West End show

I went to the see the West End Show yesterday afternoon. There were artists who worked in glass, wood, ceramics, jewelry, photography, oils, water color, fabric, furniture, mixed media. It was a great mix. People were wandering around and it looked like they were buying. I certainly did my bit for the economy...it was good early Christmas shopping time. The weather was perfect, warm with a light breeze. There was someone singing, children were doing art projects, pizza, water and soft drinks were available. Over by the train station, I could see the easels which were to be auctioned that evening. Potential buyers were milling around under the orange banners that had been installed earlier. It all looked very festive. If you didn't go, you missed something fun.

Current topics

Judy Sussery and I volunteered at the West End art show in La Grange yesterday. That is a wonderfully well organized group. The show looks like it's going to be really interesting and I suggest that anyone interested in the current art scene should wander out there and take a look. I'm going back today after everything is set up. Will tell more about it in the next blog.

Meeting of the board last Wednesday. Lots of disucussion on current financial state of the art world. Sales are down at the gallery as it seems to be everywhere else. Unfortunately, expenses don't do the same. They either stay in place or go up. Jacque France indicated that she was in the process of trimming down those for the classes. There's going to be a significant sale from the framing department. We've got an ad in the current Triblocal. Hopefully, it will encourage more people to take classes.

The show for the winners of the Scholarship Program is going up staring September 18th. There'll be a reception at the League galleryon the 26th from 2-4pm. The public is welcome.

A week in Maine

Jacque and Gordy France, Gary and Alice Wick, Karen and Richard Magin and I have just spent a week in York Maine....most of us to do some serious pleine air painting and a couple of the spouses simply to enjoy all that a New England seaside town has to offer.

The scenery is beautiful and the sun shone every day. However, it was rather hot, in the 90's every day and in an unairconditioined house. But the temperature dropped into the 60's and 70's every evening so everybody slept. The Frances and the Magins drove, the Wicks and I flew to Boston and rented a car. Before joining our group at the house, I enticed Gary and Alice to stop at Bosun's Landing for a lobster roll...the best in south Maine as far as I'm concerned. What a way to start!

Every day we wandered around the area, painting, photographing, drawing...Prescott Park in Portsmouth, Cape Neddick, the Garrison House on Rt. 91, the Pepperel House in Kittery, the town dock in York, by Sewell's Bridge again in York, Cider Hill in Eliot, and in front of the house overlooking the tidal pond.

Sometimes we stopped early enough to go down to the beach and take a dip in the rather frigid Atlantic. Some days we cooked at home....grilled salmon, grilled steak, steamed lobster. Other times we traveled to local restaurants. It was all delicious. In the evening we sat around the table with wine and upper New York State homemade beer, looked at Gary photos, played cards, made comments on the paintings we had drying on the screened in porch. It was relaxed and fun. Several very good paintings were created. Gary was disappointed that there was no fog. Most of us were delighted. On the last night it rained....big time...the next morning, before we had to leave, York was covered in fog. Gary took off with camera, happy as a New England clam. His pictures are great.

Our wonderful new window

If you happen to be in downtown La Grange this month, go over to 122 Calendar and see their window display. That’s the address of the La Grange Art League. And there you’ll see a really wonderful installation (something very in in the art world). Three white mannequins each wrapped in a primary color, three digital frames, two banners with photographs on them and the words “Let your creativity soar…Art classes can be your wings” . It is really marvelous!
The League wanted to showcase the opening of their autumn art classes, so they asked Margaret Prescott for inspiration. A graduate in Industrial Design from the University of Illinois and a trade show and museum exhibit designer, Margaret chose to celebrate the creativity that art classes can bring out. Coming from what looks like paint puddles on the ground, the bright color fabrics burst out and encircle the white figures. When you look down, you can see pictures of the teachers and examples of their work: and they keep changing. After dark, it’s even more fun because the ever changing photographs show up better. I went by late yesterday for ice cream at Tate’s, walked around the corner and joined a few others enjoying the soft late summer evening and the show.
In case you want to let your creativity soar, registration is going on now, classes start September 16th. The gallery is open week days and Saturdays 10am to 5pm. Walk in, ask for an application and find your wings.

Chicago Magazine article and other stuff

La Grange is featured in the August CHICAGO MAGAZINE as having the best suburban downtown. (see page 103). In the blurb they mention our Art League as one of the factors that makes this town feel like of Mayberry for the 21st Century!

Speaking of articles, today's Trib Local has a story on Holly Hess, her artist of the month exhibit and her rather unusual art education. Check it out.

Holly's reception was held last Sunday afternoon. Despite really really dreadful heat and a messed up street, there was a large turn out. The exhibit is interesting and diverse. Holly has explored a lot of avenues.....sculpture, pastel, oil, silk painting.....and many different subjects. If you haven't seen it yet, you should really drop by and enjoy.

Plein air last Wednesday was at Kiwanis Park in La Grange. There were only two of us. It was a beautiful day and the flowers were in full bloom, great for anyone who likes to paint nature at its most colorful. It will meet there again next Wednesday morning. Try to go....the flowers will still be there and hopefully the weather will cooperate again.

Holly Hess

Holly Hess, who is the featured artist this month at the La Grange Art League, feels that much of her life has been a fulfilling journey in the world of art. She’s loved to draw ever since she was a little girl, but the big turning point came through the help of a convict at Fort Levenworth. Holly’s father was the assistant engineer at the prison, and the family lived within its walls. One day, he spoke about his daughter’s talent to a very famous counterfeiter who was serving time there. The man suggested that he would be interested in seeing her work. It finally turned out that her father became an intermediary between the two. She would send him her work, which he would critique and even suggest books that she should read and study. She never actually met her teacher, but she has been eternally grateful for his help and interest. What a way to start one’s art education!
Over the years, Holly has continued her education through classes and work shops. She has expanded into many other mediums, sculpture, water color, oils, colored pencil, silk painting. In the 70’s and 80’s she participated in shows and demonstrations but had to quit for family reasons.
Now, from August 3rd to the 28th, her work will be showing at the La Grange Art League Gallery. There will be examples of her work in the many fields she has explored over the years. A reception will be held at the gallery on Sunday August 9th from 2-5pm. Refreshments will be served. So come see her exhibit FOLLOW THE JOURNEY.

Pleine air

Attended the pleine air session at Catherine Legge yesterday. there were only three of us but the weather was gorgeous and the setting was ideal. Next week will be at the same place. I hope others will attend. It's good for some of us who need a push to paint. the weather has not been marvelous this summer and any chance to get out there and paint from life rather than from a photo needs to be taken advantage of.

Back from Maine aand Holly

Well, I'm back from almost a month in Maine. While there, I went to the Portland Art Museum to see their wonderful show THE CALL OF THE COAST (Art Colonies of New England). It is an exhibit which explores four of the art communities from the the early 20th century, Cos Cob, Old Lyme, Ogunquit, and Monhegan. There are eighty paintings, including works by Childe Hassan, Marin, Bellows, Twachtman, Rockwell Kent, Robert Henri, and many more. If you happen to be near there, you'll see a visually stunning look at an era when artists came together in New England and created an amazing body of art.
The museum itself is a modern gem. It specializes in East Coast American artists. It's worth visiting even without this outstanding exhibit.

Now that I'm back, it's time to look at what's happening at the Gallery. The month of August will feature a show of works by Holly Hess. This will be a multimedia exhibit, with sculptures, oil paintings, silk painting, drawings. I had an interesting conversation with Holly on Friday. Her background in art is very unusual. Her father worked in a Federal Prison and she actually lived on the grounds. She received much of early training from a famous painter and counterfieter who was an inmate. She never actually met him. Her father was the intermediary. He would show the gentleman her work, he would critique it and suggest texts that she should study. Now that's really different. There will be a reception on August 9th. More details to come

Interesting news on NPR

I was listening to "all Things Considered" on public radio early this week and heard an interesting blurb. It seems that purchase of original art or tickets to concerts, operas, ballets, classical music, art shows, etc. is way down. However, the public has not lost its interest in the arts. The practice of making art is way up. People are playing music, drawing, painting, dancing, a lot. Classes to learn the arts are thriving. Interestin huh?

Diane's reception, etc.

Diane Nawrocki reception was last Sunday. There were a lot of people there, admiring, buying, chatting, eating, drinking, discussing. I would call it an outstanding success. Diane had asked Helen Blazie to play the violin and it was a lovely accompaniment to the occasion. I saw Connie writing up a lot of sales slips. She was busy enough that a few times I even helped by fetching bags and passing along purchases. I noticed that a lot of people looked also looked at the teacher's wall area and asked quesiions about classes.

It looks like we've gotten a good turn out for the summer classes. As of last count we had over 90 people signed up. When you consider that a lot of our usual students do not sign up for the summer session because of vacation conflicts, I think that's pretty impressive.

A week ago was the Board Meeting. Karen was out of town so Carol Wilson, our recording secretary took the helm. I was substitute recording secretary. I will treat Carol with much more respect from now on. It's not easy keeping all the comments and reports in your head, not to mention on a piece of paper and then writing it all down for the minutes. How do you write eh? I translated into under whelming....

I misspelled Connie's last name. It's Iocovetti. Sorry. Actually, it's nice to know that people are reading the blog.

First day of Open House

Yesterday was the first day of the open house. It opened a little slowly but by about 1pm people really started coming in. What a delight. Not everybody signed up immediately. Many went home with the schedule saying they were going to discuss it and sign up in the very near future. Hopefully they will. They all seemed interested and spent quite a bit of time talking to the teachers who were working on their own projects. It really was a lot of fun. I took pictures and tomorrow, if I can manage it, I'll put them on the post.
Jacque and her crew have put in a lot of work and effort. I know it's summer and many people can't sign up because of vacation plans. There's talk of next summer having more of very short classes.

Check our ads

Well, yesterday, we made it to the local papers. Our 1/4 page full color ad was in the centersection (This week's Calendar) of the Trib local as well as a blurb about the open house in their calendar right next to it. Also a short story I sent to the same paper was on page 2. We had a full color ad on the front of the Doings and another one on the calendar page of the Suburban Life. Whew! I'm so glad it all worked out.

Samantha (our intern) and I had a table at the La Grange Farmer's Market on the same day
Hopefully, we'll have a nice crowd for the open house.. If you're planning on taking a class, especially if it's more than one, be there. The 15% off* for the second class is good for those two days only. Remember, the percentage off is on the class of lesser cost.

Alla Jablowka's painting

The newsletter from the Western Springs library had a note that Alla had donated a painting to the children's library. Of course, I had to go and see it. What a wonder! It's a forest like scene, beautifully painted of course, with animals cleverly semi-hidden. To the side of the painting, there's a list of all the ones to find. Like a child, I had a great time locating the rabbits, raccoon, big and little bears, the deer, etc. The librarian joined me in the search and we had a wonderful time. When I dropped into the Gallery later that day, Dee told me that Alla has had prints made. I definitely want one. What a great gift for a child. Actually, I can see myself and my children and grown grandchildren having a great time doing the hunt. What a nice thing to have as a gift for the child who has more than enough toys.

Laura LeinSvencer has been a member of the La Grange Art League for the past ten years. She originally joined the league for fellowship and a place to exhibit her work, but she quickly changed directions to become one of the art league framers and collage teacher.
Her background in arts is personal examination into tactile studies such as ceramics, printmaking, hand papermaking, metal smith and now collage. Laura is a member of many local art leagues in the DuPage County area, Naperville Art League, Depage Art League, as well as ours. She is a co-founder of the Midwest Collage Society, a member of the National Collage Society and the Chicago Arts Coalition.
Seven years ago Alla Jabolkow (the League school director at the time) asked Laura if she would like to teach. She was taken aback by the question as her only teaching experience had been working in her children’s elementary school district in an Art Awareness program. Alla told her that she only had to share what she knew. Laura’s been teaching ever since. Her classes are popular and the output of her students is impressive.
What amazes everyone is the simple, fun loving, creative spirit she shares with her students, encouraging them to go outside the box and see where their own abilities will take them. They receive assignments and task work to enable them to hone their design skills, leading to a better understanding of a good compositional layout. Basically, Laura wants all the participants in her workshops and classes to challenge themselves.
She showed me an amazing journal she’d made from an old book found at a resale shop. It’s cut, painted, sewn, gessoed, sanded. I loved it. It’s an excellent example of Laura’s approach. First, there’s a concept, the artist relates to it, understands it and finally executes it.
With summer coming, she’s taking time off to exhibit in the outdoor fine arts festivals. This year she’ll be at Hinsdale, Naperville Women’s Club, Geneva, Burr Ridge, Riverwalk and her own outdoor studio exhibit in September. She’ll have a One Person Show at the La Grange Art League in October 2009. In the meantime, you can see more of her work at www.lauralein-svencer.com or stay tuned daily to her blog at http://www.lonecrwoart.blogsspot.com

Connit Jaconetti

Connie Jaconetti is exhibiting at the Palos Park Library through the end of the month. She took second place and the painting was sold at the Addison Art guild.

Diane Nawrocki is having a one man show from June 1st to the 30th. It is called A Stitch in Time. There'll be a reception on Sunday the 14th from 2 to 4 P.M. Diane creates unique fabric arts as paintings. They are a wonder to see, full of joyous color using fiber and fabric. She has won numerous awards since her first which was hosted by Woolworths. An interesting coincidence since she had worked in one of their dime stores as a younster. Actually, it was in their notions department that her love of color and textiles began. This is going to be an interesting show, a departure from the traditional. Drop in, look around, enjoy, and then come again for the reception.

Diane received her education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Loyola University, Chicago and Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa. Her professional experience is working as an Art Therapist at Schwab Rehabillitation Hospital, teaching Art Education at Triton and DuPage Community Colleges, Daley Community College and Kelley and Foreman High Schools in Chicago.

Adult Student Show Reception

The adult student show reception last Saturday was a huge success. There was a really large attendance, bigger than anyone can remember. People wandered in, admired, chatted, had a snack and stayed around enjoying the wonderful stuff that was on view. It was fun to see who got ribbons. Laureen's painting was outstanding. She won first prize and deserved it. The window treatment was marvelous. I loved the new hanging backdrops. The food was delicious and Jacque was really grateful that so many of the teachers contributed homemade goodies.

I know it was a lot of hard work by some dedicated people. My only regret is that the show was only for one week. I think that next year it will be extended. I certainly hope so. All that art, all that work....

Student Show

The adult student show is up and looks great. It was judged and the winners are*******
Laureen Dunne
First Place Nantucket Seaside Oil

Linda O'Niel
Second Place Waves of Color Pastel

Sue Faust Compass Bearing

Honorable Mention

Barbara Boland Untitled Collage
V.B. Foskett Winter Shore oil
Sharon Jakubka Autumn Splendor Watercolor
Tara Walano Untitled Pastel
Denise Stehman the Architect pencil

It is a great looking show and if you have an opportunity between now an Saturday afternoon, do go see it. Don't forget, there's a reception on Saturday from 2pm to 4pm at the Gallery. It's great when friends and family show support for the artists.

Great meeting of the board last night. I'm particularly excited as I've been given a budget for advertising. We'll be in the June 4th Doings, Trib Local and the Suburban Live. There's going to be an open house for prospective students as well as anyone else who's interested on the 6th and 7th of June. The faculty will be showing what they teach. It's a very good introduction for anyone who is considering taking classes this summer.

Teacher's meeting

Despite the absolutely gorgeous weather 18 people showed up last Sunday for the teacher's meeting. After introducing us all (I'm not a teacher but since I'm publicity chairman, I was asked to sit in and observe), Jacque went down her list for the order of the day.

First, we discussed the Adult Student Show. Any volunteers who would like to help set up the paintings on Saturday the 9th at 9:30am will be more than welcome. Also, if you're interested in contributing munchies for the reception on the 16th (2-4pm), please add your name to the list on the wall in the classroom. I'm planning to bring cookies....anyone else can do the same or contribute hors d"oeuvres, whatever. People do like to munch while the admire the paintings.
I didn't know it was a judged show. There'll be ribbons for 1st, 2nd, 3rd as well as 5 honorable mentions...how nice. I hope all the students make the effort to participate. There's a real satisfaction in seeing your work on the wall.

Sarah Rehmer showed us a sample of the new summer studio brochure...a new size, and a few other changes. We've got 24 classes to offer. There has been a lot of requests for more variety in what we're offerring. Well, we're doing it. Now......Everyone.....invite your friends, your acquaintances, their kids, anyone you know who would really enjoy doing something creative...to look at our brochure and sign up for a class. It's not enough to offer things, we have to encourage people to come.

There's a binder at the desk with faculty bios and pictures of their work. So, when people come in to ask about our classes, we can give them a better idea of their nature.



It was a lively group with a lot of discussion. I was impressed with the enthusiasm of all the participants. Even Gary Wick had something to say.

Much else was discussed.....but blogs shouldn't be too long...

Alla Jablokow

Alla says that she has learned a lot about water color painting from her teaching. When first asked to be on the faculty, she didn't think she would know how to teach. So, her students said, "Paint and we'll watch". As she progaressed, they would ask her why and she would explain why. She was forced to look and think more carefully about what she was doing in order to do that explaining. It was a learning process for her as well.

This method has remained in large part how she has handled her classes during the years. Her classes are not for beginners. She feels they are more of a critique. Her favorite subjects are plants, forests, water, rocks. She loves to examine thier shapes and different colors...feeling that you must paint only what speaks to you. One of the great privileges of painting is learning how to look and the longer you paint, the more you discover.

Alla's background is not art school. She has a master's degree in Biology from the University of Chicago. But like most artists, she has always drawn. throoughout her school years, all her papers were illustrated whether they needed to be or not.

Originally from Leningrad, Russia, she moved to Germany with her doctor mother and engineer father in 1943. She lived through the horrors of the second world war(her father was killed in an air raid). After finishing at the Gymnasium (the German equivalent of high school but more advanced), she moved to the United States and setlled with a lovely Quaker lady in Philadelphia in 1951. Her mother, under a different quota, followed in 1953. She soon met her husband and they moved to Illinois.

After the last of her childtren left for kindegarten, Alla decided to become serious about art. She took evening classes at Lyons Township with a teacher from the Academy of Fine Arts. She tried oils and ceramics but found her joy in watercolor. Her favorite teachers were the books she read and the workshops she attended. Her favorites were Zoltan Szabo, Frank Webb, Barbara Nechis and Jeanne Dobie. She also bought their books and still finds them useful.

Alla has been active with the League ever since she joined many years ago. She has been president, gallery chairman, recording secretary, director of classes, and was instrumental in the League's purchase of our building in the early eighties. Her paintings are beautifully distinctive and are much loved by the many people who have purchased them over the years. She says that her colors have become darker over the years. They're still marvelous and we're proud they hang on our walls at the Gallery.

News from the newsletter

Just received the new letter. We now have 115 students taking art classes! There's a wrap up of the member survey. It's intersting. Joyce Pyka's posters are avaoilable on art.com&all posters.com. She's global. Sarah Rhemer will be hosting a half-day Photo Encaustic workshop at the Dick Blick store in Wheaton on Sunday, May 24th from 10am to 2pm. Cost is $65. We'll be having a Student Art show this coming month starting on May 9th and ending with a reception on the 16th from 2-4pm. We're also supposed to pick up our work on that day.

I'm in the process of interviewing all our teachers for the blog. Alla will be next. I should have it written in the next day or so.

Gary Wick

Gary Wick tells me that he had two ambitions he wanted to accomplish in his life. He wanted to be accepted into the Old Town Art Fair...he was accepted in 2001. And he wanted to be published. The April 2009 issue of AMERICAN ARTIST had a six page spread on him, plus six images of his paintings and a 7 step demonstration of his painting Deep Woods. Wow! He says that if he dies now, it's okay with him because he has met most of his goals...however he has every intention of staying alive. His collectors and his students are grateful.

In the AMERICAN ARTIST article he describes what materials he uses, how he uses them and why, going step by step with a demonstration of the process...that's generous and pretty impressive. I think this why Gary is considered such a fine teacher. He shares all his techniques (or secrets), techniques that he has spent years developing. But he wants his students to be the best they can be, not copiers of his style. Intensely proud of his pupils, he showed me some of their work, explaining how far they had come and how well they were doing and developing their own style.

So how did he get there? Primarily self taught, Gary has known he was basically an artist since at least fourth grade when he replicated a covered wagon scene from a book the teacher showed him. Crayons and pencils were his favorite toys. He had no art in high school because his interest was in architecture, so he took technical drawing classes instead. Then, he attended the University of Illinois at Navy Pier for a short while, worked as an architectural draftsman from 1960-66, spent fourteen and a half months in Vietnam, and then returned to being a draftsman... until 1996 when he decided that despite his young age, it was time to retire.

In 1970, in his spare time, he had taken evening clases at the Art Institute for a year or so and studied oil painting portraiture with Mohamed Drisi. He's an accomplished award winning photographer and seriously considered that as his major field. Then, he picked up some old pastels and that was that. Gary started teaching at our League in 1998. He started doing art shows in 1999. He had a one person show at the Vietnam Veterans Art Museum in 2000. He belongs to various local art leagues and does the fine art outdoor shows in the area. He also exhibits in Wisconsin and Michigan art galleries.

He is a firm believer in making mistakes because it's the best way to learn how to use materials you are working with. You have to learn the surfaces to use, what pastels work best and when. He tells me that if you have never made a mistake, you haven't begun to learn. He feels that for him to be a successful teacher, he has to make his students pull themselves out of his influence into their own style, a difficult thing to accomplish.

Gary has been with us for over ten years, he has repeat students who know that they can continue to learn under him. He often says "You learn from me and I learn from you." It's a two way street. He's an asset to our teaching staff. His paintings are on our walls, his influence is felt.

Carmelo Schifano

Carmelo Schifano is bringing WATERCOLOR THE TERYY MADDEN WAY to our league. Every Friday evening for 8 weeks he's bringing watercolor to those who have wanted to paint but didn't know how or where to begin. Accomplished artists are also benefitting from his class.

Carmelo is new to the art league but certainly is not new to the art world. He taught all forms of art in the Chicago Public School system for 30 years. He now folunteers at a Chicago parochial school in the inner city. He knows that introducing the magic of art to disadvantaged children is a way of opening up the world for them. He has also been teaching the Terry Madden method for years now and has had the satisfaction of seeing students find their talent.

He's been drawing almost as long as he can remember. Wehn he was about six years old his father showed him how to draw a bird. He could do it too. It was magic! After that, art in all its aspects dominated his life. He was born in Sicily and spoke only Italian at home. Going to school is hard when you can't speak the language. His ability to draw made the difference. He helped both students and teachers in all kinds of art projects. In hight school he majored in wood working and architectural drawing and realized that he had an innate ability to understand perspective and scale.

He joined the marines after graduation, thinking that would go to Vietnam. But he ended up as an illustrator in a graphics arts studio, doing everything from free style drawing, drafting designs, charts, andor anything else the officers asked for. He even created a dozen 4 by 8 oil paintings for the walls of a mess hall. He couldnt find a job in the art world after leaving the marines. so he ended up hanging dry wall inside Chicago sk;yscrapers for 5 years. Eventually he went to Chicago State University on the GI bil and became a teacher.

He hadn't wanted to teach but found tremendous satisfaction doint it. Interacting with kids, letting them find their way within the disciplines of art, encouraging them to experiment came naturally to him. He was born to teac. All along he continued to develop his own talents. He carved wid birds and entered word class competitions, studied, under various teachers and experimented with many forms of water color.

Critiques, elections and coming demonstration

Last Wednesday was the general meeting which included the election for the executive board as well as a critique afterwards. There was a large turnout. There were short speeches by the nominees and then Judy, the president of the executive comittee spoke also. The ballots were turned in and then the crtique started. Nancy Hart did an outstanding job. She was perceptive, tactful, and gave excellent suggestions. The paintings were analyzed in terms of composition, use of color, value, all within their two minute time allowance.

The critiques were interrupted by the announcement of the new board members. Jacque France and Sarah Rehmer and Arlene Salamendra are now on the executive board.

Sunday there will be an acrylics demonstrationb by Gerardo Valerion from 2-4Pm. I'm going to try to be there. It sounds really interesting.

The League has expanded its classes and plans to add even more classes in the near future. I find this is pretty exciting. Since retiring I've tried a few of the area resources for classes. Those at the League were by far the most rewarding. The teachers have been excellent. Not only do
they teach the basics, they also encourage the students to challenge themselves, to leave their areas of comfort and explore new ways of approaching their work. It's been a truly enriching experience. I've met most of the teachers. I've taken classes with quite a few. For someone who had left the world of drawing and painting for a long long time, this was the perfect venue for a return. In the next postings, I want to speak about each teacher, give a bit of their background and their relationship toward their art and their teaching.

The voting for the executive board is tomorrow evening at the League.

Board meeting

Board meeting last night....We're going to have elections for the corporate board next Wednesday at 7:30. Members will be allowed to use an absentee ballot at the League starting Monday. I understand there will be some information introducing the nominees by the ballots.

This week at the League

Last Friday the League participated in a La Grange Ladies' night out program. We had raffles every half hour, champagne, delectable sweets, Jacque France doing an oil painting, Sarah Rehmer taking pictures of friends, another raffle for a free class of the winner's choice. The walls were covered with paintings and the glass counters filled with original jewelry. The turnout was gratifying. groups popped in and after finding a glass and tasting the sweets, found themselves enjoying the works on the walls and examining the jewelry. I overheard a few heated discussions among friends as they discussed their likes and dislikes.

We sold some paintings (a few were by Ratindra Das) and quite a lot of jewelry. We also introduced the League to people who had never before entered the studio. We answered questions regarding our classes and were found by people wanting to expand their art experience.

Upstairs, Carmelo Schifano was giving the first in his series of classes on Watercolor the Terry Madden Way. I wandered up to watch and found a few of the guests peeking in to see what was going on. It was a great way to introduce new people to our actvities.