&…Looking Back

I just received the latest issue of my high school alumni magazine and there is an article mentioning most all of my early art teachers. It’s so nice to see them together getting the recognition they deserve and for me to reflect on how important they were in my life. Mrs. Fitzpatrick (grammar school), Mrs. Timmerick and Mrs. Boone (middle and high school)  were my main teachers and each had different teaching styles and talents but their influence was a major impact on me wanting to be an artist. They gave me the fundamentals for how to “see” as an artist and the mechanics for how to create the artistic vision. I am indebted to their teaching and their inspiration. I always thought St. Martins had one of the best art departments and I always looked for that kind of caliber in my own sons’ schools. I like the ceramics on the cover as well — an interesting comparison to my son Jackson’s interpretive work.

Now the other interesting thing about this is Amy Threefoot and Betsy Threefoot Kaston (another teacher of mine) are sisters and their family house is right around the corner from mine. Their mother was an excellent potter and she offered to let me fire some tiles in her kiln when Piers was an infant. We had just bought a house in Alexandria and wanted to add our first construction project — a fireplace with a homemade tile surround. I remember when I pushed his wee hands and feet into the semi-soft clay when he was six and a half months old. Here they are below, symbolically representing the “Elements of Life.” We installed them on post and lintel fireboard so we can take with us when and if we ever move.

Thinking back on art teachers, I would absolutely have to mention Ed Carlos as a major influence with his out-of-the box style of teaching while I was at Sewanee (The University of the South). We had to draw life-size, human skeletons as our comprehensive exam. My husband and I still argue over who’s is the best. He took Carlos’ class too. I learned so much from Carlos, as he’s affectionately known and as the art teacher with incredible talent who lives in the “purple haze” house. His artistic talent has been passed onto his son, Adam (see link above). Surprisingly, he always remembers us when we return and I wouldn’t be surprised if my Jackson has met him while he’s been attending school nearby. He’s kind of a fixture. Sewanee is a small-town community with big ideas. Everybody seems connected to everyone else here.

Here’s some artwork that I learned about recently and never even knew existed at Sewanee. I’ll look forward to seeing these restored watercolors of the domain by John Henry Hopkins, when we pick up Jackson from St. Andrews — in a few weeks. Yikes!

On our way there we’ll have to be sure to go through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, as described, In the Land of the Blue Smoke by Sue Kovach in the Washington Post’s Travel section this past Sunday. The only problem is it’s more South of where we need to go and it’s already a 22 hour round trip drive. The ice blue trees and skyline in this scanned photo by Jay Dickman are spectacular!