TECH
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — If there is a Hutchinson Community College sporting event happening in Hutchinson, you can almost guarantee that Jeff Emrick and Casey McLain are in the stands, rooting for the Dragons! Earlier in 2023, when Denny Stoecklein, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for HCC and TECH Board Member, had the idea for a collaboration with a TECH Artist to paint the HCC Dragon mascot for the college, both of these gentleman were natural choices for the TECH Artists to tackle the project.
When TECH Art Coach, Sam Carriker, started talking to Jeff and Casey about the commissioned piece and the vision for what they would look like, she knew she wanted to help them create pieces that complimented one another and at the same time, featured styles that each artist excelled at. “We wanted it to match the HCC Dragons logo and incorporate the school colors. Through the design process, we went off of what the clients were good at and enjoy doing for a technique,” said Sam. Casey is really good at dry brushing and therefore, his piece turned out like a spotlight. While Jeff can do dry brushing, his piece had more of a framed “feel,” which really complimented his skills and abilities!
“We were so excited to have the opportunity to collaborate with TECH and its art program on these paintings,” said Stoecklein. He went on to say, “Both Casey and Jeff are loyal Blue Dragon fans, and when we discovered their involvement in the program and their amazing talents, we knew we had to make this happen.”
Both pieces will hang on the HCC campus and the community will have the opportunity to purchase prints from the TECH Art Gallery, which are now available for pre-order by visiting the site for each piece.
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