My partner, Nadia, is a budding artist who dabbles, draws, sketches and paints with enthusiasm and dedication. However, her efforts come sporadically because her other passions seem to interrupt her artistic flow.
She’s an avid gardener who grows fruits and vegetables in a concentrated backyard plot with much success as confirmed every fall.
She’s an avid reader who can watch TV and read simultaneously, taking in both with amazing concentration. And even more amazing, carrying on a logical conversation with me at the same time.
She’s a seamstress who sews with diligence and dedication in her sewing room, creating her own designs and apparel, or expanding mine to suit my growing abundance.
She knits and crochets, again an endeavour done while watching TV with incredible focus and concentration.
She’s a photographer who uses her iPad as others use their cameras. Trips, vacations and outings are faithfully captured on her digital device, saved for later reminiscing or artistic rendering.
She’s an enthusiastic cook who loves to bake. There her endeavours suffer with minimal success, but she has notable ones like her carrot cake. She bakes it so often, Bugs Bunny has contacted us about Air BnB accommodation. He just wants to sample her cake.
Nadia’s greatest passion is shopping, not shopping per se, but finding a bargain. Nothing lights her up as much as finding something on sale, which has been reduced, and for which she has found a discount coupon.
All the above interrupt Nadia’s devotion and artistic endeavours. But this winter escape has opened a new door of inspiration and motivation: art classes at the Englewood Art Center.
Diane Mannion
The first class Nadia attended after registering for the art class workshops at the Englewood Art Center, was a small group of 4 students. By the second class, attendance dwindled to just one, her. People get very busy in Englewood, but it was to Nadia’s tremendous benefit, one on one lessons with a professional artist who has been painting almost as long as she could hold a brush. Nadia feels blessed, artistically speaking.
Each week a new medium became the message. First, charcoals and drawing, then pencils and sketching, next watercolours and proper paper, and finally, oils and canvas. It was an awesome four weeks of learning. Each 2 hour class has been an artistic treasure trove of inspiration, creation, skills development and interaction with a professional who is tremendously dedicated to her craft.
For Nadia, it has been far more than just a learning opportunity.
Click the photos below to see Nadia’s development and learning endeavours:
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