Art has been a part of my life from a very early age in the form of literature and writing.  I wrote plays and directed the neighborhood kids to perform them.  I continued to write through college and went to graduate school where I earned an MFA in creative writing.  Not long after , my story changed.  For the first time in my life, I felt burdened by words.   I began to play with watercolor and my painting life began.  I now paint in many mediums, have a studio and teach.

 Most of the older adults are retired and can sometimes be isolated and lonely.  Art classes bring people, who wouldn't necessarily have met, together.  I've seen how those meetings turn into communities of artists who often get together outside of class. I also see their sense of renewed purpose as well as their pride in work they never thought they could do.   Most people have good intentions to paint at home, but usually that doesn't happen for all kinds of reasons.  The class provides a structure; I provide instruction and encouragement and the library staff provide a community setting that enriches all of our lives.