A Passion for Art
Posted on August 31, 2015 by bob in Features
Capitol City Artists founder Judie Hooks (L) offers advice to one of her students.
by Sandra Polizos
Sometimes a picture truly is worth a thousand words,” says veteran Montgomery artist Brock Parker. “My art is a way to express and share myself to whomever is interested.” A retired area retailer and realtor, Parker is a member the Capital City Artists (CCA), a local art initiative founded by former Montgomery Public Schools art teacher Judie Hooks.
“My interest in art started with lessons when I was 12 and lessened when I discovered girls and football,” Parker wryly adds.“But ten years ago my wife decided I needed to rediscover my love for art. After a call to a local gallery, she was referred to Judie Hooks and her classes. For Christmas that year my wife gave me an easel, a gift certificate to Michaels, and three months of art lessons, and I have loved every minute since.”
Hooks works on a paintings preparing for the upcoming exhibit.
Parker is one of the 23 artists who meet in three different classes held weekly at Hooks’ studio off the Atlanta Highway. Brought together by a desire to further develop their technique, the Capital City Artists will hold a public reception for their 2015 exhibit on Sunday, October 4 from 2:00pm – 4:00pm at the Armory Leaning Arts Center on Madison Avenue. The show will continue throughout the month of October.
Montgomery realtor Patricia Spann Caldwell, who had no formal training in painting or color composition when she joined the group, says the value of the interactive experience of the classes is incalculable. “After I began working with this group there was no turning back. The instruction and peer relationships I have experienced have had a tremendous positive impact on my artistic growth and perspective.” Last year, Caldwell was selected to display her art in Montgomery’s City Hall.
Artists work in a variety of styles and diverse subject matter.
“The people comprising the group come from all phases of life,” says instructor Hooks, whose drawer full of winning ribbons belies her own accomplishments. “The people taking my classes may have active careers, or they may be retired. They are parents, grandparents, married, single, male and female. The majority have been with CCA for years and a few have been taking classes from me since 1989. It is a very cooperative, congenial group.”
The area residents comprising the collective meet weekly to paint, experiment, and benefit from an exchange with others interested in further developing their skill.Though the artists run the gamut of experience, they all benefit from Hooks’ artistic and skilled creative eye. During the sessions tips on craft, inspiration, and creativity are shared.
“Some members of the class are beginners who have the desire to learn to paint,” Hooks says, “while others are advanced painters who’ve won a wide range of various awards for their work — and still others want to be a part of a group of people with the same interest in painting and who desire some instruction from me and positive critiques from the others.”
Artist Dale Marshall, a retired teacher and realtor, says the significance of the classes goes well beyond the results seen on a completed canvas. For her, the classes provide benefits to mental, social, and physical well-being, in addition to development as a visual artist.
“The creative action of selecting, composing, and painting a subject keeps me mentally alert,” Marshall says. “Meeting with a group is stimulating and socially fun, plus new friendships are formed as the class continues to change.The physical activity of preparing for class — gathering canvases, paints, and supplies — as well as having a studio to go to gets me up and out of the house. All that, in addition to the pure relaxation and satisfaction of painting.”
“There’s a great joy in completing a work, and, especially, sharing that with my family,” Marshall adds.
“I love the way Judie Hooks can look at a painting and make a suggestion, such as straightening a line or changing a color,” says Judy Shepard, a retired reference librarian and more than 20-year veteran of the group. “Or, she’ll repeat her favorite line, ‘Make the darks darker,’ and it will make the painting right.”
The Oct. 4 reception, where works may be purchased as well as viewed, marks the seventh time the Capital City Artists have
Detail from a painting by Hooks of a guitarist at Montgomery’s Court Square fountain.
produced an exhibit for the River Region.
“The exhibit occurs once a year and gives all the artists an opportunity to share the previous year’s paintings with family, friends and the Montgomery community,” Hooks says. “It’s a group effort, organized by committees. The public will see a wall of recent works, a wall of theme paintings, a wall of 10 x 10 paintings, and a table of miniature paintings. Because of the supportive, cooperative, enthusiastic, and positive personality of the group as a whole, the reception and exhibit are always pulled off without a flaw.”
The theme of this year’s exhibit, “Times Gone By,” required the artists to look at items from the past in a new, creative light. Previous year’s themes have included interpretations of Montgomery, doors, and the zoo, among others.
“The first year I participated in the Armory Art Show was pretty scary, as my work was quite basic,” Marshall recalls. “I’m so glad I’m a part of it because I look back at all our work and see that we are all growing. We even have an artist who just completed a one-woman-show in her hometown.”
“The exhibit is a wonderful way to showcase our efforts and provide affordable art for those seeking original work,” Marshall continues. “There’s a wide range of prices and sizes and subjects –– truly something for everyone. Or, you can just come and enjoy the beautiful art.”
“I’m glad the show’s become an annual event and is becoming a part of the artistic scene in Montgomery,” adds Shepard. “There really is just no such thing as too much art.”
Sandra Polizos is a first-year student in one of Hooks’ art classes. For more information on the Capital City Artists, contact instructor Judie Hooks at (334) 322-1615.
Capital City Artists Exhibit* and Reception
“Times Gone By”
Sunday, Oct. 4, 2-4 p.m. — Armory Learning Arts Center
1018 Madison Avenue
Continues throughout October.
