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 I
will spend the days of my life spreading God’s love & happiness with
painted flowers
Hi,
I am Ann Mary and I am a Donna Dewberry Certified Instructor. I live in
Chippenhook, a hamlet in the Green Mountains of Vermont. Look around to
learn more about my painting, crafts and services. To add interest and
give you a bit of history I will represent both past and present details.
I find it fascinating how one thing leads to another, evolving only to
return full circle. The Lord leads in fascinating ways!
I
am not very computer literate so these pages will be quite an undertaking;
but I do so want to be able to share my art and friends with you. Please
let us know if you are in the area and stop in for a lesson or visit.
Also, make sure to add this site to your favorites so you can come back
often.
My Interests and Goals: I
enjoy a variety of interests. First is my love for God and all the
wonderful gifts He has given me. I try to be as caring to others as He is
to me. Sharing the gifts He has given me, I will spend the rest of my life
as a service to Him.
Besides
my contacts with the Dewberry’s and Plaid, I maintain membership in the
following associations:
The
Society of Decorative Painters.
The North American Felters Network
Green Mountain Wireless Society
The American Radio Relay League
Teaching: I
teach on the premises that all things worth doing have to be fun or they
just ain't worth doing!
I
have successfully taught varied crafts and arts to “Kid’s of All
Ages.” My students often remark that I make things seem easier than
other instructors do. I think it is the ‘fun’ I insist on in each
endeavor!
Previous studies in painting,
color, art theory, and composition, complimented by Donna’s instruction
enable me to help people who never thought they could succeed at painting.
I am available for floral classes, workshops, demonstrations and contract
painting on just about any surface.
Yes that is a bear painted on a tree! Another story!
I
passed Donna Dewberry’s Certification in June of 2000. I love to teach
her OneStroke™ Painting technique. I am available for private or group
lessons, home parties, wall paintings, demonstrations, or articles for
publication.
Belonging
to OSCI’s auto-ship program I am assured timely notice of all Donna’s
newest products as soon as they become available. I also have access to
many of Plaid™ Corporation’s experts for advice and problem solving.
Using Plaid Paints and supplies we can design and produce any number of
lovely and functional items for you, your home, or gift giving needs. My
association with the Dewberry’s and Plaid also allows me to purchase
products for resale. I can supply customers and students with products of
the highest quality. While I do stock some items, this way you can order
what you want, not settling for what is in stock.
I
have been a crafter for as many years as I can remember. My Grandmother, a
professional seamstress, gave me my first sewing machine when I was about
seven. Of course, each Christmas I would find some ‘paint-by-number’
sets under the tree—Weren’t they fun!! For years, I wanted to paint
flowers—especially roses! Donna Dewberry’s OneStroke™method
has been an answer to many prayers.
I studied with Donna and I earned certification to teach her OneStroke™
painting method.
I
received additional training from Donna at the ‘2001 Continuing
Education’ program in Atlanta, Georgia. These intense programs are to
keep OSCI’s abreast of Donna’s latest techniques. We then bring the
information to students and customers. Begrudgingly, I missed this
year’s program due to surgery; but I am already enrolled in the ‘2003
program.
These
days, most of my work is in Plaid’s acrylic paint. I do not profess to
know everything; but my love for Donna and the One Strokeä
Method definitely makes me want to share what I do know with anyone
interested. It is soooooo . . .easy and soooooooo . . . much fun!!!! I
love to teach and find great joy in the successes of my students. I still
enjoy my oils and have many lovely landscapes available for sale—BTW: I
did progress further that the paint-by-number paintings, ha, ha.
Besides
painting, other interests involve various FiberArts. I am an avid felter
and have marketed hats and felt sculptured items around the world. I do
demonstrations and clinics for various fiber-related crafts and
agricultural topics.
I
love animals and if you hang around these pages, over time, you will meet
many of them as I add pages and galleries. So mark my pages in your
favorites file and, come back from time to time!”
I
had to give up farming and miss all the animals; Angora Goats, sheep,
donkeys, mules, horses and their babies. Further on, down this page, you
will meet Wendie & Heidie! Through these pages, I will introduce you
to my best friend and love, Gidget. She is a Jack Russell Terrier and so
cute! (She gave me her permission to tell you that!)
Another
passion of mine is writing. Published articles and pictorials have been
in, Donna’s great e-Zine, “THE
STROKING EDGE™,” and magazines in the equine, agricultural and
FiberArts fields. I am open to writing on any subject (legal & clean)
and would be glad to write a PR piece or proofread for you. Please contact
me, if I can help you I will. If I can not, I will use my vast network of
acquaintances to find someone that can.
The
Other Me, When I Am Not Writing or Painting:
I
envy young people today. Computers and technology have enhanced
communication to quite an art. There are books and newsletters about all
sorts of stuff. Specialized communities, in print and on the Internet,
sharing information like never before in history. Technology allows
smaller publications of specialized interest to thrive at affordable
prices. As I am a person who is curious and interested in almost anything,
the Internet is at times overwhelming. But, oh what fun! And awesome. Just
the other day I was able to use my Ham Radio License to talk to another
Ham in Florida via the Internet on I-Link. With this program I can use my
computer and a repeater linked to I-link and talk to my brother on his Ham
radio as he sails the Eastern coast. Awesome!!
Recent
Medical Considerations:
Fibromyalgia
or Myofascial Pain Syndrome:
Recently
I have had another great revelation...I have Fibromyalgia and Myofascial
Pain Syndrome. It might seem as bad news to some; but, after years of
running to doctors of all sorts, it is a great relief to be able to put a
handle on it.
For
more than six years, I was running to various doctors, specialists,
chiropractors, message therapists and physical therapists who poke and
prod to a point of crippling pain! I finally have some answers as to why
it seems I am falling apart. Why it seems I am loosing the use of my right
shoulder, arm, and both my hands—Not that my back, hips and legs do not
bother at various times and in various degrees. The shoulder and hands
thing really had me bummed out. Where would I, an artist, farmer, and
factory worker be without them? However, I reason if it is the factory job
causing the problems, was it worth it all? Is not my physical well being
worth more than the almighty dollar? I think so. Throughout all of my
reading and the Internet research I do for people, the essential
relationship between this condition and the others seems to be
"stress"! Of course the company and their insurer have the
doctors locked in a strong head-hold. The doctor is only allowed to treat
one problem at one time. Whatever the company writes on the report is what
the doctor has to go by...Hello! Is the company telling the doctor what to
treat? What to look for? When the company says they think you have carpal
tunnel, you must get the doctor to look further than just your wrist. This
is a very hard thing to accomplish. The specialist I finally ended up with
was so surprised, when the third or fourth time I was there that my hip
and legs also hurt. I just laughed at him and kidded, "Well, you
never asked about them. You were only interested in the report my company
made!" I don’t see him anymore! Here is my point: If the insurer
limits what the doctor can look at—in this case my wrist—how can
he/she find something that is all encompassing. I would have had to fill
out 17 accident reports; but, of course, you can only have one accident
report going at a time. Talk about stress!!!!!!!
Are
you a medical professional,
or do you or someone you know have Fibromyalgia and or Chronic Myofascial
Pain—it is possible to have both? Run to the nearest bookstore and get a
copy of: “Fibromyalgia and Chronic
Myofascial Pain, A survival Manual, Second Edition.” Devin Starlanyl
and Mary Ellen Copeland wrote it. (ISBN#1-57224-238-8) I finally hit upon
a doctor who actually hears what I am saying. He suggested I purchase the
book. With his diet, medications, and improved sleep, many of the problems
can at least be eased.
If I had the money, I would love
to purchase a copy for every medical professional, therapist, and
psychologist in the area. To think of the excessive and useless suffering
people go through at the hands of many uninformed medical personnel, it
plain burns me up. There is no cure, I still average about two to three
medical appointments a week. At least now I can adjust what is needed and
decide "What am I gonna do with the rest of my life." So, you
see, this is good! Coming soon! Clink
the link above to read about my experience and view some link's I have
found on the Internet. Please mark this page and come back to search the
rest of my site.
I
see twice what you do!
I
do enjoy my computer—as frustrated as I get—it has opened many worlds
for me. I am dyslexic and as such, I can really mess-up language and
numbers. Why I bet I can get almost anything backwards if given the
chance. Although it does come in handy when teaching lefties to paint!!
I
used to write a sort-of-newsletter. It started out as a monthly letter to
family that grew. I wrote about things we were doing on the property and
such. I sent it to lots of people; I got lots of mail back and thus
reported in my next letter what I had heard from everyone else. It all
grew to include eight or nine handwritten pages a month. I stopped writing
for a period, constant corrections (i.e., does, Vs, dose) offered in love
by a well-meaning relative, got me discouraged.
This
was before we realized I see twice as much as regular folk (I believe the
proper term is that I see double images). Wow, if that wasn’t a
revelation that changed so many aspects of my life. No, I am not the dummy
who frustrated teachers & parents. “What is wrong with you?” I was
asked when my grades were just barely passing. Weird! I could look at some
broken thing and come up with brilliant solutions or make connections that
someone of my cognitive ability should not have come-up with. For sure,
the tests could not be wrong!! Ha, ha!
Well,
science has come a long way. Yes, I had better than 20/20 vision in both
eyes; but no one seemed to think to check if they were working together.
They weren’t, and therefore; lost to me are little things others take
for granted—left-hand from right-hand, tighten or loosen a nut, ‘6’
or ‘9’, ‘i’ before ‘e’, heaven forbid earlier clocks and
things with digital numbers…get the picture?
Seeing
double or dyslexia before the computer was definitely not fun. Most the
people who received the letters were trapped, their lives spent in various
cities. They not only enjoyed the news of who was doing what; they
reported—after the writing stopped—they missed the stories I wrote
about everyday life, animals, weather, seasons, etc. that go along with
country life. I missed the act of writing. Ha, ha, it would take me hours
to pen anything. I had to look-up almost every word in the dictionary and
that was no guarantee that I would not transpose letters. Time restraints
took their toll. The writing I loved paid the price of near extinction.
Enter
the world of computers: This computer with its spell checker is the
greatest thing since ‘Mom and apple Pie’ (sic). I still have to triple
check my writings but the editing usually makes for better articles, much
like the old rewrites people of the writing world did. I am still very
slow and would never feel comfortable going to work on an hourly basis for
anyone, but I do enjoy writing again. At least, now I can consider
freelance writing for a source of income, charging by the job and not the
hour.
I
hope you have not been too bored with my ranting. If you are still with
me, I invite you to go to my other pages. Please come back soon, as I add
pages, I will post pictures about my crafts, artwork, critters. I will
also have pages for my writings—both published and new.
In
the future, I hope to provide information and links about my other
interests with links to sites that I have found interesting or helpful. So
stop back often and see how we are doing.
Future
links to my stuff I hope to provide:
¨
Farming, Animals and training
Animals
¨
FiberArts & Sewing FiberArts Hats
¨
Felting & Other Fiber & Wool Stuff
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Signs & Wood Art Stuff Signs & Wood
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Glass Engraving & Etching
Writings,
Stories & Musings-Published & Not
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