Published: July 16, 2009 07:43 am      

Harts featured artists for July

Bill and June Hart, Ada, will be spotlighted as Artists of the Month in the Artists of the Arbuckles Gallery in Sulphur for July.

Bill will be displaying his woodturnings and June will have some of her watercolors. Several of their things are for sale. The show opened Saturday, July 11, and will end July 31. Gallery hours are 1-5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 12-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

They are long-time members of the Artists of the Arbuckles.

Bill began woodturning in 1992 after he retired from Southwestern Bell with 36 years of service in Ada. He joined the Central Oklahoma Woodturners in Oklahoma City and attended many workshops and demonstrations which allowed him to have a better knowledge of this art form. He has attended three National Symposiums which enabled him to get new ideas from all over the world. One of his turnings is currently pictured on the Internet from the A.A.W.2000 Symposium held in Charlotte, N.C. He enjoys working with woods that have voids and cracks in them.

“I like to let the rustic nature of the wood show through,” he said. He also uses turquoise, malachite, and wood dust created from shavings from the log as he turns it. Bill said, “You put a part of yourself into every piece you create.” He has participated 10 years in the Oklahoma Forest Heritage Center’s Arts and Crafts Show in Beavers Bend State Park, Broken Bow. He has won many awards and each year he makes a different Christmas ornament for collectors.

June is a talented watercolorist who began painting upon retirement in 1993. After trying oils, she found her interest lay in working in watercolor. She studied with Rob Erdle and Ken Hosmer. She is a member of the Ada Artists Association as well as the A.A. She enjoys growing and painting flowers in particular Her favorite flower is the iris and is often used as her subject in watercolor and her garden. You will also see sensitive and beautiful renditions of some Oklahoma wildflowers in her exhibit.

The Gallery phone number is 580-622-5744.