ARTIST OF HOOKER COUNTY

Entry T104 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

One of Glen Geirs many Bronzes in color.

Wanda Smith's crocheted Hat Clock, sawblade
clock painted in acrylics and acrylic painting on a
slab of tree clock

Sandhill scene painted by the Mullen High art
class in early 1980s on west side of 'Big Lil's' Bar

Dry Valley Church - Cathy Nichols in acrylic

Sandhill Pond Visitor - Claudia Tompkins sand-painting
with acrylic background (using Hooker Co. colored sand)

              Wanda Smith

Wanda E. (Middaugh) Smith was born in
Cody, Nebraska May 22, 1923. She attended
grade school in rural Cherry County and
graduated from High School in Gordon,
Nebraska. She taught school for two years
before marrying Allen Smith in August 1943.
To this union three children were born:
Gloria, John and Jim. During the years the
children were growing up and in school, she
did many different crafts including croche-
ting, making a lot of the family clothes,
ceramics and then to painting with tube
paints on dresser scarfs, pillow slips, etc.
Finally in 1980 she decided to try oil painting
after starting on her own. She took a painting
class taught by Claudia Tompkins and since
then she has attended workshops by William
Shimnel Jr. of Arizona (oil); Marvin Espe of
Minnesota (acrylic); Barbara Schaffner, a
wild life oil artist from Montana; Charles
Cross, oil portraits and most recently an
acrylic workshop by Tim Saska from Texas.

In 1987 Wanda took a college class of Still
Life Acrylic taught by Bruce Wyman, earning
one college hour credit. At the present time
she makes clocks by painting on round saw
blades and square or rectangle pieces of
wood. She enjoys painting landscapes and
wild life in either oil or acrylic.

                          by Wanda Smith


  Art Project, Cheryl Firestein Jetter

In the early 1980's the Art Classes of
Mullen High School, under the direction and
assistance of the Art teacher Mrs. Cheryl
Jetter came up with a real neat painting on
the west wall of Big Lil's Bar. They did some
research and decided on a typical sandhills
scene and the Community Improvement
Committee furnished the paint and the kids
furnished the elbow grease.

                                  by Mabell Cox


             Artist Cathy Nichols

When I first tried painting in 1977 I had
an eight month old baby and another one on
the way so needless to say it got put off for
awhile.

Then in 1981 Claudia Tompkins gave a
painting class in acrylics. After getting a good
basic start from her I have really enjoyed
painting.

I've taken a few workshops both in Mullen
and Thedford in which I learned techniques
that have helped. Still practice is what helps
most for self improvement.

About three times I have been in Art shows,
all in Mullen. It is very interesting to have a
picture critiqued by a fellow artist. In one
exhibit I had a painting judged as best by the
public who came to look.

Besides painting pictures I have painted on
saws, saw blades cast iron skillets, rocks, and
ceramic tiles made into refrigerator magnets.
I have made at least 600 of these magnets and
have them in several different states.

Besides acrylics I've also worked in oils,
watercolor and really enjoy drawing.

Some day after my children are grown I'm
looking forward to taking more workshops
and spending a lot more time painting. For
now I'm enjoying my family and painting
when I can.

                                   Cathy Nichols


           Artist Claudia Tompkins

My interest was first aroused in the 4th
grade when my crayon drawing was awarded
a blue ribbon for an Easter picture. This
desire for drawing followed me through the
years in school. I attended Chadron State
College to obtain my degree then took Art
courses for enjoyment. Instructors there
were; Carpenter - Commerical Art; a black
Artist listed in "Who's Who in Art", Artist
- Still Life and Ceramics; Dillon - Acrylic, oil,
still life and figure drawing, also watercolor.

I taught school for 29 years and eight of
those years included teaching art classes 1st
through 12th grades and ceramics 7th
through 12th. I instructed several adult
classes in the evenings.

I have attended 3 to 5 day workshops
through the years. The first was under Tom
Talbot, oil in 1969; James Disney, acrylic and
oil in `82 and `84; Charles Rogers, watercolor
in `85 and Patsy Smith, arcylic in `86. One
must keep learning and experimenting with
the art meadias and taking advantage of all
workshops if at all possible to improve
techniques.

The regular medias are a challenge to paint
in but I love to be creative so I try other
media. I dye Hooker County sand and do
sand painting; use cancelled postage stamps
for collage pictures combined with either
acrylic or watercolor. I wedge my own clays
and develop original sculptures to be fired for
ceramics. Letting the creative process flow
through me is most invigorating and makes
me want to do more.

My husband, Glen, is my severest critic, he
also gives me encouragement and confidence
and - makes all the frames I need for my Art
projects.

                          by Claudia Tompkins


             Artist Esther French

I have always liked to draw. As long as I can
remember I spent much of my free time with
paper and pencils. My Mother was interested
in painting also. I have one of her pieces that
was done on linen cloth and is 100 years old
now.

I did not have a chance to take any art
classes until I attended Charon State College
at Chadron Ne. The class I took there was
primary drawing. After teaching several
years I had plans to attend the Fort Collins
Art College at Fort Collins, CO. but instead
I was married.

Some years later I saw an advertisement for
a correspondence course offered by an art
school in Minnesota. Because of hard times
I could not enroll at that time even though
the tuition was only $300 for the 3-year course
- 12 months each year. About 2 years later an
aunt left me a small inheritance and I used
it to take the art course. I completed the
course and felt that it was very worthwhile.
I took a few lessons from Tom Talbot of
Thedford, NE. shortly after that and enjoyed
those lessons very much.

Much of the painting I have done was after
my children started to high school, but I have
done some pieces off and on all my life. I like
to paint landscapes. I have done some scenes
with animals but prefer to do pictures of just
landscapes. I like to paint with oil because it
gives one time to do detail work and is also
colorful.

                               by Esther French


                 Artist Glen Gier

As a student in grade school, Glen began
to draw the western scenes he saw around
him. He began painting in oils in his teen
years. Then in 1978, Glen started sculpturing,
along with his ranching. This proved popular
almost from the first. He has won numerous
awards at the Nebraska's State Art Show,
and third in Sculpture at Death Valley,
California. Glen has been invited to show at
the Fort Robinson Western and Wildlife
Show; Oregon Trail Days at Gering, Nebras-
ka; Minnesota Western and Wildlife at the
Hyatt Regency, Minneapolis, Minnesota;
George Phippen Memorial in Prescott, Ari-
zona; Days of '49 Death Valley, California
and Iowa Wildlife and Western Art Festival
in Des Moines, Iowa.

The newest dimension in sculpture is color
patinas, instead of just the French browns.
Galleries and collectors are now showing their
interest by calling Glen. Glen will exhibit and
sell the moldings done either in living color
or in the traditional natural bronze hue.

A lifetime of ranching, and now we will
"Let time tell us" how successful the Art work
will be. Alice is keeping an autograph book
with names and drawings by the artists with
whom they become well acquainted. Alice,
Glen's wife, gives encouragement and also
does his bookings.

                        by Glen Gier and Alice