Glenfield Art Show Proves

'very' successful

Eighteen area artists participated in the first Glenfield Art Show held at the Community Center there Wednesday through Friday, May 2-4.

In addition to the paintings on display, the art show featured demonstrations by Helen Johnson on Batik painting, Doris Erickson on palette knife painting and LaVonne Anderson on water colors. All of the women are from Glenfield.

The art show, which was sponsored by a volunteer committee made up of Glenfield residents, was designed as a vehicle for exposing talented area residents.

The show proved to be an unqualified success since a number of artists from the Sutton, Binford, McHenry, Glenfield and Courtenay area accepted the opportunity to display their work.

A $1.00 admission fee was charged for the art show with the proceeds going to the Glenfield Senior Citizens Club for use of the building.

Members of the committee in charge of sponsoring the display were: Evelyn Johnson, LaVonne Anderson, Doris Erickson and Betty Johnson.

According to all of the women, they hope to make the art show an annual event and perhaps increase the number of artists participating in it next year.

She just dabbles in wax

The tools of her trade are a frying pan, paint brush, batch of dyes and wax. She can do her thing in a studio, at home, in a motel room - any place just as long as she has electricity.

You see, Helen Johnson, a native of Glenfield, is a "fine arts artist" who emphasizes in batik painting. Batik painting is a method of dyeing paint into a fabric in which parts of the cloth, not intended to be dyed, are covered with removable wax.

According to Helen, she first learned to batik in 1975, after taking a class at Northern School Supply in Fargo. Although she learned the mechanics of the art form back then, she never actively pursued it until about four years ago because she considered it "too much of a mess."

Because her livelihood depends on the sale of her paintings, Helen spends a portion of each day working. "I'm not a fast producer and this type of art takes a lot of time and planning to do," she commented. And, if she isn't actually painting, one can probably find her in the midst of framing her pieces.

All of the frames Helen uses for her paintings are made by her mother, Evelyn, who in addition to making beautiful wood frames, is also an accomplished loom weaver.

A self-described "mobile" person, Helen gains inspiration for her work from the various things she sees. If she doesn't have her camera in hand, she will often times make a quick sketch of an interesting scene and capture it on fabric at a later date.

Once Helen has come up with a design, she sets out to draw it. After making her drawing, she will then trace it on the fabric she has chosen. In batik painting, cotton, cotton-corduroy, silk, linen, rice paper or wool serve as the canvas.

"If there's a part of the design you want to keep white," she said, "you paint wax on it." Helen uses "almost 100 percent beeswax and a little paraffin" mixed in. And once the wax is dry, the fabric is then dipped into the first dye, which is also the lightest.

After the initial dipping, the fabric is again left to dry. Once it is dry, Helen will again paint hot wax over any part of the design she wishes to remain dyed in her first color. From then on, she progresses from the lightest shade of dye to the darkest, continuing to paint wax over those areas she wishes to remain dyed in a certain color.

After her painting is done and the fabric is dried, Helen takes it to the dry cleaners to have the wax removed. "They're really confused by it," she said with a grin. "Most (cleaners) get real excited because they feel it will ruin their machines."

But, after explaining that the wax melts and is disposed of with the other cleaning agents, the dry cleaning people usually agree to take on the paintings. And it isn't too long, Helen said, before the cleaners begin to look forward to seeing her because her paintings break up the monotony of doing "old dirty clothes."

At present, Helen spends most of her time creating pictures. However she is considering the possibility of expanding into batik wall hangings. "I have a shop in Bismarck interested in wall hangings," she explained, so I am working on designs which can be used for that purpose.

She added she is also hoping to create batik designs for fabric companies for use in clothing, sheets or other household goods sometime in the future. "Batik doesn't have to be a framed piece of art, it can be used for things in every day life," she said in explanation of her dreams. "There's a lot of possibilities for it. The only thing that's against you is time."

Because she is an exact and skilled artist, Helen has won numerous awards for her batik paintings.

In 1983, she won a Calendar Award at the International Western and Wildlife Art Show and Sale in Williston, a Purchase Award in Stage 83 held at Bismarck Junior College, and another Purchase Award at Valley City's Biennial Art Exhibition.

In addition, she had a batik chosen for display at the North Dakota governor's mansion after placing in the 39th Annual Bismarck Art Show. She has also won a Purchase Award at the Lost Dutchman Art Exhibition in Apache Junction, Arizona, and a Cash Merit Award at the 40th Annual Bismarck Art Exhibition.

Source:  Glenfield History 1886 €“ 1987 Page 151