Blessed with Talented Friends!

I've been blessed to have some very talented friends. Some of them write books and share those with me. Others make all sorts of "neat stuff" and I am an occasional lucky recipient of their weaving, spinning, sewing,, crafts  and so on. I try to reciprocate. It seems odd to me but also somehow fitting that many folks are able to do a number of creative things. There are many writers in my circle of friends and most of them have at least one other creative hobby. Well, I do myself, actually several. I sew, draw, design clothes (ask me about my paper dolls!) make jewelry and do fabric art and patchwork projects. However I never mastered the art of painting. I wish I had but it is just not my talent.

An older friend lives in Florida and is a super water color artist. I have some bookmarks and greeting cards she created that are exquisite. Then two other friends took photographs I supplied of me with some of my beloved horses and produced wonderful oil paintings that just blow me away.

Gaye and Leo Mix, c: 1963

The first one, Judy, was one of my pen pals from the days I spoke of awhile back. She lived in southern California at the time and since the background of the photo showed some ugly old tin barns, she put the scenery she knew in the picture but my mount, a young QH stallion named Leo Mix and me in the saddle came out exactly as they appear in the photograph. See for yourself!

And the painting

Then I picked up on my recent trip a new painting done by an old friend. We were neighbors and school pals starting from the time Evelyn was about nine and I was eleven! We did ride together a few times but not as often as perhaps we both would have liked. Anyway she took the photo of me and my dear mare Tina which has appeared in many places and produced a real masterpiece. I didn't know she was an artist, let alone a very gifted one until recently! And here are the two versions of that picture.

As you can see, she changed the color of my shirt and it blends in better with the sky and scenery so I think that is artistic license well applied. These two paintings now hang together in a place of honor in my living room where I show them off with pride. It is a very special blessing to have such talented friends. I am very thankful for them and many others that are as dear to me as the sisters I never had by blood. They are the sisters of my heart!

Thank you Evelyn and Judy, who I now have no idea where to locate. The last I heard of her she was in Arizona but I suspect has returned to California which was her home for much of her life. She went through some difficult times but I hope was able to continue her art. At least I do know where Evelyn is, still happily married to her high school sweetheart after fifty years and living the good life!