Expressing themselves
Families flock to art social for watercolor practice
Artists of all ages gathered in the Pilot Point Coffee House on Tuesday as local artist Justine Wollaston led them to create their own original works.
Some used items in front of them to inspire their piece: Sonia Rose-colored flowers, Sprite can, a painting on display at the shop. Others used their imagination to create their scenes. Notice the coffee shop used different media, to make the most using watercolors on watercolor paper.
“With watercolor, all you have to do is get a basic drawing,” Wollaston said. “Once you get a basic drawing, then you’re a little freer in terms of what you do from that.”
Several families came in, and one of the moms fully participated along with her girls.
Charity Lujan used the Sonia Rose-colored flowers at her table as her inspiration.
“I’m so glad I was brave enough to try it, because I have never done watercolor,” Charity said.
She pushed past the “inner critic” telling her she couldn’t and used the watercolor palette provided to mix up the orangish-pink hue. Her eldest, Elena, painted a rainbow rose beside her, as her youngest, Violet, worked on her second picture, one of a house with a wooden door.
“Elena, look at Mama’s!” Violet said.
Charity’s husband, Vince Lujan, sat at the next table over, cheering on his family in their creative endeavors.
As Violet worked on painting the front of her house, Wollaston gave her a few pointers about the proper brush for the job.
“Use a small brush for small areas,” she said to the young artist before turning the paper around to make it easier for Violet to “pull the brush” toward herself.
Cayden Birkelback worked with the watercolor palettes, too, to create a detailed reproduction of a soda can.
His mom, Brandi Birkelback, said she brought her son to the event so both of them could interact with their peers.
“And it gives us the opportunity to learn from Justine, because she’s an amazing artist,” Brandi said.
Felicity King brought in a cat she was crafting, complete with sculpted feet, poseable limbs and an articulated tail.
“This is my test run,” King said. “I was going to do a couple of mythical creatures after this.”
She applied the fur to the piece bit by bit.
Soline D’Haussy was another adult participant who decided to flex some new creative muscles by reproducing a painting by Lin Hampton of two longhorns that was hanging in the coffee shop.
“This is my kids’ supplies, and they don’t use it enough,” D’Haussy said. “So, I was like, ‘We need to use this.’”
She brought a variety of paints—watercolor and acrylic—and surfaces—wood, canvas and paper to use.
Originally from France, D’Haussy said she enjoyed capturing an iconic Texas animal.
Wollaston hopes to bring in objects for the next free art social to give the participating artists a chance to replicate what they see and put their own spin on it.
“I like them seeing, because we’re working on seeing and then doing from there,” she said.
