Jill
Segal's Canadian Artist's Newsletter
Spring
2006
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Dear Friends & Visitors,
 Happy
Spring! What a wonderful time of renewal and rebirth
this is. I feel a surge of new creative
energy in me as I watch the buds on the trees
opening, welcome the blossoms and the blooming
of the magnificent spring flowers and listen to
the birds singing so joyfully.
Some interesting Quotations
on Spring
“Every spring is the
only spring, a perpetual astonishment”
~ Ellis Peters
“Spring has returned.
The earth is like a child that knows poems.”
~ Rainer Maria Rilke
“Can words describe the
fragrance of the very breath of spring?”
~ Neltje Blanchan
“Oh, Spring! I want to
go out and feel you and get inspiration. My old
things seem dead. I want fresh contacts, more
vital searching.” ~ Emily
Carr
As I drove up to Muskoka last weekend I was observing
the colours of the Spring foliage, trying to identify
the various types of greens, and comparing
them to the greens of summer. I thought it would
be a good idea to share with you some of my favorite
green hues, and give you some of my favorite recipes
for mixing greens.
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Green
In fluid acrylics I use a few ready made greens
and then like to mix my own colours using the
following Golden colours:
- Green Gold (a vibrant transparent yellow
green)
- Jenkins Green (a dark forest green, wonderful
for mixing darks)
- Thalo Turquoise (my favorite blue green)
 I
also mix the following colours, to create a wonderful
variety of greens:
- Green gold + Jenkins Green + Titan Buff
- Hansa Yellow medium + Thalo Blue
- Hansa Yellow medium + Ultramarine Blue
- Hansa Yellow medium + Anthraquinone Blue
- Hansa Yellow light mixed with the above mentioned
blues will give you different greens
- Diarylide Yellow light mixed with the above
mentioned blues will also give you different
greens.
If you want to grey any of the greens down,
add a touch of red to your mix (Napthol red light,
Quinacridone red, Quinacridone crimson).
You can tint and lighten any of the combinations
with Titanium White or Titan Buff.
Similarly you can darken any of the combinations
with a touch of Carbon Black, making interesting
shades.
I have found it helpful to make a colour chart
for myself comparing the different greens that
I can make, with the different yellows and blues.
I encourage you to try this.
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TRAVEL NEWS
Israel
 In
March I spent two fascinating weeks touring all
around Israel, visiting many of the sacred sites.
We saw and experienced so many facets of the country,
in such a short time. I particularly loved the
historical and archeological sites in Jerusalem
and other parts of the country. So many layers
of civilization and so many centuries of conflict.
We visited the ancient site of
Petra in Jordan, which was also an amazing experience.
It is an ancient city, from the"Nabatean
culture" built round the 5th century BC.
(Although there were people there 8500-4000BC).
 The
city is in a deep canyon and the buildings are
carved out of beautiful red striated rocks. I
found it interesting that many of the decorative
designs seen on the facades of the buildings are
similar to those used by the Incas, on their buildings
in Peru.
I now have so many wonderful images
to use in my art work.
Peru
We already have a great group of
people registered for the Artist
and Photographer’s Journey to Machu Picchu,
October 14 -26 2006. So far,
there are 23 of us going!
Some artists, some photographers and
some people just interested in the journey.
If you are still considering joining
us, please let me know soon, as we only have a
few spaces left. See
the details of this upcoming Painting & Photography
Travel Adventure.
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SUMMER WORKSHOPS
& CLASSES
The
following Classes & Workshops
can also be viewed by clicking here
If you are thinking about taking
a painting workshop this summer, you may be interested
in some of my workshops listed below.
I will be teaching a fluid acrylic
workshop at the Bridgewater Retreat in Tweed,
at the end of August.
Bridgewater Retreat Centre is in
a beautiful, peaceful location, hidden among the
trees along the Skootamatta River . Heritage log
buildings, cozy cedar cabins and delicious home-cooked
meals, combined with the relaxed and friendly
atmosphere provide the inspirational backdrop
for a great art retreat. See contact details below.
FLUID ACRYLICS,
COLLAGE & MIXED MEDIA
Free your creative spirit, loosen up and have
fun! Learn to express yourself with colourful,
juicy, flowing, fluid acrylics, experimenting
with mediums, gels, pastels, watercolour crayons,
textural materials, collage. Paint exciting, expressionistic
landscapes, florals, and abstracts.
August 27 - September 1
Bridgewater Retreat Centre,
Tweed, Ontario
www.Bridgewaterretreat.ca
office@bridgewaterretreat.ca
(613) 478-6116 & 1-888-478-6116
WATERCOLOUR
EXPLORING ALTERNATIVE TECNIQUES
July 3-7, 2006 Haliburton School of
the Arts www.HaliburtonSchoolofTheArts.ca
This is an exciting, process-oriented course
is for developing artists who are ready to break
free and explore new directions in watercolour
painting and self-expression. You will be encouraged
to loosen up and explore the interesting effects
and textures created by combining watercolour
with various mixed media, such as water-soluble
crayons, oil pastels, collage materials (tissue,
oriental rice papers, old watercolour paintings
to recycle and resurrect), black ink, wax and
gouache.
Using still life, landscape and non-objective
subject matter, you will be inspired to move beyond
pure representation to personal expression and
abstraction. Composition and design will be addressed.
Teaching methodology will include demonstrations,
group sharing, individual attention and critique.
Creativity, fun, and individual uniqueness will
be emphasized.
There will be a material fee of $10 payable to
the instructor.
PAINTING AND WRITING
- CREATIVE EXPLORATIONS
July 24-28, 2006 Haliburton School of
the Arts.
www.HaliburtonSchoolofTheArts.ca
Paint from words, words from paint: Spend
a week exploring with fluid acrylic paint, watercolour
crayons, oil pastels, collage, and with the powers
of words, character and story in order to expand
and deepen your creativity.
Have fun developing new skills and techniques
in a process-oriented course. This cross-pollination
course is suitable for both beginning and experienced
artists and writers. There will be a $5 material
fee payable to the instructors.
This painting and writing course is going to
be a real process oriented course, both in terms
of creative writing and painting. Our goal is
to enable students to use painting and writing
techniques to gain access to their own creative
material.
We will lead students through various exercises
to tap into their creativity:
Meditation, movement, character development,
collage etc- and use both painting and writing
to do this. We will paint to inspire writing and
engage in writing exercises to inspire painting.
A real cross pollination!
Jane will cover some of the principles of writing,
and I will cover some of the painting and design
techniques, but we are not aiming for finished
"products." Fluid acrylic paint will
be used and participants can bring watercolours
if they prefer.
I really enjoy working with Jane. She is a wonderful
creative person and lots of fun. We experimented
with a weekend workshop last year and were delighted
to hear that the participants thoroughly enjoyed
themselves. In addition, we were both teaching
at Bridgewater Retreat at the same time last August
and we did some cross-pollination activities with
the artists and writers, which they found intriguing.
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ART SHOWS
and GALLERIES
I will be exhibiting exciting new work in the
following galleries this summer, and will be having
a solo show at the Framing Place and Gallery
in Huntsville, Ontario.
Jill Segal - Solo Art Show at the Framing
Place
Huntsville, Ontario
Opening August 19th
www.framingplace.net
1-800- 863-0066
The Ethel Curry Gallery
Haliburton, Ontario
www.ethelcurrygallery.com
1-705-457-9687
For the Love of Art Gallery
Port Carling, Muskoka
www.margotsnow.com
1-705-7658700
The Oxtongue Craft Cabin
Dwight, Muskoka
www.oxtonguecraftcabin.on.ca
1-705-635-1602
Studio 737 Art Gallery
Tweed, Ontario
www.studio737.com
1-800-420-7964
If you are in the area, have a look at the galleries.
I am always pleased to get your feedback.
Once
again I wish you a Very Happy Spring and hope
that you are all feeling inspired
with the Spring surge of creative energy that
is in the air.
Jill
Segal
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