Artists Honor Frank Duveneck

By any standard, former Art Club member was a “Big Shot” in American art. He helped make the world pay attention to America’s version of Impressionism. Born and raised in Covington, he was from an early age impacting significant art installations around Cincinnati. The Art Club was founded in 1890 and he was our fourth president in 1894.

A Tribute to Frank Duveneck

The coming year will kick off with a series of big events to honor the 100^th year since the passing of Duveneck—one of our founders and one of the first nationally acclaimed American painters.

The Art Club “Duveneck Paint-in Celebration”

January 3 is a unique opportunity for each of us to set up our easels in the Museum’s Cincinnati Wing, select the Duveneck work of our choice and re-interpret this great artist as our homage to him. The public and local media have been invited to watch us paint. Space is limited, so a sketching permit to participate in the paint-in is required: Contact Christine Kuhr no later than December 20. If the January 3 date does not work out for you, call Amy Lindqvist at 639-2975.

A few rules must be followed. Identify the painting you want to copy when registering. A drop cloth is required at painting station and post cannot be unattended. Artists cannot copy any piece to exact size of the original.

The Art Club Duveneck Re-Interpreted Exhibition

Duveneck Re-Interpreted, a major exhibition at the Wessel Gallery, will feature paintings from the paint-in session at the Museum plus paintings by Club artists who were not able to attend the paint-in experience as long as these are interpretations from paintings of that era. See participation dates in Events Sidebar on this page.

Paintings may be of Duveneck or his students and contemporaries. Many of the Club artists will be present at the Opening to discuss the re-interpretations of their own Duveneck-era paintings. The exhibit will be the focus for our January 19 Brunch Meeting when the Art Museum Docent will discuss our cultural history with paintings from Duveneck, Henry Twachtman, Edward Potthast, Robert Duncanson and the Rookwood potters.

November 9, 2018

The Duveneck Centennial Celebration

The Art Club Pays Tribute to Frank Duveneck

Frank_Duveneck_1874 — Frank Duveneck, 187

The coming year will kick off with a series of big events to honor the 100th year since the passing of Duveneck—one of our founders and one of the first nationally acclaimed American painters.

The Art Club “Duveneck Paint-in” at Cincinnati Art Museum

We have a unique opportunity for each of us to set up our easels in the Museum’s Cincinnati Wing, select the Duveneck work of our choice and re-interpret this great artist as our homage to him. The public and local media have been invited to watch us paint. Space is limited, so a sketching permit to participate in the paint-in is required: Contact Christine Kuhr no later than December 20. If the January 3 date does not work out for you, call Amy Lindqvist at 639-2975. A few rules must be followed. Identify the painting you want to copy when registering. A drop cloth is required at painting station and post cannot be unattended. Artists cannot copy any piece to exact size of the original.

The Art Club “Duveneck Re-Interpreted” Exhibition

Duveneck Re-Interpreted, a major exhibition at the Wessel Gallery, will feature paintings from the paint-in session at the Museum plus paintings by Club artists who were not able to attend the paint-in experience as long as these are interpretations from paintings of that era. See participation dates in Events Sidebar on this page. Paintings may be of Duveneck or his students and contemporaries. Many of the Club artists will be present at the Opening to discuss the re-interpretations of their own Duveneck era paintings. The exhibit will be the focus for our January 19 Brunch Meeting when the Art Museum Docent will discuss our cultural history with paintings from Duveneck, Henry Twachtman, Edward Potthast, Robert Duncanson and the Rookwood potters. New

Insights into Duveneck’s Life

Those of us who follow Linda Crank on Facebook know she is an avid art historian. For years she has been posting daily stories about the great artists who have preceded and inspired us. In Duveneck’s honor, Linda is now writing a series of short stories for Dragonfly to give us new insights into this artistic genius who helped establish the Art Club in the 1890s.

November 7, 2018

Michelle Andrews, MD

Finding one’s way to become a painter is always a journey. For Dr. Michelle Andrews, a nationally recognized surgeon, it took a New Year’s Resolution to put her on the journey to become an artist.

Michelle as an Acclaimed Surgeon … Visualizing Symptoms

surgeon at work — *Dr. Andrews looks for the tiniest detail that could impact patient success. Learning to visualize what is in front of her became a basis for her transformation into artist.*

Michelle grew up in a small town in Massachusetts where graduated first in her high school class with a love for science and math. After pre-med at University of Massachusetts it was medical school in Philadelphia, residency at Yale, and a fellowship in sports medicine at Cincinnati Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center.

She took an academic orthopaedic surgery position at Johns Hopkins and served as Assistant Director of Sports Medicine. She was the first female orthopedic surgeon to be a major league baseball team physician (Baltimore Orioles).

She moved permanently to Cincinnati to build her own surgery practice, operating at many of our local hospitals. Michelle was named one of the top 125 knee surgeons in America. More recently, she served as chief of the medical staff at Jewish Hospital.

Michelle as Art Spectator … Absorbing from the World’s Best Artists

Michell Andrews at Musée d'Orsay — Michelle has studied artists at the world’s best museums, galleries and studios. She sees with the eyes of an observant surgeon.

Art always hovered in the background as she pursued her career. “My favorite underclass subject was Art History. I learned for the first time the importance of light and how a painting came alive when painters controlled the energy and vitality of light. When I was a medical student I was able to take breaks from the intense course load and visit Philadelphia’s art museums. Thomas Eakins’ painting of professor Samuel Gross (The Gross Clinic) was breathtaking and memorable. I began to see subtle relationships between medical problems and their depiction in art … crooked fingers perhaps indicating gout or rheumatologic conditions and yellow skin tones as a sign of underlying liver problems.”

During medical rotations in Boston and San Francisco, she visited museums where she fell in love with Anders Zorn, John Singer Sargent, Antonio Mancini and James Whistler. The Yale University Art Gallery put her inside one of the best collections of American art. The works of Matisse, Picasso, Cezanne, and Gauguin at the Cone Collection in Baltimore further opened her art world. She sat in on demonstrations with renowned painters and got to know them personally. She devoured art books and has built an incredible library of her own art books within her studio. As she moved toward retirement, she was ready to become an artist herself.

Michelle as Artist … Life Lessons Now Pouring onto Canvas

M ANDREWS in Art Studio.jpg — Michelle’s sense of beauty fills the studio in her home, surrounded by books and books about art and artists. When you talk with her about artists, she immediately goes to the shelves and pulls out a book to validate her keen observations.

Today, Michelle’s paintings reflect the style of Chiam Soutine or Alice Neal. She is fresh and dynamic with her brush. She tries to convey what she feels as she watches a chef at work or is energized by beautiful landscape scenes. Her paint flows rapidly and with boldness, approaching an abstract simplification as she depicts the people who come into her life. “I love the human figure. People captivate me and I want to bring them to life. It is about curiosity and bringing a twist of originality all woven together.”

As Michelle looks back at her life journey, art has always been flowing in her blood just as passionately as she has served her patients. All that knowledge now flows out onto her own canvases.

Tahoe, Michelle Andrews.jpg — **Tahoe,** Michelle Andrews MD

ma 1 — **Watching**, Michelle Andrews MD

Chef Julie Francis, Michelle Andrews.jpg — Chef Julie Francis, Michelle Andrews MD

Michelle, Andrews, West & So Main St Petersham MASS, 9x12, oil.jpg — Petersham Church, Michelle Andrews MD

St. Andrews Church, Michelle Andrews, MD

November 7, 2018

Romelli in Motion

Back Stretch, Partick Romelli — **Backstretch, Patrick Romelli**

Patrick Romelli creates oil paintings that reveal an emotional perception of the landscape through broad strokes and color. His life experiences and intuition for light hue, and composition create a visual language that captures the spirit and physical beauty of the countryside. For Romelli, painting is emotional. It’s not enough to simply copy the subject, but rather through color and boldly textured brushstrokes, he captures the essence of the subject.

He says, “This inner ‘painting’ is emotional and passionate. It’s about being able to share what you feel you see, the atmosphere. It’s the air around the subject. If I can get the observer to go on that emotional ride with me, I’ve succeeded.”

The power of suggestion is greater than the statement of reality

“First, I find a subject that interests me. Then I sketch on canvas a Comprehensive detail drawing of the subject. Next, I use an under painting with color notes to block it in. Now this is when the painting gets interesting. I start by painting the atmosphere around the subject with large strokes creating a sense of motion. Now I’m in the zone. I continue this until the emotional “inner painting” is no longer valid. At this point I try to complete the painting in a blur that pulls the subject into and across the canvas.”

Delta Queen, Patrick Romelli — **Delta Queen**, Patrick Romelli

November 7, 2018

OPA Eastern Regional Selections; Third Place to Marybeth Karaus

Tango in Yellow, MaryBeth Karaus OPA — Tango in Yellow, Marybeth Karaus

Oil Painters of America opened its Eastern Regional Show October 28th at McBride Gallery in Annapolis, MD. Show continues through November 25th, 2018. Over 3,000 paintings were submitted to the selection committee.

Marybeth Karaus has been named a Third Place choice with her gorgeous floral still life “Cyclamen” while three other CAC members — Tom Bluemlein, Gail Morrison and Donald Schuster — have their paintings hanging in the prestigious show of over 120 paintings.

Karaus, Bluemlein and Morrison are each also designated Signature OPA members.

Streetcar in Milan 20x16 — **A Streetcar in Milan, Tom Bluemlein**

Cyclamen, Gail Morrison, OPA Award — **Cyclamen, Gail Morrison**

GregoryCreek13, Donald Schuster, OPA 2018.jpg — **Gregory Creek 12**, Donald Schuster

November 7, 2018

Jeff Morrow Joins Restoration Team to Save High School Murals

Jeff Morrow joined up with Doug Eisele and Dawn Strait Wallace to preserve two historic wall murals at McClain High School in Greenfield OH this summer. It was a week-long project for the trio, high up on scaffolding, using specially prepared paints to match the 100-year-old originals.

Jeff recounts, “Between them, Doug and Dawn have almost 80 years of painting restoration experience. I was brought along to help expedite the process by helping Dawn and Doug with the inpainting and overpainting. There were whole patches where water damage had taken it’s toll and someone’s attempted restoration work was no longer stable and was flaking off. We first had to reverse the previous repairs and overpaint. Then stabilize the loose plaster, infill the losses and prepare the surface for inpainting. In those areas we had to match the look and style of the original artist’s work.”

“We had no historical references to work from. Colors were matched just like when I need to match color on one of my own paintings. Mix and mix again until an exact match is achieved. We used acrylic so we were able to test a color and let it dry to be sure of the match.”

“It took me a bit to get used to the scaffolding—being careful and holding. I did a lot of leaning back to look at my work since I am used to doing this from my easel to take in my progress. There’s no stepping back when on a scaffold!”

Doug started Old World Restorations 40 years ago and Dawn has been with him most of that time as the primary painting restorer.

<photo of jeff morrow on scaffolding> Karol, did Jeff make his last payment on his life insurance policy?

<Photo of Jeff morrow painting mural> Jeff joined Doug Eisele and Dawn Wallace to restore McClain murals.

November 6, 2018

Art Comes Alive at ADC for 8 Members

“Art Comes Alive” exhibition sponsored by Art Design Consultants has accepted paintings from eight members of Cincinnati Art Club this year. Josie Gearhart, Ann Headley, Grant Hesser, Helmut Kientz, Carol MacConnell, David Mack, Donald Schuster, and Trish Weeks. The exhibit is open through November 30.

The Gathering, Josie Gearhart, 60x60 — **The Gathering, Josie Gearhart**

Grant Hesser, Roebling Bridge, Oil on canvas, 12x16 2000 300dpi[4967].jpg — **Roebling Bridge, Grant Hesser**

Harbor Dawn, Helmut Kientz.jpg — **Harbor Dawn, Helmut Kientz**

Blowing in the Wind, Trish Weeks, 24x32, oil on aluminum — **Blowing in the Wind, Trish Weeks**

November 6, 2018

Workshop, or Not?

Why in the World Would You Attend the Kim English Workshop?

You are an experienced artist and been through all the teaching you need. Or you are a less experienced artist but are not comfortable being in a class with more experienced artists. Or you don’t want to spend the money on a workshop.

Hmmm. Take a moment with Eileen McConkey. She has overcome similar feelings about workshops and now she coordinates them for the Club.

Eileen McConkey,
Workshop Chair and
Signature Member of Cincinnati Art Club

“I was invited to a private painting day at a friend’s studio. Kim English was there so I got to paint right alongside him. Kim was very personable and fun to be with. When he came to Cincinnati the following Spring I attended his one-day workshop at the American Impressionist Society National meeting.”

“Kim English’s workshop was like no other workshop that I had ever taken. I loved his laid-back attitude. His approach is to move fast, and this helped me focus even more on his approach to art. He taught lessons that needed repetition to sink in. It was work. We repeated the exercises over and over and over. We had little time to think about completing a painting. Little time to grumble at the messes or savor the successes. Some of my results were dreadful and some were dynamite. I loved it and thought his approach would be a perfect way for Club members to elevate their work.””

I have the attitude that if we are alive we need to LIVE and LEARN!

Here is a small representation of Kim English’s work:

October 28, 2018

Cape Ann Plein Air with Ray Hassard

Prestigious Outdoor Event Invites Ray Hassard to Return

The mission of Cape Ann Plein Air Competition is to preserve and promote Cape Ann’s legacy as the birthplace of American Plein Air painting. So it is no surprise that Ray Hassard was once again invited back to this prestige event in the Cape Ann communities of Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the Sea.

Ray’s main medium is pastel, but he also works in oils, acrylics, and gouache. He is widely regarded for his urban scenes featuring such figures as on-duty police and iron workers doing construction.

Shown here is the painting he completed at the competition (Low Tide at Beacon Marine, 12” x 12”, pastel). After painting it on a narrow floating dock which rocked when anyone walked past, Ray realized the great benefit of solid ground.
Ray was born in Freeport NY. He studied at Pratt Institute, and moved to Buffalo NY in 1977 where urban landscapes became his primary theme. Ray won several commissions, most notably one to create and install a large wall piece for the subway the city was building. In 1987 he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, much to his surprise, and decided it was a pretty good place to be.

Ray is a Signature member of the Cincinnati Art Club and the Pastel Society of America; MidAmerica Pastel Society has designated him Master Pastelist. He is in the Master Circle of the International Association of Pastel Societies. In 2013 he was Artist in Residence in Dinan, France for the month of June. His work appears in recent pastel, acrylic and drawing publications from NorthLight Books.

He participates in juried plein air competitions often and has won top awards in New Harmony IN, Richmond VA and San Angelo TX. In the last three years he has painted in Plein Air Easton, Wayne PA Plein Air Festival, Mountain Maryland (Cumberland), Bucks County Plein Air, Plein Air Maui, Finger Lakes Plein Air, and was awards judge for the first Cape Ann Plein Air event in 2016. He is the Chair of the Ohio Plein Air Society’s annual competition this year and 2019. It will take place Sept 27-30 and is open to all with no jurying in and will be based in Mariemont. For more information, go to http://ohiopleinairsociety.com/.

Ray received Third Place at the Club’s ViewPoint 49. He loves painting, gardening, travelling, dancing and rollercoasters, maybe not in that exact order.

October 28, 2018

Event Marketing Done Right

Eileen McConkey shares how The Makers’ Marks do Marketing

“The Makers’ Marks” are four artist whose studios connect with each other at the Pendleton. Jan and Mark Wiesner (The Sculptors) and Gina Stevenson and myself (The Painters). We had 44 pieces in the show and the exposure was great. The paintings went right to another show because someone saw them at our show. We have talked about the possibility of having other shows under that same name, possibly including others in a future show.

The Markers Marks mailer.jpg — Multi-purpose Promotional piece used by The Makers’ Marks

We worked hard at marketing the event, and that effort also taught us a lot about how to do a show the right way:

1) We planned ahead, starting over a year in advance with meetings every other week for months so we could explore the possibilities and stay energized about it all.

2) We made connections to Stepping Stones and in exchange for a portion of our sales we were given access to their mailing list of 10,000 contacts as well as promotion on their website and newsletter.

3) Woman’s Art Club helped us with access to news websites and promotion during their classes and events, a banner on their website listings on their events calendar which totaled an additional reach of 15,000 contacts.

4) We worked got postcards, signage and radio spots. We distributed to coffee shops, sponsors, libraries, PAC, CAC, etc.

5) Opening night was crowded. We had the show for 3 weeks with a staff person (4 days a week for 4 hours) people could come in during the week. We also came in and sat the show on the weekends and several of the weekday times. Over the 3 weeks we probably had an extra 50 – 100 people see the show.

Finding one’s way to become a painter is always a journey. For Dr. Michelle Andrews, a nationally recognized surgeon, it took a New Year’s Resolution to put her on the journey to become an artist.

Finding one’s way to become a painter is always a journey. For Dr. Michelle Andrews, a nationally recognized surgeon, it took a New Year’s Resolution to put her on the journey to become an artist.

Michelle as an Acclaimed Surgeon … Visualizing Symptoms

She took an academic orthopaedic surgery position at Johns Hopkins and served as Assistant Director of Sports Medicine. She was the first female orthopedic surgeon to be a major league baseball team physician (Baltimore Orioles).

She moved permanently to Cincinnati to build her own surgery practice, operating at many of our local hospitals. Michelle was named one of the top 125 knee surgeons in America. More recently, she served as chief of the medical staff at Jewish Hospital.

Michelle as Art Spectator … Absorbing from the World’s Best Artists

Michelle as Artist … Life Lessons Now Pouring onto Canvas

As Michelle looks back at her life journey, art has always been flowing in her blood just as passionately as she has served her patients. All that knowledge now flows out onto her own canvases.

Why in the World Would You Attend the Kim English Workshop?

You are an experienced artist and been through all the teaching you need. Or you are a less experienced artist but are not comfortable being in a class with more experienced artists. Or you don’t want to spend the money on a workshop.

Hmmm. Take a moment with Eileen McConkey. She has overcome similar feelings about workshops and now she coordinates them for the Club.

Eileen McConkey, Workshop Chair and Signature Member of Cincinnati Art Club

I have the attitude that if we are alive we need to LIVE and LEARN!

Here is a small representation of Kim English’s work:

Eileen McConkey,
Workshop Chair and
Signature Member of Cincinnati Art Club