Art class discusses possible projects

About an hour after the class was supposed to start, students began entering the room to join the three already waiting.

The Friday painting classes at the Golden Hour Senior Center usually start on time, but when there is a public breakfast sometimes food is more important than art.

While Viola Espinoza, Shirley Okerson and Gloria Gulp were waiting for the others to arrive, they chatted about art projects they had been working on throughout the summer.

Espinoza said she noticed her ceramic elves looked pretty worn out and faded, so she decided to refresh the elves appearance with a new coat of paint. She also repainted their eyes, lips and cheeks. She told the others the elves now look as good as new.

The ladies also discussed crafts they saw in other resident's yards.

For example: one yard in town has old bowling balls painted to look like lady bugs. The ladies at the class thought this idea was an excellent one because the balls wouldn't blow away in the Wyoming wind.

Another idea the ladies discussed was how people were gluing old unwanted glass plates, cups and saucers together to make them look like butterflies. These butterflies were then glued to big stakes and placed in flower beds or gardens. Gulp said she was going to throw some of her old plates away, but after seeing this craft idea, she decided to keep them and see if she can make her own.

A couple weeks ago, the group was working on snowmen. They said it went with their Christmas in July theme.

Gulp and Espinoza had already finished their snowmen painting, and were giving Okerson advice on hers.

Okerson wanted to know what color to make her trees out of and if her background looked OK. The ladies told her what they did, but made it clear she didn't have to do what they did to their painting.

"It's your artwork, do what you want," Espinoza said.

"I'm nervous. I haven't painted in a year," Okerson said. "I don't know what I'm doing."

The ladies reassured her she would figure it out as she went along. They told her it would all come back.

Okerson said she already felt like her creativity was flowing because she had people to visit with while she worked. Those who would like to join the painting group can stop by the GHSC on Fridays at 9 a.m.