Local Specials
(2009-05-17)
"Egg and Turtle" by Carol Heath
"I've never had any group ever that excited about their work being shown and being in public," says Linda Cox, owner of New Copperfield's Book Service on the courthouse square. "I'm thrilled to be a part of it."
The display is the first-ever show featuring artists from the McDonough County Special Recreation Association. The SRA provides programs and services to those with disabilities and special needs.
The art show was done with help from the Macomb Park District, which hosted art classes at its Lakeview Nature Center. The half-dozen people in the classes did weaving projects in February, watercolors in March, and they worked with clay and pottery in April.
One of the watercolors shows a duck swimming in Spring Lake. Artist Daniel Bath says he was inspired to paint it "...because it makes me feel a lot like a duck swimming in the lake."
Artist Carol Heath says she sketched her pieces in light pencil, then added the watercolor paint. "Colors are pretty," says Heath. "And I like to use a lot of them in the pictures so it really stands out and is colorful and is not so boring and drab."
Heath hopes she will be able to take part in more art classes. "I really enjoyed that painting class. It was cool," says Heath. She hopes to one day paint near the Mississippi River.
The exhibit will remain on display in New Copperfield's art gallery until Memorial Day weekend. Cox says she's enjoyed hearing reactions to the show. "I've had a bunch of artists and a couple photographers come in," says Cox. "And they've commented about how fresh it is."
SRA's Kathy Morse says the organization hopes to hold more art classes next year. Cox says if they do, she hopes to once again display the pieces created. © Copyright 2012, wium
