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Believe
it or not I never liked painting. While always artistic in
school, I much preferred drawing and sculpting. Asking me
to paint was like serving the death sentence . . . never liked
it. My sister-in-law, Tresa (aka "Sis") was the
"painter" in our family, and it was while we were
at one of our shopping trips to the craft store, I discovered
the beautiful works of Ros Stallcup.
So,
here I am, bored silly -- waiting for "Sis" to finish
up in the tole painting section (whatever the heck "tole
painting" was)...., and I saw this most wonderful book.
Springlike, florals, it called me in. It was too beautiful
to put down. After thumbing through it for a short time, I
too was in line to make a purchase. My first official tole
painting book -- Gran's Garden. By the time I got home
I called Ros' home to find out about lessons. There was no
thinking, I just knew I had to paint this stuff. Wasn't it
a coincidence that Ros was going to be in our area only the
very following month? Or was it . . . . a coincidence?
Okay
- so let me give you a visual. I had gone to the tole shop
(Artistic Ewe) and Mrs. Beverly (one of the owners) had fixed
me up with all the things I'd need to paint in the class.
So I have this crude little "sack' of painting sundries
-- Meanwhile, all the students in the seminar had their painting
things too.... Suffice it to say they did not pull theirs
out of a plastic bag. <giggles> There were fancy stand-up
brush holders, wet palettes, and this funny thing about quarter-folded
paper towels... <scratching my head> What's that all
about? The good news is -- I've never been one to overthink
something when I want to try something new. The day had come
and it was time that I sit down in my seat and began to get
my self ready.... Water basin - was I supposed to have a water
basin????
Anyway,
everything worked out just fine. The day of painting was absolutely
picture perfect. My finished
piece was as respectible as any and if you look just below
this part, you'll see the very first piece I ever painted.
What a wonderful day I got to spend with Ros. She is truly
a dear lady both inside and out. There are three things I
know are true about that day . . . 1: There are little angels
that are put in our paths and they make things turn out extra
special for us. (Ms. Beverly Cratty); 2: having had Ros was
probably the very best first teacher I could have started
with because of her casual, relaxed teaching style, and because
her style is loose and carefree. I think that is how I would
have gravitated even if I hadn't had Ros that day...., and
most importantly, 3: Nothing is really ever by accident. God
had a bigger plan for me - and that was the day He decided
I was shown what that plan was. Yep -- a pretty busy day all
the way around!
After
Ros' class, I couldn't get enough painting. It had overtaken
my life and I had embarked on a learning journey of a lifetime.
Studying with some wonderful designers and teachers in the
year (Bobbie Takashima, Phyllis Tilford, and Connie Parkinson)
that passed so quickly, I learned as much as my head could
hold.... Luck was with me once again because I had people
like Connie Parkinson that took me under her wing, and prodded
me into designing. Connie seemed to pave the way for me -
step at a time, and she made sure people saw the things that
were ready... If it weren't for Connie, all this may not have
ever happened. She literally loved me to success.
And
then there was another little "elf angel" named
Jamie Mills-Price. My meeting with Jamie was completely by
chance, but as the time passed and we became friends, I came
to realize those beautiful designs that are in her wonderful
books (9 of them now) -- she was more beautiful on the inside
than even out. She - along with Connie, gave me the road map
to becoming a successful artist and she never hesitated once
in sharing anything with me. What I didn't realize at the
time is that through my association with such wonderful people
(Ros, Jamie, Connie, Ms. Phyllis) I had some of the powerhouses
of the business - and they had expended far too much time
on me to see me fall down. Another miracle??? Probably . .
.
Well,
I don't if that's what you'd call it, but what set my design
work apart from most is my screen painting designs. You can't
live in Baltimore without being aware of the artform that
was started here in our area, back in 1913. While most of
the traditional painted screens are done in oils, I decided
to try my hand at painted screens with the use of acrylics.
After much trial, error, and practice, I was able to devise
a method for an acrylic artist which would render a beautiful
painted screen which rivaled the earlier counterparts.
BeachWatch
At Fasy Cove my first official screen painting design,
and it wasn't too long thereafter that I had my next design,
Summer Splendour, featured in The Artist's Journal.
That Fall, 2000 publication proved to be a springboard for
me, as it brought both the art of screen painting and my work
to the public eye. Thereafter I continued to add more instructional
packets to my lineup, and branched out to designs on wood,
slate, and of course more screens!
In
April of 2001, my first book as published by Eas'l Publication.
This book meant a great deal to me personally, as it is a
gift of love to my children, Ronnie and Courtney. I am convinced
that if it weren't for their constant inspiration and encouragement
while I recovered from my accident, things would have never
turned out like they have. They truly are the colours of my
heart.
I've
been asked by many students and friends to add this final
portion to the story. It is so hard sometimes to decide what
to share, and what to withhold. But after being asked on numerous
occasions I decided that I needed to give some closure to
the bleaker parts. I didn't realize that I hadn't ended the
tale - so this is brand new. So often people want to know
just what things are like for me now. I'd be glad to share
that with you. Probably the most frequently asked question
is . . . "how is your sight now?" And I am happy
to reply that it is much better than when we first arrived
in Baltimore. I was blessed to have the world-renouned surgeon,
Dr. Walter Stark, take care of me. He was confident that he
could restore a part of my vision so that I could carry out
a very normal life. Thank God for people that study hard and
know their business, because Dr. Stark did just exactly that....
Who ever thought I'd be able to paint - that is the miracle
part.
The
dark is still a problem - I loose lots of vision in darker
areas. Printed matter (newspapers, letters, bills <yuck>
and the like) are a problem for me. You process information
differently than you do shapes and colors. So that basically
means I don't do too much reading of things - and I'm happy
to report that NASA is not looking to hire me for the "button-pushing"
stuff too! <giggles> On the flip side -- I am able to
paint beautiful pictures - with beautiful colors, and I have
fantastic companies like Jo Sonja, Inc., Royal Brush, and
DecoArt Americana Acrylics who are kind enough to give me
everything I need to make those pretty pictures.
I
drive. <giggles> Yep! Despite the wishes of many (husband,
friends, etc.) I still drive. My old boss (and friend - )
Jim Beadles used to cringe when I told him I had been out
driving in Louisiana (prior to the surgeries). He would say
. . . "Roxanne, before I leave the house I call you.
If you answer the phone I know it is safe to go out, but if
you don't answer the phone I stay home til you do!" That
sort of sums it up!!! <giggles> Nah -- it's better now
- don't be afraid.
Life
is full of trade-offs. I've come to realize that as cliche'
as this is going to sound -- when one window closes, a door
does open. It is up to us to decide what door opens, and more
importantly, which path we'll take after we pass through the
door itself. I try not to look back too often on sad things;
I try to remember the things I love and I look forward to
see what the future has in store for me. I look at things
differently now because I realize how beautiful everything
is. I remember seeing a tree for the first time after surgery
and it made me cry. I thought about the poem "I think
that I shall never see a thing as lovely as a tree" because
it was so simply beautiful.
Okay
-- enough of that stuff! I hope that has given you a little
bit better idea of what has happened to me in the past, and
what I love to do which is paint! We all are given gifts from
God . . . , and it is a blessing when we realize it when He
drops them in our laps!
"To
laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of
honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to
appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the
world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch,
or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has
breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."
Ralph
Waldo Emerson
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