Mural Project at the Animal Shelter

Justin Larson was selected for his design proposal to the Sierra Vista Arts and Humanities/Cochise College posting of a mural project on the water collection tank located at the new Animal Shelter. Justin's proposal is called "Raining Cats and Dogs" with reference to the animals of the shelter and to the water tank's collection of rain water. The site of the mural is out back of the Animal Shelter on a water collection tank.

Edie Manion, member of the Sierra Vista Arts and Humanities Commission was the chair of the Mural Project is also a member of the Huachuca Art Association proposed to the HAA Art Classroom Students to assist Justin with his mural project. How could they pass up an opportunity to work with a mural artist on a real outdoor mural site. Justin then visited the HAA Art Room with  his design and showed the students how they could participate in his design. His design included dogs and cats with umbrellas blowing around the water tank with one big dog under an umbrella. The students produced their own animal with an umbrella. Justin then demonstrated how to make a actual sized stencil to cut out and would be taped to the water tank before painting.

On the painting day at the Animal Shelter, Justin had the stencils already taped up and the students spent the morning painting their contribution to the mural. After they were done everyone took the tour of the new Animal Shelter facilities.

Student Art Show, August 6th - 29th, 2010

The Art Gallery is now collecting art work from any student who has taken art classes at the Gallery/Art Room.  You students out there, go through your collection of art work on all the projects we have done this year and pick 3 of you best and favorite ones. Also see if you have your own art work you have done this year to see if you want to include them in the art show.

The art work for any art show needs to be framed and ready to be hung. That means it needs a frame and possibly a mat inside the frame and some art needs to be in a frame with glass. The hangers on the back are the eye screws and wire or the frames with a hanging devise attached. The Art Room has a supply of donated frames that may work for your art so bring your work in to see if we have something you can use.

The procedure for entering your art work after you have chosen your 3 pieces, framed them and readied them for hanging is to bring them to the Art Gallery (3818 Astro, Hereford) on Thursday, August 5th from 9am to 12 noon. There you will fill out an entry form for each of your pieces. Then the work will be hung for all to see.

Each art show has a special time to gather friends, family and other artists to celebrate the show. The Student Art Show Reception will be on August 7th from 4pm - 6pm at the Art Gallery. All the artists who have art work invite people to come and see the show and have something to eat and drink.  Be thinking of who you can invite to come and celebrate your showing and send them an invitation.

At the end of the show (August 29th) the art work is taken down and you are required to come in and pick them up.

Again, bring you art work in if you need help with the framing.

Buttermilk Painting Project

Main ingredient for this project is BUTTERMILK, yes, buttermilk from the dairy isle in the grocery store. Other things needed include pieces of muslin material , and chalk pastels for coloring. That's it!
Having all materials gathered, pour the buttermilk in a bowl, yes it's cold and smelly, you can even taste it. You may or may not like it but when used in making pancakes and other baking things, it is very good. But for now we are going to scrunch up the piece of muslin cloth and submerge it into the bowl of buttermilk. Swish it around to get it thoroughly wet, take it out of the bowl, squeeze out the excess milk. It should be just not drippy but very gooey wet. Spread the cloth out onto the table and smooth out the wrinkles, make sure there is still a good layer of milk over the surface of the cloth.

Next comes the fun painting part. Use the chalk pastels to draw and color your art into the milk. The chalky pastel should melt when it gets wet and makes a gooey color to play with. Most of the time you will want to not mess with the color you are painting but sometimes it looks good to smooth and blend with your fingers. Remember messy is fun! I find that drawing a border design around the art is a very colorful way to finish the art.

When satisfied with you art, peel the cloth off the table by holding onto the corners and lift. Carefully lay it on a card board or layers of paper and lay it out in sun to dry. Once dry, you can iron out the wrinkles with an iron and a pressing cloth. And in order to seal it, painting or spraying a coat of clear acrylic varnish is recommended.

Summer Art Sampler Camp

What a summer blast of creativity went on in the Summer Art Camp at Cochise College. There were four fun packed days of nothing but art stuff. We drew, painted, and constructed projects every day. The most challenging part were the paper sculptures and construction projects. Although getting messy was fun too with the painting we did with buttermilk. By the end of the camp we were ready for a pause but eager to continue doing artsy projects so the HAA Art Classes are continuing the summer arts on Wednesday afternoons. From 1 - 4:30 pm the Art Gallery/Art Room will be open for drop in students to come and choose a project to work on and Sherry will be on hand for instruction and assistance. Call or come in for a 'look/see'.

Mural Project Update
The HAA Art Class students have been invited by Justin Larsen, artist/muralist to assist in his mural at the Animal Shelter. He will be presenting his project to the Art Class this Wednesday, June 23, at 2 PM  All students are invited to participate. Come by the HAA Art Gallery on Wed or contact me for more info.

After Justin's introduction, we will sketch our contributions to the mural and make the patterns we will use when we spend the day actually painting on the mural. Saturday, June 26th is the painting day. We get to paint on a water tank at the Animal Shelter.

Sherry

Hello Artists and Parents of Artists! Here are some news items from the Art Room:

1. Mural Project - we have been invited to assist Justin Larson paint a mural at the County Animal Shelter. First introduction lesson is WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 1:00-3:00 PM AT THE HAA ART GALLERY/ARTROOM. 3818 Astro Lane, Hereford. (see website for directions). Then on SATURDAY, JUNE 26 9:00 AM AT THE ANIMAL SHELTER ON HWY 92 (will have directions), we will paint until to hot and plan other times to finish the project. Call Sherry for more info and sign-up 775-304-5684 (cell) or leave message at 520-304-1078.

2.Open Art Class - I have several art projects set out every Wednesday 1:00-4:00 pm at the HAA Art Gallery/Art Room. Call for more info.

3. Student Art Show - I am collecting artwork you have done this year, in our art classes or camps, or some you have done as a results of what you have learned. The work needs to be framed and ready to be hung. If you need assistance with framing come in on Wed afternoons for a consult and some framing supplies. The deadline for entries is Thursday, July 29 from 9:00am to 3:00pm at the HAA Art Gallery/Art Room. 

4. The June Artwork students have done in the Art Room and the Summer Art Sampler Camp is to be posted on the Artsonia.com site on July 1st. Because if I do it now they will disappear on June 30th the end of their school year, if I wait until July 1 your artwork will be on the page for the whole next year for friends and family to see. Sneak peak of a sample of artwork is posted on the HAA Face Book page.

5. New Website and Fall Class Schedule - CHECK IT OUT!

Announcing new Website

I have published a web site just for my art work and the art classes I provide at the Huachuca Art Gallery, located south of Sierra Vista, Arizona in Hereford. On the web site there is a catalog of classes for all ages and at various time of the week. If someone wanted a special class and different time, just contact me at: sherryharig@yahoo.com. The student artwork page is still under construction because it will take another day to upload it all. Go look at the site and sign up for a class!