Thursday, November 6th, the Brownwood Art Association’s First Thursday will feature the works of the People Painters art group. The event will be held from 6-8 p.m. at the Art Center, located at 215 Fisk Avenue and is open to the public. Works of participating artists, past and present, will be exhibited.
The People Painters originated with the late Maureen Stewart, long-time chair of the art department at Howard Payne University. In 1980, Stewart organized a weeklong workshop she called “People Painters,” where participants, each using his or her medium of choice, painted portraits of live models. The format was so popular that members decided to continue meeting after the workshop concluded.
It is probably safe to say that Stewart never imagined that, thirty-four years later, local artists, some of whom were in the original group, would still be meeting weekly to paint portraits of volunteer models from the community.
Local artists Brenda Shaw and Martha Middleton are two of the early members who still paint with the group today. Others involved originally were Mary Cadenhead, Claudia Stubblefield, Rita Bettis, and Sue Thierman, in addition to, of course, Stewart. Ima Gem Queen and Bernice Jones were also early participants.
“From the time the group formed in 1980, there have been only short periods of time when the group did not meet to paint,” said Sandra McSwain, another longtime member, “but those times have been rare.”
McSwain has been credited by others in the group as one of the reasons they are still painting today, often securing a model and sending emails to keep members informed.
Over the years, the group has met at First Christian Church, Brownwood High School, and First United Methodist Church; they currently paint from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday afternoons at the Brownwood Art Association Art Center.
Members have changed too, but the format has remained the same. A Community volunteer serves as the model, and the People Painters paint or draw – with pastels, acrylics, watercolors, oils, charcoal, etc. All skill levels are welcome.
Local artist Judy Kirksey remembers when she first began going to the People Painters’ sessions. “Everyone was very welcoming and generous. I have learned a lot from them and I still don’t hesitate to ask for advice about my painting.”
It is that sharing spirit that seems to be one of the hallmarks of the People Painters.
“We learn from each other techniques about different ways to handle all sorts of mediums and how to avoid common mistakes, and to share what new products are on the market,” Middleton said, “but most of all we enjoy each other’s company and have fun painting.”
Having a live model is another reason the group continues to thrive.
“Painting from life is so much more exciting that from a photograph. It’s fun to talk, view each other’s work and practice drawing and painting on a regular basis where improvement is likely,” said member Denise Sommer.
With sessions lasting only two hours, completing a finished polished portrait is not the goal of the artists.
“It’s a process,” McSwain said. “We are less focused on the product than on the learning, and we are all still learning after 30 years.”
The First Thursday event is a great opportunity for the community to see some of the works of these dedicated artists. Members of the group are gathering paintings by past members, in addition to their own, to hang in the exhibit. While portraits will be the focus of the event, other types of paintings, such as still-lifes and landscapes, will also be included.
The People Painters exhibit will also be open for public viewing on Saturday, November 8th and 15th from 1-3 p.m.; Sunday, November 9th and 16th from 1-3 p.m.; Tuesday, November 11 and 18th from 6-8 p.m.; and Wednesday, November 12th and 19th from 1-3 p.m.
Membership in the People Painters group is free and open to all. Anyone who would like to become a member or who might like to model for the group, is encouraged to contact Sandra McSwain at 325-646-8704.
