Pinole Artisans

Pinole Artisans is partnering with Aaron Brothers Art and Framing in Pinole, The Richmond Arts and Culture Commission, Bridge ArtSpace and others, for a celebration of art and artists in October.

If you are a visual artist producing two-dimensional work, this invitation is for you. Aaron Brothers-Pinole is sponsoring the event. Jason Goodwin, store manager, is very interested in supporting artists and becoming an integral part of the arts' community. By offering you this invitation, we hope to create long-term, positive relationships with local artists and arts' organizations. This event is also an opportunity to promote the arts in West County.

October is National Arts and Humanities Month when hundreds of arts organizations and communities across the nation celebrate. We are inviting Debbie Long, Mayor of Pinole, to issue the proclamation provided by Americans for the Arts. The celebration grew out of National Arts Week which was begun by the National Endowment for the Arts and Americans for the Arts in 1985.

• When: Saturday, October 16th from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Where: In the parking lot in front of the Aaron Brothers store at 1212 Fitzgerald Drive in the Pinole Vista Shopping Center.

There is no charge for artists to participate in this event. As a participating artist, you will receive free archival mounting and professional assembly (a $50 value) if you decide to purchase custom or ready-made frames on up to five pieces. This offer is good until the end of the year. Visitors who purchase a participating artist's work will receive the same offer until the end of the year. Offer valid only at Pinole Aaron Brothers. (There is no obligation for artists to purchase frames.)

If you are interested in participating, please respond by September 15th via e-mail to Sydney Metrick ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) with the following information: By submitting the agreement you are commiting to be present at the event once you are accepted. Artist Agreement and Instructions Name Address Phone Email Art Organization/s you are affiliated with (if any) Type of work Requirements You will have a 7 ' X 15 ' space. We will assign a numbered space prior to the event and send a release and hold harmless agreement for your signature. You are responsible for bringing your own set up and display. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on October 16, 2010. You may begin set up at 10 a.m. and may not break down before 4 p.m. You must have your space cleared by 5 p.m. Please contact Jason Goodwin at 510-334-3458 or Sydney Metrick at 510-233-3882 with any questions.

The Bead Mural Project is moving along.  Five of the seven pieces are virtually completed. Two still need much labor to complete. Then we will put resin on them to protect them and hang the pieces.  The City would like to do a celebratory introduction to the work. We are still laboring on Thursday evenings at Joan Landis' studio house from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, come help us to ensure a June 2010 completion.

We are chatting with the city in an attempt to secure money for our operations (rent payments) and exploring venues.  Right now things are very tight but the future always holds promise for those that help themselves and are active.

We had a very successful June Artisan's Open House (June 12^th to June 20^th) at the old Three Days Blind space at Pinole Vista Shopping Center. We had about 335 visitors come through and artisans grossed close to $3500 in the nine days of the event (the organization will receive 15%). We are also planning another opportunity late this summer in Fernandez Park on August 22^nd. We are calling the event "Art in the Park" and there will be space for everyone who wishes to display and/or sell. This event is open to artisans from surrounding areas/organizations. We are also considering a late fall or Christmas Open Studios if space is available.

Our new light pole banners will soon appear on city light poles. A number of Pinole Artisans have gifted two-thirds of the cost of these banners. Anyone else willing to provide a gift of money towards the light pole banners is encouraged to do so. Call or email Penny Bledsoe at (510)724-5494, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to do so or donate online at our website.

Please make use of our new desktop computer with direct DSL.  We also have a laptop computer with wireless capability that membership who sit and work at the gallery can also use for Artisan's business, or use your own laptop and the wireless anytime. If you need the code to get on the internet wireless, just let me know and I can tell you where to find it.

Our next regular membership meeting is Friday, July 2^nd at the Pinole Methodist Church at 7:00 pm. The evening will feature Ira Nelken demonstrating a wet-on-wet snow scene watercolor (come with needed materials - see our website, pinoleartisans.org for a list of needed materials) and join in to do a watercolor of your own with him.

The next Board Meeting is Thursday, July 1^st at 7:00 pm in our classroom at the Pinole Art Center at 2221 Pear Street in Pinole. All Board meetings are open to any member of Pinole Artisans. If there is a matter you would like to address or discuss, please contact me in advance to be put on the agenda.  Email me ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or call my cell phone number, 813-4080, and leave a message if I don't answer immediately.

The July General Membership Meeting will be held on July 2nd at the Pinole United Methodist Church at 7pm.  The church is located at 2000 San Pablo Ave, Pinole, CA.  Everyone is welcome.  Don't forget that at every membership meeting members are invited to bring a piece of art that will be voted on for our peer awards.

At this meeting our President, and artist, Ira Nelken will facilitate a hands-on watercolor demonstration of a "Wet on Wet Snow Scene."  If you want to participate in this exercise, here's the list of materials you will need.

Paint needed: Winsor Newton Artists WC, Grumbacher, etc.

• Yellow Ochre              

• Cobalt Blue                
• Prussian Blue              
• French Ultramarine Blue
• Burnt Sienna                
• Paynes Gray
• Alizarin Crimson - optional

Brushes needed: Best is sable.  Make sure they are WC brushes (they are short!!)

• #12 or #14 round                    
• 6 or #7 round              
• #2 or #3 round        
• 1” flat (Aquarelle type)

Paper needed: I love Arches, but you can do with Strathmore or whatever you want.

Rough or Cold Press is needed.  Do not use Warm Press.

Weight, minimum 140 lb, of course 300 lb is great but can be expensive

Size: 11” x 15”, quarter an imperial sheet (30” x 22”) but other sizes around that will do fine.

Remember: The better the paper and the brushes and the paints—the better the quality of the watercolor piece done.

Miscellaneous Equipment:

Watercolor Board of any sort (larger than the paper by a few inches) – needed

Clips for holding paper unto board – strongly suggested

One to three books to put under the board to tilt the board up, or a WC easel – needed

To hold water: 2 lb cottage cheese container to 1 gallon milk container with top cut off -needed

Water spray bottle which does fine mist of water - essential

A few clean cotton cloth rags (small) 4”x4” to 6”x6” in size

Pink pearl eraser – needed

A pencil – needed

Regular kitchen salt in a salt shaker – essential

Old penknife – needed

Old credit card – optional

The Bead Mural Project is nearing completion.  We have had weekly Thursday evening meetings and several other group meetings where we are placing pre-strung beads in the appropriate places and filling in the fields on each of the six scenes. We have met at Joan Landis' studio house every Thursday from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm through the end of May. We are successfully working towards a June 2010 completion date.

We were not successful at receiving funding from the City of Pinole Redevelopment Program. Many thanks to Vicki, Joyce, Semion, Ken and others for their efforts to get it funded. We will still try to obtain city money for our operations through other venues.

We are deep into the planning of our June Artisan's Open House to run from June 12^th to June 20^th at the old Three Days Blind space at Pinole Vista Shopping Center. We have rented the space for 12 artisans (filled with one on the waiting list) and are printing signs for store windows and leaflets to place in appropriate businesses.  There is also planning for another opportunity late this summer in Fernandez Park on August 22^nd. We are calling the event "Art in the Park" and there will be space for everyone who wishes to display and/or sell. The event is also open to artisans from surrounding areas and organizations.  You can register online today! Stay tuned for exciting updates as they occur.

Watch for our new light pole banners to appear on city light poles in the coming months. A number of Pinole Artisans have generously gifted about two-thirds of the cost of these banners. Anyone else willing to provide a gift of money towards the light pole banners is welcome to do so, lessening the cost of the banners to our organizations. If you care to learn more about the banners call/email Cheryl Johnson at 672-2643/ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and if you wish to gift money to the project call/email Penny Bledsoe at 724-5494/ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or simply click the donation button on the left of the page.

Our next regular membership meeting is Friday, June 4^th at the Pinole Methodist Church at 7:00 pm. The evening will feature Steve Hurst talking about clock-making.

Our next Board Meeting is Thursday, June 10^th at 7:00 pm in our classroom at the Pinole Art Center at 2221 Pear Street in Pinole. All Board meetings are open to any member of Pinole Artisans. If there is a matter you would like to address or discuss, please contact me in advance to be put on the agenda.  Email me ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or call my cell phone number, 813-4080, and leave a message if I don't answer immediately.

Our new desktop computer has been installed at the Art Center with direct DSL (at 1.5 megabits/ second) for all to use. I want to thank the anonymous donor for the gift and Gordon Stone for putting it all together and installing it.  We also have DSL wireless at the Art Center and a laptop computer with wireless capability that membership who sit and work at the gallery can also use for Artisan's business, or their own laptop and the wireless for anything they wish to. If you do not know the code to get on the internet wireless, just let me know and I can tell you where to find it.

The next Pinole Artisans General Membership Meeting will be on Friday, June 4th at 7pm at the Pinole United Methodist Church, 2000 San Pablo Ave, Pinole, CA.  All are welcome.  For more information call 510-724-2008.

The guest speaker for June is Steve Hurst.  He is a resident of Point Richmond and makes "one-of-a-kind" clocks.

Here's an excerpt from his website:

Steve is a painter and craftsman and has had one-man shows in Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, Ohio, and California. He now resides in Point Richmond, California. Locally renowned, he was the first featured artist on the Richmond Arts & Culture Commission website and in the West County Times newspaper Artist of the Month section. More recently, Steve‘s clocks have been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle, the Richmond Globe newspaper, Diablo Magazine and Bay Crossings newspaper. He is active in volunteering his time and creativity to the community.

...and Donation Request

The Pinole Artisans Board of Directors and Publicity Committee are committed to getting the word out in the community as to who we are and what we offer. One of the current projects is having Pinole Artisans banners mounted on light poles in Pinole. We are working hard to complete this project. These banners are 2.5 feet wide and 5 feet tall and will be a highly visible and colorful way to bring Pinole Artisans and the Art Center to the attention of the community. The approximate cost of this project is over $2000.00.

Members were given the opportunity to submit artwork to be used on the banners. Two designs have been selected from all of the pieces submitted. Thanks to everyone for your submissions. Artwork not selected for the banners will be used for posters and flyers in the near future.

Donations toward this project are now being accepted. So far donations total $1200. Thank you to the following members who have so generously donated to help make this project a reality: Penny Bledsoe, Carolyn Hess, Joan Landis, Ira Nelken, Vickie and Mike Resso and Joyce Yamada.

If you would like to make a donation, please use the donation button on the left side of the page or contact Treasurer Penny Bledsoe at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 510-724-4594. Donations may also be made at the Art Center. The Pinole Artisans is a 501(c)3 organization (non-profit) and your donations are tax-deductible. Your generosity is appreciated.

Cheryl Johnson
Publicity Chair
5-18-2010

The Bead Mural Project continues towards completion.  We have had weekly Thursday evening meetings and several other group meetings where we have placed pre-strung beads in the appropriate places and are now filling in the fields on each of the six scenes. We are meeting at Joan Landis' studio house every Thursday from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm. Much has been done but much remains to be completed. You are welcome to and encouraged to participate.  We still expect to be finished by sometime in June 2010.

A committee headed by Vickie Resso, and including Joyce, Semion and Ken, developed a new art project and we applied for the City of Pinole Redevelopment Program to fund it.  It involves art along the path following Pinole Creek from the junction of Tennant and Pinole Valley Road to San Pablo Avenue.   We are very excited about the prospects and expect to know whether we were successful in early May (May 4th to be precise).      We are planning a June Artisan's Show to run from June 12th to June 20th. Presently this is still in the planning stages so additional information is not yet available. We will let everyone know about the opportunity as soon as we have it sufficiently worked out.  There is initial planning for another similar opportunity late this summer in Fernandez Park.  Stay tuned for exciting updates as they occur.

Our next regular membership meeting is Friday, May 7th at the Pinole Methodist Church at 6:30 pm. The evening will feature a "shopparama" where art/jewelry/crafts/supplies, books, perhaps CDs, etc. will be available to buy.

Our next Board Meeting is Thursday, May 13th at 7:00 pm in our classroom at the Pinole Art Center at 2221 Pear Street in Pinole. All Board meetings are open to any member of Pinole Artisans. If there is a matter you would like to address or discuss, please contact me in advance to be put on the agenda.  Email me or call my 813-4080 number and leave a message if I don't answer immediately.

Again, I want to remind all members that we presently have DSL wireless (at 1.5 megabits/ second) at the Art Center and that we also have a laptop computer with wireless capability at the Art Center and that the membership who sit and work at the gallery are welcome to use the computer and the wireless DSL at the Center for Artisan's business or their own laptop and the wireless for anything they wish to. If you do not know the code to get on the internet wireless, just let me know and I can tell you where to find it.  It's quite simple and easy to use! In addition, within the next month, we will be installing a donated desktop computer already wired to the internet which, as a condition from the donor, will be available to all members to use without conditions.

Ira Nelken
President
Pinole Artisans Foundation