Brownwood News – Art lovers of all ages may view the Stars of Texas Juried Art Exhibit February 10-23 at the Depot Civic and Cultural Center located at 600 E. Depot in Brownwood. Show hours are Monday-Friday from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm, Saturday from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm and Sunday from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm.
Artwork that did not make the Stars of Texas Art Exhibit will be featured in the Salon des Refuses at the Brownwood Art Association Art Center, located at 215 Fisk Street during the above hours.
Demonstrations will also take place each day during exhibit hours from a variety of artists. There is no charge to enter the exhibit or attend the demonstrations.
Friday’s Artists:
- Ebba Paige Shelton has been the heart and soul of Paige Pottery for over three decades, but who’s counting?
Paige began studying art at an early age watching her mother paint portraits live in her home studio and paint beautiful landscapes all over central Texas & Hawaii as they traveled with Paige’s father’s as a career USAF pilot. As a young girl born in the East Sweden area of Brady, she enjoyed the country life of their grandparents ranch, graduated from kindergarten in Germany, lived in Virginia for a few years and then moved back to Texas, all because her father was called back into service during the Korean war.
Paige continued her interest in art and received a BFA from UT as she was so inspired and motivated by her ceramics and sculptural classes to move into a new direction with three dimensions. Paige joined with a group of potters and made a business partnership at Westbank Pottery in Austin for many years, launching a career that took her to shows, galleries and teaching all over Texas and elsewhere. Her artistic, colorful and detailed porcelain and stoneware is a pleasure to use and enjoy. Paige enjoys teaching and inspiring young and old. Watching other artisans and participating in workshops has always brought her inspiration. She and her husband Ray still live and work in their Bastrop County acreage near Bastrop State Park, even though her pottery building itself was lost in the worst fire in Texas history, the Bastrop complex fires of 2011. She wants everyone to know what a valuable experience the children in this community have with the opportunity to view excellent works of art in the exhibits at the Depot and to watch artisans demonstrating each day.
2. Ginger Test is a watercolor artist. Although she has done oil, acrylics, and pastels, her real love is the challenge of transparent watercolor. She occasionally does textile painting and watercolor techniques on silk and is an avid photographer with photos of scenes from Hawaii to Washington, D.C., and Maryland to the Gulf Coast. She was chosen as Artist of the Year 2014 by the Creative Art Club of Abilene, Texas, with many more current awards..
Ginger’s love of art dates back as far as her memory. Before starting to school, she was filling a 5-cent drawing tablet with her sketches every day. At the age of six, her great aunt, who was a great artist, encouraged her by giving her a small set of oil paints. Her high school art teacher encouraged her to major in art in college. She was fortunate to have had four years’ instruction from him. He was very strong on drawing and perspective – a great teacher! Other noted artists she studied with are Mike McCullough, Jon Birdsong, J. Robert Miller, Boyd Graham, and Tom Lockhart (Colorado artist).
While a junior in high school Ginger and a friend, Vickie Thompson, (now Clark, who is now a professional artist), painted a mural in the front office in the school. It was a landscape with oak trees, cattle and wildflowers. She painted posters for organizations and churches – the most current are the ones made for the Cantatas at First United Methodist Church, Coleman, Texas.
At Hardin-Simmons University, Ginger had a double major in Art and English. However, she didn’t finish her degree because of love. She quit school to marry Terry Test and they have been married fifty-seven years! He is a strong supporter of her work. They lived in Abilene until moving to Novice.
Ginger immerses herself in her love of color and design whether the subject matter is floral, landscapes, animals, churches or Western art. She is well-known for her paintings of hummingbirds. Once she received a letter addressed to “The Hummingbird Lady, Novice Texas”!
Ginger has been teaching art to adults and children since 1982. She loves to share her skills with young and old alike. She has taught workshops throughout Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, and Oklahoma. She now teaches weekly classes in Abilene and Coleman. Twice a year, Ginger teaches a workshop in Mason, Texas Hill Country and in spring and fall in Alpine in the Davis Mountains. Every year a trip is made to South Fork, Colorado, in September to teach the “Colorado Gold” week-long workshop at the Cottonwood Cove resort.. Ginger has paintings in homes and businesses throughout the U.S., Europe, and Japan. She has had many solo shows and has won some prestigious awards in National Juried Shows. Galleries in New Mexico and Texas have shown her paintings. She currently has paintings at the Raul Ruiz Gallery in San Angelo.
Mrs. Test is a well-known lecturer and demonstrator and does art programs and demos for art clubs and the “Stars of Texas” art association of Brownwood. A few years ago, she painted a desert scene on muslin (11.5 ft. x 22 ft.) for the Cattle Baron’s Ball in San Angelo. It was used on the stage behind country/western singer Neal McCoy and his band. The work has also been used in Christmas programs on the river walk in San Angelo; on stage at the West Texas Rehab dinner in Abilene, and at Eula High School graduation.
Current Activities: Oct 2016, Artist of the Month, by Abilene Creative Arts Club and The Coleman Fine Arts League. 2017 activities, Stars of Texas demonstrator, Alpine and Mason workshops, Abilene Creative Arts Show, San Angelo Kendall Art Gallery Show, prize winner, Midwest Artists Guild Miniature Show, Artist Choice and honorable mention, Abilene Art Walk on site demonstrator, June, Artist of the Month with paintings displayed at Cypress Street Station in Abilene. Many workshops and demos are in the planning stage.
“I have been so blessed to be able to do what I love as my ‘job’. Over the years I have made so many good friends through my travels with my art. I am very thankful that God has allowed me to experience this in my life”.
