Guitarist Hiroya Tsukamoto returns to the Arts Center

Watercolor by Lucy Thomas

We have two events scheduled for the month of February and much more in the works as we head toward spring. Our two-day acrylics painting class by returning artist/instructor Lucy Thomas is scheduled for Feb. 21-22. The class is titled “The Art of Loose Landscape” and will focus on trees, clouds, and fields. The class sold out quickly, so we’ve asked her to return the first weekend in May for another class similar in theme. To register for the May class, please see contact information at the bottom of the article. Tuition for the class is $195 and the class is limited to 10 students.

“My favorite kind of landscape to paint is the type of scenery you see while driving down a state highway or country road,” Thomas said of her landscape classes. “There are fields with yellows and purples and greens. Clouds are heavy in the sky, and not too far in the distance is a tree line made of many types of foliage. All the action takes place on a serene horizon line. That’s what I will show you how to do in this class. I’ll show you how I paint trees and shrubs, show you how to give depth and distance to land, and we will paint skies and clouds together in multiple ways. My favorite way to paint is using the negative space technique. So, there will be a heavy dose of that as well.” Thomas added that this is not a realistic painting class, and drawing skills are not necessary.

The artist started painting at 47 after a discouraging medical diagnosis. Before long, art became her full-time job. Since then, her work has been in galleries across the Southeast. She teaches at the Huntsville Museum of Art, Revelry Fine Arts in Nashville, and online through her website.

She lives in the Nashville area with husband Garner, dogs and cats, and a tortoise named Steve.

Guitarist/composer Hiroya Tsukamoto

On Friday, Feb. 27, we will welcome back guitarist/composer Hiroya Tsukamoto to the arts center. Tsukamoto is a Japanese composer, guitarist, and singer-songwriter who blends folk, jazz, and world music into his performances. Born in Kyoto, he moved to the U.S. in 2000 on a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music. Tsukamoto is known for his innovative fingerstyle technique and his ability to fuse instrumental compositions with storytelling.

Russell Gulley is producing the show as part of his Community Folksongs Arts in Education program. Popular Huntsville guitarist Mike Slaten will open the show, which runs from 6-9 p.m. Tickets are $25 and are available at the arts center and online through Eventbrite. Hiroya will be performing at the Fort Payne Middle School the afternoon of the show.

Randy Grider is the executive director of the nonprofit Mentone Arts and Cultural Center. He can be reached via email at mentoneartscenter@gmail.com or by phone at 256-674-3366.