Diana Moses Botkin Oil Painting Workshop August 18, 2012

On Saturday, August 18 from 11 am to 5 pm award winning artist Diana Moses Botkin will lead a workshop in developing oil painting skills at Artisans at the Dahmen Barn in Uniontown.

il paints are a wonderful, forgiving and fun medium. Oils have advantages over acrylics because of their slower drying time for blending, and wiping off for changes.  This class will help those who have been wanting to paint with oils but didn’t know where to start or provide guidance to those with some experience but whose skills are rusty.

Diana will demonstrate color mixing, laying in shapes, and show you how to make an oil study from still life set-ups.  The cost is $72 with registrations required by August 6.  Register online using the link at the top of the calendar page at www.artisanbarn.org or call 509-229-3414.

All levels of expertise are welcome to participate in this relaxed class. Beginning students will have simpler exercises and more experienced students can build on current skills. Class enrollees will each have the opportunity to watch the teacher’s live painting demos, and receive individual help during painting sessions.

A supply list for students wishing to bring their own materials may be found on the website calendar listing at www.artisanbarn.org.  Alternately, students may pay a materials fee of $15 and use class supplies during the workshop.

Diana Moses Botkin’s art career has encompassed opportunities in commercial art, custom murals, portrait painting, teaching, and writing about art. Her work has been reproduced on book covers, in calendars, and in books. Additionally, she is a contributing editor for Professional Artist Magazine (formerly Art Calendar).

Recently, the artist’s work has been accepted to Oil Painters of America 20th Annual National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils, and Richeson75 Small Works National Exhibit. She was commissioned to paint the art for the 2011 Festival at Sandpoint.

Diana’s art has been honored with regional and national awards, museum and corporate purchases, and numerous private commissions. Collectors include the City of Moscow Idaho, St. Peter Hospital in Olympia Washington, Bristol-Myers Pharmaceutical Corporation in Evansville Indiana, Oklahoma Allergy Clinic in Oklahoma City, Salem Hospital in Salem Oregon, Evansville Museum of Arts and Science in Evansville Indiana, Fred Jones Museum of Art in Norman Oklahoma, and others.

Additionally, Moses Botkin participates in invitational regional plein air events. She is also active in the Daily Painting art movement, and shares her work regularly online at her website, blog, and at DailyPainters.com where she sells her art to collectors worldwide. A wife, mother and grandmother, she currently lives and works in north Idaho.

Artisans at the Dahmen Barn is in Uniontown on highway 195 in the big white barn behind the famous iron wheel fence.  The non-profit creativity center is open Thursday through Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.  There is no daily admission fee and the building is fully ADA compliant.

Palouse Country Cowboy Poetry Association at Uniontown August 18, 2012

On Saturday, August 18 at 7:00 pm, the Palouse Country Cowboy Poetry Association will present “Forget the Dog Days of Summer” at the Dahmen Barn, 419 N. Park Way, Uniontown, Wash. The cowboy poetry and western music performance will be held on the hillside behind the Barn, and will move inside if the weather dictates. The cost is $7 at the door.

PCCPA invites you to meet Rube & Rufus:

Rube and Rufus was cowboys, well, actual, not was but is, an’ they know cowboyin’ real good but ain’t to well informed ‘bout other stuff. Especially Rube. He can ride, rope, brand and lope with the best but mostly asks Rufus ‘bout other stuff. Now Rufus ain’t exactly no mental giant neither but he don’t let that slow him down none. If he don’t know an answer, he’ll likely make up somethin’ or maybe bold face lie about it. He just plumb hates to say, “I don’t know”.

Well, one recent day, Rube come to Rufus and asked, “What does ‘Dog Days of Summer’ mean”? Rufus asked Rube where he had heard that, and Rube said he’d seen a poster with them words on it. Said the poster said, “Forget the Dog Days of Summer while you listen to Cowboy Poetry and Western Music at the Dahmen Barn in Uniontown, Washington on August 18th at 7:00pm.

Rufus hemmed and hawed tryin’ to come up with some answer ‘bout “Dog Days of Summer”. Said maybe it had somethin’ to do with bulldoggin’ at all them summer rodeos. Rube said he didn’t think so. Said he was pretty “sirius” (Rube can’t spell neither) ‘bout findin’ out and figgered on goin’ to that Cowboy Poetry thing since it only cost $7.00 apiece, and askin’ ‘bout it there. Rufus allowed he’d go too but didn’t figger he’d learn much he didn’t already know.

In 1991 Baxter Black, probably today’s best known cowboy poet, told a group of Palouse country enthusiasts gathered in Asotin, Washington, that cowboy poetry was the fastest growing western cultural activity and that they should get involved. The group members ruminated on that statement, some attended gatherings (poetry and music performing sessions) and some began writing cowboy poetry.

Finally, in 1995, following a cowboy poetry workshop led by local cowboy poet, Gene Semingson, the group decided to develop a more formal organization and the Palouse Country Cowboy Poetry Association was formed.

In 1996 the Association took another step and sponsored its own gathering which was quite successful. More than sixty cowboy poets and musicians from all over the country came to the Palouse to read, recite, play and sing. Some came just to listen. The association sponsored twelve more such gatherings in succeeding years, culminating in 2008 with its 13th and final gathering. So, while the club no longer sponsors an annual gathering, individual members perform at many gatherings around the northwest each year.

The Association started in 1995 with seven members. Today there are about 40 members, both cowboy poets and musicians, coming from all over the Palouse. Meetings are held every two months, sometimes in restaurants and other times in member’s homes with wonderful potlucks. Wherever the meeting is held, there is always plenty of food, fellowship and fun: Fun in the performance of and listening to poetry and music by those members who choose to participate.

Artisans at the Dahmen Barn is a non-profit creativity center in Uniontown in the big white barn behind the famous iron wheel fence. The three storey facility is fully ADA compliant and has no daily admission fee. Information: www.artisanbarn.org or 509-229-3414.

Megan Perkins' Naturalist's Artistic Journal Workshop Registration is Due August 11, 2012

Registration is due August 11, 2012 for the Naturalist’s Artistic Journal workshop, August 18, 2012 at Dahmen Barn, Uniontown, Washington.

On Saturday, August 18 from 11 am to 2:30 pm, artist Megan Perkins will lead a workshop for students aged 14 and older at Artisans at the Dahmen Barn in Uniontown.

Participants will learn to make accurate and beautiful drawings of the world around you while having a fun outdoor adventure.

Combine text and sketches to describe your observations. See the world through a naturalist’s eyes. This class is inspired by the artists and authors Hannah Hinchman and Clare Walker Leslie.

The class will be held primarily outside so please dress for the weather. Hats, sunglasses, sunscreen and water bottles to drink from are highly recommended. If you have trouble sitting on uneven ground (or if the weather makes it likely that the ground will be wet), bringing a small campstool, chair, or cushion of some kind is also recommended. Registrations must be received by August 11. Register online using the link at the top of the calendar page at www.artisanbarn.org or call 509-229-3414. The cost is $25.