A New Landscape

I have a new landscape on my drawing board. My intention is to have fun, play with unusual colors, and keep it light and playful.

© Barbara Goodsitt

Ann Arbor Women Artists

This season is a busy time for me, teaching and serving as President of Ann Arbor Women Artists.

Ann Arbor Women Artists is a very active arts organization with a headquarters that houses studios, classes, programs, and social events. We offer our members exhibition opportunities at various places in Ann Arbor,  including all Sweetwaters Coffee Houses, Esquire Interiors (an interior design center), the NEW Center (offices for local nonprofit groups), The Women's Center, and the Community Television Network studios. We hold 2-3 juried art shows, artist's workshops and artist's demonstrations.  This group is now open to artists of all genders, but the tradition of being a women's group that nurtures women in the arts continues to be our mission.

We offer a Speakers Program which is a series of lectures by artists, curators and art educators. Here is our schedule for the upcoming season:

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Join us !

City Club Art Show

I will be showing my art with several other artists who specialize in colored pencil at the Ann Arbor City Club in September and October.

I was recently asked to write about my art for a local Colored Pencil Society Assoc. Newsletter. Here are some of my thoughts:

My favorite subjects for my colored pencil art are still lifes of produce and flowers. I love the beautiful colors and shapes of produce, and feel grateful for the plentiful bounty of food we have in our country.  There may be other subconscious reasons why I enjoy rendering produce. My husband and I became (mostly) vegetarian many years ago and we have a positive attitude towards fruits and veggies. Also, my late father became a vegetable farmer in his "retirement".   Sometimes I think he might be guiding me to draw vegetables.

I also enjoy drawing Mandalas which are guided by spiritual feelings. They are usually somewhat abstracted circular drawings with symbols, colors, and  patterns.  I combined these two favorite styles when I did a series of produce in circular glass bowls. I have those on my website and also on my Twitter page. I like to work with a circular overlapping stroke most of the time. I occasionally use watercolor pencils, solvents or the Icarus heated drawing board with my colored pencils.

Fall Colored Pencil Classes

I will be teaching Colored Pencil classes  with Washtenaw Community College's Communnity Enrichment Program.  All skill levels are welcome.  We will cover drawing techniques including tonal layering, transferring images, burnishing, using solvents and more!  Some mixed media work too.  Supply lists are available online.  To register online go to:  Washtenaw Community College Community Enrichment.

Floral Fireworks

 Barbara Goodsitt

Here is the finished floral piece that I was working on in July. 

Colored Pencil Floral Still Life

Here are some photos I snapped of floral a piece I am working on now.

I found some time between my new presidential duties with Ann Arbor Women Artists and teaching a workshop, to draw for enjoyment. I was using the technique of layering lighter colors over darker colors, and blending them in using a smooth overlapping oval stroke.   Rendering the distortion of the stems viewed through the water and glass, and the beautiful shapes and colors of the flowers make this an enjoyable project.

© Barbara Goodsitt

© Barbara Goodsitt

Colored Pencil Workshop - Summer of 2014

I just wrapped up teaching a two day work shop with Ann Arbor Continuing Education and Recreation. I usually teach weekly art classes. Compressing a series of lessons into two intense days worked out very well. It was a wonderful experience for all of us! 

My class consisted of a diverse group of students. Each one brought specific talents, ideas, and skills with them.  All seemed to get something out of the workshop.  I received some wonderful thank you emails from the class.  It made my heart swell to feel appreciated and to know that the students were excited about art, creativity, and felt that they had gained competence in their drawing ability. 

110 Degrees in the Shade!

We just returned from Arizona. This is the first time we traveled to the desert in June, a very warm month!   We enjoyed visiting Frank Lloyd Wright 's winter residence/school Taliesin West. We also visited the Arizona State Museum on the campus of the University of Arizona. The Native American pottery collection is outstanding. 

Spire Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright

Boomerang Jar by Hopi/Zuni Potter Les Namingha

Taliesin West 

Native American Pottery Collection 

at the Arizona State Museum

Another view from Taliesin West