Kathie attended your painting workshop last September, because she was jumping into her life, what she would admit to be "her calling"... to be an Artist.
Over those four days of painting outdoors and guiding the already talented small group, you said two quite impactful comments to her. 1) After watching her paint for only an hour or two, you said, "So, when are you going to start doing this full time?" 2) Toward the end of the workshop - "It's time for you to enter Plein Air Competitions". A good friend of mine is fond of saying, you spoke Words pregnant with life.
Tomorrow is Kathie's first competition.
We leave in the morning for Georgia's Callaway Gardens annual Plein Air Paint Out where you won second place last year. She's not going with the idea of award, but to stretch into this calling you helped envision. Yes, there might be more exposure and certainly some comaraderie with others who had to compete just to be selected... but the hope lies in the jump.
I'm sure you can remember the nervous anticipation of your first one. Five straight days of painting. Time constraints. Maybe bad weather. People watching, interrupting with their comments. The final night's art show and sale. Am I good enough to be with these other talented painters? And these are just my thoughts! There is no telling what's happening in Kathie!
What courage she has. And what desire... to be a woman alive to the presence of God in her!
Kathie purchased this little sign yesterday in Asheville and placed it in the window above the kitchen sink when we got home. Tomorrow we go to her River.
