Greetings from the New Club President
Hello all you fabulous Members of the Artisan’s League at Trilogy in Vistancia! (that’s quite a name)
I am the incoming President of the Artisan’s League. Jorge Periera, our outgoing President and his wife Flora have decided to move to Cave Creek where their new home will have the larger studio that Flora requires for her work and the view they have missed since moving from Washington State. Jorge will continue to run his business and work on his “doodles.” Flora is moving forward with her highly successful artwork and can be seen at the Fountain Hills Shows twice a year. We all owe Jorge a great deal of appreciation for his tenure and especially his leadership in organizing and running several very successful Art Walks. We wish him and Flora the absolute best on their new adventure!
Just a little bit about me. My wife and I have owned our home on the Mita side since November or 2020. (Hard to believe it’s been five years!) I retired in 2014 from the Air Force Reserve and in 2018 from my practice of medicine. Karen, also a retired physician, is an avid photographer and a busy member with the Trilogy Photography Club. Like many of us I set aside my artistic side to pursue other goals. (I was art editor for my ninth-grade yearbook.) During our three years in Washington, D.C there was the opportunity to see and study some of the great American oil painters such as Thomas Moran. That spark turned into a slowly evolving process of Sunday painting, college classes, classes at the Art Students League of Denver, Scottsdale Artist’s School and workshops too numerous to count. One way or another my main teachers and role models are connected to a group called Plein Air Painters of America. I am also a member of Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society, Plein Air Painters of Colorado, Arizona Plein Air Painters, and Plein Air Painters of New Mexico. Yes, I am an oil painter who absolutely loves painting anything west of the 10th Meridian. Check out Wallace Stegner’s books “The Sound of Mountain Water “and “Beyond the 10th Meridian” or Kevin Fedarko’s book “A Walk in the Park.” My website is DougHemlerArt.com.
That said, the League is much more than one discipline. A tour of the Art Walk reveals painting in oil, acrylics, gouache. There’re realism, abstraction, and impressionism. There are some exceptional jewelers. There are all types of craftspeople. There is fused glass, stained glass, and ceramics…. Bright colors, tonalism, all kinds of greeting cards. Tons of energy and creativity. There is an emerging group of digital artists. Arts and crafts, bird houses, cutlery, and purses. There are professionals, seasoned amateurs, emerging artists, new art students, and some great teachers. Joye Melby brings along and mentors our newer student members. Cappy Santorelli programs a steady series of great visiting instructors and one day introductory classes we call “Pop Ups.” Remember, the pop ups are free. I you are curious, just want to take a look, see what someone else is doing come to a pop up. If you are interested in a short intro to Procreate, come to Sandy Younger’s pop up, and don’t forget Lisa Magraine’s Paint and Sip. If you are interested in painting outdoors try my pop up. The more we share with each other, the more creative we are, and the stronger we are as an art community.
As a League we have an interactive goal of promoting and supporting ourselves to the Trilogy in Vistancia community and working with Board of Directors and the Blue Star Lifestyles Team to improve our community and make it more beautiful. We are one of three creative clubs including photography and textiles. As artists we share a unique sense of beauty. We see the best in all things. We always need volunteers (and many thanks to those who help out now). Most activities don’t require much time, putting up few signs for the art walk, helping on the Art Walk or Programming Committees or helping with welcoming new members on the Membership, Communication, and Marketing Committee. While every member of the League is important it is the volunteers who shape the vision of the club and are its heart and soul.
Happy Creating!
Doug Hemler
