Let's talk SMAC!
January was a month of re-evaluation for me and for SMAC--what worked, what didn't, what priorities should we keep and what needs to change. We shared our thoughts with the membership at the annual meeting last weekend. And I'm sure those who attended went home with a new vision and understanding of SMAC's goals for the year. Hopefully, some will even want to volunteer. (If you are interested in becoming more involved, click VOLUNTEER and fill in the form.)
Personally, last month I looked at my priorities to ensure they each carried the same weight as they did last year. Some I rearranged. "Me" moved up in my priorities this year. I've always felt guilty taking time out for me. I know many of you are the same way. I'm always doing for others and when I'm not, I feel like I should be. Yet, the older I get the more I realize that my "well" needs to be filled to the brim and flowing over for my giving and volunteering to be as effective as I want it to be. I still want to volunteer and be there for others, but if I'm tired or stressed out it affects everything around me and I have less energy to give. There has to be a balance.
There should never be any guilt when we take time for self-care. It is a necessity, so should be one of our top priorities. When we are taking care of our needs, the benefits trickle down into all the other things we do. Having fun and socializing is a major part of self-care. What better way than to take a relaxing, fun art class with a group of art-minded friends or acquaintances. SMAC is offering two new painting classes with Peggy Dyke this month. A class with Peggy is always fun, social and educational. Check out the details below.
You could also come down to the SMAC Art Center to spend some relaxing time creating. We have lots of art supplies for you to play with. The classroom space is open for members' use any Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 12:30-5 p.m., whenever a class is not in session. What do you like to do for self-care?
We added two new members last month. Join me in welcoming LaDonna Greiner, D.J. Jensen, Jan Johnson, Shelly Malicoat, Alexander Tabor and Kat Weltha Welcome, welcome, welcome. We are so glad you joined. Also renewing her membership, Michelle Szabo. We appreciate you all.
Thank you all for being a part of SMAC. We can't do this without you! So now it's time to grab a cup of coffee, sit back and let's talk SMAC!
--Lynnette Horn
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At a Glance...
"You're too Emotional"
Solo Exhibit by Jessica Lowe
February 2-24
Opening Reception for Exhibit
February 2, 6-9 p.m.
Artist Talk: Jessica Lowe
February 2, 7:30-8 p.m.
"Winter Hue" Landscape Painting Class
with Peggy Dyke
February 15, 12:30-3:30 p.m.
Figure Drawing (18+)
February 16, 7-9 p.m.
"Wolf Song" Animal Painting Class
with Peggy Dyke
February 22, 12:30-3:30 p.m.
Cosplay Figure Drawing
February 27, 7-9 p.m.
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Facebook Page for Class or Event Additions
Scroll Down for Details
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SMAC's Fifth Annual Members' Show proved a Fun Night
Although the weather was cold and wet the opening night reception for the SMAC Members' Show was well attended. Lots of people came out and artists caught up with other artists. It was such a fun night. This was the best Members' Show we've ever had. Mediums included oil, acrylic, photography, watercolor, felting, mixed media, fabric, graphite and ink. So many amazing pieces. Every year you all out do yourselves and I'm blown away with all the talent in our midst. Thank you all for participating. Now it's time to start planning for what you are going to create for next year's show. And if you didn't participate this year, plan out your time to submit for next year. The members' shows are some of SMAC's best and the receptions are so much fun meeting other members and artists.
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SMAC will host Jessica Lowe in Solo Show
In its upcoming art exhibit, SMAC will be featuring the work of Jessica Lowe in You’re Too Emotional? The exhibit will run from February 2-24 at the SMAC Art Center gallery on historic Downing Street in Hollister. An opening night reception will be held Friday, February 2, from 6-9 p.m. Both the exhibit and reception are free and open to the public. Attendees may view the exhibit, tour the private studios and enjoy complimentary refreshments. The Vintage Paris Coffee kiosk will also be on site.
Night Out with an Artist starts opening night at 7:30 p.m. Jessica will explain her methodology and answer your art questions. Be sure to stick around for it.
“I create from a place of emotion,” Jessica explained. “The creativity helps me process what I am feeling.” Her work in the show will encompass a variety of genres—oil, acrylic, watercolor, ceramic and needle felting. She employs the use of allegory to communicate the emotions of each piece. Jessica uses allegory in her art to provoke thought and reflection. Check out my interview with Jessica below.
Each month during their exhibits, SMAC highlights one of the many local non-profit organizations that serves the area. This month SMAC is drawing attention to House of Hope, which offers services to the homeless in the Branson area, including a warming center for freezing nights. They connect their clients to resources so they can make positive changes that will move their lives forward.
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Jessica Lowe paints Emotion in Metaphors
I caught up to Jessica Lowe last weekend to discuss her upcoming exhibit and her art in general. Jessica is a fulltime artist, a wife and a mother of two but that isn't what she started out being. Like most of us she has always loved creating art but didn't think she could make a go of it as a career. So instead, she studied art education for grades 1-12. After graduating college, she taught high school art.
"All the time when I was teaching, I took on commissions," Jessica said. "I told myself that when I had enough income from commissions, I'd quit teaching." It only took her four years. She quit teaching in 2018 and hasn't looked back since. Commissions keep growing and have been the bread and butter of her art business.
"I'm all over the place," Jessica said about her art focus. She creates in oil, acrylic, watercolor, felting, ceramics, graphite and charcoal. Pieces from each medium are included in her exhibit. Her art is easily described as whimsical realism, thought-provoking and emotional.
"When I'm emotional or hung up on a thought, I create," she explained. That's why she chose emotion as her theme for her show, You're too Emotional. "I use a lot of metaphor and symbolism," she added. "I don't want it to be a cliche or on the other end of the spectrum, too obscure. I want the metaphor to be relatable." Jessica pulls her family into the decision process to ensure her metaphors are relatable. After she brainstorms ideas to represent the emotion or thought she wants to convey, she hands her list of possibilities to her family--husband Jeremy and daughters Willow and Olive-- to go over. "They have veto rights, even the kids." she said. "It gets them involved in my art,"
As another pillar in her art business, Jessica creates stickers. She sells them at Mocha and Meows and at Apple Tree Mall where she has a stall. She also has a sticker club for sticker enthusiasts and sometimes sells on Facebook. She's always looking for ways to create passive income from her art through stickers and merchandise. With as many commissions as she does, life is stressful. "It's hard to find the balance," she said. Jessica hopes to eventually pull away from commissions and concentrate on instructional videos, which would leave much more time for her family.
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Learn to paint a Winter Hues with Peggy Dike
Learn to paint a wonderful wintery landscape at Peggy Dike’s Winter Hues painting workshop on Thursday, February 15, 12:30-3:30 p.m. Peggy will demonstrate how to use the brushes and acrylic paints and will lead you step-by-step to complete this wintery scene by the end of the workshop. You will be amazed at how much you can accomplish. Whether you are a beginner or an intermediate painter you’ll come away with more skills to add to your painting arsenal. You’ll not only learn Peggy’s techniques, but you’ll leave with a deeper understanding of value, shadow and principals of design. The fee is only $55, but thanks to a grant from the City of Hollister Parks & Recreation Department, Hollister residents’ fee is only $27.50.
With Peggy’s step-by-step instruction you will be able to complete this painting during the workshop using a quick wet-on-wet technique. A 11”x14” canvas, paints and pattern are provided, along with brushes to use during the workshop. Sign up online at www.smac-art.org.
About the Instructor: Peggy has been an art instructor for more than 30 years, teaching acrylics, oils and graphite drawing. She loves sharing her passion and knowledge for art with others. Her own art has a unique western style, depicting animals, Native American life and cowboys. When Peggy isn’t painting or teaching, she is raising and training horses on her and her husband’s ranch in Nixa.
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Join a Fun Night of Drawing Cosplayers
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The next Cosplay Figure Drawing event will be February 27, 7-9 p.m. It is always the fourth Tuesday of the month, unless notified of a cancelation. If improving your drawing skills is on your to-do list, this event is for you. Each session, a model comes dressed in a different cosplay costume. Poses are timed, starting off with short periods in the beginning to get you warmed up, then, poses gradually get longer so that you have time to focus on details. Of course, you don't need to be a gamer or a comic fan or cosplayer yourself to enjoy Cosplay Figure Drawing. It's a perfect way to learn to draw clothed figures in a plethora of poses.
Practicing drawing with a live model also creates muscle memory so that your skills improve and helps your mind translate three dimensional objects into two dimensional representations. This can't be learned by practicing from photos. This family-friendly drawing event is perfect for all ages, though we ask that children be supervised by an adult. It's also a safe zone, where you can explore drawing without feeling intimidated by more experienced artists. Everyone who wants to learn how to draw has to start somewhere, even if it is stick figures. What better way than in a safe, encouraging environment. I hope you'll join us. A $10 donation to help cover the cost of the model is encouraged but not required.
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Wolf Song Painting Workshop with Peggy Dyke
Wolves are a popular theme in southwestern art. There’s something inspiring about wolves freely running through the woods and howling at the moon. Capture that essence of freedom and joy while learning to paint Wolf Song, with Peggy Dyke on Thursday, February 22, 12:30-3:30 p.m. With Peggy’s step-by-step instruction you will be able to master this painting in just three hours using a quick wet-on-wet technique. This lesson is suitable for beginner and intermediate artists alike, so don’t be intimidated. Even if you have never picked up a paintbrush, by the end of the session you will have a finished painting suitable to hang in your home. The class is $55 per person, which covers everything you will need, including a 20”x16” canvas. Thanks to a generous grant from the City of Hollister Parks and Recreation Department, Hollister residents only pay half ($27.50).
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Artists meet and greet at the Fifth Annual Members' Show opening night reception.
Left to right: Bruce Emeric and Joeaux Robey share photos of their art.
Julie Zetina chats with Joel Neff, while Dante Neff looks on at opening reception.
Left to right: Pastor Barry Kolb speaks with Anthony Hunter and Jimmy Tucker at the opening reception.
In the corner Mary Swanger shares a story with Mary Evelyn Tucker (left) and Mary and Trig Arneson.
Zachary Fitz next to his piece for the Members' Show. I really like his style.
Happy students pose with their art and their instructor Peggy Dyke (center).
Art students from Peggy's Highland painting workshop display their work.
Valerie Clark fills in as the model for Cosplay. The actual model slipped on ice and couldn't make it in. Way to go Valerie for stepping up. Four made it through the ice to attend.
SMAC members create "round-robin" drawings during the Annual Membership Meeting.
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