President’s Message Blog

Happy August! Painting is not like eating potato chips. I personally cannot eat just one potato chip and stop. If I have them, I will eat them and if I eat too many, I will suffer. So, it follows that if I have too much of something and it causes suffering, then it cannot be the source of true happiness. Too bad about potato chips.  But what about painting? Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced MEE-hy CHEEK-sent-mee-HAH-yee), author of the book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, describes the state of “flow as being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz.” And one more quote, “the best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times…the best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limit in voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.” The act of painting creates a state of flow, a deep form of attention, for me. I imagine that it does the same for you. My best guess is that a meaningful and happy life is filled with long periods of flow. I wish that kind of happiness for all of you. PAPNM is an organization full of committed artists finding their own flow and sharing their expertise. Our Paint-outs and Paint-Alongs have been enormously popular this year. Deb Fowler has organized these events so that they flow seamlessly into our schedules in beautiful locales.  (Sorry, I couldn’t resist one last flow reference). The week of plein air painting for Los Alamos Paint-out culminated in a great Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony on August 2 at Fuller Lodge Art Center in Los Alamos, NM. The digital gallery of paintings is up on the PAPNM website. I encourage you to make the gorgeous drive to Los Alamos and see this beautiful show while it is hanging this month. Peggy Immel gave a workshop with glowing reviews and judged the show. Congratulations to the award winners and congratulations to all who participated in this event! I want to extend my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to the artists who jumped in and helped whenever they saw a need during the event. Unfortunately, Rachel Pearson was unable to perform all her duties as event chair and Katherine Gauntt, Deb Fowler and I stepped in to help as well as Wendy Ahlm, Pat Leister, Phyllis Gunderson, Jane Frederick, Deanne Kroll, Gwen Ethelbah, Kathi Parker, Marcia Williams, Jennifer Leon, Kirk Winn, Donna Barnhill, Deborah Day, Kathi Parker, Cary Dirlam, Teresa Cavasos, Stephanie West, and Marilyn Wightman. These volunteers contributed their time and energy to make this show a success and I can’t thank them enough. Extra thank you to Katherine Gauntt, who was on the ground, doing all she could do to assist the artists. Our next big event is the National Show at Legends of the West. Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony: August 31, 2024 from 6-8 pm. I invite you to celebrate this event with us! Kathleen Hudson is our esteemed judge. Kathleen will offer a 3 day, ~9 am – 4 pm WORKSHOP Sept 1–3 open to the PAPNM Membership initially ­– and then to all artists – on painting water, at the Big Tesuque Campground area, just 13 miles northeast of Santa Fe. A separate registration and fee of $440 for a maximum of 15 registrants has been set up. There are still places available- you can register on the website. Please check out the website for volunteer registration for this show. Volunteering helps build our community and many hands do indeed make lighter work.  I look forward to seeing you all at the National Show!   All my best, Barbara Coleman President, PAPNM

President's Message to Members:

Congratulations to All "Paint New Mexico!" Artists at Weems Gallery!

Congratulations to the Award Winners!

A big thank you to our Judge of Awards, Paul Murray, and our jury members: Damien Gonzales, Clive Tyler, and Richard Prather. I also extend my gratitude to Gwen Ethelbah, Katherine Gauntt, and all our volunteers. The opening was lots of fun, and it was wonderful to meet you all and see your work. The final day of the show is Sunday, June 23.

Many of you shared during the reception how challenging it is to paint plein air for a show. This challenge is felt by every artist, even the most accomplished among us, including Sherri McGraw. I had the privilege of painting alongside her one day by a creek. The light was lovely, dappling through the trees and sparkling on the creek. It was an idyllic scene, but it was also hot, and there were biting bugs everywhere! The scene changed constantly as clouds passed overhead, altering the light and shadow patterns—just a typical day of plein air painting. Suddenly, Sherri exclaimed, “This is hard! You have no control out here! I am a pampered studio painter and I think I will stay that way!” She was laughing, but her words comfort me whenever I struggle to realize my vision outdoors. Kudos to you all for your perseverance!

Upcoming Events

Our next event is the Los Alamos Plein Air, judged by Peggy Immel, who is also conducting a workshop. Please visit our website, 2024 Los Alamos Workshop with Peggy Immel SIGN UP for all the current information.

The jurying is complete for our National Show at Legends of the West Fine Art Gallery. Acceptance letters have been sent out to the artists. Kathleen Hudson, our Judge of Awards, will also be conducting a workshop on painting water. There are still spots available in the workshop. Check our website for the latest updates: 3 Day Workshop by Kathleen Hudson, PAPNM Nat'l Show Judge

Phyllis Gunderson will lead our last 3x3 Event Seminar Training on Zoom on July 6 at 10 a.m. I invited Phyllis to share her vast expertise in planning and executing events and exhibitions with PAPNM. She has generously prepared a complete online course. This valuable resource will guide us in the years to come. Thank you, Phyllis! You can register to attend this event on the PAPNM website, too: 3x3 Event Seminars: July 6 10 am Seminar #3

Please register to volunteer on our website for upcoming events at the Volunteer page.

Special Thanks

Thanks to Deb Fowler for scheduling our Paint Alongs and Paint Outs. The Paint Alongs have been a great success, achieving everything I hoped for: creating a closer community, providing educational opportunities, and offering fun. Sign up to join us on the website: Paint Outs!

Thank you, Chris for the marvelous Summer newsletter!

Best regards,

Barbara Coleman, President, PAPNM

I am excited by Spring. I love the warming weather, blooming trees and flowers, nesting birds, the hum of bees. My toes are so much happier when I paint plein air in the warmer months!

Our first event of the year is “2024 Paint New Mexico!”. This is a brand new juried plein air event for our artist level members. The opportunity to paint statewide for a plein air event is a first for us, as is the innovative digital time-stamping system.

The concept of painting on a statewide scale and bypassing the need for physical stamping of panels originated from a lively brainstorming session held around my dining room table one afternoon last December. As we drank coffee and shared ideas and stories, I realized that our shared passion for painting had led us all to PAPNM. While we were ostensibly discussing schedules and events for PAPNM, what was really going on is that we were building trust and forging friendships. In essence, we were cultivating community.

Shawn Achor in The Happiness Advantage writes about seven principles that drive happiness and success in the real world. One of the seven principles is Social Investment. He writes, “In the midst of challenges and stress, some people choose to hunker down and retreat within themselves. But the most successful people invest in their friends, peers, and family members to propel themselves forward. This principle teaches us how to invest more in one of the greatest predictors of success and excellence our social support network.”

Painting, by its nature, is a solitary pursuit. I cherish my painting time and am reluctant to interrupt it for anything. Initially, volunteering may seem like additional work and clutter on our already busy calendars. However, my experience with volunteering for PAPNM has been quite the opposite. Through volunteering, I've developed a robust social support network for both myself and my painting. I feel connected to incredible artists in my town and state. Meeting up with friends isn't a chore or obligation; it's an opportunity to collaborate and inspire one another. Volunteering provides a way to connect with fellow artists, collectors, and professionals in the art business, thereby fostering invaluable networking opportunities.

We have several wonderful opportunities coming up to volunteer. Our organization relies heavily on the passion and dedication of volunteers like yourself to help make our events successful and memorable. Volunteering with PAPNM gives back to our community of artists and creates the opportunity to immerse yourself in the rich artistic culture of our state. In fact, we create this artistic culture with every painting we make and with each PAPNM event!  

From assisting with event setup and registration to providing support to participating artists, your contribution, no matter how big or small, will make a meaningful difference.

Our brilliant webmaster, Karen Halbert, has created a calendar system on the PAPNM website for you to look at volunteering opportunities and match your interest with four different upcoming events. The first event open for registration is for 2024 Paint New Mexico! You can choose your task, date, and time you want to volunteer and register to volunteer for “2024 Paint New Mexico!” by clicking on this link:

https://www.papnm.org/event-5687122

Thank you for considering this opportunity to volunteer with Plein Air Painters of New Mexico. Your support is invaluable, and I look forward to the possibility of working together.

All the best,

Barbara Coleman

President, PAPNM

President’s Message

March 10. 2024

Welcome to Spring! Just as Southern France has the Mistral and California has the Santa Ana, our New Mexico spring winds deserve a name of their own. Whatever we call them, they sweep away winter and herald the arrival of spring. And fittingly, "the winds of change" are blowing through PAPNM.

We welcome seven remarkable new Board members, each bringing valuable skills and dedication. Our Board is akin to those top students who carry group projects, ensuring success for all. We've fostered camaraderie, trust, and a sense of fun, collaborating on initiatives to better serve you, our members. As one small, but time-consuming example of their commitment, this last month each Board member learned how to create and manage our operating budget, akin to mastering personal finances. It is empowering! Team building within PAPNM’s Board feels like being part of a winning sports team - we support, enhance, and uplift each other. Our team also includes our incredible event chairpersons. We are hosting five shows and events this year, so look on the PAPNM website and check your inbox for news, and for this newsletter, helmed by Chris Miller! I want to thank and acknowledge Nancy Davis, Chris Miller, Sheila Galvan, Donna Barnhill, Deb Fowler, Reid Bandeen, Katherine Gauntt, Gwen Ethelbah, Karen Halbert, Alma Rosa Delgado, Maria Elena Theye, Rachel Pearson, Dick Wimberly, Phyllis Gunderson, Jane Frederick, Lynn Murray and Anita Blythe. We have the support and encouragement of a cadre of our past Board members and past presidents too. Thank you, all.

My vision for PAPNM revolves around empowerment, community, growth, and friendship, epitomized in our new Paint-Alongs. These sessions, a long-held dream of mine, foster a culture of learning and support among members of all skill levels. The Paint-Alongs are all about developing our skills through practice, experience, and mentoring.

Our upcoming plein air events, including the inaugural "Paint New Mexico!" and Los Alamos Plein Air promise exciting opportunities to showcase talent. Our national show will be hosted at Legends of the West Fine Art, as well as a brand new juried, small works show this December, entitled “Winter Light”. Yet unscheduled, but highly anticipated, is our invitational show for our Master and Signature members at Taos Art Museum at Fechin House.

Along the lines of empowering our volunteers and Board, I invited Phyllis Gunderson to create and present an event training seminar. 3x3 Event Seminars. Register and find out more about it on the PAPNM website. Next session is on Zoom on March 16, beginning at 10am. Phyllis Gunderson is a treasure trove of experience, expertise, and good ideas, and we are grateful to her for sharing her time and gifts so generously with PAPNM.

I wish you a happy painting season filled with passion and time to paint, artistic growth, and contentment.

Barbara Coleman

President, PAPNM

• January Letter from the President

  Happy New Year!

  I am happy to report that our first ever electronic election for the Board of Directors was a great success. We had a fantastic turnout for the election and the Board of Directors was unanimously approved. Thank you so much for your participation! Since the election, Pat Leister and Katherine Gauntt have graciously agreed to be interim Event Co-Directors on the Board. We are thrilled to get the opportunity to work with them this year.

  Our 2024 BOARD is (drum roll, please):

• ·      Barbara Coleman, President   barbaracolemanartist@gmail.com 
• ·      Nancy Davis, Vice President   paintnspree4@gmail.com
• ·      Donna Barnhill, Treasurer     dbarnhillart@gmail.com
• ·      Sheila Galvin, Secretary    sheila.galvan.art@gmail.com
• ·      Chris Miller, Communications Director   millerfinart@yahoo.com
• ·      Reid Bandeen, Membership Director   rbandeen@aol.com
• ·      Deb Fowler, Sponsor Director   djfowlergallery@gmail.com
• ·      Pat Leister and Katherine Gauntt, Event Co-Directors        pkleister@gmail.com and k55gauntt@gmail.com
• ·      Gwen Ethelbah, Past President   pentemeyer@gmail.com

• Everyone on this Board is a good friend of mine and I am deeply honored and happy to have the opportunity to work with each of them this year. The chemistry of this Board is supportive, energetic, and creative. I also rely on a strong “kitchen cabinet” of past presidents such as Phyllis Gunderson, John Meister, Natasha Isenhour, Dick Wimberley, Tom Blazier and Carla Forrest. We will have some open Board meetings, and I invite you to join us. Volunteering on the Board is a great way to form lasting friendships.

  We held our first Board meeting and orientation on January 6. In that meeting we worked on our goal of creating more and varied types of plein air events and exhibition opportunities for every level of our membership. We have five events planned for 2024.  We have two juried exhibitions, one non-juried plein air event and exhibition, one juried plein air event and exhibition, and one invitational show for Signature and Master members.

• SHOWS

• 1.     “Paint New Mexico!” a brand-new juried plein air event for artist and student level members. Approximately ninety artists will have the opportunity to jury into this show and paint anywhere in New Mexico for a week. Each artist may exhibit one plein air painting from the week at Weems Gallery in Albuquerque. The plein air painting week will be in late May, and the show will hang in June. Details of this event and the prospectus will be posted on the website in January! Show chair is Gwen Ethelbah. Please contact her at pentemeyer@gmail.com to volunteer to help with this event.
• 2.     “Los Alamos Plein Air”, a week-long non-juried plein air event in August for the first thirty-five or so artists that sign up. The exhibit will be held at the Los Alamos Fuller Lodge Art Center Gallery in the month of August. Details and the prospectus for the show will be posted on the website soon. Show Chairs are Rachel Pearson and Maria Elena Theye. Contact them at rarichard@gmail.com and mariaelenatheye@gmail.com to volunteer for helping with this event.
• 3.     The National Show will be a juried event held at Legends of the West Fine Art Gallery in Santa Fe in September. This show will include the highest scoring paintings from the jury, with a limit of two paintings per artist, for a total of about 80 paintings. Our show chair is Alma Rosa Delgado. This will be a wonderful opportunity for Artist, Signature and Master level members to exhibit some of our best work. Please email Alma at almarosadelgado@gmail.com to volunteer to help with this event.
• 4.     A brand-new show, “2024 PAPNM Winter Holiday Juried Show” will be held at Legends of the West Fine Art Gallery in Santa Fe in the month of December. All levels of artists may apply to the show. It will be a small works show with room for about fifty paintings. Details and prospectus for this show will be posted on the website soon. Show chair is Dick Wimberley. Please email him at dickwimberley@gmail.com to volunteer to help with this show.
• 5.     Invitational Show at Taos Art Museum at Fechin House for Signature and Master members is in the planning stages. The director of the museum is creating their exhibition calendar for 2024 and will let us know as soon as they have the dates for our exhibition. So, stay tuned. Details and prospectus will be posted on the website as soon as they are available. Show Chairs are Barbara Coleman and Paul Murray. Email us at barbaracolemanartist@gmail.com and paul@gpmurray.com  to volunteer to help with this event.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR NEWSLETTER AND POSTING SOCIAL MEDIA

• Chris Miller needs volunteers to help him write for the newsletter! Chris is starting a quarterly newsletter! We haven’t had one in a while since Tom Blazier’s great newsletter in the past.  I am thrilled that Chris will create and edit this valuable contribution to PANM. Chris also needs volunteers to post on PAPNM’s social media accounts. Please contact him at millerfineart@yahoo.com to volunteer.

• PAINT-ALONGS

We are in the process of creating Paint-Alongs! This is a new educational opportunity which will create greater communication and connection between our members.  Paint-Alongs will provide the opportunity to paint alongside some of our most experienced artists of all levels: Artist, Signature and Masters. These artists will not be giving workshops during Paint-Alongs but will be available to answer questions and critique your work if you’d like. I love to watch master artists while they paint. This will be an opportunity to do just that. Deb Fowler (Sponsor Director) and I are contacting artists and scheduling dates for Paint-Alongs. We will post a schedule on the website when it is ready for prime-time.

3x3 EVENT SEMINARS

Phyllis Gunderson (pagunderson@att.net) will be heading up an online three-part seminar called 3x3 Event Seminar on pre-planning, planning, and executing three kinds of events: juried, non-juried and invitational. These online seminars will be on Saturdays, February 3, February 17, and March 16 at 10:30 am. Each session will be 1 to 1.5 hours. If you have ever wanted to create or volunteer for our events, these seminars will be extremely valuable for you. If you have ever been interested in volunteering for events but were afraid that you’d be swept into the black hole of never-ending service, these seminars will show you the ropes and give you the information necessary for you to decide how and when your volunteer time will be most valuable and fun for you. More information on registering for the seminars will be posted on the website soon.

Please feel free to contact me. I will be happy to hear from you. Send me your ideas, questions, offers to help, jokes…

Have a wonderful start to the new year. I wish you all health and happiness and lots of time and energy to paint!

Barbara Coleman

President, PAPNM

It gives me great pleasure to announce your new Board of Directors!

• President: _________________________________Gwen Ethelbah  
• Vice President: _____________________________Barbara Coleman
• Treasurer: _________________________________Ginny Bracht
• Secretary: _________________________________Shelia Galvan
• Historian: _________________________________Constance Falk
• Membership & Education Director: __________Jane Frederick
• Events Director: _________________-__________Cynthia Inson
• Communications Director:___________________Wendy Ahlm
• Past President _____________________________Phyllis Gunderson 

We had a successful meeting today.  The link to the Year End presentation is on this page.

2022 Annual Meeting & Election of the 2023 Board.

Happy December, PAPNM Family As I sit down to write my December note, I realize how much we all have to be grateful for.  We are a vibrant organization with some of the most talented artists in the nation amongst our members; we have been able to hold paint outs and events largely without interruption during a challenging couple of years, and we live amongst the most inspiring landscapes in the world.  For me personally, I am grateful to being able to serve the organization for the last couple of years. Thank you for the trust you have placed in me and and the team as stewards of PAPNM. Yes, paint me grateful. This year we were able to recognize a new addition to the Signature Member ranks of PAPNM - Dick Wimberly!   A very active member of PAPNM, Dick is a talented artist that enthusiastically shares his knowledge and is always willing to lend a hand or shoulder a task to help the organization.   Dick has held the following positions and has contributed to the growth and maturation of PAPNM:  past Events Director (2017), past Vice President (2018), Chair of the Taos Plein Air Show (2019), Past President (2019).  He is active in Oil Painters of America. He is an experienced and caring art instructor. His wonderful work is collected both nationally and internationally.   Please see Wimberly_Bio.pdf. We are certainly fortunate to have Dick Wimberly as a new Signature member of PAPNM. Saturday, December 3rd at 10am is our Year End Meeting at which I and the talented and hard working  Board of Directors will give you a Year End report outlining our progress to the goals we set at the beginning of 2022.  In addition, we will elect the PAPNM Board of Directors for 2023.   Please make time in your busy schedules to join us.  Here is the link to the page 2022 Annual Meeting & Election of the 2023 Board.  If you would like to vote early or don’t think you can attend, here is the link to the proxy vote form 2022 PAPNM Proxy vote form .pdf.  I would prefer that you send it to me via text 505 463 4621 due to the amount of time between now and the meeting.   I will be handling the votes as I am not running for an elective office next year.  I will be staying on the board in a consultive role as the Past President.  And here is the zoom link for the meeting on  Saturday, 10 AM Dec 3, 2022.  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87186953525?pwd=dHBlMTJ1YzNnamtsaTMwdlJxMmNkZz09  Look forward to 'seeing' all of you soon

Reply to this email directly to reach the email sender. Best Regards, Phyllis Gunderson, President Plein Air Painters of New Mexico

Happy November!  So much to be grateful for!   Quick note to give you updates on a few things: 14th National Event,  year end meeting and our Master Signature Member Focus

14th National Juried Members Exhibition and Show.  It is a beautiful exhibition.  Many thanks to our host, Molly Barlyn of Wild Sage Gallery for hosting PAPNM.  We had the Opening on Friday, 10/28/2022.  It was great to see all the people that showed up for the Judge of Awards Patrick Saunders' fabulous demo and the Awards Ceremony.  

As a quick recap:  79 artists juried into the show and 6 of our Master Signature Members are exhibiting.  Here is the link  https://www.papnm.org/Album-2022-14th-National-Juried-Members-Exhibition to the album   As an update, 10 paintings have been sold! 

Whoo hoo!  Your Patrons and Collectors have until the 11/10/2022 to acquire that next special piece for their collections!

Many thanks to all the volunteers that helped with painting intake and thank you in advance for those that will be assisting with painting pick up and shipping.  Your efforts are absolutely appreciated!  These events would not be possible without you. The talented winning artists are: 

Best of Show - Carolyn Lindsey - ‘From the Bridge'

Best of Signature Members - Mike Simpson - 'Little Red Springs'

Best of Artist Members - Spike Ress - Navaho Desert'

Artist Members Award of Excellence - Ann Jenemann - 'Diablo Sketch'

Artist Members Honorable Mention - Erik Speyer - 'Reunite Farm Santa Fe'

PAPNM Founders Award -Lisa Flynn - 'Spring in Arroyo Seco'

Louisa McElwain Memorial Award - Lee MacLeod - 'Shadow Passing'

Jeffrey Potter Memorial Award - Nancy J. Davis - 'The Sacramento'

Artists' Choice - Lamya Deeb - ‘More on the Way'

Wild Sage Gallery Award - Michele Byrne - 'Apples and Adobe'

In addition to these wonderful awards,  we had the opportunity to present a very special award - Margi Lucena Memorial Award for 'Winter in Taos Canyon’ to Nancy Silvia selected and funded by Margi's husband, Dado Lucena.

Here is the link to the videos of the award presentations https://www.youtube.com/c/PleinAirPaintersofNewMexico.  Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

On behalf of National Co-Chair and Events Director Cynthia Inson and me, congratulations to the juried artists, the winners, many thanks to the volunteers, and Molly Barlyn of Wild Sage Gallery!

The PAPNM Year End Meeting will again be virtual a Zoom meeting on December 3rd at which the 2022 Board of Directors will give its year end report out and we will all elect new officers for 2023 Board of Directors.  The tentative time  for the meeting is 10am.  The meeting should last 60 to 90 minutes.  I will send out a specific invitation to all of you as well a proxy voting form.  I will not be on the ballot as I will stay on the board in an advisory capacity as Past President.  I would really appreciate all of you reviewing the slate, voting your preference, signing the letter and sending back to me.  There will be detailed instruction in that invitation.  If you would like to volunteer for any position, please send me a note right away and I will get it to those working the nominations.  Volunteering on the Board of Directors is not only a great way to give back to the organization and add your special magic to the team but also a great way to get to know your fellow painters much better. 

The third item I would like to share in this message is highlight one of our very special Master Signature Members.  This member is gracious and active member of the PAPNM organization in addition to being an important talented American painter.   

Peggy Immel spent many years in in Boston and returned to her western roots and settled in Taos with her beloved husband Steve.  Check out the section on the Home page on the Featured Master Signature Member, our very own talented and generous of heart - Peggy Immel!

Hello fellow painters of PAPNM.  Normally the beginning of May is a joyful time of new green leaves, emerging flowers and beautiful skies.  Unfortunately, not this year. I would like to acknowledge that many of us have been and will continue to be preoccupied by the tragic fires ravaging our state. We are watching the weather and wildfire updates with trepidation.  These fires are not only consuming much of our state’s beauty but also causing real harm to residents, homes, livestock and wildlife.  If you are impacted or under evacuation watch or order, please take care of you and yours.  This situation just brings home the point that our environment is fragile and must be revered and protected.  As we go out to paint, I am reminded that we must be mindful of our potential impact on the land

A few things happening this month.

• PACE:  I would like congratulate those painters who have been juried into the PAPNM exhibit at Plein Air Convention and Expo Santa Fe NM this month.  The. Album is now available.   PACE starts on the 17th and will run until the 21st at Buffalo Thunder Hotel in Santa Fe.  If you are going to the event, I hope to see you there.  Don’t forget to check out our booth in the Expo Hall, which is open to the public.  Our booth number is 702. In addition to some really wonderful paintings hanging and available for sale, we will have painting demonstrations by PAPNM Masters Peggy Immel and Joe Anna Arnett.  Also we have several members on Faculty at PACE, make sure you check out their presentation or at least say hello.  Contact me or Cynthia Inson (cynthia@cynjkclay.com) if you have questions. 
  
• 2022 Taos Art Museum at Fechin Invitational Exhibition is finishing up this month.  It closes on the 15th.  If you haven't had an opportunity to get up to see the exhibit, you really should make the time and take in the insightful work of Master and Signature artists of this organization.  I might be a bit biased but I really do believe we have some of the best artists in the country represented in this group.  Here is the link to the Album
  
• Mentorship Program   New Mentorship Program now available to members that may have questions about our group’s activities, need advice setting up equipment for plein air or just need friendly encouragement in their art journey. We have a group of enthusiastic intermediate and advanced artist members that have volunteered their time and energy to help members in the spirit of sharing and friendship who may be in an earlier stage of their plein air journey in the spirit of sharing and friendship. Carole Bellivieu is the program chair, drop her at line if you have questions at carolebelliveau@gmail.com
  
• Paint Out:  at the San Francisco Asis Mission Church and Ranchos de Taos Plaza 60 St. Francis Plaza, Ranchos de Taos, NM 87557 on May 21st at 9am. Here is the link to the  Paint Out Schedule for the Year 
• Open Board Meeting on May 27 at 11am.  As usual, please keep your phone on mute and use the chat function to ask questions etc.  Here is the link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83874791765?pwd=TlJINk53SWlPZ2UyWVNSN20yZ29Gdz09   Meeting ID: 838 7479 1765, Passcode: 594911

Master Signature Focus on Joe Anna Arnett of Santa Fe

Check out Joe Anna Arnett Fine Art at https://www.joeannaarnett.com.

Welcome to new Members

• Dana Aldis of Gallup, New Mexico
  
• Diana Delander of Santa Fe, New Mexico
  
• Ellen DeWitt of Rowe, New Mexico
  
• Cheryl Dietz of Albuquerque, New Mexico
  
• Martha Griego of Santa Fe, New Mexico
  
• Hannah Heaton of Albuquerque, New Mexico
  
• M, Jane Hocking  of Belen, New Mexico
  
• Marian Jackson of Taos, New Mexico
  
• Tatiana Koch of Arroyo Seco, New Mexico
  
• Janet Levy of Durham, North Carolina
  
• Gayle Lewis of Farmington, New Mexico
  
• Fran Mayfield of Farmington, New Mexico
• Eric Wiswell of Santa Fe, New Mexico

Let's support our neighbors as the first responders work to bring these tragic fires to an end in our state.

Happy April and warmer days!  It's so very nice to see and feel the spring sunshine on my face again.  Hoping all of you are out and about getting in some quality painting time in the beautiful outdoors.  

I would like to take a moment to acknowledge and welcome our new members.  We are excited and happy that you have decided to join us!  Check out the profiles linked on the Home page.

• Kati D’Amore from Royal Oaks, California
• Marilynn Brandenburger from Fort Collins, Colorado
  
• Sarah Bridge from Gallup, New Mexico
• LaDonna Daniel from Amarillo, Texas
• Susan Hall from Santa Fe, New Mexico
• Sibyl Johnson from Carmel, California
• Joshua Lance from Santa Fe, New Mexico
• Jim Lusk from Alburquerque, New Mexico
• Jeffery Sparks from Newton, Kansas

I have recently recieved a number of questions on Signature Membership in PAPNM.  Here is this link to the information Signature and Master SignatureApplications.pdf, Guide to Applying to Signature and Master Signature Membership.pdf  If you have any other questions, please contact Jane Frederick (jfrederick13@att.net).

This month, I’d like to start highlighting our Master Signature members.  This level of membership is reserved for those that achieved significant artistic expertise and distinction in plein air painting. One such member is Albert Handell.  Albert has been a long time active member of our organization contributing much to the reputation of PAPNM and the growth of our members.  He is a master in both oil and pastel mediums.  Fortunate are the collectors that have one or more of his paintings exhibited.  Please see the Featured Master of the Month section on the Home page for the rest of the story. Check out his page https://www.alberthandellstudio.com 

An update on our booth at Plein Air Convention and Expo Santa Fe NM - May 17 - 21. Cafe has closed and now it it up to our very talented jurors to make those hard decisions on scoring.  Are you interested in helping out at PACE? If you are, there are two opportunities.  Cynthia Inson (cynthia@cynjkclay.com) can be contacted to help out in our PAPNM sales and demo booth. In addition, you can sign up with Plein Air Magazine to help out at the convention itself.  Here is the link: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/481200cb2edc4e07bec2f18497d771e6. They are still looking for volunteers.  Lets help out where we can!  

Have you seen the Plein Air Magazine section "The Artist Guide to Painting in Northern New Mexico” and the PACE Special Section in the magazine? We were so very well represented!  Our very own Joe Anna Arnett was on the front page of the section!  It's amazing the breadth and depth of talent in this organization.  Check out the Home page and the News section!

Call for volunteers: As you know it takes many hands to make all these things happen. If you are interested in getting more involved, drop Gwen Ethelbah (pentemeyer@gmail.com) a note to match you up for the best place to get involved.  By volunteering  - even just a bit - you get so much more back than you put in!  

• Coordinator for fundraising.  yes this position is still open.  This person will  work with events leaders and our partners in the art world for donations for our event winners.  Please consider this position.  Merrimon Kennedy did a fantastic job last year in not only working with the events teams, but in also organizing the outreach to partners.  Contact Gwen Ethelbah (pentemeyer@gmail.com) if you think this might be a good fit for you. 
• Communications team members.   Please contact Stephanie West (art@stephaniewest.com) if you are interested in this very important function 
• Are you interested in helping with events?  Please contact Cynthia Inson (cynthia@cynjkclay.com). 

Couple of dates to remember:

• Fechin Invitational of PAPNM Master and Signature Artist Exhibition - the reception is April 9, 2022
• Overland Sheepskin Co. Paint Out. April 16. Paint Out Schedule for the Year.
• Signs of Springs Online Contest. 2022 Signs of Spring Album  Painting and Image Upload Period: Mar 20-Jun 10.   

Take care and enjoy our shared passion of interpreting the beauty of the outdoors!

Best Regards, Phyllis!