Wire Sculpture - not as easy as it seems!

Katy and her creations


What a great time we all had on Saturday as artist Katy Haas showed us how she creates her intricate wire sculptures. Not only did she explain her process but she also challenged each of us to create a "simple" piece ourselves. Explaining that this process is largely one she developed on her own, she told us about the different wires and tools needed to bend and twist the wire into a recognizable shape. She works from her own designs, creating a contour drawing of the subject to use as a pattern for each sculpture. As her agile fingers make the wire conform to the pattern, it seemed so easy to get all the little shapes needed. But then it was our turn - we each had a pattern for a bear to work from. It became very obvious from the start that bending that wire to fit this shape was not so easy. Sometimes it seemed as if we were all thumbs, but we kept at it until amazingly the creature began to take shape. There was lots of laughter and excitement and sharing of the experience as Katy patiently worked with us individually to get the desired results. By the end of the hour we could all proudly display our little wire critter.

Thanks, Katy, for providing us with such a wonderful demonstration!
Cindy Ahrenkiel and friend


Beautiful work!

Two great events in one week!

Our two "Barbaras" really put on good programs this past week.

On Monday, Barbara Tobiska conducted a group critique - the first for this year and with record attendance. (Guess moving the critiques to Monday afternoons was a good idea judging by the number of participants.) We had fun looking at all kinds of artwork - from abstracts by Katy Haas to very painterly oils by Ann Mann and Linda Corn. Gene Smith had his usual "gallery" of pastel paintings along with some special watercolors and colored pencil work by others in the audience. There was even a very cherished "first" oil painting by Anita Lamprell of her new granddaughter. Barb started off the discussion with some of her excellent observations which brought forth comments from others. Members of the group stayed long after the critique finished as people wanted to continue the discussion.


On Saturday, Barb Benik took us through the process of creating notecards on the computer. This event filled up early on, with several disappointed people calling in at the last minute. Barb's very well organized presentation included two comprehensive hand-outs so everyone could follow along as she talked. With two moniters set up at the front of the room, she took us step-by-step through EVERYTHING - from what kind of digital camera to get, to how to download images, to ways to print the best image and finally to recommended sites in case you want to send your images elsewhere for printing. Boy, we couldn't have asked for a better or more informative presentation! As people left, remarks like "this was exactly what I'd hoped for" and "she really knows her stuff" were heard. The program started at 1:30 and was scheduled to finish by 3:00...but people were still asking questions until almost 4:00. There is definitely a huge request for a follow-up program.


Thanks to both our very smart and helpful Barbaras for sharing their knowledge with us.