It's All About Me......

Many of you that visits on a regular basis inquired about my artistic abilities after I did the last fix~up to my blog. My interest in art came about when I was in the 4th grade. We had art classes at our little school once each week. We had an art teacher, but she traveled between the schools each week. One of our first art activities was to draw circles, squares, etc. The art teacher walked around the room and looked at what everyone had drawn. When she got to me she picked up my paper and commented on how perfect my circles were. From that day on I was hooked on drawing.
There for a while I spent a lot of time on these types of line drawing. They were quick and they were fun to do. I have sketches that I did in the 60's that are very fragile now. I probably should choose the best of them and put them in frames.

When I got married the first time I put away all of my art supplies and dedicated myself to being a wife and mother. I didn't see where I would have time to be those things and be able to put much of myself into my art as well.

Before Chris was born I would take Tersie to a nearby park and while she played I would sketch. It wasn't long before Tersie was asking for pencils and paper and she started drawing too. At 4 years old she was really very good. Everything she drew was recognizable.

I put things away again when Chris was little and when he started school I started painting . I gave away everything that I ever painted, except for 1 picture. Tersie has that painting hanging on her wall. It was a painting of her and Chris playing on the beach at San Onafre. I did take a few pictures of those paintings, but the glare from the flash takes a lot away from them.

We lived in Quakertown, PA for a few years. Unlike the California schools where they love to have parents involved in the schools, I found the Quakertown public schools not wanting parent involvement. Chris was really struggling so I took him out of the public school system and put him in Catholic school. My involvement in the Catholic school was on the weekends, where I taught the sacrament classes for the children who attended public schools. It was during this time that I found a job working at Center Line Mfg. They made the little plastic dealership stick ons advertising where you bought your vehicle from. My job there was in the art department designing these stick ons. The two you see above was two that I designed. I loved that job.

Something else that I loved was working with the children during Catholic Schools Week. I taught the lower grades the art of alphabet cartooning and the older children the basics of Calligraphy. When the photographer for the local newspaper took the picture of me, he also got a shot of a couple of children in the class. When he took the picture of Chris, he had no idea that he was my son. You can click on the clipping of Chris and it should enlarge enough to read what it says.






I have always kept some form of art in my life, be it knitting, counted cross stitch, crocheting, writing, etc. The list goes on and on. Since those days when my children were small I have owned my own business creating country and primitive crafts for country gift shops in the area. I designed and cut my own stencils for wall stenciling. I stenciled many homes when I was in my 40's, climbing around on ladders like a monkey...... In the picture above, the saltbox houses stenciled above the chair rail in Chris and Melody's living room, I designed and cut that stencil. I stenciled it on their wall as a birthday gift for Melody.



I discovered a whole new outlet for my love of art when I discovered the Internet. I have created six websites over the years. That included doing my own graphics work. Much of what I learned was through the help of Tersie. She took me by the hand and led me every step of the way at first. Now is that a loving daughter or what????



My artwork has been an outlet for me over the years. The best way to describe it is like the valve on a pressure cooker. I spent the better part of my teen years shut up in my bedroom either drawing, painting or writing poetry. I truly believe that is all that made it possible for me to survive living with an abusive father. Out of sight out of mind sort of thing. Then again my artwork helped me keep my sanity through a 30 year marriage that was filled with abusive words and deeds. At times in my life I have thought that I would like to use this gift that I have been given in the field of art therapy. It never happened though and at 59 I think it is a little late to follow that dream.

What is really great is that my life on the mountain ridge with JD and my children and grandchildren within driving distance, I no longer feel "The Need" to have art a part of my life. It is a part of my life now because I enjoy it.


Thank you Betty at Betty's This and That for honoring me with the Super Commenter Award.

I was also honored by Aisha and Steven at Holley Herald by being chosen as one of their featured Blogs.

I hope that you will find time to stop by these two blogs and drop a hello or two.

Here's hoping that your week is filled with love and happiness.