Previous Artists of the Month
Shirley Friday
Artist of the Month for November and December 2011
The Artist of the Month for November and December at the Center for the Arts, 122 W Broadway in downtown Hobbs, is Shirley Friday, watercolor, pastel, and oil painter. Shirley with her husband Bob retired to Hobbs seven years ago and since August 2010 has been entering her artwork in exhibits and the Gift Shoppe at the Center for the Arts.
Drawing since childhood, she received a set of pastel pencils from her dad who enrolled her in an art institute where she learned basic drawing skills. She continued to draw through high school as a hobby. Attending nursing school and then when marriage and raising her family put art on hold, she still managed to periodically produce a few pieces of artwork for friends. While living in Arizona her desire to learn oil painting was sparked. When Shirley’s daughters left home, she enrolled in a local college extension painting class where she was allowed to choose her subject matter. At that time, she enjoyed painting animals but wanted to pursue western art and she loved the Native American culture and portraits. Shirley says, “If I did the lessons given, I would always change it by putting a horse or something different in it, and therefore became known lovingly as a rebel student.”
The demands of painting large canvases for long periods of time, ten to twelve hours a day, became very tiring. Losing the inspiration to continue, Shirley gave all her art supplies away. Thirty years passed and through the encouragement of a friend, she picked up some pastels and painted her friend a picture. That was the start of a love affair with art again and she continued to fervently paint pastel pictures for a year.
Two years ago, Shirley became a member of Lea County Commission for the Arts and the Llano Estacado Art Association and ultimately decided to try watercolor classes at the City of Hobbs Senior Center with instructor Barbara Dunford. Shirley says “Being a part of these wonderful organizations has led me to new friends and opportunities. I consider my artistic talent a gift from God. I desire to be a testimony to people that you are never too old to start over or to just start something new. I am learning a new skill but the best part is painting what I want, when I want. My husband, 3 daughters, 5 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren are very supportive. Art in any form is an expression of ones inner being. Not expressing it would be like a butterfly never emerging from its cocoon.”
