LOIS MACUGA, TREASURER 2009-2011

has been our treasurer for the past three years.  Her contributions are many including moving from a simple list report of our finances to a spreadsheet format making use and interpretation so much easier.  Lois has single handedly kept track of our workshops/meetings lists and payments.  

Always gracious and generous, Lois has offered her home on a number of occasions to hold the VWS board meetings and she with her husband Henry have sponsored both the Still Life and Landscape awards presented at our Annual Awards Exhibition.

Lois is a wonderful painter, belongs to several prestigious art organizations and has won a number of awards including Best Landscape in 2010 at our own Awards Exhibition.

DIANE BELL, DIRECTOR COMMUNICATIONS 2008-2011

was the first person to sit on the BOD as Director of Communications and for the past four years has been responsible for its development into a vital and essential board seat.   Diane brought us into the 21^st century by moving from a very expensive paper newsletter to an electronic newsletter, Snippets.   She helped to design our branding, which is now incorporated throughout all communications. 

Diane is such a prolific painter and makes full use of the attributes that watercolor offers.  She lives in Weston with her partner Roy and is very active in the art community in Weston and beyond.  This past summer she opened her own seasonal home gallery.    

We are all grateful for your combined 7 years of dedicated service and contribution to the Vermont Watercolor Society.  

It is very exciting to have Holbein, USA as a VWS Partner.  Being a Vermont based art supplier and full time supporter of arts and the artists who make them, it is a perfect fit for both of us.   Please get to know Holbein and support them not only because they are one of our partners, but because they are a world leader in  colors and mediums for artists.

On Wednesday, October 5, about seven of us met at the top of Mt. Philo in Charlotte to paint on a spectacularly sunny day. Facing west, we were overlooking the patchwork of farmers' fields in the foreground, across Lake Champlain, and then the Adirondack Mountains made up the dramatic back ground. The clouds in the sky were ever changing and the trees in the distance were beginning to show their fall colors. Some of us sketched and others painted in watercolor. Some finished their paintings, others got a good start, and all of us had a lovely day out together in a most magnificent setting.  As an unexpected bonus, we had a lively and admiring audience of school kids. We will certainly add this site to our list for future plein air painting opportunities.

On November 7, Artists' Mediums in Williston hosted a framing workshop from 6:30-9:30. Topics included mounting, frame assembly, and those important professional touches.  This activity was fully enrolled and everyone learned some new techniques. 

 New Hampshire Hub    

The NH hub's second meeting Oct 1, 2011 was held at Kilton Public Library, West Lebanon, NH. Attendance more than doubled! We confirmed the details for the Alumni Hall & Arts Center show in Dec., and we brainstormed future Plans.  Those include:

• Shows:  Home Hill Country Inn, Plainfield, NH show May-June. Windsor Hospital TBD. Opera House, Claremont TBD.
• Workshop:  Isobel Cochran will provide a day-long workshop, date TBD.
•  Field Trip: A Backroom Tour of the Hood Gallery.  Details to follow.
• Plein Air August 10-12, Silver Lake, Harrisville, NH.  Open to all Hubs.  Attend any or all three days.
• Open House showing work from the three days Sunday Aug 12th 4-6pm to which the community will be invited. 
• Our hub goal is to establish quarterly meetings to support increased attendance & make connections between artists.  Next meeting is Jan 4th in combination with pick up of paintings from the Alumni Hall show. 

• Time & place to follow. Thanks again to Everett Webber for reserving the Library for our meeting.

 Maurie Harrington exhibited her work at the 24th annual Art at the Coach Barn -Shelburne Farms, Sept. 23-Oct. 23.  She also exhibited at Northwestern Medical Center, St. Albans for the month of October.

November through January, Maurie will display her art work at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire.

Attention Members! There are only 9 slots left in the 2012 Alvaro Castagnet workshop, and we are beginning to receive nearly daily inquiries from people on Alvaro's email list. If you are at all interested, please send your deposit in soon (details below). Alvaro from Uraguay is one of the world's most highly respected watercolor artists. He has been recognized with top international honors for his painting and his art graces the walls of many private and corporate collectors worldwide.

Alvaro Castagnet will be coming in October 2012 teaching "Painting with Passion" at the Landgrove Inn in Landgrove, VT. Register for a discount. Contact Claudia Carl at claudiaec@yahoo.com. $595 for members; $650 for non-members. Send in $100 to Claudia Carl at PO BOX 990, Middlebury Vt 05753 to reserve a spot.

Call the Inn at 802 824 6673 or go to www.landgroveinn.com for accommo-dations. See Alvara's website at:

 www.alvarocastagnet.net .