On making abstract art: “What makes a difference is knowing how to draw .. to me, the difference shows in the ability for the painting to hold up over time. If you don’t know how to render an object in space in black and white, to draw the crumpled paper bag, the oval with light on it, the studies of light to dark — without this knowledge, the painting falls flat. Everything sits on the surface. It’s important to create a feeling of real space. Even if you’re looking at shapes and they’re not recognizable, it feels good because somewhere there’s depth to it.”

We know our rural forebears participated in quilting bees, but have you ever heard of a gilding bee? Artist Laura Sue King invented the term to describe gatherings she has organized at The Painters Gallery, 1109 Main Street, Fleischmanns, where she will teach people to apply gold leaf to small items they bring along, or to objects King has found in the woods.