Completely UnRelated...Inspiring.
Brenda Baker
This is about my grandmother.. I'm afraid I don't have many of the
articles that have been written about her, but this is the most recent
one.
My added notes are at the bottom.
(the article isn't well written, but it tells a little piece of her
story)
Chrisman Artist Overcomes Physical Hardships by Gary Henry
Chrisman - Spending time with Marceline Hendrix is a humbling
experience.
At age 86, Hendrix is a pleasant and gracious woman who doesn't try to
impress, but she can't help it. She is an award winning artist whose
artistic career started
after rheumatoid arthritis confined her to a wheel chair in 1972.
"I floundered for something to do," she said, regarding the early period
of copying with the chronic and debilitating disease.
A gift of small oil painting kit was all it took to provide some focus
and a challenge. One of her most recent works, a still life of day
lilies, titled "Regal Beauty," won
first prize in the oils/acrylics category and received best of show in
the amateur division in this year's Rockome Gardens Country Art Show.
This is the second time Hendrix has won first prize at the Rockome
event. Her painting "Primrose Path" was the 1994 winner, and it
appeared in several pieces of
advertising for Rockome Gardens.
"It's a beautiful gallery. I love to show there," said Hendrix,
regarding the Rockome facility. she has also won prizes in other art
competitions.
That she has the talent to paint is not a surprise, because she revealed
an artistic side while in school. What is so impressing is her
determination to overcome the
limitations imposed by her condition.
"I'm not able to work on an easel, because that takes wrist motion,"
said Hendrix.
In addition to limited wrist movement, the arthritis has caused so much
swelling in her knuckles that her fingers are permanently bent down and
curve back towards
her palms.
Hendrix has devised special techniques to compensate for these
problems. She paints at a table with the canvas propped against a
board, another board positioned
beside the canvas is where she mixes paint because she is nt strong
enough to hold a traditional palette. The limited movement in her
wrists and shoulders requires
her to turn the canvas in order to reach all parts of the surface.
One of her largest paintings was a 52 inch canvas that hung for several
years in the he former Mr Charlies Restaurant. She said it was a real
struggle maneuvering
that large canvas while sitting in a wheel chair.
While working on the sky for a new painting, Hendrix explained that
turning the canvas means parts of the work are actually painted upside
down so she has to
constantly be aware of how these element will appear when the canvas is
righted.
She acknowledged it was hard learning to pain with rheumatoid arthritis,
but she never considered giving up.
"If I couldn't accomplish what I wanted to one way, I'd try something
else. A set back is an opportunity to learn and experiment," she said.
Hendrix credits her husband Carl with contributing to her success. He
sets up the work table and squeezes the pain from the tubes. He also
positions the things she
wants to paint.
She sometimes sketches objects and then uses the sketches to put the
objects in an outdoor setting. she also works for photographs and from
memory.
For example, a still life of roses depicts the flowers in a pitcher and
basin resting on a wood table. Hendrix said the roses were painted from
life, but the basin and
pitcher set is something she remembers from her grandmother's home. The
table is one her parents had in their house.
Some of her paintings achieve a near photo-realism. Other paintings
that don't strive for the photo-realism still contain surprising
details. Close inspection of a
painting depicting an old window with a torn screen reveals loose nails
in the sash. (let me interject here, the painting also shows stray
strands of the screen which
have worked loose)
Despite the pleasure Hendrix derives from painting, she cannot create
art on a regular basis. She pints only when the discomfort is not too
severe, from multiple
compression fractures in her back. Hospital stays also interrupt her
work.
"If I do three complete paintings a year, I'm doing well," she said.
She pushed herself to prepare for the Rockome Show, because she needed a
new piece to comply with the rules. She finished the day lilies
painting in three weeks
which she described as a record.
"Once I get started on something, I like to stay with it. Carl tells me
to take a rest."
_inserted into the text is a smaller block.. titled Arthritis was a
setback for Hendrix
Rheumatoid arthritis wasn't the end of the world for Marceline Hendrix,
but it was a serious set back for an important part of her life.
A musician since age 4, Hendrix wondered how she would lay the organ
again when the crippling disease ut her in a wheel chair in 1972. Hip
replacement surgery in
1986 has given her more mobility, but she still needs the wheel chair
when traveling away from home.
"It about killed me to give up playing," said Hendrix who played pipe
organ music for two Paris churches. (let me interject. Paris,
Illinois. )
She resumed playing after finding an electric organ that chords
automatically, but it is a far cry from the grand pipe organs she played
at the New Paris Theater and
the Lincoln Theater.
The pope organs in those theaters were used to accompany silent movies.
Hendrix, as a teenage girl, was the regular organist at the New Paris
Theater, and she
substituted at the Lincoln Theater as needed.
Hendrix has fond memories of the New Paris theater's Wurlitzer organ.
She said it was a horse-shoe shaped and had four manuals. The fourth
manual created
special effects such as bells, whistles, drums, and harps.
Each film arrived with a musical score complete with notations fr the
special effects. Hendrix said the score was on one large sheet of paper
that was folded like an
accordion. While there wasn't always time to adequately practice the
music, she did review it for stops.
"You ahd to play it looking up like this," she said, arching her back,
throwing her head back and stretching out her arms.
She had to simultaneously watch the movie and the score to insure the
music matched the mood of each scene. Even though she had to follow the
films, she couldn't
be distracted by them so she doesn't recall any of the silent films she
played for.
*******************
Her paintings are in 12 states and 2 countries.
She's had more than 40 admissions to Hospital, and somewhere near 15
surgeries...and survives.
She is one of the greatest inspirations anyone could have in their life.
link to photos
http://home.earthlink.net/~qtrhorses/regal.htm (I wish she would let
me put more of her photos up, but she is rather timid of the web and all
the people it could reach. So, only the lilies and her are on there
now)
--
Mirabel
Wench 841
IceGasm Queen
Remove SPAMBLOCK to reply
Elizabeth of the Tudor Tarts
overcome disabilities to do something that fulfills their life. Life is too
short. My grandmother, who was also a painter, lived to be 98 years old.
In addition to all of the artistic skills that she developed in me, she also
taught me a very valuable lesson...
Life is what you make it. If you're miserable, then you'd better do
something to change it, because you're the only one who can.
On this Thanksgiving holiday, be thankful for the wonderful things that you
have: your family, your friends, your health, and the ability to be whoever
you want to be.
--
Elizabeth of the Tudor Tarts
http://www.inetport.com/~elizabet/Tarts.html
aka Peaches MacDobhran Bard #22
Wench #3.....2.....1.....*BANG*
Evil ebay Temptress
Rengeek and Madame Cum Laude
Keeper of the dragons of mirth and flirtaciousness
Kiltchecker extraordinaire
Pickle trick expert
Tinglermay Elmore of Sarcastica, She whose
bottom bounces with a giggle
Official Town Wench of the Order of the Silver Ribbon
Can Somebody PLEASE bring me a shot of single malt Scotch?!
"Some mornings it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps."
Brenda Baker <qtrh...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:383C2231...@earthlink.net...
Idone de Clare
woman. You must be very, very proud.
The painting was beautiful - a shame we can't see more...
Huzzah to a woman I could learn a few things from.
Idone de Clare
--
邢 唷��