SANTA CLARITA ARTISTS ASSOCIATION
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Forms & Procedures

Gallery Address:
22508 6th Street
Newhall, CA 91321
661.244.7689

Members Procedures, Forms & Information

If you are participating in an event ​you can find all the details right here

This page will be updated as the information becomes available.

  • 2018 Holiday Boutique
  • "Why  Paint" and Other Tips by Mike Ishikawa ​
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We are looking for 20 artists who would like to have a table at our annual SCAA Holiday Boutique. 

The SCAA Holiday Boutique will take place at
Home Care Services
23340 Cinema Dr.
Santa Clarita, Ca 91355

When
Saturday, December 1, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Sunday, December 2, 12:00pm – 4:00pm
 
Size of Table:  6 feet X 18 inches
 
Cost of Table:
Members - $35
Members - Table plus back shelf - $45 (only 4 spaces available)  
Non- Members - $45 
  • All artists will process their own sales.
  • There is NO SCAA commission for this event.
  • Artists must be completely set up by 9:30 on Saturday morning.
  • Artists are required to be present during the entirety of this event.  Do not pack up before 4:00 on Sunday before the event is over.
  • All Items must be on your table.
  • Please be respectful of another artist’s space.  
  • Each artist is asked to bring in a holiday treat.  

A small crew will be needed to help set up and break down. Time and day to be determined.
 
Please email Charlotte Mullich at charsartstudio@gmail.com with your intent to participate and to help with set up with the subject line Holiday Boutique by Saturday,  November 3.  After November 3, we  will open up tables to non-members. Payment can be made online as soon as your space is confirmed. 
 
Charlotte Mullich
SCAA Holiday Boutique Chair
"Why  Paint" and Other Tips  
Mike Ishikawa
mike1sh1@aol.com

I am Mike Ishikawa, a architect and now painter. I have been sketching with pen and ink for years, and  I started painting  with pastels about 8 years ago.  I love using pastels, its like sketching with a pencil, the vibrant colors are unlimited, and I love painting landscapes, especially the sierras.  I try not to paint a photographic image.   I enjoy using bold pastel strokes, color, and intense shadows to create an image that is similar to the actual photo image, but with more interest and contrast.  These are some of my rambling thoughts I have come up with during my time painting.

Paint because you love the freedom and ability to do wherever your creative instincts take you, there are no rules.  There are certain rules, follow the ones that makes sense.

Try not to take painting to seriously, do it for fun, and because you love it. (don’t you?)

Try to be bold and develop your own interpretation of a scene, as artist, Henry Fukuhara says, “Don’t paint like me, I want you to paint like you”, so try to develop your own distinctive style. Paint what turn you on, I like landscapes, they give me freedom to change what you feel like to make a better composition. Some love still life's, portraits, animals. and figures, they are not my thing, so paint what  you like, the paintings will come out better.. I now enjoy painting still life, I took a workshop with Otto Sturke and he changed my perception of doing them.  I like to do them with some movement, dynamics, and changing background, makes it very enjoyable.

Try not to make the painting you are working on so precious, try something new, if it does not work out,  you can do another one. In the beginning I probably brushed off 70% of what I started.  Some paintings are losers from the beginning, so start all over again.

Take as many workshops that you can, allow the teacher to work on your painting in progress.  I learn more from how the teacher holds, strokes, and apply the pastels on your painting.  After all you are there to learn, so observe what the instructor is doing. I get more out of this than watching him work on a demo. You will find out on your own that all talented artist are not great teachers.  When you find the right one for you, take in as much as you possibly can from his expertise, the right instructor for you are few and far between.

My theory on style and how you paint, I think, is a reflection of your personality.  If you are a orderly,  neat freak, I think your painting reflect that, neat and  not a line out of place. (look at your pastel box)  Others with an open mind, their paintings seem to be more expressive. If you want an exact replica, buy a photo,  I am not sure where I fit as far as style,  since my pen and ink sketches are very tight and controlled.  I try to be painterly and expressive, when I paint with color and pastels.  Do what is comfortable for your own style of painting, “paint like you”.

Its a good idea to paint with someone you like and respect as an artist, especially if you think they are more advanced than you, do not offended by critiques. (you do not want to be the best in a mediocre class, you  want to shoot for being the best in a class of great students),  Give and take ideas, exchange positive and negative feedback, during the painting process. I like paint-outs because of this interaction. Develop a thick skin, and be able to take rejection, its only a painting.

Take painting classes, it sets up a schedule to paint, you will get better - faster, otherwise you probably would not paint as much.  I like workshops and classes, the one day a week schedule is a perfect fit. You can do your own thing, and paint with other artist.  Try to finish a painting at each class session, don’t dilly dally on the small stuff.

Take a look at your sets of pastels,  if you find that some colors are hardly used, get rid of them.  Prune your colors to those that you like and use often, simplify your color selection. As hard as I try, my pastel box never looks like Richard Mckinley’s,  My personal Ah-ha moment was when I took a McKinley workshop and he had us do a watercolor under painting.  In the beginning the  under paintings were a disaster, I kept at it, now I will not start a painting without a watercolor under painting.  It loosens me up, you can cover it up with pastels if it does not look right, so let loose, unfurl your hair and let the brush fly.

Learn to frame your own paintings. Sometimes the frames are  more expensive and important than the painting.  Some frame shop charge a fortune, and it does not make your paintings any  better. Paint on sheets sizes that can accommodate common frames.  I like a matted frame because the painting appears larger and allows the painting to breathe and you can use a simpler and smaller frame, less cost.

When taking photographs for a painting, as most artist say, take them either in the early mornings or late afternoon, why? thats when you have the strongest contrasts from shadows to light.  Try for a strong composition, and a center of interest.  Make sure it has good foreground and perspective with layers of background.  As an artist you can change colors, but its hard to imagine the darks and light values in a poor photograph.. Without a good photo, and a strong composition its going to be very difficult to produce a good painting.  If you are a beginner, keep the image simple, don’t try to do to much. Like an actor, without a script, you cannot do much.  Its the same for an artist, with a good photo, the painting will not be successful.  Take lots of photos, rain is good, dusk is great, morning are wonderful.

Keep cranking out paintings, the more you paint the better you will get.  If you only do one a month(12 per year) vs one a week 52 painting per year,  Imagine how much  more you will progress, practice makes you better.  Just like in athletics, practicing  once a week will not cut it, you have to put in the time on the easel.

Hold on to paintings that turned out well, and has made a positive impact on your abilities as a painter.  Look back on them periodically and see why they were important at the time, you will see little things that have carried over to your current paintings.,   I kept paintings from my very first workshop with Colleen Howe, they were not good, and have kept some others that I like, its easy to  measure your progress this way.

Remember, you are the artist, a painting is a artistic interpretation of a scene, not a photographic image of what you are seeing.  Give it some personality and make  it better than the photo.

If  you like how your paintings are coming out, keep on doing it, till it becomes easy and second nature.  If you do the same things and are not happy with the results, change how you start, maybe start with a bolder under painting, use different strokes.  Make a change or the results will be the same.

I have taken many workshops with very talented artist.  In the beginning you are not sure of what direction you want to go with your paintings, so you take them randomly with artists, whose paintings you do not like .  Now i am more selective,  I take workshop with artist that can help me to improve on the style that I have selected, impressionistic, bold, strong use of color, bold strokes, etc. When you look at  entries for exhibitions, many of the painting have a similar look and style they seem to imitate their favorite instructors style.

If you are painting from a photograph,  the results are only going to be  as  good as the photograph you are working from “junk in, junk out”.  Ask these questions of the photograph
1.does it have good values, light and dark,  the lights and dark should be interconnected.
2. does the photo have good shapes, strong center of interest, interesting angles.
3. does it have good edges, strong edges in some locations, feathered edges in the background.
4. does it have strong temperature, good color, cool to warm.
5. does it come together, strong unity, graceful look
6. does the photograph move you, make you feel good?  
7. should have good perspective, distance, background, good lead into the painting.

If the photograph does not have any of these qualities, select another one , do not waste your time with a bad photograph, you will struggle with it and your painting will not be good.  LOOK CAREFULLY AT YOUR PHOTO’S, USUALLY ONE WILL STAND OUT FROM THE OTHERS.

Learn to sketch and draw quickly, pencil, pen and ink, markers,  that is the most important skill you can develop as a artist.  Take perspective classes, get familiar with vanishing points. Without drawing skills your art can only progress so far, and complex subject will be very difficult.

Learn how to paint plein-air.  Painting on site is one of the best learning tools you can develop to speed up the learning curve.  You have to develop your own judgment on what to paint, and how to develop your composition for a balanced painting.
Painting is a talent. that has to be developed over time  and practice.  Try not to jump around from one subject to another, do the same subject over and over, pretty soon you will see a definite improvement.  My personal subject that I love is the Pt. Vicente lighthouse, I have painted it about 20 times already, and the way I present the painting with the right color and values is getting more interesting.

I try to limit my paper sizes to 3 formats, 10.5 x 13, 12 x 18 and 9 x 24 panorama.  I buy my frames to fit these sizes, that way you can interchange your paintings without having to buy a certain size.   I like painting on a 12 x 18, U-Art 500 if I am going to use, a watercolor under painting, or Pastel Premier if I am only using  pastels.  That size is not to big and not to small, its just right.

Starting a new painting is like doing a puzzle.  You start with a good photograph, and you get the feeling that it will develop into a good painting.  Over the course of development some paintings go through an ugly stage, where it looks like it cannot be saved.  Do not lose confidence, keep plugging along, look at the dark areas, does it have a good shape and composition, look from the foreground to the background, does it have depth.  Look for the lost edges and the center of interest, pretty soon the puzzle will come together.

When you finish a painting that you think is worthy of framing, hang it on a wall for a while,  and look at it with a critical eye.  Does the painting have good composition, color-if you use it in a specific area, make sure you repeat it in other spots, does it create the mood you are looking for, make adjustments before the final framing.

Good luck,
​Mike Ishikawa

Below are the important manuals for operating the gallery. The copies below DONOT contain important passwords and codes for the gallery. To obtain these you may contact Lynda Frautnick (lyndafrautnick@yahoo.com)

Gallery Procedures and Square Manual

Gallery Hosting Procedures
File Size: 161 kb
File Type: docx
Download File

2018 Art Classic
2018 Silent Auction Form
File Size: 16 kb
File Type: docx
Download File

Miscellaneous Forms & Handouts

​Below are important forms that you may need for events and expenditures.

​Expense Voucher

Expense Voucher
File Size: 74 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Membership

You my download and fill out the membership form below and mail it in to the address bellow:

26893 Bouquet Canyon Rd, Ste C, #305
Santa Clarita, CA 91350-2374

​Membership Application/Renewal Form

Membership Form
File Size: 238 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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  • Home
  • About
  • Membership
    • Forms, Procedures, SCAA BYLAWS
  • Calendar
  • Call to Artists
    • Call to Artist "Colors of the Rainbow"
    • SCVArts Calls to Artist
  • 6th Street Gallery
  • Newsletter
  • ARTISTS PAGES
  • Sponsors
    • "Wish List" Sponsors
    • Make a Donation
    • Scholarships >
      • Scholarship Submissions