I started drawing when I as a small child. My mom would let me take paper and pencils to church to keep me busy. I was one of those children that could not sit still or be quiet. (not much has changed there) But I would draw until closing prayer. I noticed that I started getting better around fourth grade when the other kids would pass my drawings around during church. That did not please my mother especially after she discovered I had been drawing prostitutes in front of brick buildings. I have no idea why I did that unless it was rebellion.
When I was in the sixth grade, my sister brought home a huge pad of art paper that had been left over from an art class at the university. I remember that I did not leave my room at all that year. I loved that art paper. I think because the pad was so large that it made me feel like I could create forever.
During my freshman year of high school, one of my friends took me to the art teacher to show him my drawings of prostitutes. He told me that I should sign up for art class. I did the very next semester, and took art all through high school. He taught me the basics. We started with perspective. He had me drawing lines at eye level and beyond. I remember being jealous because one of the guys was learning how to use the an airbrush. But I wasn’t ready – I was still learning.
My first year of college was in 1984. I submitted ten pieces of my artwork to the college magazine, and they published me. I was so excited that I forgot to return to pick up my artwork. When I remembered, it had been too long and the artwork had been destroyed. Lesson learned.
As an adult, I went back to college to receive my degree in Graphic Design. I graduated at the very top of my class. During that time I was able to take several art classes. This is where my soul came alive. I could see the talent coming out of me, and sometimes it amazed even me. One of my teachers taught me how to graph out my drawings. This was a game changer. My pencil drawings started to look like photographs.
During that time I met my best friend of “not going to say how long” years. Lol. Tonya Cook-Band has creativity in her like it grows on a tree. She not only turned out to be very inspirational, but she and I talk every week about what projects we are currently working on and share thoughts. She taught me acrylic pours, alcohol art, and we are about to venture into stained glass art.
During our last year in college, several of my girlfriends and I took welding as a class. We thought it would be a fun way to meet guys. We ended up being pretty immersed in going to junk yards and finding items we could weld and create art. During my time in college, I was fortunate to have some of my work chosen by the North Carolina Clean Air Fund campaign. I worked with a photographer and created a poster that was used by the organization.
Upon graduation, I was commissioned to create the new college logo by McDowell Technical Community College (see image below). They had forgotten to have me sign the paper giving them the right to use the image. I received communication in the mail from the college and was very shocked to see it was on letterhead with my logo. I did the right thing. I called them, and they immediately brought me paperwork to sign. I was too excited to just see my work on the letterhead that I didn’t care they had used it.
After graduation I worked with Columbia Forest Products on the inner-departmental newsletter. I was able to tour the facility, take photos of the employees, and edit the content. It allowed me to make enough money to buy art supplies. {I was already using my income to purchase art supplies}
I was a single mother of two sons so I had to put the portfolio away and make an income. I went to work in a law office doing real estate closings, probate, and domestic paperwork. My graphics degree afforded me the opportunity to create documents for the Department of Social Services in my county. Their forms were very outdated, and they thought I was a genius. I was not. They were very simple forms. But my ability to make forms helped me get the job at the law office. I still dabbled in artwork but not often enough.
I moved back to East Tennessee in 2011. I painted one picture and the community became excited over the thought that I could create items for them. At that point, they had me painting metal saws and cornhole boards. It was a little amusing. My fist cornhole board was horrible, but they loved it.
In 2019 the most wonderful thing happened. I met my husband, Jim Moore. He had been the owner of Flexible Concrete Solutions and started teaching me to work with other mediums. He taught me how to stain concrete, how to pour resin, and keeps bringing me new ideas to try.
I want to try everything. I am going to learn surface designs, stained glass, and I might even start a side hustle of designing tattoos. I enjoy doing the line work.
Coming back full circle on this post, I still feel closest to God when I am drawing. Maybe it was instilled in me growing up. I just know the peace that comes when I am in the middle of a project. I do not think about my problems, work, or anything. I believe when I create art, God whispers to me.
