The WSA is happy to welcome Brian Wallenmeyer as a new exhibiting member. Classically trained as a musician and artist, Brian’s paintings are beautifully rendered. He creates a powerful still life through his thoughtful use of color. To see more of his work, visit his WSA artist page.
Welcome to the WSA Brian!
April Artist of the Month
Meet Nancy Present -VanBroekhoven
Artist Nancy Present-VanBroekhoven has been making dreams come true for a very long time and for many people. For over 40 years she was a social worker helping populations with special challenges. At the Jewish Community Center of Greater Boston, she worked with children, teens and adults to develop programs where they could come together for enriching activities: Music and Movement for Parents and their children, Karate for Children with Developmental Challenges were a few. “The parents might come up with ideas or I would see a need and I would make it happen.” When she decided to retire, she wanted to find another way to bring meaning to her days. “What gave me permission to pursue painting was that one of the boys with whom I had worked for many years started exhibiting his art and I would go to all of his shows. I saw not only what he put into his art, but also what he got out of sharing his work.”
Present-VanBroekhoven saw a notice about a watercolor class given by Sarah Alexander at Broadmoor. She called ahead to make sure that the class would not be too intimidating and was pleased to find a very supportive and talented group with whom she still paints. She credits both Alexander and Artist Nan Rumpf, “a gifted teacher,” for helping her to develop her voice as a watercolorist. When COVID hit, she and her peers began a Critique Group meeting weekly on Zoom for the last several years. She joined several organizations and has donated her time and talents to all of them: the WSA where she has been coordinating membership, the Needham Art Association where she coordinates the art work hung at the Center at the Heights (the Needham Senior Center). She also belongs to the Newton Watercolor Society and has been involved with the Dedham Art Association. Using know-how from her career, she spearheads events such as plein air painting outings and she takes advantage of learning opportunities that each group has to offer.
In the relatively short time she has been painting, Present-VanBroekhoven has participated in numerous group shows including WSA, Dedham Art, and NAA Exhibits as well as group shows sponsored through the Natick Public Library, Grace Chapel in Lexington and the 5 Star Show in Watertown, A taste of Wellesley at Elm Bank. In addition to group shows, Present-Van Broekhoven has hosted private or semi private shows at the Wellesley Public library with Yvonne Unger, shows at Broadmoor Sanctuary, and Christ Episcopal Church . In December she will be having another show at the Wellesley Public library with Mi Herzog. In keeping with this artist’s spirit of giving, many of these shows have supported charities. At Christ Episcopal Church, artists are asked to choose a charity close to their heart and Present-VanBroekhoven chose to support Silent Spring, which researches environmental causes of breast cancer.
When travelling with her husband, Present-VanBroekhoven paints endemic scenes and wildlife; “when we were in Florida, I painted pelicans; in Scotland I painted highland cows; in New Zealand I paint water scapes. Watercolors are easy to pack and very portable so I always have them with me.” She also enjoys capturing special family events in her artwork to share with loved ones. She loves that her art can be enjoyed by others and admits “my daughter has taken most of my favorite pieces.” She now has four grandchildren with whom she shares the gift of art.
“I am inspired by all the artists in my local organizations,” says Present-VanBroekhoven. She is also inspired by nature and loves painting animals, especially birds. Her paintings are lovely reminders of the places she has been. “Art gives me a sense of time and place; my personal art reminds me of the places I’ve been, the people I’ve met and the things I’ve done.”
Notes from an Artist in Residence, February 28 through March 12, 2022 at the Truro Center for the Arts at Edgewood Farm from Mark Richards.
From a young age Mark J. Richards learned to paint from a plein air realist and impressionistic tradition. Being a Truro Artist in Residence allowed uninterrupted time to create and practice these skills.
Each day Richards was able to explore draw and paint. This is a brief record of his time in Truro.
The blue of the Atlantic Ocean is a breath of fresh air and was his first sojourn after arriving. Richards was able to create the first beach scenes in oil in preparation for the large canvas he had brought with him.
Balston Beach was where in 1991 the Atlantic Ocean breached the Cape. That breach through the dune barrier made Provincetown a temporary island. This has happened previously in geologic history and the Pamet River and The Little Pamet are remnants of this history.
The light was beautiful the wind fierce. Ukraine had been invaded a few days previously. The Pitch Pine creatures attracted Mark’s attention immediately. A blue and gold statement. Color as a political statement.
The Pamets offer long meandering walks over giant dunes covered with flag worn defiant physiognomies of Pitch Pine and Scrub-Oak. Forests that defy the winds. Twisted Birch and Alder crowd the marshes before giving way to cat tails and marsh grasses. The occasional crackled bark of Plum trees limbs are broken from the direct assault of winter storms.
Nothing man made lasts. Only change persists.
In sketches and drawings the stroke of his pen addresses some of these ideas: jagged, sharp, graphic and dark enduring strokes. Like the scarf of the dunes etched constantly by surf.
Thanks to Goya for personal guidance in drawing and expressing emotions.
Thanks to Marsden Hartley for writing Cleophas and His Own, A North Atlantic Tragedy.
The WSA is happy to welcome new exhibiting member Andrea Rex. She is a painter and printmaker that brings her observations to life in a powerful and unexpected way. To see more of Andrea’s work, visit her WSA artist page.
Welcome to the WSA Andrea!
March Artist of the Month
Meet Margie Michals
From the time she was a young girl, Michals was exposed to the arts. She grew up with her family in North Cambridge, Massachusetts in a neighborhood built with culture, an inspiration for a budding artist. She lived amongst a calligrapher, photographer, sculptor, writer and an entertainment lawyer. On Sundays one of her neighbors would open his windows and play piano for everyone to hear. Bob Slate Stationer, where her older brother worked, was at the top of the street; for Michals this was the equivalent of a candy shop where she could buy her art supplies. Whenever she was tasked with sitting still, she used her new purchases with excitement.
Michals always dreamt of being an artist but, at that time, thought that meant a “starving artist” struggling to get jobs. She took her parent’s advice and started her liberal arts education at U Mass Boston. She eventually left U Mass to become a certified dental assistant at Tufts University. While working full time as dental assistant Michals attended evening classes at Northeastern taking chemistry class for her entrance into the Forsythe Dental School (located next door to the Museum of Fine Arts!) and a graphic design course. She still had hopes of finding her way into the Arts. She eventually switched directions and attained her degree in Interior Design while still working full time. She learned perspective drawing and fell in love with creating renderings. When her boss retired, she took the leap and worked at the Boston Design Center as an art assistant for the Diana Levine Fine Arts Gallery.
Michals and her husband began their family and, during this period of her life, she still had the passion to learn creatively so took photography courses at New England Photography School. She used her photography and graphic design skills for the family hockey business. As she used social media to promote the business, she decided to start her own social media page on Instagram and created Small Cup Designs intended as a fun way to share Interior Design photos while decorating their new home. She had two very unexpected experiences. Gail Davis, an Interior Designer in New Jersey reached out to Michals to do a house portrait of Grace’s House for a Charitable Show to raise money for St. Jude’s Children’s Foundation in honor of Grace, a brain cancer survivor. She was featured in the article “How 21 Interior Designers Rallied Around a Young Girl with Cancer” in House Beautiful Magazine in April 2019. Next, Interior Designer Ana Vera of Newton contacted Michals to donate her paintings to the “One Room Challenge” featured in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.
Michals charitable work has brought her many gifts. “I really believe that when you give you receive.” With all this interesting publicity, Michals gained the confidence to do more marketing of her own work, but also gives back by supporting women artists everywhere to promote themselves. “You’re never too old to start!” Her work is now shown at local stores and she began creating an online shop at Margie MArtwork which is growing every day. Her latest trend is putting her whimsical artwork on everyday items, such as handbags, stationery and décor. Michals continues to educate herself by taking business course and hopes to create a workshop for other artists to share her marketing skills and to help others make their work profitable. She is an exhibiting member artist of the Wellesley Society of Artists and associate member of the New England Watercolor Society.
As far as her brilliant watercolor painting, Michals has developed her own style of painting and listens to her heart when she paints. She is inspired by animals, nature, architecture and her surroundings to create pieces that will bring a smile to the viewer’s face. “I don’t always follow the rules-I think they can sometimes restrict our creativity. I practice every day and I do what brings me joy….I love when this brings joy to others as well. When I create art, that little girl in me comes out. I have always wanted to create art and connect with people and I am able to do both.”
Michal’s greatest desire is to create a promising future for her children. She hopes that they learn from her to “always start your day with a positive mindset, have faith, never give up and do what makes you happy. Dreams are possible!”
WSA member Michelle Lavallée’s paintings have been included two recent European exhibitions.The WSA is happy to welcome new exhibiting member Samantha Eio. She is a water media painter who paints in both watercolor and acrylic. Samantha has created a life and business with her love of art and nature. To see more of her artwork, visit her WSA artist page.
Welcome to the WSA Samantha!
The WSA is happy to welcome back exhibiting member Brenda Lee Rangel. After a few years away from the WSA, Brenda is has rejoined. She enjoys painting in watercolor and acrylic, creating atmospheric scenes and etherial images of nature. Visit her WSA artist page to see more of her work.
Welcome back Brenda!
WSA exhibiting member Mark Richards has been selected by the Truro Center for the Arts for an artists residency at Castle Hill, Edgewater Farm from February 28 – March 12, 2022. You can follow his progress on Instagram @ markrichards7892. Congratulations Mark, we look forward to seeing your work inspired by this setting!
February Artist of the Month
Meet Yvonne Posa
Artist Yvonne Posa grew up in New England and attained her BA in Art History at Brown University. Interested in art and architecture, she took a few of the necessary studio art courses during college, but did not begin her own studio art journey for many years. She received her MBA in marketing from the Wharton School and then worked as Commercial Real Estate Loan Officer. She and her husband spent some time working in the Midwest and then returned to New England while raising their three children.
When Posa’s youngest child started kindergarten she signed up for a Beginner Watercolor class at Weston Recreation and “fell in love.” Her first teacher’s instructional style was very directed and structured “which was helpful at the time, but through other teachers, I began to learn loosen up and to look for the happy accident.” Posa has sought to develop her own style and has studied with a variety of instructors, both locally in New England and in workshops elsewhere.
One memorable moment is from a workshop with British artist Jean Haines. She recalls, “Jean would not allow us to use a pencil…I remember using my brush to paint a picture of a chicken and when I started painting the chicken’s beak, Jean said, “Stop there. Don’t paint the other side of the beak. We can imagine the rest of the beak.” She tries to incorporate this “less is more” principle to her own approach. Posa also received inspiration from “California Vibe” portrait artist David Lobenberg who encouraged her to use unexpected colors to achieve excitement.
For the past decade, Posa has studied with Andrew Kusmin (AWS, NWS) of Plymouth, MA. Kusmin currently teaches classes on zoom. Kusmin encourages his students to discover their own style or “brush stroke”, and he provides invaluable instruction, especially in improving composition. Posa finds the group critiques in his classes to be the best way to grow. Posa has tried Encaustic Painting and Chinese Brush Painting but her first love has remained watercolor. Her subject matter comes from her photographs taken during travels with her husband, at their home in Maine and of their beloved grandchildren. She admires the work of American artist Mary Whyte and Spanish artist Joaquin Sorolla. “When I do portraiture I really try to capture personalities more than anything else…My philosophy is to suggest only as much as is needed and leave the details up to the imagination. I like to convey an emotion that I feel toward the subject.” She also admires less conventional artists such as the late Jean-Michel Basquiat and Ai Wei Wei.
In addition to being a WSA member, Posa is New England Watercolor Society Associate Member, Rhode Island Watercolor Society Signature Member and a member of Arts Wayland. She has participated in many juried shows and has won multiple awards, including Honorable Mention for “Late Afternoon in Stanford” at the 2021 North American Open Juried Exhibition and 1st Prize for “Tree Peony” at Plymouth Center for the Arts Annual Juried Arts Show and Festival 2021 and many more.
Website: yvonneposa.com
Instagram: @ yvonneposa
