San Antonio/Austin Circle Report

It was a great day in New Braunfels!  Kim Buchannan was our gracious host.  Sherri McCauley, Pam Lowe and I came down from Austin; Vou Best came in from Seguin, and Mary Jane McCollum of New Braunfels came to her first Circle meeting.
Kim gave a fabulous presentation on perspective - one, two, and three point (we all lost count when it got to work by M.C. Escher) and aerial perspectives were all reviewed.  Kim had lots of examples, used her computer to show the horizon line and vanishing points, and Vou brought a piece under construction she thought could use better perspective.  We all left with a great set of notes and lots of ideas.
Show and Tell was wonderful, as always, and the food was great, too.  I was able to update everyone on the "doings" in SAQA and SAQA-Texas, including:
Plans for an all-Texas event in 2013 - Heather, Suzan and I (and maybe Kim) will be meeting with Karey Bresenhan on December 3 to visit her Creativity Center and talk about what kind of event we could hold there.  Pam Lowe and Kim Buchannan have agreed to help work on that project once we get some particulars in pace.
Plans for a Texas Mini-Quilt Trunk Show - Vou Best is working on a Texas Trunk Show for 2014.  We are working out some details - what size piece; whether they will be for sale; etc., but the important thing to know is that we will have the trunk travel around Texas.  Suzan is looking for a spot in Houston; Heather is planning a site in Dallas/Fort Worth; I am committed to having the trunk in Austin in Sept. 2014.  More details will follow.
Website info - We went through the calls for entry listed on the SAQA site.  If you have not checked out the site; go to www.saqa.com then login (if you do not know or remember your login info, please contact one of the Reps).  Once you get to the Member Home Page, you can get to the SAQA Entries Info from either the Table of Contents on the left side OR the Quick Links in the body of the page.  Check it out!  There are several interesting exhibits being put together, including one for members who have NOT been part of a SAQA exhibit in the last three years.
Texas Blog - We also talked about the Texas Blog (http://saqa-texas.blogspot.com/).  Check it out if you have not visited lately.  We are working on a new feature - a Members Gallery.  We don't have all the bugs worked out yet, but some test pieces are up for sharing.  (We are using some new software and need to add identifying info, like the names of the artist and the piece, so it is not there yet, but it is coming along....)  Suzan Engler is the real moving force behind this, so say thanks next time you see her.  She has learned how to add a watermark, but we have not decided on whether that is the best way to go - it is a bit distracting.
I AM SAQA - Anyone who stopped by the SAQA booth in Houston may have noticed the "I am SAQA" postcards.  This is a new project that you will be hearing about.  SAQA is working toward making postacrds available to all members - so we can each have some advertising.  More will come directly from SAQA.
That's the rundown for now.  Hope to see you at one of our 2013 meetings!!!
Lynne Allen
NEXT MEETINGS:
I would like to set up the meetings for 2013 in advance.  So far I have 4 volunteers - Kim (New Braunfels); Sara (north Austin); Sherri (Lakeway); and me (south Austin).  It would be great to have a meeting or two in San Antonio.  In any event, it is time to let me know if you are interested in hosting, and when.  We meet either the first or second Saturday in January, March, May, July, September, and November.  The Saturday chosen depends on two things - holiday/conference schedules and the host's preference.  We will work out topics/activities with each host. Send me a note (lynne.esq@gmail.com) or give me a call (512 305 3278) to hold up your hand!