ART CLASSES START AT SENIOR CENTER

On July 12 Laura Stoner taught the first beginner's painting class at the Jackson Senior Citizens Center. The class is ongoing and will meet between 10 and 11 a.m. Thursdays at the center.

Stoner made it easy, simplifying the process by translating the images to draw or paint into alphabet shapes or number shapes.

"Anybody who knows their alphabet and numbers can draw," Stoner said. Observing lines and shapes and then identifying them with a letter or number shape is the key.

When explaining how to draw a rose, Stoner pointed out from the model in the book how she sees a flattened out "s."

"I made this kind of s' in kindergarten and my teachers didn't like it, but I'll let you do it if you make a rose," Stoner said.

It is this kind of encouragement that helped her students excel.

The class then moved onto brush strokes, using foam plates for palettes.

To teach the principle of making a "heavy stroke," Stoner told participants they must put the brush all the way down on the paper and pull across.

Stoner added that to make a "light stroke" they should "barely touch the paper."

The trick seemed to be in controlling how much paint was on the brush and how the painters handled the brush.

The hard one to paint is a "fine line every time," she said, adding that painters needed a steady hand for this.

Crosshatching is achieved by using this method and is used for shading, creating centers of flowers and barn roofs.

One stroke that mostly all qualified for was the "wavy one" used for water. It comes easily if painters have an unsteady hand. This is accomplished by using a dry brush and drawing wavy lines with the paintbrush.

Some students began "blending" at the end of class. This wasn't on the agenda but happened quite by accident.

The next lesson, Stoner said, required painters to make the material they intended to paint on, ready.

"If you don't have a special object you'd like to paint on, paper will be provided," she told seniors.

Doris Jones, a student who has had previous painting experience, is ready for next week with a hand saw in front of her work area.

Jones said, "I've painted on circular saw blades and hand saws before, as a hobby, and given them to my brother, nephew, niece and children."