With my friend Bonnie Azzelino, I attended White River High School’s presentation of “Charlie Brown” April 30. Several cast members of Stage Door Productions were in the audience. I must say we were all delighted to see this brilliant cast of six, directed by Kacee Barber, grace the stage. These teenagers were wonderful, as was the orchestra that accompanied them, directed by Timothy Fleming. They all had obviously worked hard because the audience I sat with couldn’t stop smiling and laughing. The cast members were the talented Keenan Barbee as Charlie Brown, the marvelous Lindsey Bowers as Lucy Van Pelt, the velvet-voiced Wesley Schaible as Linus Van Pelt, the incredible Kristen Mitchell as Sally Brown, the totally convincing Zach Schneider as Schroeder, and the delightful Jamie Meagher as Snoopy. Bravo to White River High School’s cast and crew.
For the past 13 years I have been honored to work for an incredible company that I am extremely proud to be employed by. I work for Mutual of Enumclaw Insurance Company as an IT-telecom/administrator. That’s a fancy way to say I’m MOE’s switchboard operator. If you were to ever walk into the foyer of MOE you’d see to your left a beautiful mural painted by Rex Waldron nearly 55 years ago. He was a lovely man and my elementary school art teacher.
All throughout Enumclaw and Orting you’ll see beautiful murals painted by Linda Walsh Petchnick. Most of you have seen her work if you’ve driven through Enumclaw or Orting. As I’m writing this column, the city of Enumclaw is hosting a gallery showing of Linda’s incredibly detailed acrylic and watercolor paintings. I walked over to Enumclaw’s City Hall court and council room to view these stunning paintings with my friend and co-worker Karen Bohlander while we were on a break one afternoon. We both felt like we could step into the paintings because they were so alive and detailed. I think my favorite was titled “Market Place in Braunfels, Germany,” a 1997 watercolor which is part of a collection owned by Jeff and Julie Iunker of Enumclaw Travel and Cruise. Karen and I had a lovely break taking in the beauty and talent of a local, award-winning artist. You can log onto www.orchidpainter.com to view more of Petchnick’s beautiful artwork.
I’ve decided to do something that I’ve been preaching to all of my readers here for the last year and a half to do. I’m going to take watercolor painting lessons! I’m going to stretch out my visual art skills from photography to watercolor painting. By the time this column is in print, I will have had two lessons from Arts Alive’s, Lorrie Maras. I’m excited!
I went into Enumclaw Stationers and Copy Center, owned and operated by Dan and Blossom Bolton, to purchase watercolor paint supplies and asked a young lady behind the counter if she painted with water colors. She assured me she did. I asked if she could advise me on a few starter supplies. She guided me to the tube water colors and the correct brushes. She was most helpful with her gentle suggestions. I didn’t think I could get any luckier. As I was leaving the store, I turned around and asked her what her name was. She replied, “Angel!” I realized at that point it wasn’t “luck” that she happened to be there for me.
Art reaches through barriers, boundaries and bureaucracy. Art sends messages to the heart. Art speaks to us. I have always been in performing arts, via pubic school, Cascade Foothills Chorale and lately Stage Door Productions. However, the visual arts are important to me as well. I’ve participated in two gallery shows where my photographs were displayed. It’s OK to reach out and embrace both and support the diversity of different art forms. I visit galleries and admire photography, painting, sculpting, jewelry, pottery and even welding art! Creativity and imagination is abundant on the Plateau. You will not see me get stuck in just one art form. I want to embrace it all and support all artists in both visual and performing arts. Artists in every category should support one another. We have every opportunity to do so at every concert, gallery show, ballet and play. Let’s all keep the arts alive on the Plateau.
