community service...we all can make a difference....

I had my beautiful grand daughters last night for a sleep over...but first we all made a trip to spend some of their Christmas money on art supplies, yarn and crochet hooks and a new scrapbook. Then we had dinner at Olive Garden and snow was beginning to fall in big wet sloppy snowflakes. So we headed over to find good walking, sledding and playing in the snow boots for the three girls. Believe it or not if I had bought them before Christmas I never would have been able to afford the costs of three pair of boots. Then we came home to make homemade fudge, caramel corn and pop corn so we could watch a wonderful movie..."Dolphin's Tale". Before we knew it it was midnight and the smallest one fell right to sleep but the two older girls played Checkers and went through some of my art supplies until 2:00 AM. How do they do it? This morning we went to the kitchen to have banana blueberry pancakes with bacon and orange juice and milk...but no snow this morning. After we finished we headed down to The Works and they went over to meet the guest painter who specializes in Civil War and Gettysburg paintings. Sorry his name eludes me right now but they had a blast and came back to report they really liked the 1960's aluminum tree in the Days of Yesteryear Holiday exhibit in the museum. We ended up having lunch with Tony and Kathy along with Ivy and her daughter Hannah and my family. The Grill has been rocking this week with customers for lunch and information about upcoming possibilities at Whispers and Echoes Studio. How did I get so lucky to have this location back again... I am home in my element and love working with the generations who come in to see what is happening.

Ken made a video that you see here on this post of my dear Natasha Wortman ...my favorite Black Hawk Pilot and med vac specialist. She has blessed me and I am enjoying creating a special mixed media work to honor her service she has given 13 years of her young life. My Women's Work II exhibit is growing as I begin a new journey with a public art commission. Tonight I worked with the older students working on colored pencil works and practiced the art of layering and burnishing with colored pencils. It is work and one kept asking for an eraser...but this is the beginning of the sketching process so next week we will move into pastels. yes I am tired now so I will cut this short and wish you a happy week in your studio! Peace, Mary Helen
Fernandez Stewart