The kids were grown and gone. It was official – I was an empty nester. Looking for things to fill my weekends, I chanced upon a place I passed time and time again. A lone shingle hung along a stretch of trees and bushes along Milwaukee Avenue in Glenview. One day, my curiosity got the best of me and I pulled onto the narrow road. Had no clue what I might find. It was a beautiful road with nature unfolding with every curve. Who knew that once off the noisy highway there might be a place of such peace and quiet. There was an interpretive center that I went in and was met with an amazing site! A pond of turtles, turtles and more turtles! All sizes, shapes and kinds. It was so unexpected! They were absolutely mesmerizing – swimming, eating, nestling under rocks, climbing on others to bask under the heat lamp, simply amazing! How was it possible that I lived only a few miles away, raised two children and never knew such a treasure was right there the entire time. One thing led to another and eventually returned with my camera to photograph them. So how many turtles were there – 40, 50, or more?
Some months later, I signed up for an adult beginning watercolor class through High School District 214. When I was ready to paint to do solo projects, I turned to the turtle pictures on my camera as I really didn’t have anything else to use as reference material. Thus started my first attempts as an artist and one turtle painting led to another. The Grove was most gracious in allowing me to come in early on weekends during this time to sit on the bench next to the turtles and paint before the flurry of day took hold. I am forever appreciative:)
The turtles provided many “firsts” for me as an artist. They were my first paintings, part the first art show I juried into and won my first award, the first print I sold and the first international exhibit I juried into.
