Library’s Sherlock sessions to prove ‘elementary’

For the Sherlock Holmes session, participants can paint a ‘tube’ sign, Sherlock’s pipe or a book snippet. (CONTRIBUTED).

MADISON – Classic mystery sleuth Sherlock Holmes will solve arts-and-crafts cravings in two free sessions at Madison Public Library.

Participants will decorate a cup and saucer in a Sherlock theme on April 15 at 6 p.m. Then on April 20 at 10 a.m., patrons will paint three small canvases devoted to Sherlock. Both classes are open to anyone 18 years and older. Registration is required.

“The 2013 Community Read takes place during the entire month of April, and the title this year is ‘The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,” adult services librarian Rachel Hooper said. “We have geared most of our programs toward that topic.”

For the Sherlock cup session, participants will decorate plain, white tea cups and saucers with Sharpie markers, all supplied by the library. “They can take their finished pieces home and bake them in the oven,” Hooper said. “These will make great decorative pieces for the home.”

Youth services librarian Mandy Pinyan will lead the class. The library will provide stencils and quotes, but participants can write or decorate the cups in any way they choose.

Using Doyle books as reference, Hooper expects some Sherlock snippets, such as “… A man should keep his little brain,” “… The lumber-room of this library” and ” … “What one man can invent, another can discover.”

For the painting class, each participant will use acrylic paints for three canvases measuring four inches square. No painting skills are needed.

“Participants can choose any scene or object,” Hooper said. “We’ll have some examples, like a background of the Union Jack with a tobacco pipe, a ‘tube’ sign with ‘Baker Street’ as the destination and the saying ‘Keep Calm & Deduce.'”

Both classes have limited space; for reservations, visit hmcpl.org/adultcrafts. For more information, call 256-461-0046 or email to rhooper@hmcpl.org.

The Madison staff will soon say goodbye to Rachel Hooper. After serving for years as adult services librarian at the Madison branch, Hooper has accepted a position at Troy University.