January Updates
Happy new year! I hope you all had a prosperous holiday season as well as a chance to slow down just a bit to enjoy family and friends. The new Board of Directors met recently, and as the new president of HGC, I am proud to tell you that we have a great group of people at the helm—many returning members who will help provide stability and insight, and several new members who are excited to bring some ideas to the table to serve the membership. Whenever you have a chance, say hello me (president), Wendy Merron (vice-president, and Beth Galinsky (secretary/historian). We look forward to meeting you and hearing your ideas to continue to expand and improve HGC offerings.
Don’t miss our next general meeting on Saturday, January 25, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.! (This meeting will open house style—come when you can and leave whenever you like.) We will gather at Rich Maxwell’s heated garage to offload and exchange old art supplies. If you’re getting a head start on your spring cleaning, bring whatever supplies you no longer need or use. What you no longer want may be exactly what someone else is looking for. All supplies left over at the end of the afternoon will be donated to Main Line Art Center for use in their children’s programs. This meeting will be in person only. So come out, shake off the winter blahs, enjoy the company of your fellow artists, and maybe find a new treasure to expand your current repertory of creation, or try something new you’ve been looking forward to but didn’t want to invest too heavily in.
Are you experiencing the winter blahs? Have you run into a mental or creative roadblock? Would you like to unleash more creative power? I personally suffered from a funk lasting most of the last quarter of 2024. I couldn’t find the energy to sit down in my studio and mix paints and get them on the canvas. At the same time, I indulged my canvas addiction, taking advantage of sales on canvases of all sizes. If you could see my living room, office, studio, and two stairways, you would think I was a hoarder. I need to paint these canvases so I can be ready for the 2025 shows I will be applying to!
How am I working through my roadblock and getting back on track to love my work? One way is to choose color palettes that include red. I have several favorite shads of red in my inventory, and it’s time to refire my passion and reheat my creative juices by putting the cool blues and greens aside. I hope that this strategy will result in a number of new paintings over the coming weeks.
What are your strategies for overcoming the winter blahs? I would like to invite you to consider an additional option. Join the HGC membership at our general meeting on Wednesday, February 19, for a session with our new vice-president, Wendy Merron. Wendy will lead us in self-reflection and a guided meditation designed to help us reignite passion and discover ways out of the blahs and into creativity.
In the meantime, explore your creativity, and let me know your strategies for creating during the cold winter days!
See you soon!
Brian Middleton, President
We have a Facebook group just for HGC Members!
This is a private group for the Artist Members of the Haverford Guild of Craftsmen to meet and discuss their work, marketing tactics and to give and receive general business and artwork advice. To join us, please go to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hgcartistmembers/