Central Coast Pier – sold 

My friend Debbie and I have known each other since high school. She returned to college a few years ago after raising her children. She had a desire to be an art major, and she has absorbed knowledge like a sponge. We have attended workshops, shows and seminars together, and bounce art ideas off one another without stopping the entire time we are together. Before I was a painter, she used to remind me over and over, “black is my friend”. This was to encourage me to get my darks as dark as possible in my drawings. That was inspiring, because it showed me how to make better art. HOW is big with me. . . anyone can spout criticism, but it takes an insightful and knowledgable person to have a way to fix the problem and to be able to articulate the solution. Debbie also inspired me by encouraging me when I was wavering on the decision of learning to oil paint. She told me exactly what to buy, answered many basic technical questions, and never let on how shocked she was at my total ignorance!