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22 | OHCC LIVING | DECEMBER 2020 | Just in case: Check with your club contact to confirm meeting place, date, and time. Art room We are delighted to feature this month two very beautiful and interesting works by Nancy-Jo Klaphaak. Nancy has spent her life following one artistic muse after another and has delved into painting, printmaking, illustration, ceramics, handmade paper, and mixed media. She holds an undergraduate degree in drawing and painting from Skidmore College and a Master's degree in painting from Stanford University. She has taken many workshops from master artists and has studied art in Mexico and at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. She has worked as both an illustrator and a teacher, completing projects for companies such as Coca Cola, and Johnson & Johnson. Nancy recently illustrated a children's book entitled Dance of the Tide Pools which can be found on Amazon. Her art is on display at the COAL Gallery in Carlsbad and the Off Track Gallery in Encinitas, and in private collections both locally and abroad. In spite of winning many awards for her art, Nancy believes her greatest achievement comes from having raised two beautiful sons! "Floral Rhapsody" is painted on Yupo Paper which is made from polypropylene pellets. As opposed to traditional watercolor paper made from trees, this synthetic paper is highly smooth and does not easily soak in color, so pigments have to dry slowly by evaporation, creating a more brilliant surface. When used with alcohol ink, which is more difficult to control, the colors mix in highly unpredictable ways. "Her Favorite Hat" began with several rough sketches, then laying down veils of color and papers to create a fun surface. As the texture built up, she began adding details to the basic design of the portrait, then added bird images to add to the whimsy. Enjoy!