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 Wednesday, February 17th will include Jeanette Long, J.B. Taylor and Debbie Darby.
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.
Jeanette Long – Papier Maché
As a child growing up in the farming community of Lemitar, New Mexico, Jeanette was greatly influenced by the simple charm and beauty of country life. When Jeanette was a teenager, she and her family relocated to the Brown County area and presently live in the country north of Brownwood.
Jeanette crafts many things from all types of wood, fabric, clay, dried and silk flowers, etc., but one of her great loves has always been miniatures. You can see in her home spun miniatures that her ideal is family and the quiet country life.
Jeanette’s “Farm Folks” dolls as well as the animals, the tiny vegetables, and all of the miniature props are patterned after the tradition handed down through generations of love for things “hand made.” Pictured above, is Long with several of her miniatures.
J. B. Taylor – Basic Sculpture Casting
In 1982, J.B. Taylor began his artist career in sculpture. In the beginning, he chose wood as his medium. Taylor became interested in folk art, sometimes called chip carving. His carving consisted of western along with Santas and religious themes.
Later in his life, he decided to move into casting some of his art. He moved into the broze, pewter, and cold casting, which became the way he did most of his work. J.B. transitioned into the area of stylized carving; however, he still does some casting on a limited basis.
Mr. Taylor owned and worked in his studio, “Tuff Times Gallery,” in Brownwood after retirement. He closed the gallery in 2003 and now works out of his studio at his residence.
Debbie Darby – Mixed Media
Debbie Darby’s art usually turns out mixed media and she would state that she is an “abstract/impressionistic experimentalist.” Definitely not a realistic painter, she states she leaves that to the gifted photographers.
The main components of Darby’s paintings, composition, value, and hue are secondary to her desire to express a sense of playfulness and a sense of joy. She tends to paint using bright color pallets and keep strong brush strokes.
“I love texture and the play time of developing an underpainting- beyond just using a paint brush. I create layers of marks and scrape into paints with charcoal, sticks, inks, crayons, cardboard and fingers,” explains Darby. “I enjoy adding things like string or egg shells, or hide images using papers, drawings or words that will make you look closer- to investigate the hidden or not so hidden messages within its layers. This is the joy of making art for me.”
For Darby, it is exciting when her art is purchased as part of an art enthusiast’s private home collection. She has commissioned artworks and was honored when she was awarded the People’s’ Choice Award at the Brownwood Art Associations 2013 Picasso Ole Show.
