There Was Always An Artistic Spark!
When Mary and I got together in mid-2020, I noticed several paintings around her home. Naturally, I conducted a highly professional art inspection and discovered the signature: "Mary 2018."
I asked her about the paintings, and she casually admitted that yes, she did enjoy painting — but being a doctor had taken up most of her time, so art had been placed somewhere on the priority list right below "sleep" and "remembering where I put my keys."
Those paintings, as it turned out, came from a Wine and Paint activity — which, in my opinion, is a brilliant concept because even if the painting goes badly, the wine still makes it look better.
Fast-forward four years, and we were at a dance at the Tustin Senior Citizens Center — Mary qualifies us for admission, I just come along as her youthful escort — when I spotted an advertisement for art classes. Mary signed up, and the rest, as they say, is about to become history… or at least a very colorful chapter of it.
After we got hitched in 2021, I would occasionally "encourage" her to get back to her artistic roots. Some might say I bugged her. I prefer the term motivational husbandry.
We had an upstairs room we liked to call "The Ballroom," mostly because it sounded fancy and because no one had the energy to actually ballroom dance up there. But after careful consideration — and probably a little too much enthusiasm on my part — I hauled all of Mary's art supplies upstairs and officially transformed the space into:
The Loft.
The Lady Cave.
Mary's Creative Escape.
A place where she can relax, paint, create, and enjoy her artistic gifts — while I stay downstairs and take full credit for being supportive.
The Loft was born! Mary has a "Lady Cave!"
No one sits in the bosses seat except The Boss!
Where could she work and NOT have to cleanup every time she leaves and where can she get lighting all day long? The Ballroom!!
Busy as a bee in her new Lady Cave!
She was smitten! Now we needed supplies! So off to Huntington Beach we headed at the "Art Supply House' as they have everything!
She was now prepared for masterpiece #2
Now Mary is a "regular" in the art class and is meeting new folks, most of which have known each other for years and years.
Ladies, get ready to meet your match!!
An artist cannot be complete without a portable universal multi functional "Artists Bag"
Artist at work with her new studio equipment!
Busy at class!
Putting on the final touches!
If I can't locate Mary, I start looking here!
Come see her works of art on page two!