Hobbies

The fabulous Nancy Medina, instructing

Believe it or not, I was once considered a bit of a prodigy, as a child, for drawing and painting. I won several  local and state awards at ages 7, 12, 16 and more, and my father and I co-owned an art gallery at the famous (now defunct) Dallas arts and crafts gallery known as Olla Podrida. Ironically, I have almost none of my original childhood art laying about, as I sold it all through the gallery. Somehow, I put all my artistic yearnings aside for the past 40+ years to concentrate on adult hings like majoring in a "practical" degree in college, working full time to support myself, then spending every spare moment raising kids, husband aka "child #3",  and working.

There were moments, in my 20's pre -kids, where I tried to pick my art back up, but I was in an abusive dysfunctional marriage and had no personal space in which to paint. Every person needs " a room of one's own" as Virginia Woolfe famously once wrote. So one of my retirement goals was to dip back in to the pool, to see if I could reclaim some of my earlier mojo. I started with an internet search of local artists who offered lessons. Did a little research, found someone nearby whose style of painting I enjoyed. That person was the fabulous Nancy Medina, and over the summer I took two classes from her. (I'm sorry I am a messy painter and got splotches all over your beautiful home, Nancy.) Not only did she remind me of the joy to be had in working with bright colors and  happy subjects, but her karmic energy is just so positive it is impossible not to be inspired by her. I knew she was the right guide for me to begin my journey again when a casual get-to-know-you conversation turned up that we had both studied under fabled local artists Mary Berry, who exhibited at Olla Podrida, back in the 1970's. Talk about a small world? Karmic connection? Wow. She too loves Santa Fe and France and Italy as I do.

https://www.nancymedina.com/



So now I am back to painting my little heart out. I am not very good yet, but I am getting better each day. I am rediscovering my joy in working with color and subject matter that dissolves my stress and takes me away to things and people and places I love.

Check out my online gallery : Karen Strecker Gallery on Facebook