Welcome to our 2025 Season and happy anniversary to us! Yes, GEM is turning 30 this year!

Our first meeting of the season will be held on September 9th.

Ever popular Russian artist, Valentina Ratschenko-Lamdin will be our demonstrator for September and we are confident you will enjoy her!

Our new Exhibitor’s Guidelines that were announced at our June meeting last year are included in this issue.

Also, if you haven’t already, please plan to renew your dues at the September Meeting ($50/season). Your dues are critical to ensuring that we can continue to get the best Demonstrators at our monthly meetings.

We are looking forward to seeing you and a fun and exciting 2025 season!

We held our last meeting of the season and enjoyed a potluck together.

Our Board officers for the upcoming year were installed.

Cathy Keeney won the award of “Artist-of-the Year” in the Original Category for “Baby Ducks“.

Soon Chung won the award of “Artist of the Year” in the Master’s Category for “Beautiful Man“.

No meetings will be held in July and August. See you again on the second Monday of September!

We will be having our annual potluck at our June meeting so no demonstrator is scheduled. As a result there will be no competition at the meeting.

Two new members joined in May.

Board officers for next year will be installed at the June potluck.

May demonstrator Valentina Lamdin, painted a gorgeous flower arrangement with a palette knife. Rhonda Curtis was the lucky raffle winner who took home Valentina’s painting.

We are excited to have Valentina Lamdin as our demonstrator for May. She will be demonstrating painting with a palette knife. She is recognized as a colorist, with works in many private collections and museums. Valentina has been teaching art for some thirty years.

Nominations for next year are due and we still need someone to serve as Vice President and Hospitality.

Elin Thomas did a wonderful demonstration on her techniques for painting a landscape. Marian Cobb was the lucky winner of one of Elin’s paintings.

Check out our April ribbon winners!

Elin Thomas (Pendleton) is our demonstrator for April. She is a professional oil and acrylic painter, author of four art books and seven instructional videos on painting and color, prior member of the American Academy of Equine Art and emeritus member of Women Artists of the West.

Shelley Lima demonstrated painting a delightful sunflower painting at our March meeting. Thank you Shelley!

Another new member joined this past month. We are growing!

Nominations for Board and Officers are due this month. In particular, we need someone to serve as Audio/Visual Technician as Ron will be stepping
down in June.

See our ribbon winners for March!

Shelley Lima is our demonstrator for March. She plans to pursue her passion for design and realism in the upcoming year. Shelley is always a popular demonstrator and we are pleased to welcome her again in Marrch.

Four new members joined GEM in the past month.

Our website is now complete and online at murrietaartists.org.

The membership in attendance at the February meeting enjoyed a demonstration by Bonnie Rinier.

See our ribbon winners for February!

Watercolor artist Bonnie Rinier is our Demonstrator for February.

Our February meeting will be held on the the 5th at 1:00pm.

GEM’s website development is well underway and will be launched soon.

Announcing the monthly winners for January.

JoDee Luna will be bringing her completed “Hope” painting from her January demonstration
to the meeting.

JoDee is our Demonstrater for January. She is a portrait artist, graphic designer,
youtuber, author, and business owner of Luna Arts & Ed and we are so excited to have her.

Pictures from the Christmas Party are included in this issue,

The development of our new website is underway!

The CHRISTMAS PARTY was amazing!!
If you were there (about 40 of us were!) you know this is true! Special guests, friends of members,
and
our entertainer, local musician John Crutchfield, filled the room with warmth and love. In addition,
the
decorations, the wonderful potluck dishes, and the time spent together made for a beautiful
gathering
party to kick off the holiday season and wrap up 2023