A Video of Jesus' 40 day Fast

After not posting at all for a few weeks I post three times in one week. Isn't that how art inspiration goes? For those of you interested in story illustration, this YouTube video which appeared on my Facebook page this morning may be of interest. Simon Smith, a British illustrator, does a fascinating job of bringing to life a familiar religious story.  A Video of Jesus in the Wilderness by Simon Smith

Earl Staley at Pearl Fincher Museum

This just crossed my desk this morning so I want to pass it on. Earl Staley, a fine arts teacher at the Lone Star College campus in Tomball,  has taught and coached a number of Tomball Art League members. So many of you may want to take in his exhibit and reception at the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts. His artworks will hang at the museum until March 4th, and this Friday, February 24th, he'll be participating in a reception there from 6-8 pm.

A New Venue for exhibiting your sculpture?

(Photo by Jason de Caires Taylor/jasondecairestaylor.com)

"Because coral reefs sit below the water line, when they start to disintegrate (from pollution, overfishing, climate change, ocean acidification ... the list is long) most of us wouldn't notice. Or — and here's an irony — the more we notice, the more they disintegrate. Some coral reefs are so overvisited, they are harmed by our attention.
What to do? Well, this is where the sculptors and weavers come in."  So begins NPR's article "Is that a Starfish on my Face?" Enjoy!

Beauty in Many Forms

Hello, Everyone!  A number of you were able to be part of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston's free bus trip to the museum last Saturday, and by all accounts, it was fun.

We've had a few of last fall's show winners bring their paintings to the library but there's still room for more, so I encourage you to bring in your work for the month of February.

It's Black History Month, and we're featuring a number of books of paintings, sculptures, quilts, and other media created by African Americans. We also have a collection of cookbooks and books on other topics.

And finally, as you grieve the loss of thousands of beautiful Texas trees (Tomball looks like we've started a cottage logging industry) and contemplate another summer of drought ahead, we're hoping to help you save all that natural beauty around your home. Barry Ward, the executive director of Trees for Houston, a non-profit organization dedicated to planting, protecting, and promoting trees, will be here at the library giving advice and wisdom about how to keep your trees healthy in the seasons ahead. His Save Your Trees presentation will happen on Tuesday, March 10th at 10 a.m. in Room L-129. No registration is required and as always at the library, the presentation is free.

Tomball Art League Show Winners to Exhibit in Library

February is almost here, and February is your month on the exhibition walls of the library meeting room!  Those of you who won or placed in the fall 2011 show and exhibition, this is your chance to show off your winning pieces.

Please bring your artwork in Friday, January 27 or Saturday, January 28th. If you go to the Customer Service desk someone will find me. If Room L-129 is vacant at that time we'll hang it immediately; otherwise I'll store it in our workroom until it can be hung.

Please put your name and contact information on the back of the painting. The County prohibits commercial transactions on the premises so you cannot display a sale price on your piece. Interested parties can get in touch with you off site from your contact information.

The image I've selected is a winner that hung at the library from the Spring 2011 exhibition, by Marilyn Henagin.

You're invited!

Let me invite you on a bus trip to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. As part of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston's "A Passion for Glass" traveling exhibit (which is at the Tomball Library only til January 30, by the way) the museum is offering a free bus trip to the museum on Saturday, February 4. I'll be going as the library's host. It will leave the library parking lot at 9:30 a.m. and arrive at the museum about 10:30. Sarah Wheeler, coordinator of the museum's special events, will meet us there and give us a short tour to orient everyone to the museum. Then we're on our own.

Your admission to all the regular museum exhibits is free. You can tour any of the exhibits, take a sketchbook and draw your own art treasure, or purchase tickets to the special King Tut exhibit (either online or at the door) and see it. Lunch will be on each person--bring a picnic and eat it outside in the sculpture garden, or eat at the museum's cafeteria.

The bus to return us to Tomball will leave at 1:30 p.m. and return us to the library between 2:30 and 3:00 pm.

The only thing you have to do is reserve a seat. I will take reservations at the Tomball Art League on Saturday, January 14, or you can phone the library at 832-559-4213 or drop by the reference desk. The bus holds fifty-five and the tour is open to everyone, so get your seat reserved early!

Here's the museum's website so you can have a look at their exciting offerings.

Children's Art Explorers program at the library

For those of you who have artistic young children or grandchildren, please allow me a plug for our Tomball Library's Children's Department's monthly Art Explorers program.

This month at Art Explorers, we will take common household 'collectibles'--metal coat hangers and hosiery--and turn them into works of sculptural art!    Your child will learn about the history of modern/contemporary art and then twist a hanger into a free form design, stretch a nylon hose over it and paint it!  This program will meet on Tuesday, November 8th at 4:30 pm and Monday, November 14th at 1:00 pm in the Children's Department.  Each session is limited to 20 children (2nd to 6th grade) so you'll need to register about a week in advance.  Call 832-559-4235.