Art Show and Mall Field Trip

Students admire their artwork on display at the mall.

All smiles in the food court and a stroll around the shops.

Keith shows us his artwork on display.

Oscar thinks his piece is #1.

Allison is very proud to have her art work on display.

Keith is taking a moment to relax.

Darryl is excited about the food court.

A relaxing lunch in the mall food court for Lauren.

A ray of sunlight is a perfect lunch spot for Darren.

Ben and Jenny take a moment after lunch to people watch.

VSA California sponsors a wonderful show of artistic talent every year at the Westfield MainPlace Mall in Santa Ana, California.  Artists with physical and intellectual disabilities are given the opportunity to showcase their art, music, dance and drama in the mall.  Each year Hope University participates in the weekend festivities and takes a field trip to see the artwork on display and enjoy some time outside of the classroom.  

Here are some favorites of the day:

"I enjoyed seeing the artwork on display, some of it was very nice."  

Amy L.

"I liked going to the mall, walking around, getting out of school for the day and keeping cool in the air-conditioning."

Margaret K.

"The mall was nice and cool, the day was so hot.  I liked seeing all of the artwork and paintings."

Jenny D. 

"I really liked seeing the artwork of my friends up on display, it was very pretty."

Rene S. 

"My favorite part was the food court.  I liked choosing my lunch.  Seeing the puppies was fun too."

Michelle E. 

"I saw a painting of a piano with different colored keys.  I thought about the music and sounds it would make."

Darren P. 

As usual, the food court was a big favorite.  Having the opportunity to choose, order and pay is very exciting.  The mall had so much art from schools and programs all around the Orange County area that it was hard to pick a favorite. The Disney store and the candy store seemed to be the most visited.  We had such a good time that we are already looking forward to next year's trip to the Westfield Santa Ana MainPlace Mall for the VSA show.   

2013 Hope University Calendars Now Available!

Chris Friedman's linoleum block print, 'Desert Bloom'.

Jim Lin's water color,  'Fish'.

Darren Petersen's linoleum block print, 'Automated Tree System'.

Yes, we all need one so why not make yours count.  The annual Hope University Calendar is now out and available for purchase.  What a wonderful way to show your support of this community and Hope University all year long.  Each month you will be treated to a unique work of art created by one of the many talented artists here at Hope U.  In the calender you will see watercolors, colored pencil, acrylic paintings and linoleum block prints, each one an expression of the students amazing abilities.  
You can place your order over the phone, send us an email or even come by.  They will also be available at one of the many holiday Boutiques we will be attending as well as the annual Hope U Christmas Show.  So don't wait, get yours now, only $15.00 each. 
All three of the wonderful artworks pictured above are included in the calendar for 2013. 

Exploring Art

Karen explores repetition and color.

Michelle likes to use acrylics and an easel. 

Joanna finds out how colors work on a dark background.

Tanette gets ready to work on her sewing project.

Hope University is a day program for adults with developmental disabilities.  We have an arts based curriculum centered on exploring each clients abilities.  There are many arts for the clients to choose from, painting, drawing, pen and ink, printmaking, knitting, weaving, sewing, felting, pastels, acrylics, even graphite.  Here we have some views of clients participating in the offerings.  Artwork created by the clients is often used in making items that we sell at our annual holiday boutique as well as on our Etsy shop.  Custom paintings and artwork are available for commission by our talented artists by request.  Please visit our website to view more. 

New Etsy Item!

Our felting classes make the felted soaps that have become very popular gifts.  The felted soaps are now available for purchase on our Hope U Handmade Etsy Marketplace.  They are so colorful and useful too.  They make wonderful gifts for men or women, teens and even children.  The wool felt covering the soap gives it a gentle exfoliant, makes it easy to grip, which is great for those with special motor skill needs.  The soap inside a soothing oatmeal blend with a soft cinnamon scent. If you are interested in purchasing these for resale or personal use you can place your orders through Etsy or convo us through Etsy, send us an email or even just give us a call.   Always remember that purchases from Hope University are tax deductible and all of the proceeds go to the continuation of our progressive arts based day program.  Thank you.

Aritst of the Month Darren Petersen

This month we are featuring Darren Petersen as Artist of the Month.  You may remember some of Darren's art in past posts as he is quite prolific.  Darren generally prefers to work in sculpture, as shown in his robot, helicopter and baseball stadium but this time he ventured into 2D art with linoleum block prints.  Darren's love of all things mechanical is evident in his imaginative subject matter.  He has created a series of vehicles of which a book is being compiled along with a story to expand upon them.  Darren's artwork is certainly interesting and inventive.  Here are a few comments from his fellow students:
"I think he did a good job with the lines."  Margaret Kelley
"I like the Space Vehicle, the way you can see the throttle, the fancy wheels and the body." Fred Mezzo
"The Space Vehicle makes me feel like I am up in space!" Lori Slikker
Congratulations Darren Petersen, Artist of the Month.

Artist of the Month for May is....

Our Artist of the Month, Karen Leeb.

Karen has a light touch with colored pencils.

"Box"  watercolor by Karen Leeb.

Karen likes to draw roses.

Karen created this work on the computer using her own drawing techniques.

For the month of May, Hope University student Karen Leeb was chosen as the 'Artist of the Month'.
Karen's art is gentle, colorful and vibrant.  She uses a soft hand with the colored pencils and becomes more bold with other mediums such as watercolor and computer art.  Karen takes art classes and enjoys working with most mediums, as you can see in her work she enjoys repeating pattern.
"I feel pretty good when I do art." is what Karen says about creating her work.
Other students also like to look at Karen's artwork;
"She is very creative."  Lori Slikker.
"They are beautiful." Kris W.
"She has talent." Margaret Kelly.
We all think Karen makes lovely artwork and we hope she continues to make more.