Cultural District

Next performance:

Friday, January 23, 2009 5:30 PM

Tickets: FREE!

The Gallery Crawl is a free quarterly showcase of art and entertainment in the heart of the Cultural District. All events take place at a variety of galleries and spaces and are FREE and open to the public.

The event is ongoing between 5:30 and 9:00 pm, and patrons may start at any location.

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