NAN SANDERS POKERWINSKI
  • Home
  • Media
  • About
  • Contact
  • MANGO RASH
  • Blog
  • EVENTS
  • Journalism
  • Photography
  • Buy Books
  • Collages

HeartWood
A blog about cultivating
creativity, connection and contentment
wherever you are

A Morning With . . . Artist Brenda Huckins Bonter and the Thursday Painters

7/6/2016

11 Comments

 
Picture
Brenda Huckins Bonter
​


​Down at one end of the table, nine-year-old Caden considered what color to paint the racetrack his blue and green cars were zooming along. Beside him, his mother Heidi worked with studied concentration on the orange throat of a lily. Across from Heidi, Maureen dabbed violet and lemon yellow onto leaves embossed on a poster-sized sheet of rice paper. As these three and five other artists worked, Brenda Huckins Bonter scurried around the table, offering suggestions and tips on technique.
Picture
Brenda gives Caden pointers
Picture
Heidi works on her flower painting
Picture
Maureen paints on embossed rice paper
Picture
Maureen, Eileen and Mary
Picture
The group, gathered in a back room at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Newaygo, meets every other Thursday to paint, offer encouragement and benefit from Brenda's experience as artist and educator: thirty-three years teaching art at Grant High School, as well as classes in acrylic painting, watercolor, silk screen printing, clay, pastels, and mosaic for a wide range of ages and levels of ability.


"I do love to create art in a variety of media, but my real passion is for teaching," said Brenda. "To be able to share the joy of creating, see progress in skill, and see students discover a new part of themselves is so exciting!"
Picture
Picture
Progress, discovery and joy were evident as the painters worked on their projects. Eileen, focused on shading the petals of a yellow lily, said painting is a new passion—and a new challenge—for her. "It's a leap. I had never painted or drawn before." But, she added, it's something like the yoga that she, Brenda and I practice along with a dozen or so other women in our weekly class at Woodland Yoga. With repetition and a playful attitude, both painting and yoga become easier and more fun.  
Picture
For Eileen, painting is a new challenge
Picture
Marcia defies a long-ago comment about her artistic ability
Like Eileen, Marcia—a self-described dabbler in crafts such as quilting, basketry, knitting and crochet—also took up painting only recently and had to overcome a lifelong belief that it was beyond her abilities. "In second grade, I walked into the classroom from recess and saw the teacher holding up a drawing and saying to another teacher, 'This child has no talent.' It was my drawing."
PictureMarcia's lily painting takes shape


​You'll hear no such comments in Brenda's class. Though she doesn't hesitate to offer advice, it's all done in a positive way, aimed at helping class members explore new methods and improve their skills.

PictureMaKenzie and her water color study

​On the Thursday I visited, Brenda showed 11-year-old MaKenzie (daughter of Heidi and sister of Caden) how to use a variety of watercolor techniques, including resist and sgraffito. The class usually works in watercolors, but Brenda introduces other media when the occasion calls for it.

"One day the clouds were beautiful, so we did a cloud study in pastels," she said.
Picture
Maureen, Mary and Brenda discuss Mary's project


​Two class members, Mary and Maureen, are also art teachers and offer occasional tips to classmates as well.
PictureTorn paper halos on Maureen's piece symbolize angels in her life
As Eileen labored over her lily painting, Maureen reminded her, "Every once in a while, look at it from far away to get a better sense of the values." Maureen, who also sells art supplies, uses the class to try out new materials like the embossed rice paper she was working with. When she had finished painting on it, she added torn paper "halos," symbolizing "all the angels in my life." Then she started a new piece, painting around bright smears she had made by smashing petunia flowers and leaves.

Picture
Maureen experiments with crushed flowers
PictureDeb developed a new, left-handed technique after her stroke
Though Brenda doesn't play favorites, she couldn't help bragging on the work of one class member, Deb, whose flower painting was particularly vivid and free-flowing. Deb had painted years ago, before a stroke disabled her right arm—and her painting hand. Recently, she taught herself to draw and paint left-handed in a completely different style.



​"I used to be really uptight, and I'm not anymore," said Deb. "I just have fun, and I'm happier with the way I paint."
Picture
Deb would rather show her painting than her face!
Picture
The painting class began about three years ago as an activity for participants in a counseling group at Vera's House, a community health and wellness center that is an outreach ministry of St. Mark's. Vera's House continues to provide supplies for the drop-in class, which is free and open to anyone.
"We've had as few as two or three and as many as twelve," said Brenda, who donates her teaching time. In fair weather, the class meets outdoors in the church's garden, and a trip to Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids is planned for some time over the summer.
Picture
Picture
My visit to the class got me thinking about possibilities and how we never know what we're capable of until we challenge ourselves and try new things. Will I take up painting? Probably not now—I'm juggling enough projects at the moment. But I'll think of  Brenda and the Thursday painters whenever I undertake something new or push into new territory in an ongoing project.
Picture


​What new territory have you explored recently? What would you like to try?



11 Comments
Sally C Kane
7/6/2016 08:02:08 am

Lovely. You've captured Brenda's teaching style. What a positive and inclusive experience I had, as each student's involvement unfolded through the photos and narrative.

Reply
Nan
7/6/2016 11:05:18 am

It was a joy to watch, and I appreciated everyone taking time out from their painting to tell me about their experiences.

Reply
Susan Stec link
7/6/2016 02:50:59 pm

Oh, I miss the smell of a functioning art class! Thank you for sharing. It looks like such fun.

Reply
Nan
7/7/2016 06:28:52 am

The smell! Oh yes, Susan. I can still conjure up the smell of my high school art classes.

Reply
Tonya Howe
7/6/2016 06:36:41 pm

I love Brenda's enthusiasm and sharing spirit. Also to Deb, love your freeflowing and nonuptight style!♡ , Tonya, Thanks again Nan

Reply
Nan
7/7/2016 06:29:34 am

:-)

Reply
J.Q. Rose link
7/7/2016 10:12:06 am

What a perk to have Brenda in the classroom to shepherd the group members' talent and to advise them with her trained eye, not to mention the encouragement. What a special time. Thank you for sharing this group's creative achievements and camaraderie.

Reply
Nan
7/9/2016 12:00:22 pm

We could all benefit from that kind of encouragement, no matter what our undertaking (oops -- was that an unintentional play on words?) (For anyone who doesn't know, J.Q. Rose's latest book is titled Deadly Undertaking - ha!)

Reply
Katherine
7/9/2016 11:16:13 am

Like you, Nancy, I'm too busy to take on something new, but I loved reading about this class. I had the opposite experience than Marcia I'm happy to say. My 3rd grade teacher wouldn't let me read instead of draw and took the snowy cabin scene I drew with chalk on construction paper to the faculty workroom to show what a good job I had done with the perspective on the rail fence. I could describe the snow capped fence posts too but you get the idea that I still vividly remember her praise. During my 38 years as an elementary educator, I never forgot the effect Mrs. Booth's words had on me and I can only hope some child will remember me for something similar.

Reply
Nan
7/9/2016 12:02:43 pm

It's heartening to hear about more positive early experiences -- and about how yours shaped your interactions with children later on. I'm sure many, many, many of your former students have good memories, thanks to you.

Reply
Jean link
5/19/2022 06:39:01 am

Thanks for a greeat read

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Written from the heart,
    from the heart of the woods
    Read the introduction to HeartWood here.

    Subscribe to HeartWood

    Available now!

    Picture
    Check with your favorite bookseller or order from the BUY BOOKS page on this website.
    Get updates on Mango Rash
    BUY MANGO RASH

    Author

    Nan Sanders Pokerwinski, a former journalist, writes memoir and personal essays, makes collages and likes to play outside. She lives in West Michigan with her husband, Ray.

    Archives

    April 2022
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016

    Categories

    All
    Art
    Better Living
    Books
    Community
    Creativity
    Events
    Explorations
    Food
    Gardens
    Guest Posts
    Health
    Inspiration
    Last Wednesday Wisdom
    Local Artists
    Mecosta County
    Montcalm County
    Music
    Muskegon County
    Nature
    Newaygo County
    Oceana County
    People
    Photography
    Pure Michigan
    Reflection
    Return To Paradise
    Samoa
    Writing

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Media
  • About
  • Contact
  • MANGO RASH
  • Blog
  • EVENTS
  • Journalism
  • Photography
  • Buy Books
  • Collages