First Flakes for the New Year

Holidays. First out of the gate was Hanukkah, to celebrate a miracle; next was Pearl Harbor Day, to remember a disaster. La fiesta de la virgin de Guadalupe brought children’s parades. Next was our own Holiday Party, followed by Solstice and a full moon. Christmas Eve, carolers and maybe a Vigil; elves and reindeer and Santa in the night on the roofs; brightly dawns Christmas Day! Take-it-all-back-returns Day, Boxing Day, and Kwaanza! New Year’s Eve, to reflect and have a nice toast to what must surely be a better New Year.

Renew your ASBA membership by February 10, 2019 to enjoy a full year of member benefits between January 1 and December 31, 2019, including all four issues of The Botanical Artist! When renewing, please first go to the ASBA web page, then click on Member Login in the upper right corner; use the email address associated with your ASBA Membership account to log in. Do not forget to indicate your membership also in RMSBA, the first ASBA Chapter.

Women's Winter Kits. Several of us from RMSBA, supported by the Mile High and Very Deep Book Club, gathered for an assembly party for these on December 6th at Judy Vanderbosch’s house. Well, she put us right through our paces, organizing tasks and taskees, while finishing up a few last minute items and making soup for our lunch. Irma Sturgell did some fabulous skewered accompaniments. These kits are quite practical packets of personal items, including a USB flash drive – handy at the Library. The bags are sewed cotton cloth – each different and all pretty -- and have button closures.

Holiday Party. We had a lovely Chinese Year of the Earth-Dog repast at Shiere’s on December 15. Thank you, Shiere, for hosting. Thanks, Eileen, for the goods. Thanks, Irma, for moving all along. We enjoyed good attendance and interesting conversations.

Reminder about Framing and Matting. Our accepted frame sizes are 12x12, 12x16, 16x20, and 18x24. Currently, we prescribe the Blick Essentials Wood Gallery Frame in Natural (Dick Blick 18862-1904, -1906, -1908, and -1909). Mats white or off-white. Do remember that D-ring flat hangers are much preferred; no little toothy rack things or eye screws.

“Lost in the Woods” is still up at the CU Museum of Natural History in Boulder, until January 5, 2019. “Cannabis: A Visual Perspective” opens soon at the Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College in Durango. Information forthcoming about an Opening and any related activities.

Reminder: Executive Board meeting coming up January 13. Contact any board member if you have items you want added to the agenda.

Pre-minder: On January 15 from noon to 1 pm, the Strathmore paper company will be displaying and discussing their products at Gates Hall at Denver Botanic Gardens. Often this presentation is accompanied by a selective distribution of free samples, which you might try out and consider using in your work.