Art lovers of all ages may view the Stars of Texas Juried Art Exhibit February 5-17 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.

 

Thursday’s Artists: 

1. Paige Shelton: A native Texan, Paige claims the East Sweden community in Brady to be her roots. She enjoyed her exposure to Germany, Virginia and Hawaii with her father’s Air Force moves, though she is grateful most of her years were in Texas. She was fortunate to have grown up in a home with a pastel portrait artist, Ebba Adkins, who has always been the “best encourager.” Paige graduated from the University of Texas in Austin with a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in studio art. She became a co-owner of Westbank Pottery and Gallery in Austin where she had her studio for several years. Her work has evolved from predominately hand-built stoneware to wheel thrown functional, decorative and some sculptural work. Paige has taught at St. Stephen’s School in the summers along with several other teaching opportunities. She worked as a production potter and designer for Nettlebed Pottery in String Prairie for a couple of years and then focused on her own work. She has her own pottery studio near her home in the Lost Pines of Bastrop County. The studio, Paige Pottery, is built from native Texas timbers with some straw-baled walls covered in stucco. It houses the car kiln that Paige and her husband Ray designed and built. Paige continues to custom design pottery and market her works through juried arts and crafts shows and some selected shops.

2. Betsy Johnson: Betsy has been the art teacher at the Boys and Girls Club of Brownwood for 18 years. She will be demonstrating “Fun with Sharpies” this year at the Stars of Texas Juried Art Exhibit. Betsy has been called “The Queen of Abstract” for many years. She is known for her unique and unusual drawings and doodling since the 70’s.

Betsy grew up in McCamey, Texas, where she started taking art at age 9. She learned oil painting, watercolors, sketching, and pen and ink. Later, while living in Odessa, she took classes in oil, rub out, and dimensional Indian pottery. She was a member of the Odessa Art Association for many years and designed paintings for wood and metal to display in American Handicrafts stores. She also served as a judge in the art department of the Permian Basin Fair in Odessa for many years. Her handprinted shirts, hats, cow skulls, and rocks were sold in shops at Sonora Caverns, Odessa, Cloudcroft, and Ruidosa.

Betsy later moved back to McCamey and opened the Blue Moon Art Shop. She taught 30-50 students a week from McCamey, Rankin, and Crane there for 22 years.

She moved to Brownwood in 1998 and began her work at the Boys and Girls Club in 1999. She enjoys painting on gourds, pumpkins, rocks, saw blades, wood, clothing, etc. She and her art students hand draw and color all the Veteran’s goody bags that go to the Brownwood and Bangs nursing homes. They also design and send numerous military cards and letters, an activity which rewards both the young people and the receivers by helping all to feel special.

Betsy loves teaching young people because “They are so fun and excited about art and learning new things.” She adds, “There is so much talent that we need to bring out. Art is rewarding and therapeutic” and can help make you a better person.

3. Ginger Test:  Ginger is a professional artist. She has been sharing her love of watercolor and drawing with both adults and children since 1982. She conducts weekly classes in her studio in Abilene on Mondays and Tuesdays, and at Kay’s Garden in Coleman on Wednesdays. Twice a year she conducts workshops in the Davis Mountains, the Texas Hill Country, and in Colorado. Ginger is available for new workshops, lectures, and demonstrations for art groups.

Galleries throughout Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado have exhibited her work. Currently her paintings are available at Raul Ruiz Gallery in San Angelo.

In 2015 Ginger was chosen Artist of the Month by the Abilene Creative Arts Club and the Fine Arts League of Coleman. She also did demonstrations for Abilene Creative Arts Club, Abilene Woman’s Club, the Brazos West Art Association, and the Comanche Art Club, as well as the Stars of Texas Juried Art Exhibit in Brownwood, where she is always excited to work with the school children.

ARTISTS DEMONSTRATION SCHEDULE FEBRUARY 2017

• Monday 6

1. Jeremy Serna: Manipulating Acrylics And Color

2. Billy Edwards: Air Brush

3. Thomas Pettengill: Photography

• Tuesday 7

1. Paula Vaughn: Pastel By Paula

2. Jacque Rider: Paper Mache

3. Kathryn Jones: Hands And Feet On Art (clay)

• Wednesday 8

1. Susan Stepp: Zentangle

2. Claudette West Womack: Pastel Painting

3. Lark Terry: Soap Making

• Thursday 9

1. Paige Shelton: Pottery

2. Betsy Johnson: Fun With Sharpies

3. Ginger Test: Watercolors

• Friday 10

1. Paige Shelton: Pottery

2. Ken McFarlane: Verdaccio In Oils (Monochromatic Underpainting)

3. Kenneth Dees: Portraits In Acrylic

• Monday 13

1. Sandra McSwain: Pastel Sketching (Portraits)

2. Julie Mize: Cyanotypes (Photographic Printing Process)

3. Tom Orsak: Plain Air Painting With Acrylics

• Tuesday 14

1. Ted And Martha Shelton: Texas Wild Flowers

2. Kerry Boutell: WatercolorBatik

3. Robert Stacks: WoodAndPaperArt

• Wednesday 15

1. Jeanette Long: Paper Mache

2. Suzanne Starr: Caligraphy

3. Christopher Gaston: GeometricArt

• Thursday 16

1. Tony Brown: 3-D Techniques In Acrylic

2. Frank Griffin: Wood Carving

3. R.J. Barnett: Watercolors