MY JOURNAL: MOVING TO MEDFORD AND A NEW BEGINNING IN ART

My family moved to Medford in August of 1964. It was a brave move for us. We had two pre-schoolers , Sharon and Marcia. We had very little money but we wanted to make the move! Gary took a teaching position at Hedrick Junior High School and I stayed home with our two girls who were 4 and 5 at that time. I was soon expecting a third child, Leigh, who was born the following July. I did not get out much in the beginning since we only had one car. When Gary came home from work I would go do the grocery shopping and come right back.

.........Fortunately for me the grocery market I found was Ed Milne's Quality Market which was located downtown on W. Main Street near the Medford Library and next door to the Rogue Gallery! I would drop in the Gallery each time I went to do grocery shopping. I became acquainted with many very fine local artists then. Eugene Bennett, Jack Teeters, Judy Morris, Marilyn Briggs, Robert Bosworth, Dorothy DeYoung and Jan Schmitz were all very active in the Gallery. What an energizing group of artists! I took an oil painting class from Marilyn Briggs which was offered through the Rogue Gallery......... Jack Teeters was the Medford High School Arts & Crafts instructor and taught pottery classes through the Medford Parks and Recreation. I took classes from my good friend Jack for eight years! The Rogue Gallery sponsored Artist Studio Tours annually. I took advantage of those scheduled tours to visit many artists in their private studio spaces. . . gleaning information as I could from each one! Forty three years later I am still in awe of those great artists! I have continued to "drop by" the Rogue Gallery (Now called The Rogue Gallery & Art Center) on a regular schedule. In fact, I spent eight consecutive years working on the Board of Directors for the Rogue Valley Art Association which owns and operates the Rogue Gallery & Art Center. During those years I served two consecutive terms as President of the Board. Now I am a Life Member of the Rogue Valley Art Association. I consider those years as a learning and growth period for me as well. Managing the promotion of artists and providing a venue for artists to show their work is so very important! The Rogue Valley is alive with artists! What a grand place to be!

MY JOURNAL: FORMAL ART EDUCATION

Ah. . . Tuscany! Watercolor
Private Collection of Mr & Mrs Stuart Foster
Medford, Oregon

My formal education began when I entered Eastern New Mexico University. It was there I took as many art classes (along with my required courses) that I could possibly fit into my schedule. I had an on-campus job as a dorm receptionist to help pay for tuition and books. That position allowed ample time to work on my reading and writing assignments.

I created my own graphics business during the university's rodeo season. I contracted with local businesses to paint western-type murals on store windows. I was commissioned to paint a mural which took an entire summer in a hometown drive-in theater's concession area..

The Fine Arts program was small and the classes were intimate. The Fine Arts Program offered & explored interdisciplinary approaches to art incorporating various media. Offered classes included ceramics,drawing, painting, jewelry, performance art, photography, printmaking, and sculpture. Professor Peter Wetzel, my advisor, was an inspiring instructor. He made a point of working one-on-one as much as he could. At one point he arranged a lettering class for me when I could not fit the scheduled class in. I took drawing and sketching, assemblage and collage, sculpting, oil and acrylic painting, sculpture & printmaking. I participated in student exhibitions in The Golden Library, and in downtown Portales, NM. I designed and managed construction of my sorority homecoming float entry which won first prize. That same year I designed and constructed our residence hall homecoming entry. It also won a first place!

During this busy time in my student career I had time to belong to Kappa Delta Alpha Sorority, had time to date, attend social events, serve on the University Social Committee and was elected Sophomore Representative to the Student Body. I met and fell in love with Gary Blair when he was graduating and I was a Sophomore student. Because I could not continue my studies and be with him. I dropped out of school when we married. Not much art happened for quite a while after that because I went to work full time and also did typing for graduate student Masters Thesis. When Gary entered military service I followed him first to Ft. Benjamin Harrison near Indianapolis, Indiana and then to Ft. Lewis, Washington.

It was there I began painting in oils again. I became infatuated with the scenery of the Northwest! Although I had few art supplies and could not afford much, I managed to paint and to sketch quite a bit in the 15 months we were there.

MY JOURNAL: YEARS AND YEARS OF PAINTING ..., ETC.

New Mexico Pots, Watercolor
Private collection of Dr & Mrs Jim Theen,
Medford, Oregon

Thinking back to my formal art training I should say that It wasn't all that much!

Earlier I mentioned that there was not much "art" so to speak in my elementary years. I am certain there were memograph sheets that we were to color, cut out figures of Lincoln and Washington to hang in the classroom windows, etc., but I honestly cannot remember doing anything that excited or challenged my artistic abilities.

Once in junior high school everything began to change. There were opportunities to take many classes in arts and crafts, pottery, paper mache and wood carving. I did it all and ( and immodestly, says she, --very well. ) I just wish I had concentrated as much on doing my math, English, history and Spanish lessons! I wanted to explore every art form that was offered! With my studies, art, and band, I was a very busy junior high school student! I always volunteered to do posters and lettering for school functions and found great satisfaction in seeing my art displayed.

Attending Hobbs High School was sort of a blend for me. I found it necessary to "buckle down" for those last three years of high school. I was only able to take one art class during that time. In my sophomore year I was so pleased to be in a classroom full of art students! The instructor was a really fine artist and gave us so many opportunities to create! Drawing in graphite pencil, charcoal and conte crayons were introduced. We concentrated a lot on human form, perspective, composition and technique. We painted in Oils mostly but also in pastels and watercolor. I thought I would be an oil painter but I really liked pastels and watercolor too. By the end of that year I felt ready to be "a real artist" and knew that when I entered college what my major would be.

I began working downtown when I was a Sophomore and I didn't have much time to devote to artwork with the exception of working on the HS Annual. Instead I needed to spend my time after work doing my class assignments for the next day. Somehow though I always managed to find time to volunteer to do posters for the Rally Squad pep rallies, the band, homecoming parades, etc. I always served on the decorating committees for the school dances, my high school sorority (Phi Gamma Gamma), and also did window signs for the drug store where I worked. Had I concentrated on my studies as much as I did on these extra curricular activities I always felt I could have been a 4.00 student! As it was, I was happy with a 3.2 average.

POST NOTE:
I must add here that while taking graduate level courses at SOU I was finally able to call myself a 4.00 student!

MY JOURNAL: MY ART EXPERIENCES FROM THE EARLY YEARS.

Spring Desert, Monotype
Currently in Rental Sales Exhibit
at Rogue Gallery & Art Center, Medford, Oregon

DREAMING OF YEARS GONE BY

I have always known I wanted to become a professional artist. Not that I knew there was such a thing when I was in first or second grade, but I certainly was aware of the illustrations and colors I was seeing in my school books. The pen and ink drawings with occasional watercolor washes over the illustrations in my reading book were exciting to me. In fact I can still recall the illustration that impressed me so much in my second grade reader and I have been able to duplicate it! N.C. Wyeth also impressed me with his amazing paintings and illustrations in Stevenson's Treasure Island!

I recall sitting beside my mother in the church pew when I was four and five years old. Mother would always have paper in her handbag. When I became fidgety she would quietly open her purse, take out the paper, hand me one of the church songbooks to use as a flat surface for my paper, a pencil, and then she would whisper. "Draw me a pretty picture" and I would.

Looking back now I know that my mother knew I was an artist and she helped me to believe in myself as an artist. Even though we did not have a lot of money and lived very carefully, she always made sure that I had art supplies and encouraged me to use them. My Father was very quiet but always looked approvingly at my artwork when I showed it to him. I always looked for his approval and it was very important to me! Dad was even civil to me when I ruined his electric drill when I was about nine. I used it attempting to carve a figure in a salt-lick block! I was successful to my way of thinking but I put away his drill never thinking that the salt would rust it!

Ghost Ranch, NM

Mother had two great friends who were artists.
Annie Stubblefield was an oil painter. I did not know what a fine artist she was until much later in my art education. Annie would give me brushes and paints and let me paint along side her when my family went to a mountain retreat center called Glorieta near Santa Fe, NM. Annie had a small cabin not far from Ghost Ranch where My family stayed. She would invite me to come and stay all day, painting and talking. I learned so much from Annie Stubblefield! It was through Annie that I was first introduced to the art of Georgia O'Keeffe, the "Taos Ten" and also art from the Hudson River School of artists. I learned to appreciate fine art from Annie. She preferred the work of these artists because they used vibrant color as did she. We would take long nature walks in the forest above Glorieta sketching, talking and observing nature close up. You can imagine how I felt actually working and talking about art on that level with another artist! I learned during those exciting times that my favorite artist/illustrator N.C. Wyeth's daughter, Henriette, lived in New Mexico! Later I learned that she was married to Peter Hurd of Roswell, NM another great artist and that her brother was Andrew Wyeth!

Mother's other artist friend was also her Sister-In-Law, Alice Orr. Aunt Alice was a porcelain painter. I did not learn as much from her in discussions but what I did learn was how important it is to be neat when painting! My Aunt did, however, encourage me to continue doing my art and also gave me art supplies for which I will always be grateful.

MY JOURNAL: MUSIC EXPERIENCES

Me at age 10 Hobbs, New Mexico

I suppose there were art exercises included in the curriculum while I was in elementary school. I however do not recall one elementary teacher who was interested in cultivating my art talents. My mother's circle of friends included artists, musicians, and singers. We children were always included in the music There were teachers interested in music, singing and reading so I concentrated on those avenues of creativity. My parents arranged for piano lessons when I was in the fourth grade. My piano teacher, Mrs. Geraldine Jones, was a strict and demanding teacher. I took lessons from her for 3 years but did not enjoy the experience. I did, however, learn from her and I did retain my ability to play the piano but just strictly for myself! I was introduced to a musical instrument called a Tonette (much like a Recorder) when I was in fifth grade. It was required that every student wishing to join the school band learn to read music and learn fingering techniques on the Tonette. I can still hear "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" being played in unison (poorly) by 25 students in one classroom. But we played it over and over and over again until we (25 of us) could play it perfectly. Then and only then would we be allowed move on to another song to perfect. I believe it worked! By the time my class was ready for Junior High School and the school band we were already accomplished musicians (so to speak!) My enthusiasm was high about playing in the marching band in Junior High School and I was given a clarinet to play. I really wanted to play a brass instrument but because my older brother, Bryan, had played the clarinet, also my older sister, Geneva, ... naturally I would play the clarinet! My younger brother, Jerry, however, was allowed to play both French horn and baritone! I played for three years in junior high and then three years in high school. I loved it! Because I could read music I was encouraged to join the school chorus. I did just that and enjoyed singing with the high school choral group. I knew that I would never become a great singer. I was happily surrounded by really good alto singers and could sing right along with them but I was not confident to become a soloist! My brother Jerry, on the other hand, had a strong Baritone voice and was very talented! He sang as a soloist and also with the high school quartet. We both were selected for New Mexico All State Chorus. Our high school band director was Mr. John Buholts. His real interest was orchestra but our high school did not provide stringed instruments used in an orchestra. Mr. Buholts trained us to become a orchestral band and we loved it too! The marching band was what our community wanted since Hobbs was such a fanatical football town and still is today! Our band booster club even provided us with a greyhound-type bus painted in school colors and sporting "Hobbs High School Eagle Band" on the sides. I still have a photo of that somewhere! Upon graduation I had earned a music scholarship at Eastern New Mexico University. The scholorship did not fit into my fine arts plan so it did not help much!