A Little Wine and Some Turpentine...

Those are the ingredients for a lovely evening of art and conversation. You do NOT mix the two liquids together although they DO have a connection. We began our class time with a little glass of wine as we sat by the fireplace in the den......always white wine for me and usually red for Sabrina while Ruth Ann enjoyed a glass of Black Current tea. It had been a stressful day for me with the current kitchen project I have going....and I am certain my friends carried in a certain amount of cares as well. We were all looking forward to an art session! I have been teaching and at times merely HOSTING an art class here in my home on Tuesday evenings for 33 years! The dining room is transformed into a studio by placing a cardboard cover on the table and covering it with a layer of newspaper. We pull from the buffet (which looks like it should hold table linens and such) the essentials for an art night....oil paints, turpentine, brushes, paper towels. As we prepare to put brush to paint to canvas, we start with a prayer. Then we begin what Sabrina calls 'art therapy'. Sabrina is a delightful artist! She has a real gift for creating and although she has only been painting a few years, she has already received awards in art shows for her work. She has an amazing talent! Ruth Ann, my sister in law, is another Lovely Lady of Art. Her artistic expressions with thread and fabric are stunning as can be seen when you look at one of her quilts! She has recently turned HER hand to painting with wonderful results!

So on this winter evening in February, we three paused from the business of life and gathered together to relax and create....with a little help from the wine and the turpentine!