My life drawing, painting and creating art has expanded through the years. When I think about it and when it all started it goes back as far as I can remember. My mother said that when I was two or three years old and she had a new wing backed chair. I drew a big winged back chair and proudly took her by the hand and lead her to see my large work of art. Surfaces to draw on was always a problem. I would go through all the available paper. I was then given greeting cards that were opened from the fold to reveal blank paper on the inside. Recycled paper was then brought from my Dad’s office and I was told to draw on the back. I resented not having clean white paper that was free of print on both sides. In elementary school, my art was entered into competitions. One was a clay sculpture of what I named “Cinderella” when asked. It was chosen to be on exhibit with other children’s art at what is now the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Ga. Another piece, a drawing, was chosen to be included in a traveling exhibit of children’s art work with a national PTA. These events were during first and second grade. Throughout elementary school, I continued to draw and create artwork but there were no art classes at our elementary school. My teacher advised my mother to find private art classes for me. After several years she found an elderly lady that taught art. I was so excited to have the instruction from an artist, but then discovered that she only wanted me to create art just like hers, which was of still life and flowers. I also wanted to paint , but my teacher had strict rules that all her students had to learn to draw first with charcoal and pencil and then advance to pastels. She would decide when I was ready to paint. When that time came, I was thrilled but then was told by my dad that I would have to save my allowance for the paint supplies which came to a total of $100. That seemed like several thousands of dollars to me at that time as a child. I babysat and did other chores to earn the money. It took a very long time, but I can still remember the day I finally was able to buy my metal paint carrying case full of oil paints, brushes and a palette. I still have the metal paint carrying case.
MyEarlyArtPaintCase
After elementary school, I attended a combination middle and high school and was there until I graduated. There was an art class, but our school was in a county that had very low funds for supplies. In some classes we had no textbooks and in art class this meant hardly any art supplies. Instead of stretched canvas for painting, I was given a heavy weight paper which then had gesso added. I was asked to bring my paints from home. This frustration with supplies did have a good conclusion though when I won a scholarship to a summer art camp. This was a great learning experience for me. One of the pieces I created was a large painting on gessoed masonite.
College life included art classes at Florida State University. I was awe-struck with the level of instruction and the opportunity to learn from instructors that had a wonderful and expansive knowledge in art and design. One of the classes in which I felt like was the most valuable was my color theory class.
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- DesignFSU9- warm colors
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- DesignFSU3-same color looking different on other background color
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- DesignFSU4-same color looking different on other background color
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- DesignFSU5-same color looking different on other background color
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- DesignFSU6-same color looking different on other background color
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- DesignFSU7-same color looking different on other background color
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- DesignFSU8-Vibrating colors
I attended FSU just one year. I was engaged to be married and my dad said secretarial school was a better career choice for me. Sadly I left FSU behind and took a year of secretarial school and got married. During the time I worked to put my husband through college I took an art correspondence course. I did finish and then had two children. I found it very difficult to work on my art with young children. I longed to go back and finish college. When my kids were 4 and 7 I started back to college part time and taught art out the garage of our home. The next year I was divorced but determined to still finish my education in Studio Art and Art Education at Georgia State University. The art courses at GSU were amazing and I felt that I was truly in my element. In 1981 I graduated with my Bachelors of Visual Arts degree. It was a very long journey but I made it.
The luxury of having enough time to work on my art never happened until four and half years ago when I retired from teaching public school. Many people that love art teach because they need to make a living with regular income. They have to sacrifice most of their artistic time to teach others to be creative and it is very admirable but I am convinced that it is very difficult to live the ultimate creative life as an artist and teach full-time. It is also ver difficult to earn a living as an artist but I remain hopeful. During the last 4 1/2 years I have created a lot of art and spent time learning to write children’s books and digital illustration. I try to create every day. Sometimes it is longer that other days because I still have daily chores and technology duties to take care of. My Life Drawing, Painting and Creating Art continues and will till the day I die. It is what makes me feel whole and the more time I spend creating, the more I am sure this is what I have to continue to do be happy. I also have added a new passion, technology and computers.Since I received my Masters degree in Implementing Technology in the Classroom, I have fun sharing my artwork with others,making new friends in far away places and learning from online classes and webinars.
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