Moapa Valley Progress
If you are partial to all things whimsical and beautiful, you are in for a special treat at the Mesquite Fine Arts Gallery, Tuesday noon, March 4. John Murchie and Randy McArthur are featured speakers for a free “brown bag” presentation, “Leapin’ Leprechauns and Other Wonderful Woodcraft”. Both men use wood as their art medium, but they produce entirely different works of art.
John Murchie starts with a gnarled branch. He visualizes leprechauns and other characters that might be fashioned from that unique piece. Using a variety of carving tools, he shapes the wood, then colors and finishes the wood into a one-of-a-kind figure; not always the figure he envisioned.
Randy McArthur, on the other hand, is a fine furniture and cabinet maker, and owner of Trimcraft/Teknowood of Mesquite. He often must produce identical or coordinating products. He draws precision designs for the furniture or cabinets he wants to make, carefully selects his wood for its beautiful grain and appropriate hardness, and uses a variety of power and hand tools to complete a finished product that matches his design.
Murchie and McArthur will show examples of their work and explain techniques used to achieve their desired results. Both men will field questions about their work and help the audience learn more about the characteristics of wood and its care.
Tuesday’s program is the latest installment of a free lecture series offered monthly by the Virgin Valley Artist Association. This is a “brown bag” affair, and the audience is encouraged to bring a sack lunch to enjoy during the noon hour presentation. Coffeeand light refreshments will be served free of charge, following a March St. Patricks Day theme. For more information about the lecture, Virgin Valley Artist Association membership and art classes, or about the gallery, please call Mesquite Fine Arts Gallery at 346-1338 during its business hours, 10am-4pm Tuesday-Saturday. The Gallery is located at 15 W. Mesquite Blvd, with parking available behind the gallery, off Yucca Street.
