The Stars of Texas Juried Art Exhibit opened on Sunday, February 7th and will continue through February 19th with many talented artists from across the state offering demonstrations alongside the art exhibit. Demonstrations scheduled for Thursday, February 18th will include Sandra McSwain, Nathalie Kelley, and Bill Shields.
Demonstrations will be presented from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on weekdays at the Depot Civic and Cultural Center in Brownwood. Artists will show visitors how to use a variety of different media as well as share interesting techniques.
Sandra McSwain – Pottery
Sandra McSwain will demonstrate throwing techniques using stoneware clay (pictured left). Throwing is a term used by potters to describe the process of making pottery with use of a pottery wheel. She will demonstrate the basics of throwing pottery for beginners to a technique used by production potters called throwing off the mound/hump.
Throwing off a large hump of clay is a very effective way of working for clay artists who mass produce pottery; it allows them to make many small pots or bowls very quickly. The entire hump does not have to be centered all at once. There is no need, as each section will be centered separately. Centering the entire mass is an unnecessary strain on the wrists and arms.McSwain received a B. S. degree from Howard Payne University with a major in Art Education and is a retired public school educator. She is primarily a two-dimensional artist who paints in oils, pastels and acrylics.
Nathalie Kelley – Poured Watercolors
Nathalie Kelley is a full-time, award-winning artist. Her watercolors have won many awards and her work was recently accepted into the Western Federation of Watercolors Show. With a heart to promote art and the love of art she belongs to several art organizations. She is a Signature Member of Artists of Texas, former president of the West Texas Art Guild, a member and board member of West Texas Watercolor Society.
Kelley’s art ranges from watercolor realism to abstract compositions. Mostly self-taught, much of her art background comes from the heritage of artistic parents and grandparents. She grew up watching her parents paint beautiful landscapes in oil. One of her earliest memories is the making and selling of her artwork. At age 5, she took a handful of her art around her neighborhood. To her delight she sold every piece.
In her youth most of Kelley’s art work was in oils and primarily landscapes, but in the 1990s she was captivated by the beauty and challenges of watercolors. Her internationally collected art work graces numerous businesses, homes, offices, and churches. Her commissioned works include various murals for private and corporate collections; portraits; silk flags for worship celebrations; and the illustrations for several children’s books, “The Little Lamp,” “It Happened One Day in Texas,” “Zombie Meatloaf,” and “Student’s Book About Creation.”
“I love color and the play of light and shadows. I also love collections and especially collections of old things. I am drawn to rust and reflections,” explained Kelley. “The challenge of using watercolor to create realism captivates me. It is easy for me to get immersed in the process of seeing beyond the surface.”
Kelley and her husband, Joe, live in Snyder, Texas. She teaches watercolor, acrylic and mixed media at WTC – College on the Square in Snyder. She offers workshops and painting classes to assist others in their own artistic expression.
Kelley will be demonstrating the basics of pouring watercolor.
“The observation of values is important as I layer multiple layers of masking fluid and watercolor, one on top of the other,” explained Kelley. “Whatever medium I use, my hope is that my art will inspire you, bless you, encourage you, or simply just make you feel good. With all my art, I want to ‘SHOW forth the praises of Him who called me out of darkness into His marvelous light.’ (1 Peter 2:9)”
Bill Shields – Oil Painting
Bill Shields was born in Coleman County and lived in Novice before his family moved to Comanche and Hamlin. He graduated from Garden City High School. Art and creating art has always been a part of Sheilds. As a child, he was immediately drawn (pun intended) to the beauty of our natural world. “I could just sense the connection to me and the Creator,” he said.
Mostly self-taught, Shields has taken art classes from several gifted artists such as Ann Templeton, Doug Prine, Tom Lockhart, John Phototschnik, Dan Brown and Dalhart Windberg. He has given numerous art class demonstrations in drawing, painting, and sculpture for youth and high school students.
“I think art is one of human’s highest achievements, and with art our lives have meaning and purpose,” Shields said.
