scratchboardsociety.org PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Artist: Amy ... · The ISSA board of directors...

International Society of Scratchboard Artists | July-Aug-Sept 2019, Vol. 12, Issue 3

IN THIS ISSUEQUICK LINKS

President’s Message ....................2

Composition – The Foundation of Successful Design ....................... 3

An Interview With A Signature Artist: Amy Stauffer .................... 5

Share Your News ........................ 6

Meet The Newsletter Team ....... 6

Kathy Conroy Shares Her Love Of Scratchboard .............................. 8

Member News: Joe Smith, Solo Show, Boston, MA ...................... 8

Changes to MSA & SSA Score Card, MSA Resume Section ........ 9

ISSA Scholarships ...................... 10

Member Achievements ............. 11

ISSA Merchandise ...................... 12

ISSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS2019-2021Cathy Sheeter PresidentPatrick Hedges Vice PresidentSally Terrell TreasurerDanna Fruetel SecretaryLori Dunn Marketing DirectorSusan Rhodes Membership CoordinatorSusan Hoffheimer Member at LargeLaurie Riley Member at LargeRich Schafermeyer Member at LargeKathy Conroy Outgoing Exhibition Director (2019)Anne Palmer Incoming Exhibition Director (2020)

Copyright Notice: All material contained in this newsletter, written or depicted, is protected by copyright of this newsletter and/or the artist, and cannot be reproduced in any form without express written permission. All letters or contributions to the ISSA Newsletter are subject to editing with no limits or liability.

scratchboardsociety.org

How quickly the year is flying by! As I type, our 2019 annual exhibition is coming off the walls in Berea, and what a success it was! Thanks to the hard-working staff at the Kentucky Artisan Center and the outstanding quality of work in the exhibition, 16 works found new homes! I think this might be a record for an ISSA show! I hope you are already starting to think about joining us in Tucson next fall.

You might see a new look and feel to our newsletter. After numerous years of hard work by Jan Lowe doing the newsletter, we have a new committee being headed up by Danna Fruetel

with four other members working to help her out. Thank you Jan for your years of work on it, and Danna for picking it up.

Congratulations to our four new Signature Scratchboard Artists: Judy Lewis, Linda Lunnon, Rudiger Neick, and Sheryl Unwin! A job well done to all of you!!

The ISSA board of directors welcomes two new Board Members-at-Large: Susan Hoffheimer and Laurie Riley . We look forward to their feedback and experience being brought to the Board. Shifting board positions Danna Fruetel is the new secretary and Sally Terrell takes on the role of Treasurer.

Look within the newsletter for some changes to the MSA score card and resume sections and SSA score cards. This has been an ongoing discussion among the master members for the past year and we hope the changes will lead to more consistency and clarity in scoring.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and productive summer and finds artistic inspiration knocking at your door!

Cathy Sheeter, MSAISSA President

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE AUGUST 2019


© 2019 International Society of Scratchboard Artists Return to IN THIS ISSUE | 2

“And after drawing comes composition. A well composed painting is half done.”

- Pierre Bonnard, French painter and illustrator

Most of us have some intuitive understanding of composition, even if we can’t articulate it. When we are beginning our journey as an artist, we often follow compositional rules without actually realizing it because we already know what “feels” right when we see it.

Composition, or design, is one of the pillars of a successful artwork. If an artwork appeals to us, often the reason can be attributed to the artist having successfully applied one or more of the rules of composition. At it’s core, it is the arrangement of elements and how they relate to each other within a picture plane. But more than just the placement of elements in an artwork, it is a way for the artist to influence how a viewer experiences an artwork. Done well, good composition draws the viewer in and then moves their gaze across the whole artwork so that everything is taken in. You can compare it to the way notes are arranged in a piece of music or the way words are organized in a piece of prose. It can cause a viewer to linger over your artwork or return to it in a gallery.

To design a good composition, it helps to have a good sense of spacing and sensitivity to placement and design. Thankfully, it’s not magic that gives an artwork that je ne sais quoi, but concrete rules that can be learned. Knowing them well will help you begin to apply them intuitively. You might already be familiar with the most basic composition rules, but having a knowledge of more adds resources to your tool kit should you choose to use them. You’ll find that many of the concepts overlap and related ones can often be used together. Pieces with particularly strong or pleasing composition will often incorporate more than one design principal. Learning to utilize more complicated or multiple design principles can help take your artwork from good to great.

It is important to understand the how and why of these principles so we can creatively use and manipulate them or even disregard them to make a viewer experience our artwork exactly the way we want them to. Having a firm understanding of the rules will help you know when and how these rules can be broken, as for every rule, there are many examples of artworks that have successfully broken it.

Central to the understanding of composition is the concept of a focal point. A focal point is an element in an artwork that naturally draws the viewer’s attention. There should always be a clear focal point that is most dominant, otherwise you risk creating something that could be perceived as “busy”, and not giving the eye a place to “rest”.

There are various methods for controlling your focal points that we will discuss. They are: • Rule of Thirds & Golden Ratio • Leading Lines • Rule of Odds & Spacing• Contrast (areas of strong difference

between light and dark) & Highlights • Hard Edges• Lost Edges• Color

The Rule of ThirdsThe rule of thirds is the easiest compositional rule to follow in your design as it is both simple and effective. To apply it, divide your image evenly by 3s, along the horizontal and do the same with the vertical. Most cell phone camera apps include the option of overlying the viewfinder with a grid so as to aid in composing using the rule of thirds. The crop tool in Photoshop also includes the option to view an overlay of the rule of thirds.

In general, a focal point which is directly in the center of an artwork is not visually appealing because it bisects the image in a way that appears unnatural or overly

symmetrical. Placing elements on one of the thirds, helps add tension, balance, and interest and it is a good place to start. The most common application is to put your subject’s eyes on one of the thirds, where the lines intersect. Because we are a social species we are naturally drawn to a subject’s eyes, especially if the subject is making eye contact. Thus, placing them on a third makes the piece feel balanced. Elements don’t necessarily need to be directly on the third for this to work.

You can be more creative by utilizing one of the other thirds as a secondary focal point. Generally, you want your secondary focal point to be less attention grabbing than the primary. The idea is to create additional interest but avoid making the focal points compete.

Golden Ratio or Golden SpiralSimilar in application to the rule of thirds. The golden ratio is as much a mathematical concept as it is an artistic one. You’ll find it in nature in everything from the proportions of human and animal anatomy to the shape of spiral galaxies, hurricanes, flowers, ferns, and sea shells. Applying it to design creates a sense of beauty, harmony, and proportion.

COMPOSITION – THE FOUNDATION OF SUCCESSFUL DESIGN ISSA WEEKEND 2019 - BEREA, KY ---- Paper put together by Amy Shauffer (SSA Member)



Leading LinesA very effective way to direct a viewer’s gaze through a piece is through the use of leading lines. A leading line can help direct attention to the primary focal point or can connect more than one focal point.

Examples from real life include fence rows, tree lines, and a subject’s gaze. Anything with paths, walls, meandering pathways, and patterns - they do not necessarily need to be straight. Direction of travel can also be a leading line. Allowing space in front of a subject that is moving at speed (bird in flight, running animals) creates the sensation that the subject has freedom of movement.

It is helpful to remember that implied leading lines can be just as powerful in a composition as literal lines. This is something to remember when placing multiple objects within your design. An easy mistake to make is to accidentally create a distracting line when the edges of multiple objects run into each other and create a tangent. This connection of a line or plane from one object to another object can create confusion about the sense of space in your composition.

In the above example, the image on the left includes lines from separate objects or the background that run into each other, creating awkward leading lines that seem to form a continuous edge. This problem can be corrected by shifting objects to break

up this alignment. It is not only still life compositions where this error can be easily made. A tree that ends directly against a distant mountaintop, repetitions in foliage or bark, the strands of human hair, the pattern on an animal’s coat, etc, all of these things can easily become the source of distracting leading lines if the artist is not careful when initially arranging their design.

Geometry and SymmetryRelated to the rule of odds is the principle that subjects arranged on a triangular foundation create an aesthetically pleasing shape within an image. Consider the arrangement of the human face; the mouth and eyes all fall on the vertices of an equilateral triangle. You can see an example of this triangle in the placement I choose for

my birds in the above image I Believe I Can Fly. There are multiple geometric shapes that can be utilized when designing your piece, you’ll find the old masters relied heavily on geometric armatures in their most complex compositions featuring many subjects.

Rule of Odds and SpacingWhen deciding how many elements to include in your composition, you can create a more dynamic design by sticking to odd numbers, i.e., 1, 3, 5, 7, etc. An even number of subjects can cause the viewer to produce symmetries in the image, which can appear overly formal or unnatural. Having an odd number of items means that they cannot be paired up easily into equal groups, there is always one element left over. However, this is an easy rule to effectively break. An example would be a design that has four

birds in it. Placing one of them slightly farther away from the other three draws more attention to the individual animal relative to the remaining three.

For the same reason, avoid making any two elements exactly the same. If you have a row of trees in your design,check their height and the gaps of spaces between them - they should all be different.

These two sketches demonstrate both the Rule of Odds and Spacing. The image on the left features a landscape of four trees of identical height and spacing. The shape of the distant mountain repeats itself, while there is an odd number of clouds, they are all about the same size, shape, and spacing. The composition is not engaging and appears artificial. The sketch on the right features five trees,

of various heights and distances from the viewer. Some of them overlap and one even spills outside the edge of the picture plane. There are five of them and one is separated from the group with the division caused by the path. The distant hills are varied in size and the line of the ridge is broken in places by the tops of the trees. The clouds are varied in shape and also extend beyond the edge of the frame.

ContrastThis is a design element where scratchboard really shines. Due to the black and white nature of traditional scratchboard techniques, we can use contrast between dark and light areas to manipulate our focal points. The brightest areas in an artwork will always be what draws the most attention to itself. In this case, it is helpful to remember that because bright areas attract so much attention, if the brightest area on your board

“I Believe I Can Fly” - Amy Stauffer

“Mearas” - Amy Stauffer



is not the same as your primary focal point, you run the risk of elements competing too much for attention. If you allow an area, in your background for example, to be as bright as or brighter than your primary focal point, it can become an unwelcome distraction. Sometimes you need to disregard or alter your reference for the sake of creating a pleasing composition.

In the same way, you can reduce the level of contrast to direct attention away from a certain area. A successful scratchboard will often utilize all the values from brightest white to black.

Hard EdgesSimilar to contrast in application. Like areas of high contrast, hard, clearly defined edges appear to come toward the viewer and draw attention. An object that is receding into the background should have softer edges, where the transition from light to dark is more gradual.

Lost Edges

Another principal with huge opportunities for the scratchboard artist. Lost edges create a sense of mystery and also cause areas to recede into the background. Consider where portions of your subject can be “lost” in the darkness of the board only to be “found” again in another location.

Cropping and Filling the FrameExperiment with how you crop your images. You might find out that cropping out the edges of your subject creates an appealing tension. With cropping humans and animals,

avoid cropping right at a joint. Crop images in the middle of limbs. For some reason, cropping at a joint creates the feeling that the limb is amputated. With cropping human faces, you can safely cut off the top of the head as long as you leave the hair line intact. I do this frequently as a portrait photographer for the sake of making sure my subjects eyes fall exactly where I want them too. Avoid “kissing the edge” of the picture plane with your subject’s outlines, where the edge of an element in your artwork comes very close to the edge but doesn’t spill over. Either crop its edges well outside the frame or give it breathing room.

ColorColor can also be used to create focal points. Warmer colors naturally draw attention to themselves, while cooler colors tend to recede into the background. Imagine a landscape of greens and muted earth tones. If the artist chooses to make one of the trees in the scene a vibrant red or yellow, it immediately becomes a center of attention.

In the image on the left, all the trees are different shades of green. The one on the far right can serve as a focal point because it is standing apart from the rest, but it is a weak one. It is a shade of yellow in the image on

the right, which makes it draw attention to itself, creating a strong focal point. I could choose to balance this composition further and create a clear secondary focal point by using another, more subtly warm shade in one of the trees to the left.

Be aware that when using color, it is not just a warm color that will draw attention. Colors on opposing sides of the color wheel (complementary) will also grab attention, i.e. purple in an otherwise yellow or warm color

palette.Putting It All Into PracticeThe reality is that all this only just scratches the surface of a study of composition and design. There are too many large and small decisions that an artist can make to affect the success of their composition to possibly list them all here. But there are several things you can do from here to improve your skill in this area. The first is to find more resources. The Internet is full of them. There are also many fine books written on the topic, which include many more examples of different principles put into practice.

A good way to practice and refine your knowledge in this area is to keep these principles in mind when you visit galleries and museums. Study the art specifically to see if you can determined what rules the artist followed, remembering that some of the most well designed art utilizes more than one rule. If you see an artwork that has clearly broken one of the major rules of composition, ask yourself what rules may have been broken, and why it still works.

Exploring the world with a camera in hand can also do wonders for your ability to notice composition and design around you. I highly recommend using a camera with a dedicated optical viewfinder that you hold up to your eyes to use. It forces you to view the world in the space of a picture plane. Spend a day out with your camera with a focus for using one particular design element, i.e., leading lines. Then revisit the same subjects or locations but now trying to utilize a different principal. Sometimes the most creative designs can be developed when you’re working within the limitations of the real world.

Recommended Reading

A Painter’s Guide to Design & Composition, by Margot Schulzke, ISBN 1581806434

Mastering Composition, by Ian Roberts, ISBN 9781581809244

“A Crown Upon His Head” - Amy Stauffer



AN INTERVIEW WITH A SIGNATURE ARTIST:

AMY STAUFFER by Susan Hoffheimer

Anyone who attended the exhibit in Berea remembers the excellent presentation on composition by Amy Stauffer. That made her an easy pick for our first signature/master interview.

Amy wears many hats which gives her a unique challenge as a professional artist. She divides her time and attention among her seven year- old son, her husband who works long hours, and her work as a photographer and as a scratchboard artist. Her life journey has had some twists along the way. Although an artistic kid, she did not initially see art as a career choice. She first pursued her interest in biology. However, her mother became ill and she did not finish her degree. Then she did some oil painting but turned to photography and subsequently scratchboard. In addition to her other responsibilities, Amy has interests in cars and drag races, gaming and videos, and most importantly, she is a mentor to teens from troubled homes. Her high school art teacher got her involved and once a year she goes to her former high school to give scratchboard presentations and work with students on their projects. This has a big impact on their lives and hers.

She was introduced to scratchboard through Wet Canvas. What she saw there interested and excited her, but a conversation with Patrick Hedges really encouraged her to pursue the art form. She found the contrasts between light and dark, and the attention to detail found in scratchboard, complemented her love of and background in biology. Even before scratchboard, wildlife was the art subject that most excited her and not just because it sells well. Her greatest achievement was being accepted into the Society of Animal Artists. She is very proud that her leaping impala called “I Believe I Can Fly” (center right) has been accepted into the Fall exhibit in San Antonio. Amy feels she has made a leap herself. She feels that by using several photo resources, now her art has progressed from being a re-creation of one photograph to a work that conveys a story or feeling rather than just a pretty copy.

Like any artist, Amy has short term and long term goals. Applying for more competitions, especially those with stringent requirements, is important for her growth. She is already represented in galleries but would like to add another gallery. Long term, she would like to earn enough to consider herself a “professional” artist. ISSA helps her meet these goals through the annual exhibits. The camaraderie of working with other artists in the evenings is valuable because there is not a large artist community near her. Sharing techniques, ideas, and laughter with the other members is another benefit of the annual meetings.

Finally, when asked what advice she would give our newer members, Amy emphasized the importance of scratching with a light hand and replacing blades frequently in order to build intensity. Researching your subject and studying how light behaves and reflects are important for improving the quality and accuracy of any work of art.

ISSA is fortunate to have Amy as an advocate representing the society.



DANNA FRUETEL, Editor, Writer/ContributorI am a self taught artist. I love to travel, road trip is my favorite phrase. Hitting the road with my camera and canvas and paints is a joy for me. All of my art is done plein air or by referencing my own personal photo’s that I have taken on my many trips. In the past I have been a pencil artist, but a few years ago I discovered scratchboard art and I really love it. I love high contrast and with scratchboard I can finally get the deep blacks that I have always wanted. I am currently adding color to my pieces and adding additional textures by using different tools for my scratches, including a Dremel tool. It has been fun. During the spring of 2019 I discovered the wonderful world of plein air and painting with others. Since I live in Iowa getting outside with others and doing what I enjoy is important to me.

I am married with two grown kids. I reached the empty nest years and I’m loving the fact that I can spend hours in my art room and not worry about what the kids are doing. They are both on their own and I am proud of them.

Art has always been in my life and it brings me joy. I hope it brings you joy too.

JEANNE BOSSART, Writer/ContributorI have been an Associate Member since 2014. I have two sons and retired in 2012. I was a Human Resource Director for a uniform company, and only acquired time for my interests after my retirement.

I am interested in many activities, but my passion is art and most aspects of it. I am spending a lot of time doing oils right now, but I really like the scratchboard medium and hope to do more in the future. I was introduced to scratchboard at a demonstration at one of the art clubs of which I am a member. I so much enjoyed it that I decided to join ISSA and attended my first scratchboard show in Fredericksburg, MD. Boy, were my eyes opened. I had no idea that you could do such beautiful work with scratchboard. I also attended the shows at the Sonora Desert and Berea. I have attended

a scratchboard workshop given by Rich Schaffemeyer, and plan to attend one later this year with Kathy Conroy.

I have not reached any of my goals yet with scratchboard, but have not forgotten them. I plan to submit my scratchboards to become an active member very soon.

I also enjoy playing bridge, mahjong and golf. I know I will have a hard time reaching any of the skills presented by the scratchboard artists I have seen so far, but I do like the “scratching sessions” at the shows, and especially enjoyed meeting the artists in an informal setting. I believe the small group session with each of the Master Artists at the Berea Show was a success and helpful for us beginners.

I hope to make a meaningful contribution as a member of the Newsletter Team.

MEET THE NEWSLETTER TEAM

DO YOU HAVE SCRATCHBOARD NEWS TO SHARE?Do you have news to share, suggestions for future articles or interviews you like us to consider for the newsletter? Send your ideas, news, and event information to: [email protected]

SHARE YOUR NEWS WITH OUR MARKETING DIRECTOR!If you have news of an award or an event—please share! Email Lori Dunn at [email protected]; and provide the following information: jpg image file/s title; size of the art; name of the award; name/location of the venue; any other pertinent details such as award category etc.



JAN LOWE, Past Editor, Writer/ContributorArt is my “new career”, moving from professional engineering for 35+ years to be in the position to do something that I have loved all my life – drawing and painting. So instead of a “sea change” I had a “career change”! And loving it!

Being the Editor for ISSA from 2014-2019 – a huge and challenging role, the last 18 months or so – my life had added commitments, so became “time starved” so deadlines were impossible! However, I had an incredible time as Editor, and trust that our readers enjoyed the stories and information. Was the VP from 2014-2016.

Being asked to be part of Danna’s team is a privilege and looking forward to working with her and the inspirational team. ISSA offers so much to our members, a place to share their experiences and successes and reaching out for advice and being part of a special community. I know I am going to enjoy being more proactive and push my scratchboard for myself, back into teaching and another exhibition in 2020.

SUSAN HOFFHEIMER, Writer/ContributorI retired after teaching thirty-one years. As much as I enjoyed teaching, I was ready to play and explore my interests. One of those was art. I started with watercolor, moved to oil, and then discovered scratchboard.

I have always found detail work very satisfying and you can’t get much more detailed than with scratchboard. As an active member, I realize that I need to hone my skills. Controlling my tools so that I can slowly work up to more white rather than digging in, is something I am struggling with. I realize that without commitment to practice, practice, practice I will never get there. I am putting aside my oil paints for the next three months in order to concentrate on scratchboard. I have decided that no matter what, I need to work from to 15 minutes to two hours a day. May not seem like much to the masters, but one step at a time.

ISSA is very important to help me reach my goals. The newsletters have so much helpful information as well as the website and facebook page. Going to the exhibits and watching the presenters share their ideas is very stimulating. I have been so impressed with how giving of time and advice the members are. In order to get to know the organization and the members better, I have volunteered to work on the newsletter, am a new member of the board and did the last exhibit catalog. The personal growth from reaching out for help and advice from other members, getting involved, and attending the exhibitions are so rewarding.

ISSA FACEBOOK MEMBERS ONLY GROUP: If you haven’t already, join us— email [email protected] and request an invite to the Members Only group.

SUSAN EVERITT, Design/LayoutAfter detours through many careers (Fire Service, Animator, Art Director, and others) I returned to creating fine art in 2014. Scratchboard is a favorite medium. I also work in acrylics, oils, watercolor, pastels, colored pencils, pen and ink, and just about anything else i can get my hands on. I have collected more than 50,000 photos from my travels that are always swirling around my brain with new project ideas, and waiting for me discover the perfect way to organize them.

I currently work as a national design specialist for the American Lung Association, and as freelance designer in my “spare” time. I am a member of the Lowcountry Firefighter Support Team, an organization that works to provide mental health services, behavioral health training, and support to all emergency services personnel and their families, as well as volunteering for several other non-profit organizations. My newest role is being part of the ISSA Newsletter Team as the design/layout person. Hope you are enjoying our inaugural effort!



KATHY CONROY SHARES HER LOVE OF SCRATCHBOARD by Susan Hoffheimer

On July 15, signature member, Kathy Conroy, held a beginner scratchboard workshop at the Kentucky Artisan Center in Berea, KY. Some of the participants were new to scratchboard. They had seen our 8th Annual Exhibition and wanted to try their hand. Others had done scratchboard in the past and having seen the work in the exhibit, wanted to take it up again.

After a brief personal introduction, Kathy gave a short history of scratchboard and the International Society of Scratchboard Artists. Tools and materials were demonstrated and the participants practiced different strokes. Kathy then led the group through the exhibition explaining

some of the techniques used by our artists. Her comments and the introductory practice gave the group an appreciation of the effort involved in the entries.

After lunch, it was time to start the practice pieces. Kathy was very encouraging as she worked with each participant, giving suggestions and answering questions. At the end of the workshop, a group photograph was taken with the participants and their creations.

Kathy’s next class will introduce color techniques. If you know anyone who might be interested, contact Kathy at [email protected].

JOE SMITH SOLO SHOW | BOSTON, MA Member Joe Smith will be having a solo show of some of his scratchboard works at the Copley Society of Art in Boston, MA from September 6 through October 5. The show is titled Wood, Sky and Water, and includes three large scratchboard pieces he recently completed.

He is curious if other members have tackled large boards and if they liked the experience. The three pieces in this show are all 3 ft by 2 ft and were the result of a challenge by another artist to try to work bigger. Each took 7 months to a year to complete. When he was in the middle of it he was sure he was insane. He never would have gotten the third one done if he hadn’t committed to this show. When they were done, though, he was thrilled with the results, and he wouldn’t rule out trying it again. He built a sturdy wooden cradle to hold the board while he worked on it, and he propped that up on a step ladder and leaned it against a bookshelf to work on it, sometimes standing, sometimes sitting, and sometimes on his knees on the floor to reach the lower parts. The biggest drawback was that he had to put off working on other pieces while he did this. He is now eager to get back to work on some smaller scale pieces. www.joeksmith.com



CHANGES TO MSA AND SSA SCORE CARDS AND MSA RESUME SECTIONAs ISSA grows and matures, we continue to look for ways to improve the organization for the benefit of our membership. One area that we have received feedback from numerous members for the past few years pertained to the Signature and Master Scratchboard Artist levels of membership and a lack of consistency in scoring. Based on this feedback, a discussion was started amongst the existing Master Scratchboard Artists (MSA) about how we could improve this system to increase consistency. While the score card system provides much useful information to applicants, we were finding that there was a lack of clarity for both jurors and our applying members in some sections. Please carefully read below for the changes that we will be implementing to the Score Cards.Please note that none of these changes effect the overall % required to pass from previous years.

New Master Scratchboard Artist Score card here: https://scratchboardsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/MSA_Scorecard2019.pdf

Signature Scratchboard Artist Score card here: https://scratchboardsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/SSA_Scorecard2019.pdf

The following changes will be affecting both MSA and SSA Score Cards henceforth.

1) We will be taking a strict stance on correct image naming/sizing and very poor-quality files. Although our website has long stated that “Images submitted that are not named or sized correctly or are of poor quality will be eliminated without consideration”, our jurors have continued to evaluate portfolios not following the rules. Part of being a professional artist is following rules for shows, so we will no longer be evaluating portfolios not following the rules. Our Jurors DO NOT want to fail people for such a minor infraction, but all artists must be evaluated on a fair playing field, which involves the ability to evaluate same size images and the naming of the files tells us crucial details, such as the size of the artwork. If you need help with resizing or name your files there are documents in our “Members only” section of the website or you can email us for additional assistance. Also, if you have questions about if your files came through correctly sized or named, we can confirm this for you. For us to assist you, or if you want to confirm file naming/sizing, you must submit your images and application a minimum of 7 days before the final application deadline, so that you have time to resubmit if they are not correct. Applications submitted in the last week before the deadline will not be eligible to receive assistance. Many members needlessly lose points on the “Image Quality” Section of the score card. This is different that the pass/fail at the top, which we will fail only if the images are so poor quality that they cannot be evaluated. For some clarification on what we are looking for to get maximum points for this section see https://scratchboardsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/ImageQuality.pdf

2) The previous score card had Technical Scratchboard Skills valued at only 10 points. Upon evaluation, we feel that this is one of the most important part of the portfolio and should have a higher point value. It has been increased to 30 points.

3) The Artistic Skills section has some minor changes. “Artistic Intent” was removed, as it was a vague concept, not clear to artists or jurors exactly what it meant. “Integrity Across All Elements” was added. You can read the criteria for that area on the score cards.

4) Consistence of Quality has stayed the same value, however clarification about what constitutes a passing score for each level has been added. See score cards for this change.

5) Applicants will no longer be given individual score cards, but they will be given three written critiques and a score card with the averages of the three jurors scores. Because it will take additional time to tabulate this average score card, we will now be providing results about 3 weeks following the application deadline.

6) For SSA applicants, Artists either scoring over 80% under two jurors, but not passing overall based on the score by the third



juror, or those who achieve 80% or higher overall, but only pass under one juror, shall be invited to re-jury without paying a jury fee for the following year.

7) For MSA applicants, Artists either scoring over 90% under two jurors, but not passing overall based on the score by the third juror, or those who achieve 90% or higher overall, but only pass under one juror, shall be invited to re-jury without paying a jury fee for the following year.

8) Based on the increased score to the technical category the overall possible scores for both MSA and SSA have increased by 20 points. The overall difficulty to attain each level has not changed, as the required percentage of points to pass remains the same.

THE FOLLOWING CHANGE WILL ONLY AFFECT MSA APPLICATIONS – RESUME SECTION One of the most inconsistent areas for scoring was the resume section of the MSA application, which requires artists to be “working diligently to promote the medium” and counts for about 1/3 of the overall point value at the MSA level. A new, much more specific, minimum requirements for the resume portion to earn a passing score has been laid out. It can be found here https://scratchboardsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/MSA-resume-examples.pdf and should be looked over carefully by anyone planning to apply for MSA: Passing, at the MSA level, is 90% or 45 out of 50 points. Artists who meet the minimum requirements laid out in the document will be given a minimum of 45 points on their resume, but additional points (up to the 50 maximum) can be earned by exceeding these minimum requirements. Please also note the clarification that all accomplishments must be achieved with scratchboards, not other mediums. The changes noted above will be in effect for the Fall 2019 MSA jurying.

If you have any questions about these changes, please email [email protected]

ISSA SCHOLARSHIPSVISIT YOUR LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL ART TEACHERS TO INTRODUCE ISSA, OUR MEDIUM, AND OUR SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

As the new school year gears up we encourage members to visit your local High Schools and meet with the art teachers to provide them with information about our scholarship and to introduce the medium as a fine art to the students and the teachers.

ISSA celebrates student creativity and excellence in art by awarding scholarships to students who have a passion for art and have created at least two works in scratchboard.

ISSA awards two $500 scholarships per year to students enrolling in a two or four year post-secondary education institution.

Qualifications to Enter

Applicants must:

• be a full-time student and a senior in good standing in high school

• be continuing to a post-secondary education institution

• have a GPA of 2.5 or higher, transcript required

• provide a letter of recommendation from an art instructor

• write a 1000 word essay explaining qualifications and reasons for applying

• submit 6 current art pieces including at least two scratchboard works. Please note that image quality is important and will impact judging.

Application Deadline is April 15th of each year. Awards are announced on May 15th of each year.

For more information and to submit an application visit https://scratchboardsociety.org/resources/student-scholarship/



MEMBER ACHIEVEMENTS

SCOTT KROHN, SSACongratulations go to Signature member Scott Krohn. His scratchboard “Diverse Beauty” (right) earned “Noteworthy” in the Colors of Humanity Black and White Online Show. Scott also had a second piece accepted “Superior Shimmer” (far right).

There were 121 accepted entries and they came from 22 different states in the USA as well as 9 other countries: Canada, Estonia, France, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Poland, Russia, South Korea, and Ukraine.

Congratulations to Debra Lee, SA who received a “Highly Commended” Award for her “Hydrangea Skeletons” (above) at the 2019 Annual Rotary Camberwell Art Show, Camberwell Vic AU

DEBRA LEE, SSA

SHERYL UNWIN, SSACongratulations to Sheryl Unwin, SSA for receiving a “Merit” Award for her “Queen of the Everglades” (left) at the Fin, Fur, Flora and Fauna Art Show - Manatee Art Centrer, Bradenton, Florida, and for receiving a “First Place” Award for her “Night Watching” (below) at the Stirling Art Studios & Gallery, Florida, USA

JUDY EDWARDS-WHITE, MSACongratulations to Judy Edwards-White, MSA on the sale of her piece

“Curious Observation” at the Garden City Art Extravaganza, Brisbane AU



CATHY SHEETER, MSACongratulations to Cathy Sheeter, MSA. Cathy won the “People’s Choice Award” at the 2019 ISSA Annual Exhibition with her piece “Whooo Goes There.”

SALLY MAXWELL, MSACongratulations to Sally Maxwell, MSA. Sally was selected as the 2020 Featured Artist of the Year by Nature Works in Tulsa, OK. Sally will be joining a group of artists that she has idolized. “It is a tremendous honor and I am very grateful to be listed among these people.” Shown below is “Little Dripper” (12x36 in.)

TAMARA POKORNY, SSACongratulations to Tamara Pokorny. Her scratchboard “Behold But Beware” is featured on the cover of the Society of Animal Artists - Art and the Animal - 59th Annual Members Exhibition show catalog. The event will be held September 19, 2019 - January 5, 2020 at the Brisco Western Art Museum River Parade, San Antonio, TX.

SHOP OFFICIAL ISSA MERCHANDISEOfficial ISSA Merchandise in our Zazzle Shop includes t-shirts, hats, mugs, business cards, and aprons. T-shirts available in multiple designs, sizes (XS-3X), color options, and in men’s and women’s styles. Visit our shop at zazzle.com/scratchboardsociety. Share the link with your family and friends - the holidays are coming!

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