Art League opens gallery room at Rolling in Thyme and Dough

The Dripping Springs Art League (DSAL) celebrated its new partnership with hometown eatery Rolling in Thyme & Dough at a reception on Saturday, Aug. 24. The restaurant has designated one of its areas as The Gallery Room, and it will be home to a series of art exhibits showcasing everything from paintings to jewelry.

“This has been kind of a dream of ours, to have a location, a coffee shop, some place that people come to,” Jenny Swannack, DSAL’s art exhibits coordinator, said.

The opening coincides almost exactly with DSAL’s anniversary - the group was founded two years ago on Aug. 21. Many of the featured artists for this first exhibition were in attendance, and each spent a few minutes introducing their art.

Sandi Sabel, who said she has been doing art since she was 15, was selected for her painting of an amaryllis.

“It’s a symbol of love, sincerity, and in some cultures, it’s a very sacred flower,” Sabel said. “It’s that deep, deep red and it just looks like velvet. Thus the name Red Velvet. It’s watercolor, and the depth I get out of that I’m very pleased and proud of.”

Though Sabel lives in Kyle, she said she found her place in the Dripping Springs Art League.

“I looked in San Antonio, I looked in San Marcos, in Buda,” Sabel said. “I found Dripping Springs and it just clicked. It was like, I’m home. They do so much and they help to broaden your horizons. And I just fell in love with it, and that’s why I am here.”

Another artist exhibiting in the show is Hanlu Li, who became a DSAL member just a few months ago. She has two pieces in the show. One is a realistic painting of her Westie, and the other is of lilies.

“It’s more like my learning piece to do the impressionist style rather than realistic style,” she said. “I was just more freely painting it rather than trying to capture the exact shape, and it turned out to be lovely.”

Li said she doesn’t have a background in art, and the DSAL members have been very helpful from the beginning, when she showed up to a meeting and didn’t know anyone.

“As a new member, but also somebody new to the art world, it’s just so welcoming and so informative,” Li said. “I feel like it’s creating the artist vibe in Dripping Springs, like an artist community.”

After the artist introductions, DSAL President Steve Friedman talked about upcoming events for DSAL, including the Songwriters Festival, where they will have a large tent.

“It’s our second year to be at Songwriters,” Friedman said. “It’s such an exciting atmosphere and a great opportunity to pair art and music together.”

He said DSAL will have artists doing live paintings in front of some of the stages again this year.

“We had several last year and we have more this year,” Friedman said. “It’s really exciting, obviously, and the crowd just loves it. They’re mesmerized.”

DSAL is also working with the City of Dripping Springs on the next batch of “stars” that will be installed around the city. Eight artists were selected to create a star, and those will be unveiled in October.