Finally we are back on the blog

 AGM September 2013 Summary

Ilona opened the meeting with prayer after which she welcomed all present. 

She introduced Judith Mason (guest speaker) as our ‘super magnet’ and thanked her for supporting our Organization. 

 Judith has been a practising  artist for 55 years and sells her work mostly through an agent in Johannesburg. 

She centred her speech around the fact that we live in a rural area that is mostly dominated

by an art/craft/decorative driven society and that different  thinking artists find it difficult to

 find a niche in this environment.  She stressed that the word ‘art’ covers many genres and a

change of mindset is needed  as contemporary art is mostly misunderstood. It is our duty to  raise

awareness of this fact through newsletters, art evenings and visits to art collectors.  Judith mentioned

that she will contact Jack Ginsburg, a serious art promoter and   hailed as a ‘champion of the arts’, for advice.

 

She  also explained the different stages of the creative process many  artists goes through:

i) Anxiety stage: you are anxious to get the image on paper and  do not want to be interrupted as you

 feel a  desperate need to focus.  ii) Manic stage: once you get the general idea, you now get to fill in

with colour, tone and all the rest.   A sense of enjoyment creeps in.   iii) Depressive stage:  when

 your work is finished but you feel disappointed with the end product  and now rejection sets in.

  Her advice was to work simultaneously  on more than one piece at a time  so that you can

 go back to phase two on a different work when you start to feel depressed. She also advised that

we should  always remember the following;  do  not  let  random  people  comment  on your work

while you are still working on it. 

Ideas put forward to rejuvenate the LAA are the following;

a)Ilona suggested that the LAA act as an Umbrella Organization to alert members

 about various opportunities regarding exhibitions, competitions, and all art related matters.

b)      Marietjie mentioned the upcoming VANSA workshops on ‘how to market your art via 

internet’.  A workshop  will take place during the first week in   October.  She  will send out a reminder.

c)Ilona also suggested that artists hold open studio days.

d)     Marietjie mentioned that all artists that participate in exhibitions should be

            personally involved with the promoting of their work as the public wants to  

       meet the artist and have a chat. 

e)Annalie suggested that artists whose work compliment each other should form and  exhibit as a group.

f)    Annemarie requested that a Prophetic Art workshop should be arranged.

g)      Judith Mason suggested we hold a monthly get together over lunch to discuss art    

    topics. This will be a get together for serious artists and not a recreational exercise.

h)      Maria P  requested that all members send their email addresses to Kato so that they 

can be verified and corrected in the LAA data base if necessary.

i)        Maria M  will be responsible for the upgrading of our website.

j)        Ilona urged members to visit Facebook, Lowveld Art and our Blogspot where artworks

 are advertised.

k)      As of the end of October only paid up members will receive newsletters and   other

 correspondence.  A newsletter will be sent out  to this effect.

l)        It was suggested that the LAA host only one big exhibition a year and that all

members should be urged to participate.

m)    Everine voiced her concern about the new proposed Art Gallery in White River and whether Nelspruit artists will be welcome to exhibit there.

Judith giving out secrets

 

ART FESTIVAL from 4 - 6 May

International Art Exhibition November 2010

Well done all our local artists who participated in the greatly successful Theatre/Symphony of Dreams Exhibition held in the Van Riebeeck Hall, Nelspruit. A dream came true: no less than 100 works exhibited, 30 entries were international and fifteen works were sold. Congratulations to each and every participant: the exhibition was an all round success!
Of the 41 participants, no less than seven were international artists from as far as Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Ruanda and Botswana.
Locally 34 artists participated of which sixteen exhibited for the first time under the LAA flag. As the committee we are really encouraged by you, our members’, wonderful response! You make us proud and enthusiastic to serve you as best we can.
Star of the show was Mind Shana from Zimbabwe with his acrylic paintings on canvas, who sold the majority of the works. He began his art career by exhibiting with Black Like Us at Manor Gallery, the home of the WSSA. Mind has a wonderfully easy style depicting rural scenes and buyers from as far as Germany acquired of his work.
Other interesting works included entries by Nali Gama, a female artist born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Wendy Borello from Botswana, a very accomplished international artist and Jibril Lijoum from Cameroon whose work expresses his interest in his culture and traditions.
A large painting of fishermen at work painted by Chenjerai Kadzinga from Mozambique, was also sold. Chenjerai is well known for his fishing net scenes.
Pieter van Heerden van die Kunsvereniging Pretoria, het nie alleen as kurator opgetree nie, maar ‘n sleutelbydrae gelewer deur ‘n borgskap vir die uitstalling van SANAVA te bekom. Pieter was van meet af betrokke met die stigting van ons Kunsvereniging en is altyd bereid om ons by te staan. Van ons kant af: Baie dankie Pieter! Jy is ons “Ouboet” in die groter Kunsfamilie!
Daarby bedank ons Anton Loubser van SANAVA wat die borgskap goedgekeur het. Anton was ook by die stigtingsvergadering en die daaropvolgende uitstalling wat by die Burgersentrum gehou is in Maart 2009.
We wish you, our members, a wonderful Christmas and a prosperous New Year! May we all take hands and create our best work ever in 2011! And may CREATIVITY win the day!!!
LAA Committee

I read this article by John Smith...what are your thoughts?
DO WE RESPECT OUR SOUTH AFRICAN ARTISTS?
By John Smith
Perhaps this is peculiar to baby boomers and those that came before, but I have always had this great respect for skilled artists, and that includes my peers, but am I alone in this now, because there no longer appears to be much respect for people who excel in the things that really matter like maths and science and the arts

Sadly now many great and skilled artists fall mainly into the poorly rewarded category, whereas the equivalents of the visual furniture or décor artists are handsomely rewarded by society. One needs to stop here and think about this – why is it so?
Has our society become shallow and myopic? I think in the main it has. ...http://sasartists.blogspot.com/p/interesting-articles.html


I think the root of the problem possibly lies in the fact that artists, especially visual artists, have little respect for themselves, and if this is the case then one can hardly expect anyone else to have respect for them. It seems the public have scant regard for artists in general now.

news

NEWSLETTER!! February/March 2010 (No.3)

Editorial

An overture is supposed to contain a preview of the opera: bits of this tune or that aria so that one’s appetite is whetted. Well I can tell you we have quite a show lined up for you. There are exciting things coming up this year: a number of workshops, competitions and art classes. But, by far the most exciting has got to be the very possibility of our own ART GALLERY !!

Art is a very personal thing, whether as an artist or as a viewer. Art is subjective , that’s why it is so difficult to be completely fair when awarding points in an art competition. But in the end, we like what we like. If it grows on us so much the better. Sometimes our likes change and “maturity” plays a role , however we all love to view/experience art so much better if there is an ART GALLERY nearby where we can browse and exhibit and meet other artists: where we can simply ART!

The WILD FIG GALLERY could, hopefully, be a reality and we may soon have our own center of focus with the right colour combination, composition, transparency, integration and harmony. Somewhere to hold workshops, exhibitions, meetings and simply getting together with other art lovers. On the other hand, we are also inquiring the use of the art gallery at Casterbridge. Maybe a better option, with more feet in and out. In an established center, with shopping attractions all around. At the end of the day, I guess, it will be which is the most financially attractive site. But, all of this does not come without commitment not only the committee but also each and every member, so we invite you to all become involved !WEBSITE : http://www.lowveldart.co.za/

Technology demands that we keep up to date: so, we now have our own website, thanks to the hard work of Odette Espach. She has spent many, many hours putting this together. This will enable anyone anywhere to view our art and then to buy what pleases him/her. Sort of Gallery-of-the-air that has no bounds. While only in its infancy, we will put a diary on it, suitably updated of what’s happening, and, of course, a means of exhibiting our art. Members will be able to:

- 1. Submit 6 (six) photographs of work to: gallery@lowveld art.co.za; This will be published on the website . Plse send good quality pics but resized (Work will be subjected to scrutiny by small panel as we would like this website to be of good taste and no explicit or vulgar work will be published)
- a suitable CV or profile (one page max) plus a photograph should be sent to Odette Espach at info@odetteespach.co.za for inclusion with the art on the web.

- 2. Send pictures of paintings to: critics@lowveldart.co.za for an objective/constructive crit by three well known local artists -
The cost of all this will probably be a charge of R300.00 per year, including the first set-up fee.
As a marketing tool what could be easier and have such a wide spread audience?!
2/……

2.


DIARY: WORKSHOPS and EXHIBITIONS: * February: St Valentine’s Day Exhibition at MICA with cheese and win on Saturday 13th, set up by 09.00 and go through to 13.00: contact Sarah Koster at 013-755 4843 or e-mail: sarahk@nelspruitmica.co.sa.
* February 16th: WSSA (in JHB): Submit photos on disc for the OPEN.
* February 27th, for one week only: “Recollections of a Dendrogenealogist”, ie.TREES, by
Leigh Voigt at Casterbridge Gallery.

* March 4 & 5 Portraits in Pastel: Workshop by Odette Powell, at This and That. R1000 for the two days, 09.00 to 16.00. Contact no.: 013-752 5689.
* March 7th –10th : Artist Retreat at Sandvlei, in the KNP, with Bill Ashton: course booked up but not yet paid up, so if you’re keen, contact Sarah Koster, at Mica. Cost, inclusive of everything, for the three days is R4500! Sarah hopes to organize more of these KNP trips, even to having them as day trips, with artists going out to a quiet spot and spending the day painting and even walks. (See above for contact details.) * March 13th: PPC Cement course, a follow up on the most interesting and fun-filled course held last year. The course will probably be held in White River or Hazyview: contact Nandi at Pretoria
Association of Arts 012 3463100 or Ilona Petzer: 0828936718 . Cost R 60.00

. March 19th – april 7th :Solo exhibition by Ilona Petzer at Association of Arts, Mackie
Street Pretoria. We wish her all the best !


· Also in March: the Hazel Soan workshop presented by the WSSA: contact Colleen Dreyer for details, though the course is already full they do have a waiting list.
Colleen at 013 741 2277 or 083 461 1666.

· April 1st is last day of submission to Mica for Art competition: Two categories one for new
signatures and one for established artists. Judges will choose top 25 in each category and customers will vote for top 5. (Theme : South Africa : year of excellence)
Prize to value of R10 000 will be awarded

* April 1,2 & 3: Louis Audie at Ambience Inn, White River, acrylic and oil painting techniques;
April 5,6 & 7: Louis Audie at Ambience Inn, White River, acrylic and oil painting techniques
Contact Daleen Mulder 082 341 5522 or Hannes Scholtz 082 821 5060.


* May 12: a one week EXHIBITION by Stef Botha on CHIMPS in very different poses!! At This and That, Nelspruit. (See above tel.details.

* May 14 & 15: Ina Moolman (Gauteng) presents a course in Mosaics: “Create a journey mirror”,
Please contact Daleen Mulder (above) for details of cost and venue.

· May 28, 29 & 30: Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday morning UPLANDS Art Festival: for details contact Sally Bakken at Uplands School, White River or 083 297 1660, e-mail GT500@iburst.co.za.





3 * Then later in the year there are:
- Portrait workshop by Heidi Beyers (Gauteng) 4 days in August (Daleen Mulder);
- Submissions for the Eisteddfod for adult artists (Odette Espach);
- In August Ilona Petzer and Yvonne Ankerman will tell us all about their two months art experience in Paris, plus a workshop on marketing and etching;
- September sees the Eisteddfod at the Civic Centre, Nelspruit; LAA has been invited to exhibit work during Gala evenings
- Innibos takes place in September this year, after the World Cup, with the art being exhibited at the Mercure Hotel, Nelspruit.
- Talk by Tabita Sales on her thesis ( art)
- Woodturning workshop by Butch Smuts ART CLASSES These are ongoing at: - This and That on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays : Odette Powell, Heila van der Merwe and Yvonne Ankerman - and Mica on Weekdays and Saturdays: contact Sarah Koster.

GALLERYAnd now a little about the Potential Gallery!Firstly, the WILD FIG spot: There is an old General Dealer’s shop/building on the Vergenoeg road just next to da Loose Mongoose. The developers of the Wild Fig Country Estate bought this building as part of the whole estate property. After an impassioned appeal through the Lowvelder by Ilona Petzer some time ago, Susanna Oosthuizen, from Wild Fig, contacted us offering this building. We took a look! First impressions were “Urgh” but then we saw past the peeling paint and broken windows and, Wow, the possibilities struck us. Here is a large exhibition area, a place for workshops, an office, a tea garden outside and plenty of parking, with water and electricity right here.And it is situated on the Rocky Drift to the KMI Airport road, with the likes of Bosch Pottery Studio and the Eloffs on the same road. Can you see the start of an Artists’ Meander to compete with the Midlands? It will not too be far from Nelspruit and will give folk in White River (at last) something to boast about.
We made a proposal and the developers made their offer. They are prepared to let us the “gallery” rent free for 7 years, provided we fix it up. We are now doing our homework and are looking at some of the more important details plus a more realistic costing than our first cost try.
If we succeed, then we will need some R150 to 200,000 to cover building material, paints, lighting, security, etc. etc. plus the labour. We will, of course, be making all sorts of appeals for help, be it with second hand building material and paint, plus heaps of that stuff called “sweat equity”, or elbow grease! Rest assured, if it’s all OK, you’ll be the first to know!

Secondly, the existing Gallery at CASTERBRIDGE:

There is an art gallery at Casterbridge, just outside White River on the Hazyview road We have approached the owners of the complex about allowing us take over so that we can have on-going exhibitions and workshops there. Of course, we would have to pay a rental , generating the income would thus be important
The main argument in favour of this venue is that it is in a diverse and a thriving shopping center, so there are many more feet every day. Security is better; located next to a hotel and restaurant.

Either way, your committee is doing all we can to make the gallery dream come true!!
--4--
DO YOU RECOGNISE THIS from the last News Letter? Well, it still applies!!For us to achieve anything of consequence we need a strong base. You have received this Newsletter because you are a member, but there are many artists out there who are not yet members. Please encourage them to contact Sarah Koster, at Mica, or Ilona, Annemarie or Rob for membership application forms.(membership forms will also be published on the website) The cost of R150 per year(this year’s fee is now due)

JJJThe Crit If you’re not satisfied with your work, you’re in good company. Turner and Matisse used to sneak into museums and exhibitions with their paints to touch up their paintings (and give the guards fits). Maybe they’re masochists, but maybe painters willingly submit their work to (often harsh) criticism in classes and workshops. Most painters probably don’t get as much out of the crit as they could. They pay too much attention to the instructor’s comments about their paintings and then turn a deaf ear to his comments about everyone else’s work. Think of the crit as an opportunity to visit a museum or exhibition with your instructor as a knowledgeable tour guide. The crit is your opportunity to study and learn from many different paintings. Painters usually do not submit unfinished work to the crit, could that be a mistake?. Not only is your ego less fragile when the work is unfinished, but also you’re more likely to consider the instructor’s comments in finishing the piece. Never make the changes an instructor suggests unless you agree with him. It is, after all, your painting. Some things are better the first time, but painting is not among them. Your next painting will be better than your previous painting – guaranteed! JJJ ** If you don’t like it, it will be for one of three reasons: - bad shapes - not enough entertainment - beaten to death. (Edgar Whitney)Remember:
website ; http://www.lowveldart.co.za/ our blog site : http:// associationartslowveld.blogspot.comour e-mail : lowveldasart@yahoo.com
E mail for pics on web : gallery@lowveld art.co.za
Email for crits: : critics@lowveldart.co.za postal address : P O Box 18132, Nelspruit, 1200Editor (Rob) : tel. 013-750 0700, 082 753 6019 Have fun painting, creating and sharing by selling those products of God-given talents.
Greetings, Rob McQueen (The artist in me looks from outside!)

AGM

Remember our AGM on Saturday 12 September 2009 at Uitsig @10;00
Judith Mason will conduct a drawing workshop after the meeting!!!

PPC cement workshop

PPC Young Concrete Sculptor Workshop comes to Nelspruit

PPC Cement painted the Phezulu Woodworking warehouse in Glenwood, Nelspruit, red this weekend. The event was the PPC Young Concrete Sculptor workshop, targeted at local artists in Nelspruit and its surrounding areas, young in the art of concrete sculpturing.

Nearly 30 artists and potential artists attended the workshop. Bheki Luphahla, PPC’s Technical Consultant was there to answer all questions related to the technical use of concrete. He also exposed workshop attendees on how to use concrete for creative expression as well as its versatility. Kay Potts, Chairperson of the PPC Young Concrete Sculptor Competition judging committee, was also present. She shared with the team the dos and don’ts to help them qualify to enter the competition taking place later this year.

According to Ilona Peltzer, Chairperson of the Lowveld Association of the Arts, the first-time workshop in the area proved to be a success. ”It was so amazing to have something different in the Lowveld. We so often have workshops on painting and other forms of Art, but this was the first time for sculpting, more so in concrete. We can’t wait to have another one. ”

Presented in partnership with the Association of the Arts Pretoria, the PPC Young Concrete Sculptor Awards competition is now in its 17th year and has become one of South Africa’s most prestigious visual arts accolades.

“The PPC Young Concrete Sculptor workshops give artists, young in the art of concrete sculpturing, the opportunity to manifest their artistic talents. One can immediately feel the change of vibe in the morning and when they leave in the afternoon. Then one knows the sculpting bug has bitten a few. We have a number of our prominent sculptors who got bitten by the bug and now look back with pride at the start of their careers, when they first participated in this competition. I look forward to having a few competition entrants from the Lowveld this year,“ says Nomzamo Basson, Public Relations Manager for PPC

For more information on the 2009 PPC Young Concrete Sculptor Awards Competition contact Nandi Hilliard at Association of Arts Pretoria via telephone on 012 346 3100, fax on 012 346 3125 or email at artspta@mweb.co.za or go to www.ppc.co.za.