High Cotton Arts bringing art to a slow simmer

It's sweet summertime, and High Cotton Arts in Athens isn't fighting the heat this year. Instead, the studio at 103 W. Washington St. is hosting Slow Simmer Sundays during July.

Community members are invited to spend a day out of their week unwinding at one of the four art classes hosted by High Cotton, which is part of the Athens Arts League.

There are classes for all ages this month, beginning with the Mommy and Me Class from 3 to 4:30 p.m. July 9 for children ages 2-5. Children and parents, grandparents or caregivers can spend time together working on a watercolor painting that will be matted to take home.

Artist and teacher Sonya Gordon said this is her first year to do a full class. She did a pilot class last year to see how it would turn out.

Children in the class will receive a coloring page and take-home projects. While the $20 class includes supplies and a snack, Gordon said parents can buy art supplies at Walmart for their children's take-home projects.

“I just wanted to get the little ones involved with art,” she said. “It gets them exposed to it early and they can get an appreciation for it. We want them to grow up and be art lovers and little budding artists.”

Gordon said five students have signed up for the class so far, and there are three spots left.

For those who want to kick off their week in a relaxed mood, the Mind, Body and Soul Creative Journey class at 4 p.m. July 23 combines light yoga and meditation with watercolor painting.

The two-part $30 class includes supplies and allows students ages 13 and up unwind physically with yoga and mentally through art, Gordon said.

She and Melissa Wright will work together to help students on an introspective journey.

“My therapeutic painting classes are an introspective journey where we search out questions within ourselves and find the answers through the process of painting,” Gordon said. “We discover attributes about ourselves and are able to translate those into a watercolor painting that is unique to ourselves.”

The theme for the session is Balance in Our Lives.

“We're going to try to make that the center of (the class) and build around it,” Gordon said. “The yoga gets you really relaxed and then you're in a good frame of mind to do the water color. They go together really well.”

To register, visit High Cotton Arts or email Gordon at sonyagordonfineart.com or at sonyasdesk@gmail.com.

Another art class for all skill-levels is the Summer Birdhouse class from 2-4 p.m. July 16, taught by artist and Coffee and Canvas owner Sanda Bishop. She will teach students ages 12 and up how to paint an 18-inch door hanger that features a birdhouse, flowers and bird. The $40 class, which includes art supplies and the wire hanger, is limited to 12 seats. To register, call Bishop at 256-777-5066 or email her at sandabishop@gmail.com.

For those interested in Native American Heritage, teacher Tina Swindell will teach a class from 3-5 p.m. July 30 on how to paint a horse with acrylics on an 11-by-14 canvas. The class is $35 and includes supplies, a snack and a performance by the Echota Cherokee tribe. Swindell said the class doesn't require previous painting or acrylic experience. To register, contact Swindell at 256-497-3838 or by e-mail at TinaS@pclnet.net.

Resource : http://www.enewscourier.com/news/lifestyles/high-cotton-arts-bringing-art-to-a-slow-simmer/article_ea62d808-6358-11e7-9737-0bdcd6e509f8.html

'John the Baptist' painting preserved for future generations

Parts of the 174-year-old canvas are brittle and it has started to come detached from the painting's wood frame.

But Chelsea Butrum came to the rescue over the weekend, carefully attaching fabric to the worn area to help the piece endure the effects of time.

The painting is "John the Baptist," created in 1843 by John Heyser, who built the home that is now known as the Mansion House Art Center in Hagerstown's City Park.

The painting measures approximately 4 feet by 5 feet and has been displayed in the lobby in the main hall entrance of the house.

But the plan is to move the painting to the second floor, where it will be safe from people bumping into it, center officials have said. Those standing on the first floor will still be able to see it at its higher spot, center officials said.

In the painting, John the Baptist is sitting by a waterfall clutching a cup full of water, and Lucy Ecker, a docent at Mansion House Art Center, said previously that she believes it represents "living water."

Butrum studied art conservation and is an artist, working in mediums such as watercolor.

On Sunday, Butrum had the painting out of its frame and facedown on the floor in a second-floor room. She was applying a heat-activated adhesive to the back of the painting, which allowed her to attach fabric to the back of the piece to strengthen it.

Butrum started her work Saturday, and after Sunday's efforts, she said she might have to return on another weekend to finish the project.

Butrum said it is satisfying to be able to work on a historical piece to ensure it will be enjoyed by future generations. Repairing such a painting puts one in the same frame of mind as the creator, she said.

"It's a very meditative, I guess you would say, process," Butrum said Sunday afternoon.

Chemical changes can occur in oil paintings, and it is important to keep them in a stable environment, said the 30-year-old Butrum, who recently moved her Studio Red. Cat. from Hagerstown to Baltimore. A proper humidity level is critical, she said, adding that the preferred level is 45 percent relative humidity.

The Valley Art Association, which is headquartered in the Mansion House Art Center, raised money to pay for the restoration, which totaled about $580.

Ecker, who was working at the art center Sunday, said it is unclear what inspired Heyser to create the painting. She said she doesn't know of any other existing works by him.

The painting, which had a small tear, was found in a city water department building, Ecker said.
Resource : http://www.heraldmailmedia.com/news/local/john-the-baptist-painting-preserved-for-future-generations/article_de481c5b-9b07-5817-9d9a-f086b19be76d.html