Richard McKinley Workshop May 7-11, 2018
Christine Ivers Workshop November 6-9, 2017
Below is a nice write up from Christine Ivers 2017 Newsletter about her workshop and stay in Little Rock, AR.
Finally Got to Visit the South... Arkansas!
Hush Puppies, Grits, Deep Fried Catfish, and a number of other assorted delicacies were all part of my Southern experience while teaching in Little Rock! I left Connecticut in 35 degree weather only to arrive at Little Rock Airport to 90 degree weather! Margaret and Dick Lincourt most graciously put me up for the week and pretty much spoiled me rotten. In the evenings we would gather for some lively conversation and before dinner we would sit on their deck to watch the array of birds that would visit their feeders. (I hope Dick won the battle of the squirrel that kept ransacking the feeder near the fence!) Complete with two dogs and two more that visited when their daughter Katie came to work at their family business, it was a busy and friendly atmosphere to visit. As I said above, it's really hard to come home to making my own breakfast! On top of being a great cook (I stole some of her recipes) Margaret was also my coordinator. She was my tour guide and showed me the William Jefferson Clinton Library and Heifer International's headquarters. I have bought "shares" of animals for my clients and children for years and it was great to see this enormous complex where this organization helps people struggling around the world by giving them the tools to escape poverty.
The weather finally cooled down and the workshop was a great success. I love that people are willing to step out of their comfort zone to play in the "Dark Side!" It was a full class in another wonderful church community room. I also got to spend time with one of my IAPS Board of Directors, Shirley Anderson. It was great to catch up since the last time we saw each other was at the Convention in Albuquerque.
I was asked to be the Judge of selection and awards for the Arkansas Pastel Society Nation Exhibition. Again, I can't tell you how difficult the job is when you stand in a hall with an array of paintings that are so incredibly beautiful and have to make the decision of who is to win a prize. One after the other can easily be given an award. I have a habit of letting the winners know why I chose their paintings, which takes me time to type out all of my reasons, but I feel it's important to let an organization and the artists know my intention. At the reception I was asked to read my comments in front of the audience and hand out the awards. It was great fun and the artists really enjoyed hearing what their paintings meant to me. All in all it was a great evening!
The next day Debbie Stobel took me to a local lunch hangout that has lines out the door by noon! That's where I gained another few pounds! Hush Puppies, Catfish, Fries and Coleslaw were on the menu. I had to try these Southern delicacies and I will tell you that everything was delicious! I think I would have a big problem if I lived in the South because I would visit that little place on a regular basis. I would just have to ditch the scale!
After lunch she took me to one of the places that people from all over the country come to see. The Old Mill is tucked away in North Little Rock and it is quite an amazing tourist attraction. An authentic reproduction of an old water-powered grist mill, this striking structure appears in the opening scene of the classic 1939 film Gone with the Wind and is believed to be the only building remaining from the film. Built in 1933; designed to look old so it would appear as if it was built the 1800s. The park is decorated with sculptures of toadstools, tree stumps, and a tree branch-entwined bridge that connects the mill to the rest of the park. Senor Dionico Rodriguez, a sculptor and artist of Mexico City, was responsible for all the details of each piece of concrete work made to represent wood, iron or stone, as well as the designing of the foot bridges and rustic seats. The Old Mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. If you web search images for Old Mill in Arkansas you see many more photos of this incredible park.
Then it was time to head home for a rest (and to do a lot of laundry!). It was great fun traveling and visiting with so many great people. I miss them all and hope we can stay in contact through social media. I want to wish everyone Merry Christmas, Happy Hanakkah, Happy Kwanza, Happy New Year and any other Happy or Merry Holiday I might be missing here. I'm already looking forward to next year!
Finally Got to Visit the South... Arkansas!
Hush Puppies, Grits, Deep Fried Catfish, and a number of other assorted delicacies were all part of my Southern experience while teaching in Little Rock! I left Connecticut in 35 degree weather only to arrive at Little Rock Airport to 90 degree weather! Margaret and Dick Lincourt most graciously put me up for the week and pretty much spoiled me rotten. In the evenings we would gather for some lively conversation and before dinner we would sit on their deck to watch the array of birds that would visit their feeders. (I hope Dick won the battle of the squirrel that kept ransacking the feeder near the fence!) Complete with two dogs and two more that visited when their daughter Katie came to work at their family business, it was a busy and friendly atmosphere to visit. As I said above, it's really hard to come home to making my own breakfast! On top of being a great cook (I stole some of her recipes) Margaret was also my coordinator. She was my tour guide and showed me the William Jefferson Clinton Library and Heifer International's headquarters. I have bought "shares" of animals for my clients and children for years and it was great to see this enormous complex where this organization helps people struggling around the world by giving them the tools to escape poverty.
The weather finally cooled down and the workshop was a great success. I love that people are willing to step out of their comfort zone to play in the "Dark Side!" It was a full class in another wonderful church community room. I also got to spend time with one of my IAPS Board of Directors, Shirley Anderson. It was great to catch up since the last time we saw each other was at the Convention in Albuquerque.
I was asked to be the Judge of selection and awards for the Arkansas Pastel Society Nation Exhibition. Again, I can't tell you how difficult the job is when you stand in a hall with an array of paintings that are so incredibly beautiful and have to make the decision of who is to win a prize. One after the other can easily be given an award. I have a habit of letting the winners know why I chose their paintings, which takes me time to type out all of my reasons, but I feel it's important to let an organization and the artists know my intention. At the reception I was asked to read my comments in front of the audience and hand out the awards. It was great fun and the artists really enjoyed hearing what their paintings meant to me. All in all it was a great evening!
The next day Debbie Stobel took me to a local lunch hangout that has lines out the door by noon! That's where I gained another few pounds! Hush Puppies, Catfish, Fries and Coleslaw were on the menu. I had to try these Southern delicacies and I will tell you that everything was delicious! I think I would have a big problem if I lived in the South because I would visit that little place on a regular basis. I would just have to ditch the scale!
After lunch she took me to one of the places that people from all over the country come to see. The Old Mill is tucked away in North Little Rock and it is quite an amazing tourist attraction. An authentic reproduction of an old water-powered grist mill, this striking structure appears in the opening scene of the classic 1939 film Gone with the Wind and is believed to be the only building remaining from the film. Built in 1933; designed to look old so it would appear as if it was built the 1800s. The park is decorated with sculptures of toadstools, tree stumps, and a tree branch-entwined bridge that connects the mill to the rest of the park. Senor Dionico Rodriguez, a sculptor and artist of Mexico City, was responsible for all the details of each piece of concrete work made to represent wood, iron or stone, as well as the designing of the foot bridges and rustic seats. The Old Mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. If you web search images for Old Mill in Arkansas you see many more photos of this incredible park.
Then it was time to head home for a rest (and to do a lot of laundry!). It was great fun traveling and visiting with so many great people. I miss them all and hope we can stay in contact through social media. I want to wish everyone Merry Christmas, Happy Hanakkah, Happy Kwanza, Happy New Year and any other Happy or Merry Holiday I might be missing here. I'm already looking forward to next year!