Got Art!

Art Lectures and Demonstrations

Since 1962, Glastonbury Arts has fostered engagement in and appreciation for art in all its forms through its series of art lectures and demonstrations. Each Got Art presentation provides a window-in to the creative experience, popular to artists, students, and art appreciators alike. Learn about an artist's sources of inspiration, techniques and processes. All Got Art programs are FREE and open to the public.

2024 Got Art Presentations

Check back often for updates on our 2024 Got Art Presentations - a window in to the creative experience.

  • “Use Your Palette Knife and Brush featuring Howard Park ASMA,” Wednesday, March 27, 2024, 6:30 to 8:30 pm, Friends Room, Welles Turner Memorial Library, 2407 Main Street, Glastonbury.

    Howard Park’s demonstration will focus on how he uses both his palette knife and his brush to create his luscious textural paintings that have an intuitive freshness. A palette knife is a great way to build up thick texture and create broken color effects, while the brush helps on lost and found edges. See how to use a variety of knife shapes to make bold strokes and use the edge of the knife to create sharp lines. He will demonstrate how to paint on top of wet layers without lifting the paint below and how to load multiple colors onto the knife, laying those colors down without over blending. 


    Howard Park’s received his formal art education at Tufts University, The School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and at L’Ecole Nationale D’Art Decoratif, Nice, France. Howard Park is the founder of the Noank 9, a group of painters who meet to paint on site “en plein air” each week. When not out in the field or teaching, Howard spends much of his time painting in his studio painting his modern-impressionistic oil paintings and watercolors of the landscapes and maritime scenes that he loves. He owns HGPark Fine Art focusing on conservation, restoration and appraisals of fine art including original oil paintings, works on paper, objects, etchings, murals, and antique frames. 


    He is a signature member of the American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA) and is an award-winning member of the New England Watercolor Society.  His works hang in galleries and private collections throughout the world.  


    www.HowardParkArt.com


A look back at recent Got Art Presentations

  • “Someday Sea Glass”, Monday, November 13, 2023, 6:30 to 8:30 pm, Riverfront Community Center, 300 Welles Street, Glastonbury

    Gary MacPhee’s presentation will be an interactive demonstration, describing his creative process using sea glass, allowing for questions along the way.  


    Sea glass is formed by shards of broken glass that are persistently tumbled and ground by the ocean's natural wave action until the sharp edges are smoothed and rounded. Through this years long process, the glass loses its slick surface gaining a marvelous frosted apearrance and velvety patina.


    Gary's work began with the simple act of collecting sea glass. As he transitioned into retirement, he started making seaglass pieces. Ever community minded, he sold some pieces raising a tidy sum of $1,400 in support of  the American Legion Building Fund. He’s been making his imaginative pieces from beach finds ever since.


  • “Poetry Inspired by Art,” Wednesday, November 8, 6:30 to 8:30 pm, Friends Room, Welles Turner Memorial Library, 2407 Main Street in Glastonbury

    Poetry readings by local Poets, original poems inspired by the art of Glastonbury Arts artist members. A collaboration between Glastonbury Arts, River Bend Book Shop, and Glastonbury Poet Laureate Andrea Barton.


    Participating poets include Andrea Barton, Mark Busa, Jackie Killelea, Frederick-Douglas Knowles, Jerry Lusa, Mary Rose Meade, Vicky Nordlund, Ryan Parker, Bessy Reyna, and Elizabeth Thomas. 


    Participating artists include Susan Bosworth, Nancy Davinis, Linda Gotta, Gwendolyn Quezaire-Presutti, Diane Stone, Gail Schwartzkroin, Debbie Temple and Patricia Trapp. As one particpating artist explained, "I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, it is fascinating to see how another artist in a different medium responds to my painting."

  • “Photo Safari,” Sunday, October 1, 2023, 4:00 to 6:00 pm, Joseph Prelim Farm and Winery, 235 Hopewell Road, South Glastonbury

    Enjoy a photo safari with master photographer Lynn Damon in one of Glastonbury’s most picturesque locations. Be sure to bring your camera. 


    Lynn is passionate about her art and her love for people, places, and things. She has a true gift and her style and grace set her work apart from the average portrait photographer. Her precise application of natural light, color harmony and timeless composition result in a fine art investment to display for generations.


    During the past 35 years of creating fine art portraiture, Lynn has risen to the top of her profession. Her sensitive and unique style has garnered numerous “Best of Show” and “Photographer of the year” awards at salon exhibitions in Connecticut, New England, United State and in Europe. She has earned the prestigious, Master and Photographic Craftsman Degrees through the Professional Photographers of America.


    www.lynndamon.com


  • “Art of Abstraction,” Wednesday, September 20, 2023, 6:30 to 8:30 pm, Riverfront Community Center, 300 Welles St., Glastonbury

    Artist, photographer, poet, veteran homeschooling mother, thought leader, traveler, nature lover, reader, and former Structural Engineer, Polly Castor can’t remember when she was not an artist. “It is a form of meditation for me, a time of connecting with what is both beyond me and essentially me, an exploration within. I resonate with both color and landscape, representational and non-representational art. I use a range of mediums, mostly painting in oil, watercolor, acrylic, gouache, and pastel, but also working on collage, multimedia, printmaking, handmade glass beads, knitting, needlepoint and pottery.  I enjoy the artwork of others as well, and feature work that I admire to support artists whose work I think should be seen.


    www.pollycastor.com

  • “From Greeting Cards to Book Illustrations,” Lynn Bywaters, Tuesday, May 31, 2023, 6:30 to 8:30 pm, Welles-Turner Memorial Library, Friends Room, 2407 Main St. in Glastonbury. NOTE CHANGE OF DATE.

    An illustrator for over 35 years, Lynn Bywaters will be talking about the variety of work that she’s done throughout her career. 


    She began working for Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, MO, became a children’s book illustrator, and now creates original drawings and paintings for greeting cards. She also designed a signature line of collectible figurines for Lenox. Through licensing, her work appears on a variety of products- from puzzles and prints to gift bags and tins. 


    Lynn’s studio overlooks her gardens and a pond that borders farmland along the Connecticut River. She is entertained daily by the great variety of birds and animals attracted to the area, many of which find their way into her paintings. She enjoys gardening, hiking, scent and agility work with her dog, and her two cats. 


    www.lynnbywatersart.com

  • “Cutting Board Crafting: A Surgeon’s Journey Down The Woodworking Rabbit Hole”, Tom Dugdale, Wednesday, April 19, 2023, 6:30 to 8:30 pm, Welles Turner Memorial Library, Friends Room,, 2407 Main St. in Glastonbury.

    Tom will discuss how to develop a basic woodworking hobby. He will also focus on his business of making cutting boards and charcuterie boards, including the various types of pieces and respective processes involved. A PowerPoint presentation will be followed by some hands-on demonstrations and a question-and-answer session.


    Other than odd jobs around the house and some high school summer jobs, most of Tom’s experience with power tools was gained during his career as an orthopedic surgeon. He was often intrigued while watching finish carpenters at work in their homes. When his own retirement loomed ahead, he began the transition from working on bones to working on wood. He is fascinated by wood properties and patterns, and enjoys the

     

    challenge of combining different wood species and shapes to produce pieces that are truly functional but also serve as conversation pieces and decorative accents when not in use. 


    With Tina, his wife and quality control/ sales expert at his side, it was a real privilege and thoroughly enjoyable experience to participate in the 2022 Glastonbury Fine Art and Craft Show on the Hubbard Green.


    www.Bones2Wood.com

  • “Waxing Creative," Beth Johnston, Saturday, March 11, 2023, 1:00 to 3:00 pm, Welles-Turner Memorial Library, Friends Room 2407 Main St, Glastonbury, CT.

    Beth has been working in Encaustics and oil/cold wax for about 8 years. Her presentation will cover some of the basic materials and techniques used when creating an Encaustic painting.  Participants will learn about equipment options, supports, safety concerns, types of media, ways to create color and add accents.  The process of layering wax, embedding paper, carving, and transferring images are just some of the techniques that will be demonstrated. 


    Beth’s encaustic and abstract paintings are personal responses to movement, music, color, nature.  She observes closely, but looks beyond the obvious, to capture the essence of an experience.  The goal is to express the feelings or memories that linger after an experience.  


    She first chooses the media, colors, and textures that will best capture the intent of each painting.  The layers of wax that are built up in encaustic paintings are wonderful for telling stories.  She finds that oil paint mixed with cold wax works best to capture a feeling in abstract paintings. 

     

    Her studies at the Rhode Island School of Design, the Cape School of Art and workshops with contemporary masters have laid the foundation, helped to define her style, and opened her up to less traditional media. She has been an artist since she was a child but did not get a chance to make it a priority until later in life.  Her work has been awarded prizes around the country and has collectors around the world.


    www.BethJohnstonArt.com

  • “Procreate for Beginners” Matthew Frost, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023, 6:30 to 8:30 pm, Friends Room, Welles Turner Memorial Library, 2407 Main St. in Glastonbury.

    Interested in learning about digital art? Join Matthew as he demonstrates the functions of Procreate and different tips and tricks for this popular digital application. Learn how to use layers, access hidden functions, and get started in simple digital art and photo manipulation. All attendees can participate by bringing an iPad, stylus, or Apple pen, or can simply join the session, watch, and learn.


    Matthew has always loved Graffiti art and has sold a few charcoal and ink drawings in museum gallery sales. While attending Junior & Senior year in high school, he was a member of the Katonah Museum of Art (NY) and after high school, attended a private art school in Poughkeepsie NY, majoring in Graphic Design and minoring in Art History.


    He currently lives in Simsbury, CT with his wife and three daughters, and creates digital art in the Procreate platform on his iPad. He is looking to transfer his art into a collection of books and hopes to eventually have his own small business selling art collection books and clothing.


  • "Creating Megalithic Installations" Josie Campbell Dellenbaugh, Nov. 17, 2022, 6:30 to 8:30 pm, Buckingham Congregational Church, 16 Cricket Lane in Glastonbury

    Learn how master sculptor, Josie Campbell Dellenbaugh, created "Seven Sisters" a large outdoor installation of 7 standing 8-foot-tall slabs of granite surrounded by an enclosure wall, from original sketch to completion. Learn how she splits, carves, polishes, and engraves the huge blocks of stone during her creative process. 


    Born in Albany NY in 1948, Josie received a BA in Fine Arts from Chatham University, continuing her studies at Rutgers University with a course in bronze foundry practice. She learned the technique of direct stone carving with hand tools at the Princeton Art Association, later turning to the use of power tools at Marble XX in Colorado.  Dellenbaugh currently works in her home studios in Glastonbury CT and Center Harbor NH, and also works at the Carving Studio / Sculpture Center in West Rutland VT.


    Her award-winning work has appeared in many solo and juried exhibitions in New England, the Midwest, Canada, and Russia and is featured in many private and public collections. 


    Just a few of her many awards include the Liskin Award, the Isenberg Award, the DeBellis, and Richman Awards. In 2017, she received the Gibbons Prize for Excellence in Sculpture by the New England Sculptors Association and in 2022 took first place in their Equinox Exhibition.


    www.Beechgate.com


  • "Drawing, the Basic Skill" features Shauna Shane on Thursday, October 20, 2022, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at Congregation Kol Haverim, 1079 Hebron Ave. in Glastonbury.

    Known as a positive and inspirational teacher, Shauna will describe her thought process as she develops a drawing from concept to block-in and final resolution. Learn to see the visual world as shadow and light and positive and negative shapes, revealing a whole new way interpreting our world.


    Shauna has been a full-time professional painter for more than 40 years. She is a Signature and Board Member of Hudson Valley Art League, as well as a Signature Member of Connecticut Pastel Society, New England Watercolor Society, Lyme Art Association, Arts Center East, and CT Plein Air Painters Society. In 1988 Shauna founded Artists Open Studio, an event that promotes the work of more than 65 artists in the Northeast Corner of Connecticut. 


    In addition to workshops and master classes from Robert Bateman, Charles Reid, Clyde Aspevig and Raymond Everett Kinstler, Shauna’s educational background includes Lyme Academy of Fine Art, University of Connecticut, and Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. 


    “I believe the artistic journey is like a musical instrument,” says Shauna Shane, “it takes time and practice to master.”


    www.shaunashane.com


  • "Whimsical House Portraits" features Kristine Byrnes on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, 6:30 to 8:30 pm, Riverfront Community Center, 300 Welles St. in Glastonbury.

    Our homes have become a large part of our lives during the past two years and local artist, Kristine Byrnes, has been busy painting them. Whimsical, wonky, and sometimes a little bit tippy, her watercolors capture the spirit and essence of the place. Her presentation will focus on how she develops her house portraits. 


    Kristine Byrnes is a longtime Glastonbury resident and graduate of the Art Institute of Boston majoring in Graphic Design and Illustration. Early in her career, she worked as a freelance illustrator in the greeting card market designing her own card and giftware line "The Kristine Byrnes Collection."


    A graphic designer and marketing professional, Kristine continues to build her personal portfolio. Her illustrations feature children's book themes, portraits, and The Main Street Series which feature historic Glastonbury houses using watercolors, markers, and color pencils. Kristine welcomes commissions for all home types: historical to modern and everything in between!


    www.MainStreetWatercolors.com

  • "Art & Poetry," featuring poetry readings inspired by art at the On the Green Fine Art & Craft Show, September 10 & 11, 2022, 10 am to 5 pm , Hubbard Green, corner of Main & Hubbard St. in Glastonbury

    Art and Poetry "On the Green" has proven to be a very popular event where local poets read their poems inspired by the art of Glastonbury Arts artist members. As one particpating artist explained, "I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, it is fascinating to see how another artist in a different medium responds to my painting."


    Participating poets:

    Andrea Barton

    Joan Brown

    Jackie Killelea

    Frederick-Douglass Knowles

    Jerry Lusa

    Vicky Nordlund

    Ryan Parker

    Elizabeth Thomas


    Participating Artists:

    Susan Bosworth

    Linda Gotta

    Carole Jeffiries

    Gail Schwartzkroin

    Katherine Simmons

    Diane Stone

    Patricia Trapp

    Dawn Tyler


  • "Transcendent Photography" features Eric Urquhart on Monday, May 16, 2022, 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Riverfront Community Center, 300 Welles Street in Glastonbury.

    Eric Urquhart’s photography reflects peace, serenity, and solitude, using God-created natural elements to create a feeling that transcends the physical subject of the composition. In his presentation, Eric will share principles and techniques that have helped to shape his photography over the years, from the application principles and theory learned in a classroom to the real-world experience he has gained from just doing the work. He will go through the entire process, from planning to final post-processing.


    Eric is a multi-disciplinary artist. He has received awards and honors for his watercolor, charcoal, and acrylics, his digital art, and photography. Many of his photographs are part of private collections around the world as well as participating in fine art festivals, and gallery shows around the world, including the Glastonbury On the Green Fine Art and Craft Show. Eric has been a matte painter and environment artist for feature film, television, commercials, and games since 2005. If you have gone to the movies or watched television in the last ten years, chances are, you have seen some of his work. Eric is currently an artist at DreamWorks Animation Studios.


    www.EricsArt.com


  • "Nuts and Bolts of Framing" features master framer George Aresco, Saturday, April 30, 2022, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at his frame shop at 170 Research Parkway in Meriden CT.

    Master framer, George Aresco, will guide you through the best process for framing, showing, and selling your precious artwork. Learn the steps of framing including, frame selection, mat selection, mounting artwork for watercolors/oils/acrylics and selection of proper hardware.  Come join this fun and interactive demonstration. 


    George got his start as a framer's apprentice which led to a 25-year career as a self-employed professional framer. Over a decade ago, George founded Wholesale Frame Company in Meriden, CT and today, with the help of his sons, George provides personal service to his customers along with a vast selection of quality frames. His attention to detail has earned him the respect of servicing artists all over the country. 


    This presentation is free and open to the public. 


    www.WholesaleFrameCo.com


    Directions to Wholesale Frame Company in Meriden.


  • March 22, 2022, "Dancing on Canvas" with April Quast. 6:30 – 8:30 pm at Riverfront Community Center

    “Even if you don't call yourself a dancer or an artist,” say April, “I hope that my art can bring you to feel that the world dances through us as well as around us.”  Learn about the artist’s perspective and how developing confidence in your style, and a willingness to bend the rules is just as important as practicing one's skill.


    April draws inspiration from the small details of beauty that embellish the world. As you experience her work, ask where does the figure end and the energy begin? What connections and energies are choreographing the movements you see before you? She will introduce you to her process and discuss how to approach your art with soul. It is when you create from your inner-most-you, your thoughts, your feelings, your actions, and your heart, that you create art.  


    www.AprilQuast.com


Do you have a suggested topic for our Got Art Series? Would you like to receive updates on our art lectures and demonstrations?

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Upcoming Got Art Presentations - Spring 2023

We have a great line up of programs for the Spring from digital art to painting with wax, from the challenges of precision wood craft to the creation of greeting cards and book illustration. There's more coming for the rest of the year so check back!



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