Welcome to the Pleasanton Art League
PAL & LAA General Meeting
Monday, January 13, 7:30 pm
Cultural Arts Center, 4455 Black Ave., Pleasanton
Program on Encaustic Painting by Summer Ellis
Summer spent her childhood on the beaches of Florida. In 1999 she earned a degree in education, with a focus on children with disabilities. Later, her life took quite a different turn when she met and married an officer in the US Army. Over the course of 20 years she became well practiced in packing up and moving her three active children, while continuing to squeeze in time to create, substitute teach, coach sports and volunteer.
In 2013 an accomplished encaustic painter introduced Summer to this ancientart form and it was love at first sight! Summer began taking workshops, and she set up her own encaustic studio in her home where her passions for art & history flourish together. Today she uses the materials of ancient artists, beeswax, Damar tree resin and pigment to create her one-of-a-kind art pieces. She focuses on seaside landscapes and whimsical underwater views to which she adds animals and mythological creatures.
During her demo she will cover layering, fusing and scraping techniques, which are key components of this art form, and she will demonstrate how a heat gun and a propane torch can add both subtle and dramatic effects to encaustic works. Come and see how to paint with fire!
Come & Learn About Encaustic Painting – a Unique Art Form
Free Admission – Bring a Friend!
PAL President’s Message
Dear PAL members,
I want to wish you a Happy New Year and thank you for your membership with the Pleasanton Art League. Whether you are a beginning or advanced artist, I hope you will find value, joy, friendships, and inspiration in the programming we have designed for you. We are always searching for new ideas, venues, and events to keep PAL exciting and relevant. I love to receive notes from members who have new ideas for PAL. So, keep them coming! This is your art league and we want to hear from you!
If this past year has taught me anything (and it has been many things), it has been the depth and complexity of moving parts required to make an art league run. At the risk of inadvertently leaving out somebody important, I want to take this opportunity to say “Thank You” to our Board of Directors; to Norma Webb who continues to create and publish this Portfolio newsletter after many, many years; to Gene Gracey, who processes our Constant Contact notices; to Marion Huff who performs double-duty as webpage administrator and secretary; to Peter Okurowski (our other double-duty star), as Membership Chair and Treasurer; to VP Diana Hostetter who is my great “can-do” partner; to Lorraine Wells who handles publicity and graphic design; to George and Linda Garbarino who organize our workshops and lend their non-profit expertise; to Meghana Mitragotri who will be heading our scholarship program, to Lynda Briggs who continues to coordinate our PAL wall at the Firehouse, to Usha Shukla who continues to coordinate our art circuit; to Vanessa Thomas who is coordinating our meeting demonstrators and for making sure PAL is always on Facebook; to Dorothy Maestas who has brought cookies and coffee to our members’ meetings for nineteen years; and to Sharon Cohune for picking up the mantel as Hospitality Chair. To our intrepid show organizers: Pat Smith, Linda Hopwood, Carole Hilton, Chris Bourg, and Marion Huff. Also, to volunteers who hang the artwork, bring refreshments, handle receiving and pick-up, truck display panels to and from storage (Ron Rigge and Jen Huber), and volunteer their hours to make it all run smoothly. And to everyone else who has volunteered in any large or small way, I want to say “thank you!” There is so much that happens behind the scenes, and I am humbled and touched to be a part of it.
Wishing you a 2020 filled with new inspiration and prolific art-making! Gratefully, Beth
Hello PAL Members From Your Membership Chair
I’m reaching out to thank you for your membership and to let you know that it is time to renew for 2020.
We have an exciting line-up in the works for next year including workshops in a variety of media, demonstrations in encaustics and comic book development, and shows held at the Museum on Main, Robert Livermore Community Center, and the Firehouse Art Center. Our Plein Air Event, Paint Pleasanton, will be returning this September and we are working on a new winery event. Don’t forget about our successful Artist’s Circuit supported by local businesses. We are just getting started! New opportunities are always popping up as we work with our partners to promote the visual arts in the Tri-Valley Area: the Dublin Arts Collective, Livermore Art Association, Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council, and the City of Pleasanton. Be sure to read the Portfolio newsletter and check out the PAL website for the latest additions and developments!
As a special addition next year, PAL will be supporting members who would like to take part in the East Bay Open Studios. This will be for our more seasoned artists who are looking for a way to advertise to a larger audience. The Firehouse Art Center will host the event on June 27th and 28th. For more information about EBOS, please visit eastbayopenstudios.com/. Space will be limited. Stay tuned for more information.
Peter Okurowski
PAL Receives 501(c)3 Status!
PAL is happy to report that we have received our long-awaited 501(c)3 status! It’s been a long and tricky road, and I want to thank Diana Hostetter, George and Linda Garbarino, and Peter Okurowski who have been instrumental in making this happen. The biggest benefit for PAL is that donations to PAL will now be tax deductible for donors. We have already changed the language on our membership forms to reflect this update.
Beth Okurowski
Upcoming General Meetings
February 10, 2020, 7:30 pm LAA/PAL Meeting: Jean Bidwell will talk about the Hayward Mural Project. Meeting will be at the Bothwell Arts Center, Livermore
March 9, 2020, 7:30 pm PAL Program, TBA
April 13, 2020, 7:30 pm LAA Program TBA
May 11, 2020, 7:30 pm PAL Program TBA
June 8, 2020, 7:30 pm LAA Program TBA
General Meeting Locations
Regardless of location, all General Meetings of PAL & LAA are intended for members of both groups! Please take the short drive between Livermore and Pleasanton. The more the merrier!
Bothwell Arts Center
2466 8th Street
Downtown Livermore
Pleasanton Location
Cultural Arts Building
4455 Black Avenue, Pleasanton
Our Meetings are Always Open & Free to the Public. Bring a Friend.