Art Sampler Class Set for December 4

Jenni Long

Calling all beginning or exploring artists! The SaddleBrooke Fine Arts Guild is pleased to announce another opportunity to take part in its next Art Sampler class on Thursday, Dec. 4, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Topaz Room in the Arts & Crafts Center at MountainView Country Club. The class time includes one hour for lunch on your own.

Art Sampler classes are offered several times a year, and there’s always a waiting list! That’s because it’s so much fun to experiment with a variety of mediums and artistic effects, such as drawing, watercolor, pastel, collage, and alcohol ink. Best of all, you’ll receive personalized help from experienced artists who are standing by every step of the way.

Join us, especially if you think you don’t have any artistic talent. This is a comfortable, relaxed, and fun environment with no pressure to perform. This class is uniquely designed for those who think they can’t become an artist. It’s also a great way for practicing artists to explore other mediums without investing in new supplies, and you’ll take home a variety of completed projects to share with friends and family.

To register and pay for the class, visit the Event Calendar on the guild’s website at www.saddlebrookefinearts.org. The fee is just $25 per person, which includes all supplies. If you have any questions, contact Karen Brungardt at kekb67@gmail.com.

SaddleBrooke Fine Arts Guild Sponsors Open Studio Tour on November 14 and 15

Jenni Long, SBFAG President

Members of the SaddleBrooke Fine Arts Guild (SBFAG) are opening their homes and studios to sell and showcase their art on Friday, Nov. 14, and Saturday, Nov. 15, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.

The artwork includes paintings in oil, pastels, acrylic, and watercolor; collage; photography; lapidary; metal smithing; woodworking; jewelry; fiber arts; and so much more!

Come and meet the artists where they work and experience their journey. This is the perfect opportunity to shop for the perfect gift for a friend or treat yourself to a beautiful art piece for your home.

Invite your friends and make a day of it, as the MountainView Bar and Grill will be open for breakfast and lunch for your convenience.

Maps and information will be available at the SaddleBrooke TWO clubhouse at 38735 S. Mountain View Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85739.

For additional information and directions, visit www.saddlebrookefinearts.org. Make it a date with creativity. See you there!

Artist Spotlight: Jenni Long

Tracy Nelson

Jenni Long has been a member of the SaddleBrooke Fine Arts Guild for the past 12 years and has served as secretary, treasurer, and is currently the president. She enjoys the close friendships she has developed through the guild, the opportunity to mentor other artists, and the variety of classes that she has taken over the years. “All of the guild members have been supportive in the years that I’ve been a member. The biggest benefit I got from classes was permission to begin putting paint on canvas. I often had a hard time starting to paint.”

Jenni had “always explored creative endeavors and crafts, but I never considered myself an artist.” After retiring from her work as a photographer in Columbus, Ohio, Jenni moved to the Big Island of Hawaii. “In Hawaii, I started taking a series of art classes. I started with watercolor as a medium, and because I was painting representational works, I quickly learned that I needed to take a series of drawing classes and other basic foundational classes.” She explains, “I was painting for fun and still did not consider myself to be an artist.”

In 2008 she moved to SaddleBrooke. She had experienced an earthquake, and she decided that she wanted to live somewhere without natural disasters where she could golf year-round. In SaddleBrooke, she continued her art journey. “By this time, I was ready to try a new medium and even a new style. I have always been drawn to bright colors-particularly the red, orange, and yellow hues. I also loved abstract work with soft, flowing, blended edges, but I didn’t know how to begin. So, I took a class through the guild.” She discovered that she “loved the freedom of working in acrylics. It was fun, easier than working in watercolor, and much more relaxed.” Jenni explains that color is often the driving force in her work. She keeps a color wheel out all of the time, and she’s constantly referring to it. “As I develop a painting, it begins to take form and sometimes ends up quite different than what I originally imagined.”

Today, her work is exhibited at Absolutely Art, she participates in the annual Art Show at SaddleBrooke, and is excited to participate in the Open Studio Tour in November. In addition to painting, Jenni and her husband golf three or four times a week. She also plays bridge and delivers papers for the Saddlebag Notes. She has traveled extensively and has been to every continent but Antarctica. Some of her favorite travel destinations are Rome, Paris, and New Zealand. She has a son, a daughter, a step-daughter, eight grandchildren, and one great-grandson.

If you are interested in learning new art skills and meeting others in the art community, please join the SaddleBrooke Fine Arts Guild. The calendar of upcoming classes, information on membership, and descriptions of upcoming events can be found at www.saddlebrookefinearts.org.

The Wacky World of Salvador Dali, Part 1

Dona Ferry

I remember as a child seeing a painting by Salvador Dali. I asked my mother if clocks could melt. She explained to me that artists paint whatever they imagine. I told her that I did not like the painting or Dali. I am now quite impressed by his art and the symbolism in it.

Mark your calendars for Oct. 15 and Nov. 19 for a two-part presentation on the life and art of Salvador Dali.

Suzy Syrauss and I will present and facilitate the Art Salon both months. Part 1 in October will focus on his life as an artist and his wife’s influence on both. Part 2 will be a discussion of his art and the symbolism he incorporated into his art.

Salvador Dali was born on May 11, 1904, nine months after the death of his older brother, also named Salvador Dali. His parents told him he was the reincarnation of his older brother. This would haunt and influence Dali for the rest of his life. He made a point of putting himself out into the world as an eccentric person and a surrealistic artist. He certainly got noticed. Dali was at once an artist and a work of art himself.

All Art Salon gatherings take place in the Topaz Art Room at the SaddleBrooke TWO Art Center. The Salon meets every third Wednesday September through May from 10:30 a.m. until noon. Hope to see you there!

Fall Art Classes

Tracy Nelson

There are many new classes and new instructors this fall! Consider signing up for an art class and explore the new options. The SaddleBrooke Fine Arts Guild is a nonprofit organization that provides a wide range of classes to build or enhance the skills of artists at all levels of experience. All classes are located in the Topaz Room at the Arts & Crafts Center adjacent to MountainView Country Club. Membership in the SaddleBrooke Fine Arts Guild is only $25 per year and includes many benefits and activities. Guild members also enjoy a discount on class fees. Visit the Topaz Room display case to see art from our featured members and teachers. Visit the Guild’s website at www.saddlebrookefinearts.org for convenient online registration and payment. Be sure to check the event calendar often, as new classes are added weekly.

Beginning Watercolor, by Karen Brungart. 1 to 4 p.m. on Thursdays, Oct. 9, 16, 23, and 30, for a total of four sessions. Always wanted to try watercolor? Need to refresh your skills after time away? Want to try something new? In this four-week series, you’ll learn about brushes, paper, pigments, composition, washes, layering of washes, and so much more! Each week will introduce a new technique while building on previous weeks. Bring your own supplies or get them at the class for a supply fee of $50.

Acrylic Flow Pour: 3 Techniques, by Theresa Poalucci. Saturday, Oct. 18, 9 a.m. to noon. Learn how to flow acrylic paint onto canvas to make contemporary art pieces in the colors that you choose. Students will learn how to mix the paints to get them to the proper consistency to pour. Each student will have three canvases to work on and will learn three different techniques.

The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity Book Study, facilitated by Deb Kresnicka. Mondays from 1 to 2:30 p.m., Oct. 20 through Dec. 29. Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way books have a way to help you reconnect with those parts that seem to have drifted away. In this book study, you will explore questions such as What do you love? What changes do you want to make in your life? Do you want to be with like-minded people? Do you want to feel alive again? Do you want to be aware of the beauty in your life? Do you want to be writing daily as a source of personal awareness?

Animal Collage Beginning and Intermediate, by Deb Kresnicka. Saturday, Nov. 1, 9 a.m. to noon. This class covers creating a stencil of a favorite animal and a sheet of various strips of papers. The stencil can be placed anywhere on the back of the paper and cut out with an X-ACTO knife. These can be used in many ways as you find more than one out of the page and plan a collage or greeting card. It is fun finding your color palette and cutout pieces of different widths.

Mixing Colors in Oil Painting, by Becky Easton. Tuesday, Nov. 4, 10 a.m. to noon. Learn how to get the colors you want for your painting. Make them brighter, darker, warmer, or cooler to enhance your values.

Let’s Paint Flowers! by Karen Brungardt. Saturday, Nov. 8, 9 a.m. to noon. Flowers can be easy, or flowers can be complicated. How about in this class you learn easy ways to paint watercolor flowers? Great for making your own cards or small paintings for yourself, family, or friends! We’ll do a variety of flowers in this class, and anyone can learn to paint these types of blooms!

Let’s Paint Trees, by Karen Brungardt. Wednesday, Nov. 12, 1 to 4 p.m. In this class, we’ll paint a variety of different skies in watercolor, from simple to more complex! Supply fee is optional and is for those who don’t have watercolor supplies. The optional supply fee is $10.

Let’s Learn Scratchboard, by Karen Brungardt. Wednesday, Dec. 3, 1 to 4 p.m. Scratchboard is an interesting way to do art. You’ll learn to use instruments to remove what you don’t want from the board to create the picture. When it’s done, you’ll learn how to colorize it! You’ll get the scratchboard, pigments, and instruments to use in class from the instructor.

Paint a Hummingbird at the Art & Wine Event October 21

Jenni Long

Register now for the next Art & Wine event, sponsored by the SaddleBrooke Fine Arts Guild, which is set for Tuesday, Oct. 21, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Activity Center (64518 E. Galveston in SaddleBrooke One). Join your SaddleBrooke friends and neighbors to complete a beautiful hummingbird in acrylic while enjoying a sack supper and sipping on wine or water.

For just $49 per person, you’ll get an enjoyable evening, which includes your art supplies, an apron, food, and two glasses of wine. The instructor and several guild helpers will guide you every step of the way to make sure you have a fun and memorable experience.

Upon arrival, you can expect a lively room filled with your friends and neighbors, a relaxing beverage from the “bar,” and a chance to mingle and chat before finding your favorite seat. As you finish eating, don your apron and study the pencil drawing on the canvas. A tray of acrylic paints appears, and off you go with step-by-step instructions.

These fun evenings fill up fast, so register today at www.saddlebrookefinearts.org (click on Event Calendar and locate Art & Wine on Oct. 21).