In the Gallery -- May 2011

ANGELS & EGGS with A SPLASH OF COLOR


As the Curator of the Library's Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery, I am often asked how I find the artists we feature. The short answer is - I find them wherever I go. Our current wall-artist is one example of how this works.

Indianapolis artist Sandy Ezell was a judge at the Indiana State Fair two summers ago and so was I. We judged children's art together with a third artist. When judging was over, we had lunch together and shared bits of our lives. She told us she was currently a practicing artist and teacher. My ears perked up! Back home, I looked up her website and wow! Did I ever want to share her work with our community. That was July 2009. Our first gallery opening was May 2011, but we made the deal…And here she is.

A SPLASH OF COLOR: Watercolor Paintings by Sandy Ezell is hanging in the Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery from April 29 to May 31st. Enjoy!

A native of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, Sandy first pursued a career in music, receiving her B.A. from St. Olaf College in Minnesota. After her children were in school, Sandy was looking for something creative to do that would fit in with her children's schedule, and found she was interested in watercolor painting. Since then Sandy has taken classes at the Indianapolis Art League and taken workshops from master artists around the country. Floyd Hopper, Marilyn Hughey Phillis, Maxine Masterfield, Al Briollette, and Barbara Nechis are some of her teachers. Sandy is presently on the faculty of the Indianapolis Art Center and teaches water media at the Watercolor Society of Indiana and Lawrence Community Education Program, J. Everett Light Career Center and demonstrates for organizational workshops for as requested. Sandy's husband Jim and a friend built a two-story studio for her right in her own backyard. Soon after the building was complete, Sandy began using the first floor for a custom framing business, leaving her painting studio to sitting high in the clouds overlooking a backyard flower garden and pond filled with bright orange goldfish to spice up the scene; most definitely a tranquil setting for artistic dreaming. A few summers ago, HGTV was filming for the show Our Place and called Sandy for an interview about her experimental water media techniques. Having only a few days notice, Sandy was ready and willing to do the interview right in her colorful garden. The segment introduced viewers to new ways to use watercolor.Always expanding her vision, Sandy is currently exploring new techniques in water media with a goal of allowing the viewer to become more involved in the painting. If everything is spelled out, it's only a one-sided conversation. By creating impressions and abstract areas, someone looking at the painting can bring their own experience to it and see something unique to them. Then the artist and the viewer have a more interesting discussion.

HELEN MILLIGAN'S EGGS & ANGELS by Nanette Kentner Helen Milligan's daughter

Helen Milligan's love of eggs started over 90 years ago! As a child she looked forward to decorating Easter eggs with her brothers, William and Emery Bunnell. She enjoyed the day after Easter even more when she could crack the shells and eat the hard boiled eggs, even though eggs were never her favorite thing. It was always the egg shell that fascinated her! After cracking open the colorful shells, she used the tiny fragments to create intricate mosaic patterns on paper. That was the very beginning of her life long love affair with the incredible, non-edible "shell of an egg"!

"Growing up with Helen Milligan as a mother was always interesting" writes daughter Nanette, who assumed all kids', grew up with creative mothers like hers. One day Nanette returned home from school to be greeted by painted life size carousel horses standing side-by-side in their tiny living room. Helen had spent the entire day painting them for the Psi Iota Xi Annual Charity Ball. Oil paints, pastels and water colors were as common on their dining room table as forks, knives and spoons were to most families. The sewing machine was always set up and ready to create curtains, slipcovers and clothes. Helen designed many matching outfits for her children. When Jackie Kennedy was in the White House, Nanette's Barbie doll sported exact replicas of the latest "Camelot" fashions. Once, Helen wanted a new sofa and her husband said "No". Imagine! Not to be stopped by a small disagreement, Helen pulled the old sofa out into the yard, mixed up a huge pot of Rit Dye, and guess what? When Helen's husband returned home that afternoon, there sat a "grand new" elegantly purple sofa right in the middle of the living room! Knitting, crocheting, sculpting and of course acting are just a few of Helen's varied artistic talents, but for her, the sweetest of these is egg decorating. She decorates mostly chicken eggs, but has used duck, goose, turkey and tiny quail eggs when available. Using manicure scissors, she cuts a perfect oval in each egg, empties the contents, yolk still intact and uses tiny paint and eyeliner brushes to paint the elaborate scenes inside each egg shell. Among Nanette's favorites is one of Helen's first decorated eggs when she used a feather shed by their parakeet, Gorgeous George. Helen's love of eggs further inspired her to create sculptured angels. With a basic cone and bent wire for the arms, a whole egg shell is placed atop the cone and vintage cloth dipped in a mixture resembling wallpaper paste is draped over the foundation. Tiny bits of lace, ribbons and beads add interest, but the egg faces are always left unadorned. One of Helen's angels was recently placed in the History Room at Wabash Avenue Presbyterian Church where the Milligan family has worshipped for many decades. Angels and eggs are often given to family and friends, but are never sold. At 95, Helen exhibited her latest painting "Flora" in the Downtown Art Exhibit last fall. It now hangs on the wall of her great-granddaughter's bedroom.

Author signing! -- Dr. Larry Williams

Dr. Larry Williams Will be here May 9th from 12pm to 3pm to promote his second novel: Vengeance is Mine

"Vengeance is Mine is the much- anticipated sequel to Larry Williams' first novel, Devil's Backbone. The story brings the reader back to Somerset where harassment, kidnappings, and murders become the focus of Police Chief Luke Johnson. The victims, the perpetrators, and the suspects are an integral part of this small town and force Luke to not only protect those who mean the most to him, but to question the integrity of some of Somerset's trusted citizens. The characters, action and tone of Vengeance is Mine all work together to make a first-rate tale." --Pat Berry

Sponsored by CDPL

The Language of Baseball

English like many languages has some colorful and unusual words. Many of these originated as descriptions for sports. None more so than baseball. Test yourself on your knowledge of these baseball terms.

Bean ball - a ball pitched directly at the batter's head, to force him back from the plate.

Bench jockey - a player or coach who taunts members of the opposing team from his place on the bench.

Blooper - a weak fly ball which falls beyond the infield and short of the outfield.

Cripple - ball pitched when the count on the batter is three balls and once strike, so called because the pitcher usually needs to "groove it" for a strike.

Duster - the pitcher's term for the pitch a batter calls a bean ball.

Rhubarb - an argument on the playing field, especially a noisy, vehement one involving an umpire and players from both teams.

Sitting in the catbird seat - sitting pretty, like a batter with three balls and no strikes.

Source:

Morris, William. Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins. New York: Harper & Row, 1977.

Dick Murray's Joy of Painting

Date: April 30th
Time: 9am to 3pm
Where: CDPL's Classroom
Cost: $50.00

Have fun learning the Bob Ross "Wet on Wet" technique!

Supplies needed (Only Bob Ross Supplies because they are specially made for the Bob Ross Technique)

• #5 Painting Knife
• 1 in Bob Ross Landscape Brush
• #3 Bob Ross White Bristle Fan Brush
• #2 Bob Ross Script Liner Brush (Sable)
• 16 x 20 in canvas (Med/landscape)

ALSO:
Wear something you can get paint on (and you probably will), roll of paper towels, and old rag, odorless thinner and a plastic or metal pail for cleaning brushes.

 

Feel free to bring a drink, snack, and lunch!

Sign-up at the Circulation Desk! Library sponsored!

Altered Books!

Altered Books/Art Journaling

Class offered by Linda Snyder
(Sign-up at the Circ Desk)



Date: May 7th
Time: 1pm to 4pm
Where: CDPL's Classroom

What to bring: Your own photos, recipes, and/or any memorabilia you want to incorporate into your project. Linda will provide everything else.

Cost: $20.00

Happy Birthday, William Shakespeare!

William Shakespeare (1564-1616), known now as the "Bard of Avon," was an English playwright and poet whose fame is international and whose works have been translated into every major language. Shakespeare was a well-known author in his own time, but it was not until the 19th century that his fame achieved a high level from which it has not descended. Who in America does not remember some obscure High School English class where one was "forced" to read a play such as Hamlet or recite one of Shakespeare's famous sonnets? If you didn't appreciate Shakespeare then -- and most of us didn't -- why not give him another chance today?

Check out Shakespeare's works @ CDPL!

After-Hours Genealogy Research

Want to do some genealogy after hours?

The Genealogy Club of Montgomery County will have one of its popular "After Hours Genealogy  Research" programs on Friday, April 22 from 5 to 9pm at the Crawfordsville District Public Library.

5:00 -- Pizza supper and Research -- no charge -- donations accepted toward pizza -- Donnelley room
5:45 -- Research in the local history and reference area, 2nd floor (no time limit on computers)
9:00  -- final closing

Advanced arrival {Before 5:00 pm) is required. Library is locked at 5:00 pm. Visitors are welcome.

Please confirm your expected attendance by Wednesday, April 20. 1-765-362-2242, Ext 118 or 624 or gen@cdpl.lib.in.us.

Queen of Free's Royal Grocery and Coupon Seminar

Queen of Free's Royal Grocery and Coupon Seminar!

When: April 16th from 9 to 11am
Where: CDPL's Donnelley Room

During this two-hour session, you'll learn some of the best grocery shopping strategies from me, the Queen of Free, a gal who rarely pays full price for anything and has a penchant for scoring things for free.

• Learn the best places to find coupons! There are so many more places than just the Sunday paper.
• Gain strategies for matching coupons to sales to maximize your savings.
• Find an organizational and time management strategy that fits couponing into your busy lifestyle. It takes minimal minutes out of your week (and can be multi-tasked).
• Discuss some basic shopping strategies to help you get the best bang for your buck.
• Think through some basic home management skills that could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
• Ask the Queen your most burning questions about home finance.

• Enjoy a fun morning, filled with humor, personal reflection, and of course some free giveaways from the Queen of Free herself.

Cost is only $12 and includes a Coupon Binder of your very own to take home at the end of the day!Become a Money Saving Lord or Lady in the Court of the Queen of Free where you can indeed "Daily Save Money and Get Something for Nothing." Looking forward to seeing you there so that together we can change our worlds one penny at a time! Sign up at http://www.queenoffree.net/ (Deadline April 10th)

Sponsored By CDPL

Happy Birthday, Charles Baudelaire!

Charles Baudelaire (April 9, 1821 - August 31, 1867) was a French poet, essayist, and art critic. He also produced the first translation of Edgar Allen Poe into French, introducing this notable American author to France. Baudelaire is best know for his poetry, however, and his most memorable work appeared in 1857, Les Fleurs du mal (The Flowers of Evil). Baudelaire was known for his combination of classic French poetry forms and meter with modern, everyday subjects. Many were critical of Baudelaire's controversial verse although it is generally granted that this poet helped pave the way for even more radical -- and liberating -- experimentation with French poetry.

You can find Baudelaire's most famous work, The Flowers of Evil, at CDPL.

Happy Birthday, Barbara Kingsolver!

April 5, 1955 is the birthdate for Barbara Kingsolver, This respected novelist, essayist, and activist graduated from DePauw University in 1977. CDPL has several of her fiction titles and her nonfiction book, Animal, vegetable, miracle: a year of food life.
She wrote her first novel while suffering from insomnia. Bean Trees was written from inside her closet when she was combating sleeplessness. It was enthusiastically received by critics when it was published in 1988. Her media break came when The Poisonwood Bible, a tale of Baptist missionaries in the turbulent 1959 Belgian Congo, was selected by Oprah for her book club.

Kingsolver says, "the power of fiction is that it creates empathy. If I write a novel, I'm inviting you into someone's life." Novels by Kingsolver at CDPL are Another America, The Lacuna, Prodigal Summer, The Poisonwood Bible, Animal Dreams and Bean Trees. The opportunity exists for you to come into someone's life at CDPL.

View Kingsolver works in the online catalog

Sources:
http://www.notablebiographies.com/

http://www.kingsolver.com/biography

Genealogy Club Meeting

The Genealogy Club of Montgomery County will meet on Tuesday April 12th at 7 pm in the Donnelley room of the library. Members of the Genealogy Club of Fountain County will present “Genealogy Club Membership Growth”. The public is invited!

Interested in joining the Genealogy Club? Call: (765) 362-2242, Ext 117 for more information or e-mail us at gen@cdpl.lib.in.us