Raritan Valley Arts Association
Newsletter

RARITAN VALLEY ARTS ASSOCIATION est. 1939

Fair weather greetings!

As I write this, the weather could hardly be better-after all the snow and the rain and flooding, at last spring is here. Primroses and crocuses alike show their butter yellow faces and the daffies are sprouting. And you will be sprouting from your home to our next meeting, Monday, April 19th, 7:30 pm at the Somerset County Library. We are in for a special treat. Leeza Hernandez, award-winning designer and children's book illustrator/author, will be sharing her process-taking ideas and concepts through to finished art. She works between traditional and digital media to create fun, whimsical illustrations with her main focus on line, texture and color composition. www.leezaworks.com You will really enjoy listening to this enthusiastic Brit (Isle of Wight) as you watch the magic she creates. A member of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators and the Hunterdon County Library Writers and Illustrators Group, and winner of the prestigious Tomie dePaola Award at the SCBWI International Conference in 2009 ( I was there to cheer), Leeza's book Bored Bella has just been released and more are on the way. You'll learn and be fascinated! Hospitality for this evening will be by Marge McGovern and Nancy Peer. Thanks, Marge and Nancy!

At our March meeting Alka Dalal demonstrated one-stroke acrylic painting on paper and showed her work using one-stroke on clay, including decorative boxes Alka offers classes and you might want to check out her websites www.AlkasUniqueArt.com and www.artistsparadise.com . Our thanks to Judy Hummer who did all the Hospitality.

Big Apple Bus Trip Don't miss out-already 15 members of the Hunterdon Watercolor Society have signed up. Come on, gals and guys! It's time for our wonderful annual trip to New York City, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Salmagundi Club for the American Watercolor Society Exhibit (plus, you can probably fit in a most entertaining half hour at the Forbes Museum diagonally across the street from the Salmagundi). Our thanks to Mary Ann Vaccaro for once again organizing this trip. Saturday, April 24th is the date. It's so simple for you-8:30 am we meet at the upper parking lot for the library (i.e. Vo-Tech School)-in a comfortable bus with a rest room we are driven to the front of the Met (by 10). You can spend the whole day there if you wish, as the bus will come back for you. Or you can meet out front about 2:30 and go to the AWS Show. You are home about 6, after enjoying driving-home refreshments. All this for just $35! Or $60. for a couple! (trust your editor on this-it has taken me as long as 2 ½ hours each way to get to these places, that's 5 hours of subways, busses, and trains; this is so much easier, more comfortable, and fun) So-simply mail a check for $35. made out to RVAA to Mary Ann Vaccaro, 105 Brokaw Court, Bridgewater, NJ 08807, asap, to reserve your place for this special trip. Questions? Mary Ann is at 908/704-1685. (or email President Linda at Although there is an admission fee for the Met, there is not for the AWS Exhibit or the Forbes Museum. Of course you may bring your family, your friends, your significant other. We're a welcoming group!

The juried Bernardsville Library Art Show is coming soon. Thursday, April 1st from 10-12 is the delivery date; the reception is Saturday, April 3, from 2-4. You can go online at www.bernardsvillelibrary.org/display.htm for a form or you may call Kathy Palmer at 908-963-0365.

Also the Garden State Water Color Society has a non-juried exhibition and sale. Full and Associate Members in good standing can enter ONE piece of original artwork. Any non-member living in NJ may also enter by becoming a member of GSWS. You can go to www.gardenstatewatercolorsociety.org and click on "prospectus", or call Joanne Amantea 609-243-9185 or Ruth Kaufman at 609-497- 4733. Registration must be by March 24; delivery is April 4th.

Treasures from the National Gallery in London is the name of the talk by Dr. Barbara Tomlinson on Thursday, April 15, 7-8 pm at the Clarence Dillon Library in Bedminster. This museum was deliberately assembled to be a course in Western painting for a democratic society. Starting at one end and walking through to the other, the visitor not only enjoys a succession of masterpieces from every period in Western art, but can easily trace the development of painting from the Renaissance to the Impressionists. This talk offers a virtual tour of this stunning collection. Free for Somerset Art Association members, the talk is $15. for non-members. As seating is limited, please call SAA at 908/234-2345 for registration.

MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

SYLVIA MARIA GLESMANN has her watercolors and mixed media at the Salmagundi Club on Fifth Ave in New York City with the First Annual Sylvia Maria Glesmann Floral Exhibition from March 1st to April 2nd. Sylvia also had a solo exhibition there (other subjects) from March 1st-March 13th. A gala reception in the Salmagundi Club was held Friday evening, March 5th.

 
Elsa Hermann and The Connection

ELSA HERRMANN had the honor of being featured on the cover of the March issue of the Bernards-Ridge Edition of THE CONNECTION Magazine, with the painting (at least the top part of it!) entitled "Golden Oldwick".

DONNA SOUREN exhibited two paintings at the Leonard J. Buck Gardens in their third annual Art & Photography Exhibit. Each artist was allowed to submit two works of art, depicting any aspect of Buck Gardens. Donna displayed two watercolors entitled "Spring Beauties" & "Yellow Dog's-tooth Violets". The exhibit ran for three weeks & was open to the public from February 23 - March 12.

RUTH WILSON had her painting accepted into the recent juried Somerset Art Association Show.

I'm delighted to have received news from some of you. I'm anxious to hear from some of the rest of you...do write or email. Inquiring minds want to know what's new with you!

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