Still life for the December Workshop

I am teaching a workshop this week. This piece will be one of the projects I will have my students work on. It incorporates sequential layering, impressed line, drawing water droplets, and using solvent to dissolve colored pencil!

Click on the image to enlarge
© Barbara Goodsitt

Students And Their Art

I just finished teaching a session of "Drawing in Color" at WCC. I had a wonderful group of students. Very motivated and interesting people.

Diane 

Marta 

Abstracted Landscape - Work in Progress

Autumn is my favorite season. Nature's intense colors are prominently on display.  I am working on a series of colorful abstract landscapes. 

         ©Barbara Goodsitt

The Picnic- a PopX Art Installation

This is a video of Ann Arbor Women Artists installation, "The Picnic" in downtown Ann Arbor. 

http://youtu.be/0mzGnn_Wu3c ( click this link if it doesn't show up above).

The Picnic is part of the Ann Arbor Art Center's PopX Festival. Thirty of our AAWA members worked on this installation. Its on display in Liberty Plaza at the corner of Division and Liberty Streets, until October 24, 2015. 

I helped make dragonflies, a hummingbird, the mosaic, salad spoons, fruit, the signs and the grass. We have nature sounds playing in our pavilion in the background too!

AAWA members collaborating and creating!

Ann Arbor Women Artists 50th Fall Juried Show

AAWA is holding its 50th Fall Juried Exhibition at the Ann Arbor Public Library next week. I was very happy that our juror (University of Michigan Art Professor Nancy Thayer)  selected my piece titled "Cheers" to be in this show. To commemorate our 50th anniversary, the AAWA Board created a painting to donate to the library's permanent art collection. Each board member painted a portion of a picture of the library. The beautiful result is the large composite painting below! 

I am honored to be the President of AAWA at this time. One would think that organizing a group of artists would be like hearding cats, but no! AAWA is a group of smart, inclusive and cooperative artists.

Composite painting of Ann Arbor Public Library by the 2015 AAWA Board
 (click on the picture to enlarge)

Show Postcard - © Barbara Goodsitt

Cheers © Barbara Goodsitt

More "Drawing in Color" Classes in December and February

My fall class at WCC is filled. I will be teaching a workshop with Ann Arbor Rec and Ed in December, and another 8 week session with WCC starting in February 2016.
Rec and Ed registration is online at http://tinyurl.com/ntdbr82

Website Update

I just updated the gallery page on my website!

Drawing in Color

I will be teaching "Drawing in Color" at Washtenaw Community College this fall. Registration, dates, times and more information available when you click on this link:  Drawing in Color

 Underpainting with complementary colors
© Barbara Goodsitt

Improve drawing techniques and stimulate creativity in ths engaging class! Using professonal grade colored pencils, water-soluble color pencils, graphite, pastels and other media, we will explore color theory and its application. A combination of demonstration, one on one guidance and individual studio time will help to improve participant technique and stimulate creativity. An optional class critique will be available for learners who wish to participate.

Pop X Luminary Hummingbird

Hummingbird that I created at an AAWA workshop for luminaries.  It will hang in "The Picnic" art installation for Pop X  http://popxannarbor.com

AAWA's Busy Summer

Pop-x Pavilion coming in October 2015

AAWA "Team Pop-x"

Ann Arbor Women Artists is busy this summer. We have a team of artists preparing an art installation to go in the Pop-x Festival. Pop-x is a ten day festival, October 15-24, of Pop up art pavilions in Liberty Plaza Park. You can read more about it here: http://www.annarborartcenter.org/pop-x/.  Our team is led by members Susan Clinthorne and Lidia Kaku. We will have an exquisite pod that is a tribute to "The Picnic". Former EMU art professor Ellen Wilt is our muse behind this idea. I am  participating and it is a joyful, creative group!

David Zinn and AAWA Vice President Patricia Davenport

In addition to our team working on Pop-x, AAWA held a wonderful workshop with talented local artist, David Zinn.  He showed us some of the secrets behind his whimsical street art that is gaining global recognition. Check out David's website at http://zinnart.com.  His teaching style is as fun as his artwork.

2015 Summer Juried Exhibit

AAWA Board Art Show at the University of Michigan Union

AAWA also held our first Board Art show in five years at the University of Michigan Union. It was very well received and we have scheduled another exhibition at the same spot for May 2016.

Experimental Abstract Landscape

© Barbara Goodsitt

Here is an experimental piece using colored pencil with an Icarus drawing board, over gouache.

11" x 17" Watercolor paper.

Bad Hair Day

I love cows and their sensitive eyes.  Growing up in Wisconsin, America's Dairyland, I would see cows quite often. They were at the State Fair, on farms just outside of my hometown - Milwaukee, and on campus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Lovely cows were responsible for some the best ice cream sold at Babcock Hall at UW.   Here is my little tribute to sweet cows everywhere.

AAWA 2015 Board Show

Panaroma shot of the Show  (click to enlarge)

This May marks my first year as President of Ann Arbor Women Artists.  I wanted to revive the tradition our group had of holding a Biennial Art Show for the Board. AAWA has many activities, and our board members do a lot of work for our community of artists.  I was fortunate to find a beautiful venue on the campus of the University of Michigan, The Willis Ward Lounge. This room was just dedicated to former student athlete Willis Ward while our exhibition is up.  Mr. Ward was an outstanding football player who roomed with Gerald Ford (to be the 38th President of the United States). There was a racial controversy with the game involving Georigia Tech in 1934. You can read about it  if you click here.

If you live in Ann Arbor, stop by and see our show. It will be up until June 18.

The Mighty Colored Pencil

I was very happy to see that the Detroit Chapter of the Colored Pencil Society of America used one of my drawings on the cover of their May Newsletter!  Here it is, but please note that the red head holding the drawing is not me!

Saguaro National Park

Here is a photo I took at Saguaro National Park near Tucson, AZ.

The desert landscape has a particular beauty. In the spring, the cactus flowers are blooming.  Butterflies and hummingbirds flit through the air delightfully!

I am very grateful for the national parks in our country. The scenery is breathtaking.

AAWA Board Art Show at the University of Michigan

The Ann Arbor Women Artists Board will have an art show on the University of Michigan Campus.  This talented, hard working group of artists runs one of the most active arts organizations in Southeast Michigan.  Please stop in and see the show!

University of Michigan Union

Willis Ward Lounge

AAWA - Board Exhibition

May 19- June 18, 2015

Opening Reception Friday, May 29, 7-9 PM

Paranormal Dinnerware - A work in Progress

© Barbara Goodsitt

Here is a work in progress inspired by Mr. Uri Geller. He is famous for bending spoons, but is also the mostly highly researched person with psychic abilities.  If you are interested, check out his website http://site.uri-geller.com and Facebook page. Uri is also a talented artist and was a friend and student of Salvador Dali.

Honorable Mention for Opposites

With my Honorable Mention

Opposites ©Barbara Goodsitt

I was pleasantly surprised that my small and whimsical drawing won an honorable mention at Ann Arbor Women Artists Spring Exhibition last night.  There were many outstanding pieces of art in this show- Ann Arbor is blessed with a lot of creative people. This experience encourages me to keep making art that is fun and speaks to my heart.

Spring Juried Exhibit - Ann Arbor Women Artists

Ann Arbor Women Artists will hold its Spring Juried Exhibit at Malletts Creek Library, from March 19- April 29. This library is architecturally interesting and it won the 2005 American Institute of Architects Michigan (AIA Michigan) Award for Sustainable Design

I will be exhibiting in this group show and look forward hearing Sara Brooks Davis (our juror) talk at the Reception on Friday, March 20th at 6 PM. 

Artists Reception February 28th

© Barbara Goodsitt

Join us for our Artist's Reception at Sweetwaters
on February 28th from 3:30-5:30 PM.

Located at 123 West Washington, Ann Arbor, MI.

Exhibits in February and March 2015

© Barbara Goodsitt

I will have my art on exhibit at two locations February - March 2015: 

• Sweetwaters in Downtown Ann Arbor at 123 West Washington Street, Ann Arbor 

• Darden and Chisholm Investment Advisors at 3011 Miller Road, Ann Arbor.   

Avanti Art Reception

I want to express thanks to Avanti, and to our friends and family who braved the cold & snowy winter weather to attend our reception Friday night!

Here is a photo from the reception 

Left to right: Kathy Hiner, Barbara Goodsitt and Patricia Davenport

Some links of interest:

Avanti Hair Designers

Kathy Hiner Artist

Patricia Davenport Artist