Welcome!!!

Welcome to the Cheyenne County Art guild blog page. The CCAG has been promoting art and artists for over 40 years. We hope this blog will not only provide information, but be a center for discussion and idea sharing.

Stop back often - see what's new in the world of art in the panhandle of Nebraska and beyond.

Special Note: Please do not steal. All artwork on this blog is copyrighted and is the exclusive property of the artist. If you see something you like and would like to contact the artist, email Sheila Phelps blog-manager: sheilaphelps59@gmail.com

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Sad News

Dear CCAG members:
Frances Campbell passed away Sunday, September 25, 2011.  Her funeral will be Thursday, September 29, 2011 at 11 AM at the Methodist Church in Kimball, Nebraska.  A memorial will be sent to her family in her honor from the CCAG.

For those who did not know Frances, she was a very well-known artist whose watercolor and acrylic paintings won many significant awards.  Many of her murals and large paintings are found in public places in the panhandle of Nebraska.  (I think the Kimball County Court House and the hospital in Scottsbluff and maybe many more places.)  She gave watercolor/acrylic workshops, She served as a board member of the Halsey Fall Art Workshops, and was a core figure in the art movement in a large regional area.  She served on different boards/committees in her Kimball community, too.  She was a joy to be around and a was a very delightful and inspiring individual. She will be greatly missed.

At one time Frances was also a member of the Cheyenne Artists' Guild in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Sheila Phelps Artist of the Month Sept 22 - Oct 20

Sheila Phelps selected as
CCAG Artist of the Month
See her work at the Sidney Public Library and the Cheyenne County Community Center 
Sept 22 - Oct 20  Sheila works primarily in oils.
Artist Biography:

From the time of my childhood growing up on my great grandfather’s homestead near Crofton, Nebraska, a love of the land and a deep respect for the awesome power of nature was engrained in me. My roots were firmly planted in the prairie soil of northeast Nebraska, and my journey into the world of art began by watching Mom. I remember several occasions where my sister and I followed Mom to the banks of the Missouri River where she set up her easel and spent the afternoon painting. I was fascinated by how she could transform a flat blank canvas into a beautiful work of art—She could work magic with a bit of paint and a brush. I took a couple art classes in high school, but when it came time to choose a career path, science, coupled with my passion for teaching, was the road I took.

With a teaching certificate in science education in hand I moved to Sidney, NE in 1981. I met my husband Gary, a local wheat farmer. We built a house and moved to his family farm east of Peetz, CO. I knew that this was where I would put down my own prairie roots.

Now several years later, after raising two children, and teaching science for nearly 30 years, I’m renewing my love of oil painting. I’m a work in progress, inspired by the vastness of this big-sky world I live in. I hope to continue in the footsteps I followed as a child watching Mom as I set up my own easel on top of my prairie roots.

Artist Statement:
"If you don't try - you won't know you can...."  
(Words of wisdom from my mom)

Some samples of Sheila's oil painting not on display.  Painted as gifts for family members.
(Click on image for a larger view)

"A Toy Boat" (36" x 24")
Based on a painting by Henri-Jacques Bource, (Belgian 1826 – 1899).

"At the Beach"  (18 x 24)


"Panning for Gold"  (18" x 24")
Sam and Louis on vacation with Grandma and Grandpa Albers in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  Don't think they found much gold, but they sure had a good time.  (painted spring 2010)

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Sept. 29th Bronze Casting and "Catch the Colors" Loveland, CO

People signed up
Hank Jessen: 
Ben Ramsey: 
Sabra Dickey:
Danielle Dickey: 
Pat Meick: 
Gail Dykman: 
Judy McElroy:
Itinerary:
Leave Sidney WalMart parking lot (south end)  at 6:30 a.m It's about a 3 hour drive
I-80 west to I-25 south then west on hwy 34 to Loveland
Tour Bronze Services:  will be doing four pours starting at 8:00 then 9:00, 10:00, and 11:00
Tour Art Casting of Colorado: Time to still be determined - will let you know ASAP!!!
Lunch at Benson Park:  Bring a sack lunch and enjoy the bronze sculptures
"Catch the Colors"
  • Drive up HWY 34 to Estes Park, CO  (The other option is drive up Pourdre Canyon west of Fort Collins on HWY 14)  The aspen should be in full color or nearly so.  Great photo ops or just a time to enjoy the beauty of nature. 
Supper in Fort Collins
  • Fort Collins offers a wide range of excellent places to eat.  There are a couple micro-brewerys in "Old Town"  I would suggest "Coopersmiths"  http://coopersmithspub.com/ pretty reasonable and a lot of fun.  Along College Avenue, there are several good places to eat.  There is an Applebees at 4306 S. College.  Since I will not be able to go along, (VERY SAD - have to work that day)   I'll leave that up to you.
Home:   Have no idea what time, but hopefully before midnight. 
Enjoy the day!!!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Hank Jessen Artist of the Month August - Sept 10

Hank Jessen is a prolific artist sometimes completing as many as 15 artworks a year in oil, acrylic, and watercolor.  His favorite subject matter is landscape, whether it is landscapescenes on his farm, his backyard, or the many travels that he and his wife, Joyce, enjoy throughout the year.

Jessen also paints flowers and people and has honed his skills by taking many
workshops throughout the years given by local and nationally recognized artists.  He has also taken classes through the Autumn Art Workshops in Halsey, NE and classes through Western Nebraska Community College.

As an active member of the Cheyenne County Art Guild for over twenty years, he has  exhibited his award-winning artwork at the CCAG’s Annual Spring Members’ Show for many years.  His art has also been exhibited for many years at the Carnegie Art Center in Alliance, NE, the Holyoke, CO and Yuma, CO Art Shows, the Dalton Fall Festival, the Cheyenne County Fair, the Cheyenne County Community Center in Sidney, the Association of Nebraska Art clubs Annual Conference, and many other places.
           
Jessen served as President of the CCAG in 2004-05 and continues to serve on various art committees and be an enthusiastic, participating member of the CCAG.  He also serves as the guild’s Historian.

Hank Jessen’s paintings are on display at the Sidney Public Library and the Cheyenne County Community Center through September 10, 2011.  The public is encouraged to view this fine artwork.