Do not expect Zoom just to work!  If you plan on taking a class or just using it, test it first.  I started using computers when there was no keyboard, just punch cards, so I have a little experience!  I have used to computer to connect to clients around the world with little problems.  This week it all caught up to me when I was using Zoom!  I joined the Board Zoom meeting using my desktop and discovered the webcam did not work.  I had moved from Windows 7 to windows 10 some years ago and the webcam only worked on Windows 7.  I then realized that there was no microphone attached, so I could only listen and watch the meeting.  Maybe that was the reason it was a quick meeting!  I tried my laptop and by the end of the meeting I got it to work.  I am now getting ready for my wife Sandy to do a Zoom Art lesson, so I have been checking which of my 3 desktops and 4 laptops is best for her.  The answer is, I will be purchasing some new hardware!  The laptops that I do have with built in webcams seem to have problems with the speakers or the microphone.

What I thought was going to be a breeze, was anything but!  Be smarter than your webmaster and check to see you can Zoom with your computer now!  Then, Zoom a friend and do some art work together!

Wayne Wagstaff

You may want to try your own meeting, by connecting with artists, friends or family. Give it a try, it is free but only for 40 minutes, then your meeting is dropped unless the host is a paid member. The Society will be a paid host, so you can join us and stay on as long as we want. Members may be able to use the Society’s Paid account for unlimited get together if we can work out a method to control it. If you want more information on running your own meeting click here How to use Zoom for Remote and Online learning. Enjoy

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Press Release

The South Surrey & White Rock Art Society presents The  Playhouse Exhibition and Sale of Paintings, January 18  to when? This is an ongoing rotating art exhibition of paintings located in the lobby of the Playhouse located at 1532 Johnston Road, White Rock, BC. Tuesday to Saturday 1:00 – 5:00 pm. Phone: 604-536-7535. All paintings on display are for sale.

Continue reading Playhouse Exhibition – Closed due to Coronavirus →

All paint is a combination of a ‘glue’ and pigment. The glue in acrylic paint is a plastic consisting of microscopic spheres of polymer suspended in water. When the wa-ter evaporates as the paint dries the spheres come to-gether to bind the pigment. Make sure you use only a little water to thin your paints so the ratio of spheres to water is not diluted. This dilution can affect the paint’s bonding ability. Use Polymer Medium as a thinner in-stead.
Polymer Medium is available in Matte and Gloss and may also be used for glazes. Matte Medium is dull be-cause it contains a powder made of ground crustacea. The microscopic particles of the powder have jagged edges which hinder light refraction, thus giving a flat finish. Gloss Medium is clear and therefore shiny. Don’t use Matte Medium for thick or multi-layered glazes. The effect of the powder clouds the layers thus dulling the colours and forming a ’fogged’ appearance..

Keep a small pair of pliers or some nutcrackers handy for easing off stuck caps. Or place a clothes pin around the cap, hold firmly and twist.
 Use a small piece of non-slip rubber shelf liner to get a grip on the top of the tube. It works better than pliers and doesn’t damage the cap.
 If you can’t get the cap off, snip off the bottom of the tube to get the paint then close it again with a bulldog clip.
 Invert the tube and soak it for a few minutes in a cup of hot water.
 Apply Vaseline around the top of the tube or inside the threads of the cap before you put it back on to prevent sticking.

Broken colour is a technique which was introduced by the NeoImpressionists), whereby colours on the canvas are made up of small flecks and dashes of paint.   The development of colour theory by the late 19th century played a pivotal role in shaping the Neo-Impressionists’ style. They acknowledged the different behaviors exhibited by coloured light and coloured pigment. While the mixture of the former created a white or gray colour, that of the latter produced a dark, murky colour. As painters, NeoImpressionists had to deal with coloured pigments, so to avoid the dullness, they devised a system of pure-colour juxtaposition. Mixing of colours was not necessary. The effective use of pointillism produced a luminous effect, and from a distance, the dots came together as a whole displaying maximum brilliance and conformity to actual light conditions.

Before the advent of computer-generated design, gouache (the word is French and is pronounced ‘gwash’ or ’goowash’) was the most popular painting medium in professional design studios, where it was widely used to create crisp visuals and illustrations in solid colour that reproduced well in print.  Gouache is, in fact, a refinement of the more familiar poster paints, but the quality and permanence of pigments used in good brands are far superior.  Also known as body colour, gouache is a water-based paint with chalk or blanc fixe added to create opaque colour with good covering power, which can be further enhanced with the addition of Permanent White. It dries to a matt, chalky finish and can be used on its own or with transparent watercolour.  Considering it is so versatile, gouache is an underrated medium. Use it in dilute washes to achieve attractive misty effects. Thicker gouache creates a more rugged finish, ideal for bold, energetic paintings. A starter palette might include Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Red, French Blue, Raw Umber and Yellow Ochre, plus Permanent White.