I just arrived back from teaching in Springfield, Illinois at the Prairie Art Alliance. Here is simply what I have to say. Go there, and when you do, stay with Kathy and Ed, and hang out with Mary Ann, Gina, Jennifer, Julia, Alyce, Pat, Kathy and Georgia. Do not eat a horseshoe sandwich under any circumstances. 

In Springfield I taught painting and books, and the class dove right in. What a group! I encouraged them to keep going and finish their books after the class was over, as I am all about content, and Kathy took me very seriously. I don’t think she slept after I left, she went wild and finished all of the books. That is saying a lot, since they each made nine. Here are Kathy’s finished books.

My time in Springfield was simple. Simply filled with kindness, generosity, lots of rain, history and hospitality. It was the mid-western dream fulfilled. I learned about Abraham Lincoln, Frank Lloyd Wright, the politics of Illinois, and simple values honestly held. It was a supreme pleasure to be there. At the end, my friend Mary Ann and I drove back to flooding in Indiana, and spent a day in Chicago under brilliant blue skies. This kind of week is best described as being actually the very best it could be. How often does that happen? When it does, I hope to have the deep appreciation that fills me now.