TRANSITIONS BY BONNY
I tried something out of my comfort zone a couple of weeks back. With some coaxing from my artsy friends, I entered some of my art in the Kingfisher County Fair. They helped me find frames and mats for each piece. We discussed what category each piece would be under. My entries were colored pencil, acrylic portrait, acrylic animal, and mixed medium categories. I switched at the last minute to my mixed medium after I received a text from a friend asking that I enter “The Eye,” which I had stashed under some other projects I’d done a few months ago. My artsy friend Rose helped me find a frame the day before entries were to be submitted. Seeing the difference a frame makes in a piece of art has always amazed me. Rose and I loaded all the pieces our group wanted to submit in our vehicles. Luckily, we didn’t have to brake fast through town because we had a load!
The ladies taking our work were very helpful. They seemed excited to have each piece of art and put my anxiety at ease. I wouldn’t want to be the one to judge; it was obvious their job wasn’t going to be easy! After the entries were taken, I found myself people watching. People brought in their handiwork, and children beamed with pride as they carried their masterpieces. Beautiful quilts were hung and canned goods placed to entice the judges’ taste buds. Now you can’t have a positive without some negative. If Harriett Olsen or Gladys Kravitz were lurking around, no one would notice. If you watched Little House on the Prairie or Bewitched in the 70’s, you might remember these characters. The smiles and excitement to share overcame any negativity that might be lurking.
Kingfisher’s local Lions Club showed up to help with the 4-H fundraiser. While steaks were grilled for sandwiches, boxes lined the tables to be assembled for easy pickup. I learned just how OCD some of my fellow lions were while placing cookies, chips, and barbecue sauce in each carry-out box. I even blooped by spilling sauce on the floor. Cleanup was called, and I wasn’t fired for the mishap. I told them they were right-handed cups of sauce, and I’m left-handed. We all had many laughs while working with our young 4-Hers.
Overall, I learned a lot through my fair experience. I came home with three first-place ribbons, and “The Eye” received a second place. But it’s not all about the ribbons. I know “The Eye” made an impression on several people, which was important to me. It was a reminder that Jesus is watching us, and even though we all sin, he still loves us. It reminds me that he would love Mrs. Kravis and Mrs. Olsen as well.
I entered my pieces that I had used my friends as models. In my pencil drawing of Violet Snow, I’d hoped to give her the ribbon if the drawing were placed. Well, even though it did place, I didn’t have to worry about Violet not having a ribbon because she got her own. Violet is 3 1/2. Mrs. Olsen might have questioned her artistic abilities. It’s quite simple; not only does Grandma Denise work with Violet, she also attends the art program that the Kingfisher Library provides during the summer. Violet knows her way around the library. She has informed her big people that “Bon” lives at the library. That’s the only place she sees me. She went on to tell them I like dressing as the Grinch, but Ursula lives in the ocean and is real. For me, aka Bon, aka Grinch, aka Ursula, I think the girl has a pretty vivid imagination!
The library was well represented at the fair with several of the projects young people had created through the summer programs. I, for one, enjoyed seeing and celebrating the creativity the fair represents.
