I came to Virginia’s class, Artists In Bloom Community, after having seen her work and loving her style. She graciously invited me to come and although it was an almost 2 hr. drive, Virginia made it worth it. Not only have I developed as an artist but was blessed with the camaraderie and kindness of these special people in this class. My sister Karen and I have flourished in this setting, enjoying it all… such a blessing.

Art lessons for me began as an opportunity to retreat from the business of life in a focused and centered activity that would teach me a new skill. As the years have evolved, art means so much more than simply learning to draw and paint. It has become a way of seeing life, not only that physical world around me, but the spiritual world within me. Each of these landscapes have a variety of shapes, colors and textures all of which longs for a cohesive and balanced composition

When my talented sister, Debbie, decided to take oil painting classes from Gini (after seeing her beautiful show at Beck Center), I thought, “Why not? I’ll be with my sister for a good part of the day.” Debbie lives an hour and a half away and we don’t see each other as often as we’d like. I had no intentions of learning to paint. My purpose was entirely selfish. Debbie would come, paint, learn and I’d be there with her just enjoying my “sister” time. With prayer, encouragement and tons of patience, Gini has slowly turned me into a half way decent artist! Not only have I learned to paint, I’ve been blessed to meet some pretty extraordinary, faithful, talented, compassionate, caring men and women. It’s a beautiful ministry Gini has going on here. Not everyone is of the same faith but there is a strong common bond of God and love. Thank you Gini for giving us all a safe place to express ourselves and a place to occasionally ask for prayer and give thanks together. God bless you and this fabulous ministry.

I began taking oil painting lessons because of the encouragement of my good friend Gini. ‘I cannot draw,’ was my excuse! Gini insisted that I had a good sense of color and she would guide me. And that she did! Starting with an Abstract, then moving onto copying the Masters and my photographs of flowers, I learned to graph my subject matter and the canvas. My love of painting blossomed through learning to ‘Enjoy the Process’ (one of Gini’s favorite lines) and Gini’s instruction and being part of a talented group of artists. I’ve learned to look at the beauty of my surroundings and life with a deeper realization that slowing down and ‘Enjoy the Process’ is key to learning a new skill, living life fully, mentally, physically and spiritually!