July 2026 General Meeting

General Meetings, Information, Shows & Competitions July 16, 2026

Our July 2026 General Meeting will be on Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Strawbridge United Methodist Church, Room B165
5029 Kingwood Dr., Kingwood, TX 77345
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Meet and Greet
7:00 p.m. Meeting begins
Finish by 8:45 p.m

Demo Artist for July is Michael Mazzaferro – Weaving

Michael Mazzaferro is one of our newest members, with some very interesting and unique art hobbies.

Samuel Mazzaferro is a fiber arts enthusiast, most recently his focus is with pine needle basketry and passementerie button making, and he never turns down the opportunity to learn a new fiber art. Learning traditional arts fuels his second passion of learning about cultures and how their unique arts are carried on in the modern world. Professionally, Samuel has worked as an ethical hacker for over a decade, providing threat emulation and operator training for networks and customers around the world. As a lifelong student, he’s excited to share some of what he’s learned with anyone willing to listen to him ramble.

Pine needle basketry is a coiled fiber art with deep roots in Native American culture. Pieces are made by bundling needles into a small gauge and stitching them together in a spiral pattern using waxed thread, animal fiber, or raffia. Patterns are made by changing thread color, stitch pattern, or by weaving in beads or spaces in between and on top of the rows of pine needles. Artisans make baskets for nearly any form or function, from traditional baskets and bowls to jewelry and elaborate sculptures. In our area, the art of pine needle art is carried on by the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas and the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, where artists continue to produce, sell and teach the craft.

LSAG Art Show Winners – 2026

The following members of our group won awards at June’s LSAG Art Show:

Bonnie Butler, “Max”, 2nd Place, Division II, Watercolor
“Out of the Dark”, Honorable Mention, Division II, Pastels
“Pretty in Pink”, Honorable Mention, Division II, Pastels
“Roadmap of my Life”, Honorable Mention, Division II, Drawing

Ricardo Gonzales, “Sound of Silence”, 2nd Place, Division IV, Oil/Acrylic

Greg Livingston, “Lichtenberg Lullaby”, Honorable Mention, Division I, Experimental

Joel Salmons, “Caretaker”, 2nd Place, Division I, Pastels
“San Antonio Mission Trail”, Honorable Mention, Division I, Pastels
“Waiting for the Call”, Honorable Mention, Division I, Pastels

LSAG brings in members from art clubs all over southeast Texas, and the competition is pretty tough. So we are extra proud of our people for doing so well! Congratulations to each of you!

June 2026 General Meeting

Artwork Displays, Creative Challenge, General Meetings, Information, Shows & Competitions June 11, 2026

Our General Meeting for June will be on Tuesday, June 16, 2026

Strawbridge United Methodist Church, Room B165
5029 Kingwood Dr., Kingwood, TX 77345
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Meet and Greet
7:00 p.m. Meeting begins
Finish by 8:45 p.m

We have a new meeting room, in the new section of the church. For this month, enter through the Main Sanctuary Doors, and follow the hallway to the left, down the corridor, and into the new building. Take a right, and our room is the last on the right.

June Agenda –

We do not have a Demo this month, instead we are having creative time with fellow artists and friends. Bring your current project, bring Show & Tell, Tips & Tricks, and bring questions for an art focused Q&A!

Dues

We are accepting Dues for the upcoming year (September-September). We are now offering Zelle as an option for paying your dues. It should be very easy, and won’t involve the fees charged by PayPal. So, going forward, we will accept only cash, check or Zelle for payments. Ask us if you have questions.

Dues are $40 for the summer until September 1st.

Look Book

Consider adding yourself to our Look Book! With an up-to-date Look Book we can approach potential local display locations to show our work to more people. Write a short artist bio and send 4-5 high-res pictures of your art to sheilabucchinoart@yahoo.com.

May 2026 General Meeting

Artwork Displays, Creative Challenge, General Meetings, Information, Shows & Competitions May 14, 2026

Our General Meeting for May will be on Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Strawbridge United Methodist Church, Room B165
5029 Kingwood Dr., Kingwood, TX 77345
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Meet and Greet
7:00 p.m. Meeting begins
Finish by 8:45 p.m

Note that we have a new meeting room, in the new section of the church. Enter through the Office entry, like normal, take a right down the hallway until you come to the last set of doors on the left. Enter through the doors and follow the hallway around to the right. B165 should be the last door on the right. See the building map below.

Our Demo Artist for May is Tetyana Aleksenko – Pastels

My name is Tetyana Aleksenko, I am an award-winning artist who paints mostly in soft pastels and oils. I am specializing in seascapes, florals, and portraits. After a 20+ years carrier in a biomedical field, I became a full-time artist in 2022, and enjoy every minute of it.  I have served as a President of the Pastel Society of Southeast Texas since January 2025 and as a Board Member of DEGA international Art Association since 2025. I am an Associate Member of The Pastel Society of America and an art instructor who teaches classes and workshops in The Woodlands and surrounding areas since 2023.

Also at This Meeting:

We will formally install our board members for the coming year.

Creative Challenge submissions are due. Theme: Wisdom or Hope, interpretation of one of these words

Art Call Submission Deadline Approaching

The deadline for entering the LSAG June 2026 art contest is Midnight, May 24, 2026. If at our recent Art Show and Competition you won a ribbon for Best Of Show, First, Second, Third, or First Honorable Mention, you are eligible to enter LSAG’s first in-person competition in six years! It will be a three-day event. The link for instructions for entry is here. Don’t miss your chance!



Winners of Our Spring 2026 Art Contest

Information, Shows & Competitions April 20, 2026
“Out of the Shadows”
Pastel
by Bonnie Butler
Best o Show

Our Winners Are:

Division I
Category A – Oil/Acrylic
1st Place – Le Reve, Peggy Steup
2nd Place – Modern Mayan, Linda Hamilton
3rd Place – Tribal, Linda Hamilton
1st Honorable Mention – Gentleman of Paris, Peggy Steup

Category B – Water Media
1st Place – Cesky Krumloff, Peggy Steup
2nd Place – Franciscan Gardens, Peggy Steup
3rd Place – Prague Old Town Square, Peggy Steup
1st Honorable Mention – Prague City Garden, Peggy Steup

Category C – Pastels
1st Place – Caretaker, Joel Salmons
2nd Place – Waiting for the Call, Joel Salmons
3rd Place – San Antonio Mission Trail, Joel Salmons
1st Honorable Mention – Migrations, Joel Salmons

Category D – Drawing
1st Place – Lakeshore, Greg Livingston

Category E – Mixed Media
1st Place – Fish Tank, Linda Achard
2nd Place – Walk in the Way, Linda Hamilton
3rd Place – And Another Thing, Linda Hamilton
1st Honorable Mention – Wild Hair Day, Ettie Pate

Category L –
1st Place – Land of Enchantment (diptych), Sheila Stoll
2nd Place – Lighthearted, Sheila Stoll

Category M – Wood
1st Place – Music Box, Greg Livingston

Division II
Category A – Oil/Acrylic
1st Place – Shrimp Boat, David Kent
2nd Place – Esme, Carol Showalter
3rd Place – Buffalo Dream, Carol Barnhill
1st Honorable Mention – Soul of the Deer, Carol Barnhill

Category B – Water Media
1st Place – Max, Bonnie Butler
2nd Place – Garden Club, Elena Gonzales
3rd Place – East End Hike, Suzanne Chapman
1st Honorable Mention – Morning Glow, Belize, Suzanne Chapman

Category C – Pastels
Best of Show – Out of the Shadows, Bonnie Butler
1st Place – Pretty in Pink, Bonnie Butler
2nd Place – Dancing With the Light, Bonnie Butler

Category D – Drawing
1st Place – Roadmap of My Life, Bonnie Butler

Category E – Mixed Media
1st Place – Echoes of Tyrol, Elena Gonzales
2nd Place – Pining for Magnolias, Amy Conroy

Category F – Photography
1st Place – Cornfield in Mexico, Julissa Gonzales
2nd Place – Lady in the Lily, Julissa Gonzales
3rd Place – Spotted on a Sunflower, Julissa Gonzales

Category G – Digital Art
1st Place – East of Deerwood, Carol Showalter

Division III
Category B – Water Media
1st Place – What IS It?, Jenny Cooper
2nd Place – What are YOU?, Jenny Cooper

Division IV
Category A – Oil/Acrylic
1st Place – Sound of Silence, Richard Gonzales

Category E – Mixed Media
1st Place – Metamorphosis of the Bluebonnet (triptych), Patricia Redman

Category H – Abstract/Non-Objective
1st Place – Anxiously Awaiting Your Arrival, Patricia Redman

Category O – Experimental
1st Place – Frida Kahlo – I Have Wings to Fly, Patricia Redman

Division V-ES
Category E – Mixed Media
1st Place – Goldie, Elizabeth Haynes
2nd Place – Butterfly Garden, Elizabeth Haynes

Category G – Digital Art
1st Place – Dylan’s Stop, Charlie Haynes
2nd Place – Just Add Water, Charlie Haynes
3rd Place – Mimi and Papa’s, Charlie Haynes

Category J – Studio Fine Crafts
1st Place – Shawl

Division V-MS
Category D – Drawing
1st Place – The Words That Made Her, Helen Stoll

Category I – Sculpture
1st Place – Poseidon’s Chair, Helen Stoll


Congratulations to all our Winners!

You have made us proud!

Your achievement makes you eligible to enter the Lone Star Art Guild 2026 Show.

The LSAG Art Show (the first in-person show in six years!) will be at Lone Star Beckendorf Conference Center, 30555 Tomball Pkwy, Tomball, TX 77373

The way you enter your work is through Art Call.

Entries are already being accepted! Entries open April 19 and close May 29.

You will need to sign a release form when you drop off your art on June 11.

Dues & Board Election

Artwork Displays, Creative Challenge, General Meetings, Information, Shows & Competitions April 20, 2026

Membership Dues

LHAA is coming to the close of the main season, heading into our summer program, which will be creative time with fellow artists, Q&As, and possibly workshop type activities.

Our new season kicks off in September 2026, and that means that we will begin taking dues for next year at our General Meeting tomorrow, April 21st.

This year, we are offering an early bird discount for adult memberships, dues will be $35, instead of the normal 50$. Early discount will end on May 31st. In June, dues will still be discounted to 40$. When September starts, dues will increase back to the full amount $50. Student memberships will remain at 10$.

How to Pay

We will be glad to accept payment via cash, check or ZELLE. Please note that we’ve removed the option to pay through paypal. If you wish to ZELLE your dues to us, you can do so by using our email address lakehoustonart@pm.me. Please write DUES 2026-2027 in the comment box. If you wish to send a check, please email us for the address, as we no longer use the P.O. Box

Board Elections

We will also have our board election and installation at our May General Meeting.

President: Kristin Dumas
Vice President: Sheila Stoll
Second Vice President(s): Amy Conroy, Joel Salmons
Secretary: Becky Hall
Treasurer: Greg Livingston
Parliamentarian: board