Senior citizens of Dawson County have quite a talent in the art department.

Members of the Margie Weaver Senior Center have been working hard to prepare for their sixth annual Art by the Young at Heart this Saturday.

Weve got so much talent, I swear it amazes me the talent weve got, Center Director Dawn Pruett said of the senior artists.

Paintings, jewelry and other arts and crafts will be available for viewing and purchase.

Joanne Gaynor, a retiree from the Department of Family and Children Services, taught the seniors how to make jewelry from various materials, including magazine pages and upcycling other pieces of jewelry.

Rolled-up magazines were our first project, Pruett said. The rolled-up magazine beads were inspired by jewelry made by women in African villages to make money, jewelry maker Duane Wallace said. The jewelry prices range from $3 to $15.

Paintings will range from $40 to $150. A portion of the proceeds is donated to the center to pay for paint and supplies.

Every Thursday and Friday, Senior Center members paint and create jewelry in preparation for the show.

Carole Kinzie is one of the art teachers. We dont do projects; everyone does their own thing, Kinzie said. Students paint everything from still life, to photos to whatever comes to mind. Along the way, Kinzie shows them techniques to make their paintings come to life.

You take a picture and you do your colors, and when you put it on paper and then you watch itits like its growing and it comes to life, painter Judy Brandon said.

Kinzie is excited to see the progress of many women who said that until the classes at the Senior Center they had never painted.

I am just so proud of them, Kinzie said. Its a great bunch of ladies here.

The show will start at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Refreshments will be served, and entertainment will be provided by the North Georgia Barbershop Singers.

For more information, you may call the center at 706-344-3700.