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INTERNATIONAL PHYSIQUE CHAMPION •TV Celebrity Anchor Children's PETER NIELSEN'S . • Fitness Programs • Nutritional Counseling • Muscle/Massage Personal Trainin 4 Club Therapy 4119 Orchard Lake Rd. (at Pontiac Tr.) West Bloomfield Visit our website www.peternielsen.com • Free Consultation (248) 855-0345 ISRAEL 7/16-10/31 12/18-12/25 Round Trip From Detroit 11/1- 12/17 12/26-3/31 849 689 CHILD 649 CHILD 539 2 DAY FREE CAR RENTAL WITH AIR TICKETS PURCHASE RESTRICTIONS APPLY AGENTS WELCOME BEST IPRICES HOTEL • TOURS • GROUPS ELITE bra, 800-354-8320 216-514-9000 6/18 1999 108 Detroit Jewish News her teaching your typical Drawing 101 course. Instead, Hacker offers such unique selections as How to Make a Hand Painted Floor Cloth, The Techniques of Furniture Painting, Glass Painting, and The Art of Decoupage. This West Bloomfield resident and mother of two has been teach- ing art classes and projects to both adults and children for three years. A self-described "hobby artist," she was always artistic, even as a child, and has always had a knack for turn- ing the ordinary into the extraordi- nary. After the birth of her first child (she now has two), Hacker started looking for projects that would keep her close to home. She began to paint terra cotta flowerpots that she sold in art shows. When the art show circuit became too time con- suming, Hacker gave it up but con- tinued to work on art projects in her home with friends, while at the same time taking on commissioned projects painting furniture. After a while, she began to create the same decorative floor cloths and furniture her friends found in upscale stores, but for half the price. Soon her friends and family convinced her to start teaching classes at the local corn- munity center. The idea took off. This spring, Hacker taught four types of art classes at different locations, including the Birmingham Community House, and through West Bloomfield, Novi and Bloomfield Hills community edu- cation centers. She also teaches at small parties. While the classes are open to any- one, it is predominately women who sign up, ranging in age from teenagers to seniors. "It feels like girls night out," explains Hacker. "Many of my students watch Home and Garden Television (HGTV) and want to create the same projects for themselves. They are intimidated by having to go out and purchase all of the different materials required, so it is much easier for them to come to my class, where I provide them with everything they need to make a completed project." The floor cloth class is the only one that lasts two sessions. In all of the classes, each student is guaranteed to walk out of the session with their own creation. The floor mat class creates a two foot by three-foot floor mat, the glass painting class paints vases, the furniture painting class sands, paints, and finishes footstools, and the decoupage class creates memory boxes. Each class is two hours in length. Hacker offers her classes notebooks filled with photos, design ideas, stencils and boxes filled with design materials. She recommends that stu- dents bring their own artist brushes. There are numerous techniques demonstrated at each class to give students decorating ideas, including rag rolling, sponge finishing, stencils and using rubber stamps. Students don't have to be able to draw free- hand to create their own master- piece. Geula Tron, a 35-year-old West Bloomfield resident, has already taken Hacker's glass painting and furniture painting classes, and has recently signed on to complete the series by taking the floor mat and decoupage classes. Tron insists she's "never done painting or art in [her] life, but the way [Hacker] demon- strates everything step-by-step makes it easy and fun!" Tron took her first class in glass painting on a whim because she fre- quents art festivals and has always loved the glassware. She is fascinated by glass painting and was surprised and excited to find out that it is easier than she thought. Tron's first project was not the stan- dard vase, but two margarita glasses she brought with her. She now uses them as votive candleholders. She loves the opportunity to meet new people and create new items in the classes. "At the start of each session," says Hacker, "I inevitably get at least one student who claims they are not at all artistically inclined. I don't buy it. Everyone has creativity within. It is just a matter of giving them an outlet to express themselves. "I can show people ways to bring out their whimsical natures." Fl Dates, times and costs of Louise Hacker's classes vary depending on location and class selected. Classes are limited to 15 people each session. A schedule of classes and locations can be found on Hacker's Web site at www.members.xoom.com/wee zeeart.