A Chair for a Teacher and Paul's Dad

I met Julie at an Art Walk this summer. She came to my booth and wanted a new chair. As a teacher, she had a special chair that she used in the classroom. Over the summer, she changed schools, and her new school had much smaller classrooms. She bought a new chair from me for her classroom, and offered to trade her old classroom rocking chair. She brought it over to me and it was obvious it meant alot to her. Many memories . .

I told her I would love to paint the rocking chair for her - something special so that she could keep her memories with her. She took the smaller chair for her classroom, and we decided to paint this up for a prayer and meditation chair for her. She wanted a place at home where she could sit and find peace and solace. I thought that was a wonderful idea. Using lots of greens and blues I created this for her -

When Julie came to pick up the chair, she mentioned that they had just got word that her mother-in-law had been taken to the hospital. She was quite ill and the doctors were not sure what the cause was. I hope this chair gives her a place to find comfort and peace. I know my prayers will be with her in this trying time. Thanks, Julie, for letting me do this for you.





Paul is a co-worker of mine. He had seen a few of the chairs I have done recently and asked me to create something for his guest room. The guest room was created for his father for when he comes to visit. He wanted the chair to be a homage to his father. Paul told me his father loves to read, and loves music. Taking those cues i created this tribute for Paul's dad. . .

I used deep earth colors like browns, greens, and oranges. A quote about fathers says "My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived his life and showed me how." I think that quote is a wonderful tribute to fathers. Blocks of color with images like a stack of books, music notes, and geometric patterns are laid over a branch with leaves. It has the sense of whimsy that I love, without being too feminine. Hope Paul thinks it will pay proper tribute to his father.