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!

LAC Co-Op Meeting

The Co-Op members had a short meeting Wednesday at the Gallery to discuss upcoming changes in the next year. In anticipation of increased expenses for next year, Kathy has been doing her usual creative thinking and has developed a Member’s Wall within the classroom area at the gallery. This wall will be available for rent to members wanting to display their work..what an exciting idea! Sort of like a personal gallery! It’s available for viewing now, so come take a look. The first members’ exhibit will be up soon! (See the exhibit area to the left and right of the photo)


As Co-op members we will be hanging more work in less space, so there will be some interesting changes when the gallery items change in October!

We are also beginning to think about the fall and winter activities, so Kathy is asking for donations to our Green Rack at the rear of the classroom area plus items for the ever-popular gift baskets for the holiday season. Keep your eyes open for great things to donate!

I am woman...hear me roar!

All the ladies attending the August 20th luncheon stood a little taller after hearing the presentation from guest author Charlotte Waisman about her book "Her Story - A Timeline of Women Who Changed America". This well informed and entertaining speaker presented many stories of women who made an impact on American history - both big and small. Some are relatively unknown but their accomplishments were great. Do you know why Lane Bryant first created her line of clothing? Or who the woman was who identified the HIV virus? Along with co-author Jill Tietjen, Charlotte has created a chronoligical order of women and their achievements in a largely pictoral format. Not only did we hear about these interesting people, we learned how the book came into being, how the two women met, and the problems they faced in getting their book published. Many of us bought an autographed copy of the book to take home and enjoy - but it can also be found at your local library. The feeling was this book should be part of the school curriculum and would make a perfect gift for any young woman starting college.

The delightful afternoon included the usual delicious lunch and time to relax and enjoy a conversation with friends.

Children's Exhibit Brings in the Crowd!

This show just keeps getting better every year. We had a huge crowd at the opening reception on August 11, attended by proud kids, parents, grandparents and friends! They were all having such a good time and the excitement was contagious. Both floors of the gallery were filled to capacity with folks even congregating in the parking lot. And the show is worth all the attention. If you want to lift your spirits and get your creative juices flowing, be sure to stop in and see this wonderful exhibit of colorful dragons, flying people, carefully formed pottery, interesting cartoons, colorful paintings and sensitive charcoal portraits. A special thank you to Jim Olsen and the City of Lakewood for bringing this very special show to our gallery.

A Garden Party! by Ann Quinn

The Best


This spring Kathy Berls asked if I’d like to help with a garden party get- together involving lunch and crafts at the gallery. Always up for pretending I’m back in kindergarten, I said sure! What fun we had today! A small group of eight had a wonderful lunch, thanks to Kathy (salad, sandwiches, fruit tart, and her famous chocolate pie for dessert)...and a little wine, too (I never had that in kindergarten!) We each had a clay pot to decorate and a garden hat to embellish, using a huge table of every add-on imaginable: feathers, paint, bees, bugs, nests, birds, butterflies, ribbon, raffia, glue, fabric, chalkboard paint…well, you get the idea…With lots of talking we all set to work ...what fun! You can see the results: creative pots, (there was a take-home plant to put in each pot), and a best hat contest, which we narrowed down to three winners…they were all too original! To accentuate the hats, we all painted our fingernails to match! Even Kathy got over her “I don’t do crafts” and made a pot and a hat worthy of prizes! And Barb Tobiska created a hat to match her summer green outfit! We all agreed that we should have a garden party again…perhaps embellishing birdhouses? Look for details later…

Posing Pretty!


Going to Pot(s)!

Hats! The Whole Gang

Aurora Artists Guild Exhibit

For the month of July, we are pleased to welcome the members of the Aurora Artists Guild to our Art Center for their annual member's exhibit. The show is colorful and diverse, showing the wide range offered by this group of approximately 75 members. The opening reception, held on July 10 was fun and well attended. You could tell this group enjoys each other and is very supportive of everyone's work. Under the good organizational direction of chairman Andi Sahlen, the show was installed with ease and the reception was a fun event. Andi often exhibits her beautiful digital photos in other LAC Exhibits. Her husband, Dan Fyles is the featured artist during the show, exhibiting a collection of his fanciful mixed media paintings on the community wall downstairs. Be sure to stop by to see the exhibit before it closes on August 5.

July Member's Breakfast - A Fun Party!

Well, no-one's ever said that the members of the Lakewood Arts Council don't know how to have fun! The recent member's breakfast was no exception as members and their guests gathered for a delicious breakfast provided by the LAC Board. People were greeted at the door by LAC Vice President June Davis and Board Member Warner Reeser. Their warm welcome set the tone for a fun and friendly morning of lively conversation, event updates and the always popular games. One game tested everyone's powers of observation - Leslie Bitgood proved the best at solving such challenging questions as "Name as many things as you can find in the classroom that are green" (everything from a green sponge to a green roofed birdhouse) and "How many things can you find that start with the letter B" (this included everything from Barbara to boobs!). New friends were made and old ones renewed. We're looking forward to our next gathering on Saturday, July 23 - a garden themed party and luncheon. We plan to decorate garden hats, paint colorful pots...and even paint our fingernails an assortment of wild colors. Plan to join us!