I was visiting my mother who will be 98 this September. On her wall is this pastel pencil portrait of my father, Ernest Alfred Klossner, done by an unknown artist in 1942 while Daddy was in the Army during WWII. He has been gone from our lives now for 20 years, yet daily this piece of art reminds my mother of her young, handsome husband serving in a long war. The time away from him now is also long, but at least she has this portrait. She knows that some artist sat near her Ernie, closely examined his face, profile and features, and very intimately captured him on a piece of paper. This portrait is more real to her than any photograph could be. People ask me why I draw people all of the time? On the bus? In church? In the chiropractor’s office? In restaurants? Because by drawing them,  I come to really see them.  When I see people, really see them, I feel I know them all that much better. Who knows. One of my drawings may someday be an important reminder to someone of a long ago love.

I am a firm believer in the “Law of Attraction.” I know, it’s almost become a trite social philosophy today, but my life has shown it to be true, nevertheless. What one gives usually comes back in kind. A sour expression elicits negative interaction. A generous soul never seems to want for anything significant. Here’s the thing about artists. In my unscientific way of polling the data, I am pretty convinced that the artists who freely give their work, talent, energy and creativity generously are those who get paid generously. I don’t mean they give their work away free, although some do. I mean they teach, share, advise, critique, encourage and support without expecting anything in return. What an anomaly in such a competitive world. Still, my best artist friends are extremely positive and generous in encouraging and supporting other artists. They create around themselves a world of such generous creative energy that the boundaries of life just constantly seem to expand. I have just finished the John Salminen workshop this week with the Utah Watercolor Society. John and his wife, Kathy, embody this principle to perfection. They gave and gave and gave and the results were dramatic to all who attended.  I can just feel my life about to explode outward and can’t wait to return all that I received to my own art students at Ree Art Studio and Ree’s painting pARTies.