Southeast Missouri State University student publication

Crisp Museum hosts Trick-Art-Treat nightscape acrylic painting

Monday, October 14, 2019
Ellen Has and Richard Flange work on their nightcap sciences as part of Cape Girardeau’s First Friday, Crisp Museum at Southeast River Campus on Oct. 4.
Photo by Daria Lawson

As a part of Cape Girardeau’s First Friday, Crisp Museum at Southeast River Campus hosted a Trick-Art-Treat acrylic painting workshop Friday, Oct. 4.

Ellen Hahs, Crisp Museum's curator of education, instructed attendants in creating a nightscape scene with silhouettes and a glowing moon along with a supply of Halloween candy and snacks to ring in the fall season.

To create the image, participants spray painted a piece of paper with various layering colors.

With the still-wet paint, crinkled pieces of magazines were used to create texture by dabbing it on the wet spray paint, creating the background for their moon.

Container lids were used to shape the moon’s outline and glow by being placed on top of the wet paint, while darker colored spray paint on the surrounding paper formed a night sky behind the moon.

Painters proceeded with the activity inside the museum using strips of ripped tape to create tree silhouettes on the dried paper, filling in the sections with black paint and proceeding to freehand branches.

Some painters got creative by adding details in the background of their scene, such as an owl or stars in the sky.

This event, which has been held for multiple years at the museum, has become a tradition and seasonal favorites.

Hahs explains she wants this to be an event open to all age groups and one more about having fun and engaging in the community than being a natural-born artist.

“I want people to take away from this event that even if they can't draw a stick figure, they can still make some pretty cool art,” Hahs said.

Painters Bambi Robinson and Sharon Anderson explained the importance of events like these just to take some time to relax.

“It's great for bonding, and sometimes you just need to take a break from your normal lives,”

Anderson said.

Hahs explained local events like these are a good audience introduction to be to see what else the museum has to offer.

“These events are held so that community members can be aware of what opportunities in the area,” Hahs said. “We do a lot of art things, but we also want people to come to see the lecture series and history gallery and find out how we can be involved in the community.”

Crisp Museum will host various weekly seasonal activities throughout the month of October.

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