From the time she was a little girl in Florida, Debra Williams loved the arts. She loved band and sang in the choir of church. She cherished her collection of Broadway albums.
And she wanted to do a little more. Like many youngsters, Debra loved horses. She was fascinated by them. Loved them so much she wanted to sketch them, draw them. Cover her notebooks in horses, doodle the Black Stallion.
But she couldn69制片厂制作传媒檛.
Try as she might, Williams69制片厂制作传媒 career as an artist withered on the vine, all because she couldn69制片厂制作传媒檛 adequately sketch a horse.
69制片厂制作传媒淚 gave up very, very early,69制片厂制作传媒 she said. 69制片厂制作传媒淏ecause I couldn69制片厂制作传媒檛 draw horses.69制片厂制作传媒
It69制片厂制作传媒檚 not that Debra didn69制片厂制作传媒檛 appreciate all kinds of art, she did. She was influenced by her father who even bought her a painting by the famed African-American Florida painters who became known as the Highwaymen, a group of artists who travelled Florida69制片厂制作传媒檚 highways, selling their paintings out of the back of their trunk because many galleries wouldn69制片厂制作传媒檛 display them.
69制片厂制作传媒淭hey69制片厂制作传媒檙e style of painting was Old Florida, beautiful, colorful paintings,69制片厂制作传媒 she said.
When it came time for college, Debra made her way to Carson-Newman. She liked the area, and she stayed. She enjoyed the art community at the Rose Center and found the offerings at Walters State fulfilling as well. She stayed active in the arts, singing in the community chorus and church. Later 69制片厂制作传媒 after she married Frank in 2001 69制片厂制作传媒 she began doing some acting, first in Theater Guild productions and then for Encore.
Debra still wasn69制片厂制作传媒檛 a painter, though.
69制片厂制作传媒淚 always loved to look at paintings, go to the Rose Center and the gallery and see all the paintings and the shows,69制片厂制作传媒 she said. 69制片厂制作传媒淏ut I couldn69制片厂制作传媒檛 do it.69制片厂制作传媒
That was about to change. Debra became a fan of local artist Dan Gibson, who is also a renowned art teacher. Debra was such a big fan in fact, that finally Frank suggested she take one of Gibson69制片厂制作传媒檚 art classes so maybe she could make her own and stop spending quite so much on his works.
69制片厂制作传媒69制片厂制作传媒橶hy don69制片厂制作传媒檛 you take a class and learn to paint like that and won69制片厂制作传媒檛 have to buy anymore?69制片厂制作传媒69制片厂制作传媒 he said.
And that69制片厂制作传媒檚 what she did.
Williams69制片厂制作传媒 talents blossomed under Gibson69制片厂制作传媒檚 tutelage and soon the little frustrated girl who couldn69制片厂制作传媒檛 draw horses had turned into a talented impressionist.
69制片厂制作传媒淒an is such an encourager,69制片厂制作传媒 she said. 69制片厂制作传媒淗e doesn69制片厂制作传媒檛 say 69制片厂制作传媒榠t has to look like this.69制片厂制作传媒 He doesn69制片厂制作传媒檛 force anything on you and it69制片厂制作传媒檚 encouraging.69制片厂制作传媒
After carpal tunnel surgery in the 69制片厂制作传媒80s, her grip wouldn69制片厂制作传媒檛 allow her to try and work in a more realistic style. But Gibson69制片厂制作传媒檚 method was perfect.
69制片厂制作传媒淚 could just dab, dab, dab and I could blend and 69制片厂制作传媒楬ey, it looked pretty good,69制片厂制作传媒69制片厂制作传媒 she said. 69制片厂制作传媒淚 couldn69制片厂制作传媒檛 draw anything real specific, but Dan69制片厂制作传媒檚 style was more impressionist. That69制片厂制作传媒檚 how I got involved in painting, this was something I could now do. I learned to paint in that impressionistic-style, and I enjoy it.69制片厂制作传媒
Following Dan69制片厂制作传媒檚 advice, Debra has a place in her home where she can paint, a mini-studio. She also notes that she69制片厂制作传媒檚 spent more on supplies than she ever would have on Gibson69制片厂制作传媒檚 paintings, so the joke remains on Frank.
And she paints what she likes.
One year, they had a challenge at the Rose Center in which artists were asked to draw a still life of food.
69制片厂制作传媒楾hey hung them in Prater Hall,69制片厂制作传媒 she said. 69制片厂制作传媒淓verybody was painting vegetables and corn 69制片厂制作传媒 which I don69制片厂制作传媒檛 have an interest in. I painted a banana split.69制片厂制作传媒
But Wiliams69制片厂制作传媒 contribution to the arts in the Lakeway Area goes beyond creating it.
She is a patron.
She is a contributor.
And, after she finishes her day job as general manager for the Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce, she has been a key administrator and board member for many artistic organizations. She and Frank became founding members of Encore Theatrical Company and over the years, between the two of them they did just about everything required to make a successful play happen.
69制片厂制作传媒淓ncore, that was a fun time,69制片厂制作传媒 she said. 69制片厂制作传媒淚 enjoyed my time on stage. You kind of ended up getting directed towards where you talents are and mine had been more administrative than what I did on stage. My last show, in 2017, was Ragtime, which is my all-time favorite, so poignant and appropriate even today.69制片厂制作传媒
And while she is no longer an Encore Board member, she is chair of the Rose Center Board.
69制片厂制作传媒淚 just have always had an interest in the Rose Center,69制片厂制作传媒 she said. 69制片厂制作传媒淭he Rose Center, to me, Is the focus of arts in our community. It69制片厂制作传媒檚 where if you go if you want to get involved in the arts or you weren69制片厂制作传媒檛 really if you aren69制片厂制作传媒檛 sure if you wanted to or not. You should start at the Rose Center. They are the place to go to find out what69制片厂制作传媒檚 going on with the arts.69制片厂制作传媒
It is even a place where just maybe, if you find the right teacher, you can learn how to draw a horse.
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