“June is busting out all over…” This nostalgic song adequately described the first week in June for me. My twin sister Bev and I traveled to Medora to provide a week’s worth of drawing and painting activities. Here is a summary of this wonderful week.
I taught the first “Spur Your Inner Artist with Drawing and Watercolor” 4 -day workshop in the Bill and Jane Marcil Life Skills Center from June 5-8th. 
The Badlands make a perfect setting to inspire artists. Most of the people in the class signed up for the Stay and Paint package, which included the workshop, lodging and the Medora Musical. At least half of the students classified themselves as beginner artists yet they all progressed rapidly through the process from drawing to painting.What a diverse and fun group! The artists came with a variety of abilities and perspectives and left with new “eyes” to see their worlds through lights and darks, colors, and various compositions. I challenged them to go beyond copying photographs, and they met the challenge!
The Badlands make a perfect setting to inspire artists. Most of the people in the class signed up for the Stay and Paint package, which included the workshop, lodging and the Medora Musical. At least half of the students classified themselves as beginner artists yet they all progressed rapidly through the process from drawing to painting.What a diverse and fun group! The artists came with a variety of abilities and perspectives and left with new “eyes” to see their worlds through lights and darks, colors, and various compositions. I challenged them to go beyond copying photographs, and they met the challenge!
For four nights, I demonstrated watercolor painting before the Medora Musical. It’s not every day that President Theodore Roosevelt stops at my art booth! (P.S. If you haven’t taken in the T. Roosevelt performance by Joe W. at the Old Towne Hall in Medora, you need to add this to your list of MUSTS this summer.) He is AMAZING! So amazing, I went to it twice already! The second time I took my sketch book and the workshoppers and I drew him!
I brought 22 pieces of art for exhibit and sale at the Von Hoffman House. The show runs through July 2nd. This exhibit focuses on western North Dakota themes, such as bison, horses, rodeo, and even has a portrait of Cowboy Lyle Glass, who has worked in Medora for 44 years. Three years ago, at the Hot Air Balloon Rally, I saw Cowboy Lyle and the sun was hitting “just right” on the side of his face, so I asked if I could take a photograph for a painting. Lyle obliged, and he was pleasantly surprised to see his likeness hanging on the wall of the Von Hoffman.
We also held a free watercolor painting activity for children on the lawn of the Von Hoffman House on Friday and Saturday afternoon. Painting watercolor in 92 degrees may require some adapting, but we had a great time with children from ages 2-17. Next year, we may teach free drawing lessons….It’s always fun to mix it up. Children love art and we love to teach them! We don’t have the dates of our workshop next year, but we are possibly going to offer one in the winter and hopefully again in the spring. Please consider a creative vacation in Medora next year with Bev and me. We love Medora and we are quite certain you will love Medora, too!
