#10 - SHEILA'S FOLK ART BLOG - March 1, 2021

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•                                            BLOG #10
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Boy, February was sure a hectic month…short but very eventful!

There was much cold and bad weather all over, but especially in our home state of Kentucky. Yes, I was born in Paintsville, Ky next to Butcher Hollar…the home of the Queen of County Music, Loretta Lynn. Yes, I’m a coal Miners’s daughter too…my Daddy worked in the Van Lear Coal Mine with Loretta’s Dad. My Dad also played baseball on a team with Loretta’s husband, Mooney.

Back to the Bad Weather…The monster ice storms hit Eastern Kentucky especially hard. We know lots of folks in that area…our dear friend Minnie Adkins was without electric, heat and water for 14 days. That would be hard on anyone…but especially a lady that’ll be 87 years old in a week or two. We normally talk on the phone 4-5 times a weeks...it was rough not knowing exactly how she was doing. Happy to say she came thru with flying colors and is back carving again. Another friend, Jim Lewis, the wood carver still didn’t have normal utility services when we talked over the weekend. Now all that mess is melting and there's flooding everywhere.

As you probably know we are located way up north in Indiana…..just a couple miles from the Michigan border. We always get snow…this time about 12 inches, but we’d always rather have snow than ice storms!

We artworks every few days...lots of small carved animals by Minnie Adkins and her neighbor Jim Lewis. Roxane Jennins shipped us 3 dozen pieces of the whimsical creations by her late Father, Willard J. They sell fast! We received several new pieces of “found object art” by South Carolina artist, Deane Bowers. A new lady in our gallery, Texan Dorothy Shelby sent paintings of “memories of her childhood”. Arkansas carver Eddie Armstrong sent carved trains and trucks. We sold a nice collection of pieces by my late Father-in-law Geo G Borum. Heidi Wolfe delivered a couple dozen new wood wall decor cutouts of famous brands of soda, beer, pickles, hot sauce etc. The details that she puts on her work is amazing. We received a sizable amount Tony Dotson’s whimsical constructions. There was a lot of activity on our website...it kept George & me busy!

We have recently acquired works from private collections by Myrtice West, Annie Wellborn, her brother in law, Carter Wellborn, Mama Johnson, Alyne Harris, R. A. Miller and more. Check them out!

Last month we shipped art by 26 different artists to 22 different states. We’re thrilled that we are in a position to help the artists get their art in the hands of collectors all over the country. We’re hoping that the pandemic is easing off and that the artists will be able to work shows in person like they did in past years.

We’re expecting lots of art by new artists soon...keep checking our website!