What’s going on! (sticky post)

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Jo Myers-Walker
  • Figures in a Scene classes, Wednesday afternoons at the ArtiFactory — register at their website:
  • Sunday, July 9, 2023, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.:
    Garden Art Fair at Reiman Gardens (Ames, IA) (scroll down on linked page). Admission price includes the Gardens’ attractions as a setting for more than 60 artists’ booths (including mine, right inside the front door!)
  • Saturday, July 22, 2023, starting at 1:30 p.m.:
    Watercolor floral workshop at Muscatine Art Center in memory of artist Carol Steinmetz, in conjunction with the Iowa Watercolor Society Traveling Show. I’ll do a demo and will have paints for participants to paint along with me showing some of Carol’s techniques.
  • Now through July 2023:
    Iowa Watercolor Society Traveling Show
  • Ongoing:
    See my complementary site at jomyerswalker.com for information on Mentoring and Consultations (plus my online Gallery, and more!)

(This post is “stickied” to remain at the top of the blog; newer blog posts may appear below.)

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A colorful tradition

Posted on May 19, 2023 by Jo Myers-Walker
Artist Jo Myers-Walker poses in octagonal multi-colored glasses, brightly colored patchwork jacket, and scarf in tones of blue

   
My new glasses! The colors spoke
to me. They match all my clothes.

An assortment of brightly colored glasses used by Jo Myers-Walker over the years

A photo of my peepers that I wore for
many years. It seemed like a good
idea to continue the tradition!

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A matter of proportion

Posted on May 15, 2023 by Jo Myers-Walker
Sketch and partial watercolor painting of a young woman by artist Jo Myers-Walker showing facial proportions, and a selfie of Jo with proportions sketched in to help prepare for a painting

Studying proportions to get ready for painting

More notes from Figures in a Scene class. In April’s session the class took selfies and studied proportions of facial features. It is fun to see where the eyes, nose and mouth are placed, with the idea of painting themselves or friends.

You can register for classes at the ArtiFactory website — see my post “What’s going on!” for links to upcoming dates.

See previously:

And also:  See my complementary site at jomyerswalker.com for information on Mentoring and Consultations (plus my online Gallery, and more!)

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May classes at ArtiFactory

Posted on May 3, 2023 by Jo Myers-Walker
Watercolor painting by Jo Myers-Walker of a woman posing at a table with a vase of flowers and several kinds of fruit

My notes and painting from the April 26 class

Logo for the class Figures in a Scene at the ArtiFactory in Iowa City featuring a partially completed watercolor painting of a street scene by Jo Myers-Walker with figures of people unfinished

(Click image to visit the ArtiFactory website)

Hand-written notes on yellow lined paper by artist Jo Myers-Walker about the Figures in a Scene watercolor class

Closeup on my notes from the 26th, including the important “Have fun!”

Omer Sanan and I will lead two more Figures in a Scene watercolor class sessions in May (update: see my post “What’s going on!” for links to more upcoming dates!).

Above left:  My painting and notes from our April 26 class. It was so windy we stayed in and drew each other with our flowers.

See previously:  Figures in a scene

And also:  See my complementary site at jomyerswalker.com for information on Mentoring and Consultations (plus my online Gallery, and more!)

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Wall hanging revisited

Posted on May 2, 2023 by Jo Myers-Walker
Fabric wall hanging by artist Jo Myers-Walker depicting scenes from the Easter story, revised to emphasize the figure of Jesus, shown on display at St. Thomas Aquinas Church

(Click image to view larger)
The wall hanging shows scenes from the Easter story, created from fabric shapes

Many thanks to parishioner Sue for this photo of the updated Improvisational Fabric Wall Hanging, on display for Easter season at St. Thomas Aquinas Church!

When viewed on the church wall it was designed for, the top of the artwork is fairly distant from the viewer, and this year I modified it to make the figure of Jesus more prominent.

The story in previous posts:

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Cards to benefit Dorothy’s House

Posted on March 23, 2023 by Jo Myers-Walker
Watercolor painting by artist Jo Myers-Walker of women bicycling through a Des Moines area scene featuring the word "Renew" on a theater marquee

Renew

Watercolor painting by artist Jo Myers-Walker with two women bicycling through a Des Moines area park featuring the word "Reclaim" on a banner towed behind a small airplane

Reclaim

Watercolor painting by artist Jo Myers-Walker with two women flying kites along the Des Moines area waterfront featuring the word "Hope" on one of the kites, on a card to benefit Dorothy's House

Sample card laid flat to show front and back
(Click image to view larger)

I painted these scenes for notecards to benefit Dorothy’s House, “a safe place for survivors of human trafficking, exploitation and prostitution to discover their healing journeys through the practice of life.” The paintings (and cards!) show two women tooling around the Des Moines area on different styles of cycles, featuring words related to the mission of Dorothy’s House (Renew, Reclaim, Restore, and Hope).

The cards are available as a set of four, with envelopes, and I’ve been bringing them with me to events. Send me an email (jomyerswalker@gmail.com) if you’re interested, and see my Creating for a Cause page for more “products with a purpose”!

Watercolor painting by artist Jo Myers-Walker with two women bicycling through a downtown Des Moines area neighborhood featuring the word "Restore" on a storefront

Restore

Watercolor painting by artist Jo Myers-Walker with two women flying kites along the Des Moines area waterfront featuring the word "Hope" on one of the kites

Hope

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Easter renewal

Posted on March 14, 2023 by Jo Myers-Walker
Paper-and-pencil sketch for the revised figure of Jesus for fabric wall hanging telling the story of Easter by artist Jo Myers-Walker

Starting with a sketch, as usual,
for a larger figure of Jesus

In-progress photo of revised fabric figure of Jesus for improvised fabric wall hanging telling the story of Easter by artist Jo Myers-Walker

Working on the fabric layout
with filler for shape

My improvisational fabric wall hanging will be installed again this year in St. Thomas Aquinas Church on Holy Saturday (April 8, 2023), after a bit of a refresh! It shows scenes in the Easter story, starting at the bottom (where St. Thomas Aquinas is presenting the story) and working our way to the top (with Jesus’s resurrection).

After the wall hanging was installed for last year’s Easter season, I was concerned that Jesus looked small and two-dimensional. Remembering some scriptures about the strong women who just kept going following Jesus, as shown in the fabric scenes, I decided to keep working and make His figure more prominent. I remembered my flat pattern class at ISU and sculpture class to help show Jesus as three-dimensional, animated and full of life. It was excellent timing for Lent.

Previously:

Skilled assistants work with artist Jo Myers-Walker on revisions to the fabric Easter story wall hanging

Skilled assistants secure some loose parts of the fabric while I sew a new book-holding hand on St. Thomas Aquinas (detail-oriented viewers had pointed out that his fabric version had only four fingers!)

Skilled assistants hold up revised Easter story wall hanging by artist Jo Myers-Walker showing the emphasized figure of Jesus

My assistants sewed the new figure on
with me helping. The wall hanging now
more strongly emphasizes the risen Jesus.
   

A comparison of the original and newly emphasized figure of Jesus in the Easter story fabric wall hanging by artist Jo Myers-Walker

Detail of the original top section (at left) and the same section
revised (at right) shows the difference in scale of the figure of Jesus.

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Figures in a scene

Posted on February 11, 2023 by Jo Myers-Walker
Photos of still-life watercolor painting and easel setup in orange logo for Figures in a Scene class at the ArtiFactory, Iowa City, Iowa

   

Update:
See my post “What’s going on!” for links to more upcoming dates!

Figures in a Scene class
Fellow artist Omer Sanan and I will lead this class. From the course description:
“The figure is captivating and expressive but is in need of a sense of place. We will be working from photos and sketches as well as still life setups. Omer Sanan and [I] will demonstrate techniques in drawing, watercolor and monochromatic value studies. There will be a short demo leaving time for walk-arounds while the paint is drying. In an atmosphere of fun and enjoyment we can all learn from each other.
Bring Arches 150lb watercolor paper for best results. A painting board, drawing board, or foamcore for your watercolor paper. Also, a drawing pad, pencils, watercolors or colored pencils, and photos to work from. Masks along with social distancing are encouraged.”

The cost is $35.00 per person for each 2-hour session. Register online at the ArtiFactory’s course pages, and see the Artifactory home page for more upcoming events!

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Postcards for Peace

Posted on January 26, 2023 by Jo Myers-Walker
A watercolor painting by artist Jo Myers-Walker shows a large crowd of stylized figures stretching off into the distance, coming together to advocate for a world without nuclear weapons

People coming together for “A world without nuclear weapons”

A favorite part of attending St. Thomas More Catholic Church is the opportunity to work with fellow parishioners for causes that are important to us. I painted this scene, showing people from all over joining together, to use as the decorative side of postcards for the group project Postcards for Peace. After this weekend’s Masses (January 28–29, 2023), churchgoers will have a chance to address the postcards to our political leaders and write why they are urging our government to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

Nuclear weapons remain an active threat to all life on the planet, and sending postcards may seem a small measure. Recent church bulletins remind us to Pray — Study — Act, even when the odds seem against us; and they include a World Peace Prayer for contemplation (link is to some historical information about the prayer on liturgy.co.nz).

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It Happens Here, Too

Posted on January 25, 2023 by Jo Myers-Walker
A silhouetted figure in a dark urban space in a promotional image for the informational event It Happens Here, Too about human trafficking

   

Update:  This event will be rescheduled after being cancelled for weather safety concerns. Keep an eye on the Johnson County Human Trafficking Coalition social media for updates!

Previous post:
It Happens Here, Too:  Human Trafficking in Iowa
Informational event at Iowa City Public Library (sponsored by the library and by the Johnson County Human Trafficking Coalition)

Diana Cox and I will lead one of the break-out sessions at this event, where we’ll show and discuss the short documentary film “Chosen” about teenagers deceived into trafficking. I’ll also be learning from other presenters and attendees! This open-to-the-public event brings together many people and organizations involved in working against human trafficking and helping its survivors.

I’ll have cards and scarves from my Creating for a Cause collections for sale to support causes including Lila Mae’s House. The founder of Lila Mae’s House, Sister Shirley Fineran, recently received one of six Outstanding Anti-Trafficking Service Awards given by the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking.

From the event description:  “Human trafficking is happening here in Iowa. Come to learn more about how to identify human trafficking, the tactics used, and join break-out sessions to talk with others about how this issue affects our communities.”

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Fabric scenes on a smaller scale

Posted on December 3, 2022 by Jo Myers-Walker
Flying dogs and owners, improvisational fabric wall hanging by artist Jo Myers-Walker

Flying dogs and owners, 17″x 13″

I’ve been using up material left over from the (church-wall-sized) Easter story wall hanging to create these little improvisational wall hangings, or “magical narrative fabric collages.” This size is easier to manage, which was especially helpful when I was recuperating from a knee replacement earlier this year! Being creative can be useful in recovery — you figure out how to make things better. The varied textures and shapes of the leftover fabric inspired images of childlike fun.

I’ll have these collages at the Eastside Artists Show and Sale which continues Saturday and Sunday (December 3 –4, 2022), along with watercolor paintings, cards, and more!

Fanciful improvisational fabric wall hangings by artist Jo Myers-Walker

At left, Violin lesson, 12″ x 15″;  At right, Flower picking, 10″ x 12″

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