Austin Art Center to host several classes

By Herald staff (Contact) | Austin Daily Herald

Published Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The Austin Area Art Center, Oak Park Mall, will present surrealistic art by Scott Brennan and Mic Stowell.

The exhibition opens Wednesday, April 29 and continues through Sunday, June 28. The public is invited to a reception in their honor from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 3. There will be no tax on purchases made that day.

Brennan is a professional painter originally from Austin, but who now lives in Ely, Minn. Brennan was inspired by his older brother and high school art teachers to pursue art at the college level. After graduate school, the Walker Art Center purchased one of his paintings.

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts invited Brennan to exhibit on several occasions, which was near the time he worked there as an exhibition technician; subsequently, he painted large landscape murals for the 1996 and 2003 period rooms.

He has since painted the backdrop mural for the large beaver dam wetland display while working for the Superior National Forest.

He currently works there as a biological science technician.

Stowell is a ceramic artist who resides in Sartell, near St. Cloud with quite a number of professional exhibits to his credit.

His educational background includes a master of fine arts degree from the University of Minnesota; a master of arts degree from St. Cloud State University; and a bachelor of science degree from St. Cloud State University.

Stowell is an art instructor at Brainerd Community College.

New classes

Among the upcoming classes at the Austin Area Art Center are:

• Working with Oils with BJ Haugstad. The artist will hold classes in oil painting April 30, May 7 and May 14 from 6 to 9 p.m. each day. The Munsel Value Chart will be used, and the use of grays will be demonstrated as Haugstad paints.

There is a supply list available at Austin Area Art Center.

• Beginning Watercolor with Barb Cafourek.

Ages 15 through Adult, May 2, 9, 16 from 10 a.m. to noon. Materials, color and color mixing, washes, brushwork, positive and negative painting and color lifting will be covered. Artists should bring a pad of watercolor paper, which can be purchased at Staples for minimal cost. All other supplies will be covered by the supply fee. Deadline to register is Saturday.

• Intermediate/Advanced Watercolor Class, Saturday, May 23, from 10 a.m. to noon and 1-3 p.m. The instructor is Jim Wegner. Explore the basics of watercolor landscapes. Create a dramatic sky and atmospheric background for the subject selected to paint Saturday, June 6, from 10 a.m. to noon and 1-3 p.m.

Watercolor resist painting for dramatic texture effects. Artists will select their own subject. Class size will be limited to 10 participants.

Bring a collection of pictures taken, such as trees, landscapes, rocks, flowers, travel photos, etc.

A suggested supply list will be available.

All artists attending an Austin Area Art Center class are advised to use the rear door for the classroom.

For more information, call 433-8451 or e-mail aaacoil@smig.net.

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