Monthly Meetings
IT IS A NEW YEAR OF DEMONSTRATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
The Hamden Art League completes the 2023-2024 meeting year with their May meeting. All scheduled meetings are on a Tuesday, begin at 7 pm, and are held in the Social Hall of the Hamden Senior Center, 2901 Dixwell Avenue, behind the Miller Library.
May 14, 2024: Margot Rocklen
The last meeting this year HAL will host printmaker Margot Rocklen on May 14, 2024 when she discusses and demonstrates "Japanese Block Printing". She is on the Board of the New Haven Paint & Clay Club where her work has been purchased for their permanent collection, and she is a member of the Monotype Guild of New England, and the Enamel Guild North East.
Margot says "I will use several printmaking methods in the production of a print. I like the natural aspect of Japanese woodblock (Mokuhanga), and the ability to combine historical as well as contemporary tools and techniques. Working in the medium I notice that my visual and tactile senses heighten more than with any other printmaking process...
My prints tend toward the narrative, often including symbolism and light irony. I combine elements from my sketches and photographs, and spend time developing a composition and palette that reflect the message I want to communicate. My objective is to suggest rather than define meaning; but it is important to me that viewers sense the underlying significance of an image."
More information on her work can be found at https://www.printmakersnetwork.org/
Margot says "I will use several printmaking methods in the production of a print. I like the natural aspect of Japanese woodblock (Mokuhanga), and the ability to combine historical as well as contemporary tools and techniques. Working in the medium I notice that my visual and tactile senses heighten more than with any other printmaking process...
My prints tend toward the narrative, often including symbolism and light irony. I combine elements from my sketches and photographs, and spend time developing a composition and palette that reflect the message I want to communicate. My objective is to suggest rather than define meaning; but it is important to me that viewers sense the underlying significance of an image."
More information on her work can be found at https://www.printmakersnetwork.org/
April 9, 2024: Jennifer Davies
The Hamden Art League hosted fiber artist Jennifer Davies at the April 9, 2024 meeting as she demonstrated the “Magical Transformations: Japanese Fibers in Contemporary Art”. She will show and explain how she uses Eastern and Western papermaking traditions and then incorporates her handmade paper in her contemporary art. The fiber techniques she uses are pulp dipping, indigo dyeing, and sewing papers together to make large wall hangings. Her demonstration of the various stages of paper making generated lots of interest and questions.
March 12, 2024: Marian Wittink
HAL hosted (in person) printmaker Marianne Wittink on March 12, 2024 as she demonstrated and explained how she reuses old prints to create new collage pieces in “Prints: Re-imagined and Revived With Collage”. Attendees thoroughly enjoyed listening to ideas, stories and ways of thinking about artwork, both the successful pieces and how to reuse the less successful ones in new and creative ways.
February 13, 2024: Bob Potter
The Hamden Art League hosted via Zoom art historian Bob Potter on Feb. 13, 2024 as he presented "Power and Remembrance: Reclaiming Black Lives Through Art".
Throughout the history of Western art, people of color have been relegated to unidentified, subservient, and marginalized roles, or have been completely absent in paintings presented by major museums. African American artists Romare Bearden, Amy Sherald, Kerry James Marshall, and Kehinde Wiley confront this reality creating powerful images of the black experience in history, popular culture and American life. In honor of Black History Month, this lecture will explore the art and lives of these artists through examples of their work, biographical profiles, historic context and in videos where the artists share their own personal journeys as artists.
Throughout the history of Western art, people of color have been relegated to unidentified, subservient, and marginalized roles, or have been completely absent in paintings presented by major museums. African American artists Romare Bearden, Amy Sherald, Kerry James Marshall, and Kehinde Wiley confront this reality creating powerful images of the black experience in history, popular culture and American life. In honor of Black History Month, this lecture will explore the art and lives of these artists through examples of their work, biographical profiles, historic context and in videos where the artists share their own personal journeys as artists.
January 9, 2024: Linda Vauters Mickens
The Hamden Art League hosted via Zoom artist Linda Vauters Mickens at 7 pm on Jan. 9, 2024 as she presented "Art as Activism". Ms. Mickens is from Hamden, CT and is a mostly self-taught African-American sculptor and mixed media artist. Her creative goal is to celebrate African American life, culture and promote social justice and change using her art as activism. She has exhibited in New Haven and throughout CT as well as New Jersey, New Orleans and Los Angeles.
Recent awards are a Bitsie Clark Fund 2023 Recipient and a New Haven Artist Corp 2023 Recipient.
See her website for more info: https://lindamickens.com/
Recent awards are a Bitsie Clark Fund 2023 Recipient and a New Haven Artist Corp 2023 Recipient.
See her website for more info: https://lindamickens.com/
November 14, 2023: Katie Kindilien
The Hamden Art League hosted CT artist Katie Kindilien at 7 pm on Nov. 14, 2023, as she demonstrated her technique for “Oil Painting from Life”. Katie renders her paintings with splashes of high color, giving it the sense of light and space, as well as infusing the work with feeling and authenticity. Katie was an Artist in Residence at the Art Association of Nantucket. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and art associations throughout New England.
Website: https://www.katiekindilienfineart.com/
email: katiekindilienart@gmail.com
Website: https://www.katiekindilienfineart.com/
email: katiekindilienart@gmail.com
October 10, 2023: Jeanette Compton
The Hamden Art League hosted award winning CT artist Jeanette Compton at 7 pm on October 10, as she demonstrated “Detailing Nature in Ink" using pen and ink. Jeanette is an artist and educator whose stark pen and ink compositions focus on natural objects such as nests, branches, bark, fungi and other materials whose texture and form catch her attention.
Website: https://www.jeanettecomptonart.com/
email to: jeanettecomptonart@gmail.com
Website: https://www.jeanettecomptonart.com/
email to: jeanettecomptonart@gmail.com
September 12, 2023: Gigi Horr Liverant
The Hamden Art League hosted Gigi Horr Liverant, on September 12th, as she demonstrated the “Dynamics of Color" using pastels.
Gigi is an IAPS Master Circle member, a PSA Master Pastelist, and a Signature Member of the Connecticut Pastel Society. She has won numerous awards, has exhibited nationally and internationally in addition to being featured in Pastel Journal magazine and other publications. She maintains a studio and gallery in Colchester, Connecticut. To see her work: www.gigiliverant.com and email to: mail@gigiliverant.com
Gigi is an IAPS Master Circle member, a PSA Master Pastelist, and a Signature Member of the Connecticut Pastel Society. She has won numerous awards, has exhibited nationally and internationally in addition to being featured in Pastel Journal magazine and other publications. She maintains a studio and gallery in Colchester, Connecticut. To see her work: www.gigiliverant.com and email to: mail@gigiliverant.com
2022 - 2023 YEAR OF DEMONSTRATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
May 9, 2023: Aleta Gudelski
Hamden Art League hosted Aleta Gudelski, at 7 pm on May 9, as she demonstrated “Experiments from Chaos to Order" using Cold Wax Medium and oil paint techniques. Attendees were treated to this freeing and exciting process for making visually stunning oils. For a copy of her handout CLICK HERE.
For more information see her Website: https://www.aletasgudelski.com/ and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oilandwatercolorbyaleta/
For more information see her Website: https://www.aletasgudelski.com/ and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oilandwatercolorbyaleta/
March 14, 2023: Leif Nilsson WAS ON ZOOM
The Hamden Art League hosted Leif Nilsson at 7 pm, on Tuesday, March 14th, as he presented “Contemporary Connecticut Impressionist".
Leif Nilsson showed scenes of the Connecticut River and his boat, the village of Chester and his own garden. His plein air paintings are alive with vivid colors, that are heavily textured, and multi-layered producing the unique effects of changing light.
Website: http://www.nilssonstudio.com/
Leif Nilsson showed scenes of the Connecticut River and his boat, the village of Chester and his own garden. His plein air paintings are alive with vivid colors, that are heavily textured, and multi-layered producing the unique effects of changing light.
Website: http://www.nilssonstudio.com/
February 14, 2023: Carol Vinick
The Hamden Art League hosted Carol Vinick at their meeting on February 14th, where she presented “Art for Social Justice". Carol Vinick uses fabric collage to tell stories. Included in her body of work are stories of the struggle for social justice, her family history, and the wonders of nature. She brought several examples of her textile art in addition to a slide presentation summarizing her body of work and detailing how she makes it. Her most recent accomplishment was a two- person show at the Windsor Art Center, Sewn Stories, Shared Lives, where she and Linda Martin explored the common threads of their Jewish and African American family histories.
January 10, 2023: Elizabeth Gourlay
The Hamden Art League hosted Connecticut artist Elizabeth Gourlay at 7 pm via zoom, as she presented “Explorations in Color, Light, and Shapes". Gourlay’s work has been written about in The New Criterion, Painters’ Table, Gorky’s Granddaughter and most recently in the Art blog, In Their Studios. Gourlay’s work has been shown nationally and internationally, most notably at The Drawing Center, MASS MoCA, The Cummings Arts Center at Connecticut College, The Hecksher Museum and currently the solo exhibition, Elizabeth Gourlay: Eclectic Threads, at The New Britain Museum of American Art. For more information see her website at https://www.elizabethgourlay.com/ .
November 9, 2022: Lisa Miceli
Hamden Art League hosted award-winning CT artist Lisa Miceli as she presented “Expressive Skies in Watercolor". Lisa illustrated expressive watercolor techniques that capture the spirit of the moment, the light and atmosphere of the sky and water. For examples of her work go to her website.
October 11, 2022: Sandra Wakeen
Hamden Art League hosted award winning artist Sandra Wakeen as she presented “Painting a Portrait in Oil". She demonstrated her technique of creating a poster study (value study) first, then creating the portrait through massing and carving the image with paint.
Website: https://www.sandrawakeenfineart.com, Workshop contact: sandrawakeen@gmail.com
Website: https://www.sandrawakeenfineart.com, Workshop contact: sandrawakeen@gmail.com
September 13, 2022: Howard Park
Hamden Art League hosted award-winning CT artist Howard Park as he presented “Oil Landscape using a Palette Knife". He demonstrated his basic steps for plein air painting and explained his process, color, and mark making with different knives. For samples of his work and more information, see his website https://www.howardparkart.com/
"Support has been provided to Hamden Art League from CT Humanities (CTH), with funding provided by the Connecticut State Department of Economic and Community Development/Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) from the Connecticut State Legislature".