Angels 'n Bucks

I mentioned in a previous post about my art show in NC that I wanted to take a little bit more time and write more about one of the visitors.  Well, here goes.  ​

...in case ya missed it, this was my show at the Homewood Suites in Pinehurst :)

The first visitor to my show in Pinehurst was someone I had never met.  I greeted her at the door, racking my brain to try and remember her because I was at a loss.  She introduced herself.  Her name was Shelly, I had never met her.  Shelly is an art teacher at Forest Hills Middle School in Wilson and she had traveled over two and a half hours to come to my show.  And we had never met.

But we had a link- my friend from college, Kelly Land.  Kelly and I put on our senior show together in the Jenkins Fine Art Center at East Carolina University.  (side note, ever since my freshman year at ECU I had wanted to show in that gallery!)  Somehow Kelly had told her about me and my artwork...and she stumbled upon my #AngelDropART endeavor...and became inspired to do something similar with her own middle school art students.

...just a few pics of my 'angel drops' from over the years...sometimes I leave them for folks to find, sometimes I hand them out...'dropped' them in NC, SC, FL, DE, LA, TX, CA and NY just to name a few places!

​So, long story short- she introduced my work to her students and had them create almost 100 pieces of art and 'drop' them all over her county for folks to find.  As if that isn't amazing enough- they even included a small paper on the back to explain what they were up to...and it mentioned me!  All the way in Eastern North Carolina, unbeknownst to me...I was able to inspire others.

After meeting Shelly and hearing the story of how she came to be at my art show and how her students were now inspiring others, I could have packed up my show right then, turned off all the lights and called it a successful night.  

But I didn't- so everything else was just icing on the cake!  But man, what a GREAT night!
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#BUCKCHEERART

Click here to view the article in the Wilson County Times!
...thanks to my Gamma Sigma Sigma sister, Christy for letting me know about the article!

...just some of the fantastic art Shelly's kids have been leaving all over Wilson, NC!

So cool to get a shout out! Wooo!

Shelly, fellow teaching artist and new friend.

...and she brought me this inspiring work! I don't know what I love more, the colorful light bulb and quote on the front or that cool note on the back!

I really have to be honest- I was at a bit of a low point in December.  We lost one of our cats just a few days before I came home for the break, my little Scooter...had him for fourteen years. Then there is just the holiday blues...and I don't know, I had honestly just been a bit of funk.  I was down on myself for taking so long to finish some side projects- including a BIG batch of Wonder Woman-inspired angels...and I was kinda down because I felt like I had not made as many angels this year- and I haven't. So this was just the spark to light my inspiration and help me to end 2017 on a positive note, and for that I am grateful.

Thank you again, Shelly for making that long drive to come to my show, and to your son for humoring you, and your husband for going along with the idea if it meant some high end sushi for him!  And thank you so much to the students at Forest Hills Middle School in Wilson, NC for confirming for me that I am on the right path with my art, and my angels.  
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#WCSistheBEST