Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Monday, November 26, 2007
Quick draw art event raises funds for Alma eagle center
ALMA, Wis. — Great art is timeless but on Sunday, art had a time limit. Artists were invited to Wings Over Alma for the first-ever “quick draw” event, working from 1 to 4 p.m. on their pieces.
Artist and Mississippi River Pearl owner Nadine Leo organized the event. She spends her winters in Arizona and says quick draw events are popular among artists there.
“Artists are really self-disciplined,” Leo said. “You do your work by yourself, but you have a goal with it. Nobody stands over your shoulder telling you what to do.”
Curious onlookers watched the blank canvases become flowers, butterflies, cranes and a sunset over the river.
Jean Accola owns Accola Gallery in Durand, Wis., about 25 miles from Alma. She worked on a watercolor piece, drawing inspiration from a vase of flowers on a nearby table. She was happy to be in the company of fellow artists.
“Art is such a solitary thing. We’re not like musicians, where you get the band together,” Accola said. “It can be kind of lonely.”
Gail Pommerening worked on a soft pastel of a chickadee perched on a tree in winter. Pommerening lives in Plum City, Wis., and owns Art and Soul in Alma. She’s been an artist for 25 years — long enough for her not to freak out when she accidentally spilled a little coffee on her chickadee.
“Oddly enough, this isn’t disastrous,” Pommerening said. “When it dries, I’ll be able to blend it in.”
And she did.
Mari Jackson worked on a watercolor of a green landscape, inspired by the backwaters as she drove to Alma from her home in Rock Falls, Wis.
“Nothing struck me until I was on my way here,” Jackson said.
Both Pommerening and Jackson say that when you have a limited time to work, it’s best to choose things that are simple and subjects that you’re familiar with.
“You also don’t want to have any preconceived notions. You need to be flexible,” Jackson said. “If it isn’t turning out the way you wanted it to, go with the flow.”
Every once in a while, Leo would announce how much time was left.
“I’m going to be strict about it,” Leo said.
Time was no problem for 8-year-old Jonah Bacon. He finished a painting of a deer under a blue sky with enough time to finish a painting of a duck.
“I think I’m pretty close to done,” Bacon said as he put the finishing touches on his second masterpiece of the day.
The afternoon finished with an auction of the artwork and a spaghetti dinner. All proceeds will go to Wings Over Alma. The eagle watching center opened in January and has had about 3,000 visitors, according to Wings Over Alma board member Larry Balk. It also displays the works of area artists.
“Small towns are having a hard time surviving,” Balk said. “This is something that brings people to our community.”
Contact Käri Knutson at kknutson@winonadailynews.com or (507) 453-3523.
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