My neighbor, the artist

Living next to a professional artist has been a pleasure since we built our house here in Austin ten years ago. Gladys is not only extremely talented and her artwork is interesting and the process is unlike anything I would have imagined--she creates miniature settings in real life in her living room art studio, then begins adding layer upon layer of acrylic paint until she is satisfied--she is also the best neighbor.

Last month, I went to a downtown Austin art gallery to see her latest creations and snapped a few shots, although these amateur photos don't come close to showing how wonderful the art actually is.

Here's Gladys with her oldest daughter, Celeste, who just graduated from the University of Texas.

Jack, her husband, and Marielle, her youngest daughter, also attended the opening of her work on display. She also paints gorgeous family portraits, and I've always wanted to commission her for one of these, but haven't done so yet. Some day...

Congratulations, Gladys! I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing your amazing artwork and more importantly, love having your family as our neighbors. Thank you for your neighborly kindness and friendship!

Comments

Julie V. said…

I remember meeting Gladys the last time I visited and loved walking through her studio. She is so talented.

June 29, 2010 5:53 PM

Gladys Poorte said…

Thanks, Kelly for all the kind words!
Gladys

July 05, 2010 9:03 AM

The BIG REVEAL!

We LOVE our new pool! There are a couple of problems that need to be fixed, so we're crossing our fingers that they get it done right, and soon, considering we have given them the final check for the balance of the pool, and we don't have any leverage. Three of the waterfalls work. This is the main one and I like the natural look. Below, here's the deep end waterfall, and it's flows nicely. The water sheer like this one, that flows into the shallow beach area, is the fall that is not working. It's frustrating, but hopefully they'll fix it soon. The fountain in the spa is blocked too. Here's the small rock waterfall, which works just great. It took about 18 hours to fill the pool and we practically watched it gallon by gallon. I stayed up all night long, making sure it didn't overflow. We swim in it every day. Last night we went on a midnight swim and it was beautiful. The water temperature is perfect. I'm extremely thankful that we have our new...

Triathlon triumph

Are you kidding me? A triathlon and I have never belonged in the same sentence. It must have been time for something new! (The "BEFORE" race shot, with goggles and swim cap in hand.) What an unforgettable week this was! I actually DID enter my first triathlon, with the goal of simply finishing it. Take note of the emphasis on the word FIRST, because I loved it so much, that you can guarantee that there will be more. It was a blast. Seriously. My friends Lorraine and Robin had trained and signed up to do the event, which was two days ago, on Saturday. Three days beforehand, I heard about it and basically had a spontaneous urge to join them, so I registered. The only partial preparation ahead of time that I had been doing was cycling in the neighborhood here and there on my mountain bike with some other friends. And doing some micro-laps in our backyard pool. Our friend, Dave, was also there. The three of us women appreciated Dave's encouragement and support, as he's ...

San Antonio temple weekend

Here am I (five months pregnant), with Hannah, Kelly, Lindsey, and Christopher, walking out of the San Antonio temple after our new daughter was sealed to us for time and for all eternity during a special, sacred ceremony, this past Saturday afternoon. We were happy to have a wonderful group of guests in attendance with us, Kelly's two sisters, Debbie and Brenda, my sister, Julie, Kelly's mom and dad, my mom, my good friends Lorraine and Stewart, Carol and Rick, and one person from our ward, my buddy, Sue. Dinner later that night consisted of a feast at the Salt Lick in Driftwood, Texas, for some incredible pork ribs, cole slaw, and more. We strolled along the Riverwalk to show our visiting family members one of San Antonio's popular tourist spots. It was a beautiful, windy day, the Saturday following Thanksgiving, in San Antonio. We tried to find a corner with less wind to blow in our faces. More photos of the family. The family, strolling along th...

Kelly Times Two

Search This Blog