Piney Woods Live December 2013 by Piney Woods Live Magazine

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December 2013

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ART IIN ART N THE H HOME OME AN Northern orthern Home e Design Design by Jan Statman Ever wonder what the jolly man’s home looks like? Jan Statman takes us to the home of the man himself, Santa Claus, to see just how exquisite it really is. So buckle up and get your imagination running. You might want to grab a coat too; afterall, we’re going to the North Pole.

ABOUT THE CO ABOUT COVER... OVER...

Its Christmas time! Santa graces our cover this issue as we travel to his home in the North Pole. Cover Photo by Southwest Studios

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by Jeremy G. Butler

by Claudia Lowery

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by Tony McCullough

by Crystal Davis

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Nine N ine F Flags la ags Chris Christmas stmas Festival by Tony McCullough

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Artis st Pro st rofi file les s Deean Ri Riev eves eve

Cent nter er S Sta tag ta ge Cuis isin ine by Claudia Lowery

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Ar istt’s Arti sW Wor orlld d by Jan Statman

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Events Events

by Crystal Davis

Th T he “B B” Si Sd de e of Mu us sicc by Randy Brown

December 2013 - Page 3

Publisher’s

STAFF

NOTE Tracy Magness Co-Publisher

ging Editor Manag Ben Valencia Publicist Andrea Johnson ertising Director Adve Suzanne Warren Conttributing Writerrs Cori Stanley, Jan Statman, Tony McCullough, Randy Brown, Crystal Davis, Claudia Lowery, Robbie Goodrich, Jeremy G. Butler aphic Artists Gra Jeremiah Shepherd, Joni Guess, Tracy Krell, Ben Valencia, Andrea Johnson Sales Ben Valencia, Andrea Johnson,Carolee Chandler, Kathy Hollan, Cookie Bias, Suzanne Warren, Lori Martin, Shea Vogel, Tracy Stopani

How to reach us: 903-758-6900 or 800-333-3082 info@pineywoodslive.com Fax 903-758-8181 100 W. Hawkins Pkwy., Suite C. Longview, Texas 75605

www.facebook.co om/P Pin neyWoodsLLive e © 2013 by Piney Woods Live. All rights reserved. This publication, its associated website and their content is copyright of Piney Woods Live. Any reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form without the expressed written consent of the publisher is prohibited.

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There are a lot of things about the Piney Woods that I have discovered since we started publishing Piney Woods Live over 3-1/2 years ago. One of the best discoveries has been how magical we become during the holidays. We turn what is one of the grayest parts of the year into a wonderland of lights, music, and joy. And we do that in every single town. I have always heard about Marshall’s Wonderland of Lights Festival, but I never experienced it until last year. The first time I saw the courthouse lit up with lights that were dancing to holiday music, I clapped my hands and giggled like a child. I believe that I went to Marshall nearly every weekend in December of 2012 just to experience that wonder. Every town in East Texas does something for the holidays. I can’t wait to experience the Nine Flags Christmas Festival in Nacogdoches this year. Already I am seeing photos of the lights and activities going on downtown. I am going to be moving there sometime soon, so it will be a wonderful way to experience my new town with my soon to be husband. And of course, there’s Jefferson. They know how to celebrate the Christmas holidays! Who wouldn’t want to ride in a train that takes them through a wonderland of lights and holiday memories? Oh, how I wish my adult son was a child again, just for a little while, so I could take him to Jefferson for a weekend. Who knows, I might take him anyway! Marshall, Nacogdoches and Jefferson are only three of the cities in the area that make us all want to be kids again (or have kids again). There are so many others – like Kilgore with it’s holiday-lit derricks and Longview’s colorful courthouse. Every single town in the area is unique. I wish we could tell you about all of them in this issue. I’m sure we will over the years to come. There are many great things to discover about the Piney Woods this month. For example, there is going to be several musical performances such as the Kilgore College Keyboard Orchestra Christmas Keyboard Extravaganza and a benefit by area bands supporting the Toys for Tots program. You can find out more about those events here. In this issue, we have a very special Art in the Home piece written by Jan Statman – my favorite of all the pieces she has written about the artwork that can be found in a residential setting. This one IS magical – so magical that we have made it our feature story and is represented on our cover. I’m not going to say anything more; you just have to read it! Don’t miss Tony McCullough’s piece on a very important music venue. Tony always finds the most interesting ways to help us discover places and things we aren’t aware of – many from our rich past. So, I hope you have a very happy holiday season. And please don’t forget to buy local. Our advertisers have many wonderful ideas for you for gift giving. Our local artists create beautiful works that are exquisite gift ideas. Look into it and make this a memorable holiday season. Until next year! As always, we want to hear your thoughts, concerns, complaints and suggestions about the magazine and art topics in general. You can comment on individual stories at pineywoodslive.com or at Facebook.com/pineywoodslive. Email us at publisher@ pineywoodslive.com, or just give us a call at 903-758-6900.

Publishers / Editors Tracy Magness & Gary Krell

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! -Lisa King, Marshall

December 2013 - Page 4

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• Drums • Guitars • PA Systemss • DJ & Lighting ng •K Karaoke a Band Instruments •B Ba •P Pi Pianos & Keyboards •E Ef Effect Pedals

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December 2013 - Page 5

a i l u J Beers

by Jeremy G. Butler

December 2013 - Page 6

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Pop music – perhaps now more than ever – is a pretty nebulous thing. So much so that if you took 100 people and asked them to describe it in one word, there’s every chance you’d come back with 100 different answers.

And with sub-genres and crossovers, it only becomes harder to define, which honestly could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on which of those 100 people you asked. Enter 14-year-old Julia Beers. A native of East Texas, Julia’s been singing and performing since she was five, and she’s just never stopped. She’s already got an impressive CV of shows under her belt with an ever-expanding list of upcoming dates on the horizon, her music’s being played on radio across the country, she’s just released a 5-song EP and on top of all of that she has the amazingly impressive distinction of having been voted the Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2013 East Texas Music Awards. And again – she’s only 14. Granted, that’s not quite as impressive a fact as it might have been before Disney and Nickelodeon started transforming pre-teens into international superstars on a regular basis. But what sets Julia apart from those young people is exactly that – she doesn’t have Disney or Nickelodeon. She doesn’t have their powerhouse marketing and multi-million-dollar production backing her up. What she does have is the support of her family, the support of a small label that believes in her and enough talent to make anyone within ear shot sit up and take notice. And it’s her voice that they’re taking notice of. There are plati-

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num-selling adult artists who don’t have the tone or the control over their voice that Julia has. Knowing when to choose pulling back over going full, when to slide into falsetto, when vibrato is appropriate and when it’s not – they’re all little touches that can make or break a song, and as great as she is at it, knowing that she’s only going to get better is an incredible thing to consider. Lyrically she’s very much a 14-year-old; she writes songs about having fun with her friends and teenage relationships. But she approaches them with a certain maturity that, when paired with her voice, keeps her from coming across as an “Isn’t she cute!” novelty act or alienating practically everyone in her audience. The fact that she included an Adele cover on her EP says a lot about her influences and ambitions. Growing up is a tricky business, because more than anything else it’s about figuring out who you are. And as Julia grows and matures, it’s not just her voice that’s going to grow with her. There’s an honesty in the way she approaches her craft, and as she gets more life experience under her belt, one would be safe in betting that it’s going to find its way into her music. And because it’s music that she’s using to document her own journey, it’s undoubtedly a good thing that pop lends itself to so many definitions and gives her the freedom to find her own and do with it what she does best.

December 2013 - Page 7

by Claudia Lowery

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The Wonderland of Lights Festival in Marshall rivals the best Christmas lighting events in the country and attracts more than 100,000 visitors to see the 10 million lights and many attractions that adorn the city. The historic Harrison County Courthouse is the center stage of events as visitors enjoy a synchronized light and music show that begins each evening at 6 p.m. Steve & Penny Carlile and Celebrating Home are sponsors of the music and light program. Each presentation includes nearly 250,000 pulsating LED lights from the windows, pillars, and dome of the building. The Samsung outdoor ice rink is one of the most popular activities located next to the county courthouse. Skaters can enjoy 60 minutes of skating under the stars while viewing the courthouse show. A one-hour skate session cost $10.00 plus tax with skates included in the fee. Adjacent to the courthouse is Telegraph Park where a free music show is presented each evening at 7:10 p.m. Holiday Traditions, a show produced by local Mary Smith Beal, brings music of past holidays to the stage in this production presented by Network Solutions and Band Stand Music & Unique Boutique. Wonderful memories are created when children stop to see Santa and Mrs. Claus in Santa’s Workshop presented by Sam Baxter of McKool Smith law offices. (Of course, Santa does close the workshop just before Christmas.) Each child can make a train and decorate a cookie before telling Santa their wishes. Next door to Santa’s Workshop is the depot for the Marshall Express Train – a mini trackless train providing rides around the square to the delight of young children. Everything is bigger in Texas, and Snowflake, the giant wooden rocking horse, is no exception. Standing over 12 feet tall and almost 20 feet from tail to nose, Snowflake is big. Accommodating up to five riders at a time, this is a picture perfect moment for adults to recall their youthful days or for children to be able to brag about their riding adventure. Music in Wonderland continues each evening at 8:15 p.m. as Christmas Staircase Harmony is performed inside the Weisman Center. Local entertainers have joined to blend their voices for an upbeat and delightful holiday presentation of favorite holiday songs. The show, free of charge, lasts 40 minutes allowing visitors time for a warming holiday beverage. For kids and the young at heart, returning attractions include the Wonderland Mountain (a 32-foot slide), the Polar Challenge (an interactive obstacle course), a horse-drawn carriage ride, and an English double-decker bus ride presented by Marshall Ford-Lincoln. The bus will take you on a narrative ride of the magnificent displays in the Washington Square District of downtown Marshall. Everyone

can climb aboard the lighted hayride wagon as it circles the square to see the courthouse and many of the light displays. Many special shows, entertainment, and exhibits will be occurring during the 35 evenings and the Saturdays of the festival. Ten thousand spectators viewed the nearly 125 entries in the East Texas Baptist University’s Lighted Christmas Parade last year and even more are anticipated for the Saturday, Dec. 7 parade. Beginning at 5:30 p.m., the parade begins on the south side of the courthouse on Washington, turns onto Wellington, across Burleson Street and returns on Washington towards the courthouse area. The total route is 1-1/2 miles with an expected parade time to take 1-1/2 hours from beginning to end. A special treat for all children is Santa’s arrival at the T & P Depot on Saturday, Dec. 7. There is reading time, cookies, and time with Santa as he leaves the reindeer at home to ride the train into Marshall. There is no charge for the participants, but a ticket is required. On Dec. 14 (the second Saturday) a decorated car show will be lining the streets of downtown Marshall. There is no entry fee for participants but cash prizes will be awarded for the best decorated and best themed cars. Car shows have been a tradition during most of the second Saturdays in downtown Marshall, and December will be a highlighted car event for the festival. Dance troops, high school bands, church choirs, and other entertainment will be scheduled on each of the five Saturdays during the festival. East Texas Baptist University, the new owner of the The Marshall Grand Hotel, is providing free of charge souvenir Christmas photos inside the hotel on selected dates during the festival – Friday and Saturday evenings from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Nov. 29, 30 and Dec. 2,7,13,14 and 15. Many of the festival’s activities are free for visitors to enjoy. Admission tickets are required for some of the rides and attractions. The best value is the Village-All-In-One ticket. This ticket, at $29.95 plus tax, allows the visitors to unlimited rides on all of the attractions including the Marshall Mountain, Polar Challenge, Samsung Ice Skating sessions, doubledecker bus tours, and the Wonderland Hayride. (Carriage rides are not included.) Other limited and individual tickets are available and range from $4 to $15. Admission tickets can be purchased on the website at www.visi tmarshalltexas.org or at any of the three ticket booths/locations that are open during the festival. Admission tickets can also be purchased daily at the Visitors Center located at 301 N. Washington. Make plans now for this timeless tradition. Make your hotel reservations online. For group tour information or sponsorship opportunities, contact the Marshall Convention & Visitors Bureau by email at cvb@VisitMarshallTexas.com or by phone at 903-702-7777. PineyWoodsLive.com

Artist

PROFILES

Deeann Rieves Photos by Katie Snyder Photography

ainting and drawing work simultaneously as layers build—connecting paper fragments, mark making with embroidery, and smudging with chalk. The boldness of color and contrast collide with sensitive lines, intermingled with subtleties of texture. My focus is to balance delicate lines against organic forms and loose brushwork. I am drawn to the tactility that fabric and sewing add to the painting process. The nature of thread is strong but intricate; embroidery is permanent with the appearance of fragility. In nature, colors and textures thrive or subdue during their life cycle, and my inspi-

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ration derives from the transitions that happen during this process. Leaves have subtle discolorations and flaws that create fascinating organic forms in contrast against rigid lines from disintegration or broken edges held together by a delicate framework of veins. I am most interested in this display of growth and decay because of how intimately it speaks of change. Deeann Rieves received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Memphis College of Art in December 2007 with an emphasis on painting. She works full time in her Marietta, Ga. studio and her mixed-media paintings have been featured in numerous solo exhibitions and juried group shows across the United States. Her abstract paintings combine mixed media and machine embroidery to capture transitional forms derived from nature. Deeann’s series, Spills and Coverings, was featured in six solo exhibits, the first at Memphis College of Art’s Alumni Gallery in October 2010, later The Renaissance Center in Dixon, Tenn., and more recently at Downtown Pres Gallery in

Memphis’ gallery district in October 2012. Individual pieces from this series appeared in multiple group exhibits across the US: Fiber Plus in New York, The Elegant Line in California, Fantastic Fibers in Paducah, Ky., the Dogwood Regional Fine Arts Exhibit in Knoxville, Tenn., Fiber Focus in St. Louis, Missouri, and consecutive years at Metro Montage XI and XII at Marietta Cobb Museum of Art in Marietta, Ga. December 2013 - Page 9

No Cover Charge

THE BAND PLAYS

for

Free

by Tony McCullough

When PineyWoods Live managing editor, Ben Valencia, asked if I would do a story on an East Texas music venue, I gladly accepted the assignment. I love East Texas, and I love music. I’ve read everything I can find about East Texas’ musical history. I’ve spent many hours talking to older musicians, asking questions about the venues and the stars of days gone by who thrived in the area. Being a band member myself, I have performed in many current venues. I decided to find a music venue that may have been overlooked. Perhaps one that missed the long list of bars and honky tonks that have come and gone in East Texas. Live music venues used to be more common in our area than convenience stores are today – many of those venues having been the East Texas home for some of the largest names in the business. The story I wrote two months ago about The Old Time Mercantile and String Shop of Nacogdoches and its owner, Steve Hartz, crossed my mind and refused to leave. Steve brought to my mind the one venue that I have never seen covered in those pages of music history… Once upon a time there was a place where the greatest of music was heard. The music played at this venue was often anticipated by people of the south throughout the week, leading up to a Friday or Saturday evening concert. The musicians heard there probably weren’t the quality of the Nashville recording artists found throughout the FM, internet, and satellite universe of today’s music. The singers probably missed a note or two here or there or drifted slightly off key on occasion, but they were still rewarded with applause and requests to perform someone’s faDecember 2013 - Page 10

vorite song. And the audience … they smiled, laughed with joy, sometimes danced, and sang along to the tunes they knew. There were no screaming guitars or amplifiers with volume knobs numbered all the way up to level 11. Microphone feedback was never a problem because you would not find a microphone on this stage. And the stage itself was often made of plank boards or maybe a cement slab. The multi-colored flashing LED stage lights so popular today would have been as foreign as a fish playing a piano. And the stage itself was lit by a simple 100 watt bulb. The seating was a folding chair, a step, or maybe a dining chair brought out from the kitchen. This magical lost music venue was America’s front porch. (For the younger readers, that’s not the name of a club or a bar. It’s the place that used to be built on the front of a house where people gathered to enjoy each other’s company.) Somewhere along the way most builders dropped that area known as a front porch from their home designs, eliminating the venue that has produced most of our American musical heritage. The term “American musical heritage” is not meant to represent symphonies, operas, and grandiose genres that found their way to our large cities by crossing the waters from Europe. I am speaking of the music native to America: the mountain music that begat both folk and bluegrass genres and developed into a genre later known as country. It was the music of the southern cotton fields that when given a piano beat became known as blues, then grew into southern gospel and boogie, then later gave us the offspring of jazz and rock and roll. We even took European music and made it our own and called it “swing” and “big

band,” which later brought us western music. These are the sounds native to America, and if history books are read carefully, you will find the names that brought these forms of music to the heart of the world were mostly from the southern United States. Up until the 1950s, air conditioning was not found in the average southern home. (In some areas not until years later.) During the first half of the 20th century, in the warmer months of spring and throughout the sultry months of summer, families in homes with no air conditioning made their way to the front porch in hopes of catching a cool breeze in the early evening. Before the mid-1950s when the television was brought to the living room of our nation, those families gathering in the evenings on the front porch made their own entertainment, often with a guitar, banjo, fiddle, or harmonica. They made their own music with parents teaching their children to play those instruments while other family members sang along. Some of the most famous recording artists, singers and musicians had their first exposure to music on that front porch. It was there they practiced their instrument of choice and mastered their trade. It was more than likely that their first recital or performance was on that front porch, playing or singing for family, friends, and neighbors. It is probably where a musician of the late 19th or early 20th century decided to change a beat or rhythm of a song to develop a whole new genre of music. Family gatherings on the front porch each evening were a southern tradition. It was the heart of the southern home for many months out of the year, and it was the campus where many students of music tended to their

studies until graduating to fame and superstar careers. If those architects had decided the front porch was no longer a desirable amendment to the American home 100 years earlier, I wonder how much of the music we cherish today would even exist. If air conditioning and TV had brought those children inside like they do today, how many of our music legends may have never picked up an instrument let alone put in the many hours of practice that made them great. I also wonder: How would the history of American music read in the year 2050 if the southern front porch had remained a staple of the home and the electronics of video games, DVRs, and television had not invaded our home to hold our children hostage. How many legends won’t be made because the new version of Halo was just released? If you visit the childhood homes of legends such as Elvis, Hank Williams, Buddy Holly, please take a glance at the front porch, usually adorned with a chair or two and a wooden swing, and think to yourself, “This is where it all started.” Give yourself a moment to absorb the music history born there. As you leave that historic home, chances are you’ll drive by many new homes or subdivisions on the way back to the main highway. Give them a glance. Notice how there is only a sidewalk leading up to the front door, with very little porch at all. Some of them only have a garage built onto the front of the house. Compare the warmth and welcoming openness of the historic home with the wall of privacy projected by the newer home. You can almost imagine the nonexistent marker that could be placed there in 50 years. It reads: “No one famous ever played here, but you should see the size of our TV.” PineyWoodsLive.com

PIANO

by Crystal Davis

E X T R A V A G A N Z A THE KILGORE COLLEGE KEYBOARD ORCHESTRA

The Kilgore College Keyboard Orchestra will be holding their Christmas Keyboard Extravaganza Friday, Dec. 3, at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in the Van Cliburn Auditorium located in the Anne Dean Turk Fine Arts Building on campus. Admission is free, but reservations are required and can be placed with Sandra Siler at 903-983-8120, or ssiler@kilgore.edu. The group will consist of students and one faculty member playing on synthesizers that can replicate over 600 sounds including instruments in the strings, winds, brass, and percussion sections of the symphony as well as sounds like guns firing, humans screaming and birds chirping. In effect, one can hear the range of an entire orchestra, usually comprised of about a hundred musicians, with only eight electronic keyboards being played simultaneously.

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The production will also include a dramatic power point presentation, costume changes and audience participation, all produced by Siler. Siler is a motivational speaker. She uses keyboard orchestra arrangements and life lessons in her presentations. Siler’s groups have performed at Music Teacher’s National Conventions across the country, including Albuquerque, N.M.; Austin, Texas; and Seattle, Wa. “I love that these students get to be on the front lines seeing the direction music is going. Using a mix of technology and classical styling is a great way to get a well-rounded music education,” said Siler in her blog posted at the beginning of the semester. “This is the most creative group I’ve ever had.” “I never let the kids know how hard it is,” she said about the two year program at Kilgore. Students receive a partial scholarship upon entering the program. “It sounds amazing!” said Seth Briley, a freshman piano performance and music

composition major. Briley, a former mechanical engineering student from LeTourneau, transferred to Kilgore to pursue his passion for music and playing the piano. He has only recently entered the states after living with missionaries in Costa Rica for most of his life, although his family originates from Longview. “There is so much we can do with an electric keyboard,” said Briley who claims his biggest enfluence has been Johann Sebastian Bach. He has been playing piano since he was 14. “I didn’t realize the potential of a keyboard orchestra,” he said. This year’s performance will be comprised of seven students, all music majors, and one faculty member on the keyboards: Deric Nowlen, Jared Miller, Corey Daniels, Alan Zanarron, Seth Briley, and Brittany Crone (with assistant professor Kristen Threadgill). The collegiate keyboardists, who have been rehearsing all semester, have also been performing for students from both public and private secondary schools all over East Texas. Briley said with all the practice and hearing the arrangements come together, that everything has really “tightened up.” This year’s performance will include new takes on classic favorites like “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” and “Carol of

the Bells.” The arrangements are based off versions heard by the group Manheim Steamroller. According to Briley, students listen to the arrangements by ear, pick out the separate timbres and create their own versions of the song. Siler had been overseeing the keyboard orchestra for over 15 years when she first began initializing the concept. She has been teaching at Kilgore College for 25 years. Even though the performance is best enjoyed live, Kilgore College Keyboard Orchestra offers several samples of sound bytes and video available online at www. facebook.com/KCKeyboards. For more information on the program itself, please visit www.sandysiler.com. Siler not only teaches her students technical skills and fundamentals but helps them promote themselves as musicians through publicity and performance. This year’s Extravaganza is not to be missed, will help put even the Grinch-iest Scrooge into the holiday spirit, and will be followed by another performance with new songs plus arrangements in the spring. December 2013 - Page 11

and the Tyler Civic Theatre by Cori Stanley

hildren’s theatre is thriving in East Texas with not one but two theatre groups, each providing opportunities for kids to sing, act and dance, as well as gain essential knowledge and life skills. ArtsView Children’s Theatre (ACT) in Longview was started in 2004 by Vicki Echols and Sandi Taylor for the purpose of “changing lives through education, outreach and the performing arts!” Part of the ArtsView mission is a commitment “to a progressive theatre arts education and outreach program that ignites youth with an enduring passion for the performing arts through both observation and participation.” One of the ways ArtsView accomplishes this is through their Performing Arts Theatre School (PATHS) program headed by Alisha Kimbley, who came to ArtsView in 2007 directing musical camps. “This is a program where children and teens from ages 4-18 can take classes, workshops, participate in a traveling show choir, mini camps and performance camps throughout the year.” The program serves more than 500 children and teens, in addition to their families and communities. According

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to Kimbley, “There is something for everyone and every family at ArtsView to enjoy.” Often a child’s whole family participates in one area of production or another. With the exception of the show choir, there is no audition necessary. The performance camps meet daily for two weeks and are both process and production oriented; they include technical aspects such as costumes, lighting and minimal sets, and end with a full, ticketed performance. The one-week mini-camps are process-oriented and can include a showcase performance for parents and family. The classes focus on the complete theatre production process. A full spring line-up is slated, including musical camp performances of Tikki Tikki Tembo (ages 6-7), A Year with Frog and Toad Kids (ages 8-12) and First Stage: 3 Piggy Opera (ages 4-5). Into the summer, look for camps and productions to include Cinderella-Kids, The Jungle Book-Kids, FUN with Alice in Wonderland Jr., as well as an original works camp. Part of PATHS’ educational program includes SUPER SATURDAYS – free one-day workshops offered throughout the year to “bring relevant and exciting topics to new and veteran ArtsView students.” There are also scholarship, apprenticeship and intern program opportunities and an annual play-

wright contest. Fee assistance is available for needy families to help with the tuition. The traveling show choir offers additional opportunities throughout the year through singing, dancing and entertaining. Show choir members practice weekly at ArtsView and entertain at various venues, including nursing homes and community events. There are three age groups: PeeWees, ages 6-8, perform during the summer; Bravo, ages 9-12, perform during the fall school semester; and Encore, ages 13-18, will begin holding auditions December 9-10. General manager, Pamela Donica, who started as a volunteer in 2005, is responsible for their four main-stage productions. Next year marks ArtsView’s 10th anniversary and there are some big-named shows lined up for this special year: The Little Mermaid Jr., Much Ado About Nothing, Alice in Wonderland Jr. and Fiddler on the Roof. Auditions begin in January with performances in March, June, July and November, respectively. As a non-profit group, they rely on donations, sponsorship and grants. They are members of the Texas Non-Profit Theatre Association, the American Association of Community Theatre and the Longview Chamber of Commerce. Complete information, including enrollment dates, times, fees, applications

and ticket information, is available at their website: www.artsviewchildrenstheatre.com. They are located at 313 W. Tyler Street in Longview. Telephone them at 903-236-7535 from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Monday - Friday or by email. A forerunner to ACT, the Tyler Civic Theatre Center (TCTC) is currently in its 65th year of operation. In 1986, the children’s summer camps program was started by the Junior League of Tyler, but was turned over to TCTC, and has now evolved into 17 camp programs. In 2000, to accommodate the need for larger, more modern facilities, the Braithwaite Theatre, which seats almost twice the capacity as TCTC’s original facility, was built. The original stage was renovated and rebuilt to house Rogers Children Theatre (named for the Rogers Foundation) for educational purposes. Headed by managing director, DeAnna Hargrove, who has been building Tyler Civic Theatre Center’s education program since 2000, the program now includes “two Acting Conservatory sessions, S.T.A.R. camps; examinations onsite by the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art; the New Play Festival for unpublished playwrights; workshops in adult acting, tech skills, musical-theatre and stage combat; and opportunities for young actors to tour/perform abroad.” PineyWoodsLive.com

YOU’RE INVITED TO

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have a need at some point in their adult lives to speak in front of a public audience, and this is going to give them the confidence and poise to do so.” Their overall mission is “to entertain, to enrich and educate through theatre.” While it has been successfully entertaining for 65 years, Hargrove said “a hunger and a need for community theatre performances for children developed.” This has led to productions such as Rip Van Winkle’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow, based on two classics by Nathaniel Hawthorne, to Mary Todd, a historical drama, which will open in February, and Lord of the Flies in April. Next fall will feature such favorites as Jungle Book, Treasure Island and Elephant Man. This coming June, TCTC will begin a 3-year travel rotation starting with a statewide community theatre competition in Boerne, Texas. More than 400 student actors from across the state will be competing. This will tentatively be followed by a trip to New York and finish overseas, which will include London. All of the trips are performance as well as educational opportunities for the students. As a non-profit organization, TCTC relies on funding through donations and sponsors; they do not receive any state or federal monies. Scholarships for students are available and 100% of the monies received are used; there is always a need for gifted tuition. Complete information, including enrollment dates, times, fees, applications and ticket information, is available at their website: www.tylercivictheatre.com. They are located at 400 Rose Park Drive in Tyler. Telephone them at 903-593-7827 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 2 - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday or by email.

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Summer Theatre Arts Review (S.T.A.R.) is an educational summer theatre program for both beginner and experienced actors and actresses alike. “Each class is a mixture of drama rehearsal, learning exercises and fun games to help performers learn and grow.” Camps are available for children 4-18, and all end with a play performance. There are two very popular specialty camps in musical theatre and stage combat. The combat camp is team taught, where students learn stage-fighting in a safe and proper way. Both specialty camps include weekend performances. This summer, S.T.A.R. took on the ambitious effort of producing Le Miserables. The year-round Acting Conservatory was created in 1998 and offers classes and workshops for youth ages 5-18 and adults, and provides students exposure to all aspects of the theatre – performance as well as production. In the upcoming season, the ACT III (intermediate and advanced) class will compete at the statewide Youth Convention of Community Theatre. A longtime relationship with the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA), it provides students with an opportunity to be evaluated on an international level through performance exams, which are comparable to college. Private instruction is available. Tyler Civic Theatre serves the whole community with students coming from all sectors: public, private and home schools. Hargrove said, “We have a number of different needs to fulfill and work very hard to offer a variety of classes and workshops to complement these classes.” She added, “Most of our children will not aspire to become professional actors or actresses. However, every one of them will

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December 2013 - Page 13

CenterStage C|U|I|S|I|N|E

A Taste from Near or Far with Claudia Lowery

Jack Ryan’s Steak & Chophouse

eautiful gems have been unearthed in my search for restaurants worthy of “Center Stage.” Among gems, the most desirable is the diamond, and discovering Jack Ryan’s Steak and Chophouse unearthed a true and flawless diamond, not in the rough, but chiseled and clear – far beyond expectation. Along the railroad track in Kilgore is a long, one-story building trimmed tastefully in black and crowned with a simple, well-designed sign. One might never imagine the depth of vision inside that building. Jack Ryan’s opened last May after owners and brothers Brad and Wes Ebey spent hours refurbishing the space. Bringing their personal dream to December 2013 - Page 14

reality was a labor of love and determination as brick walls and natural ceiling beams were exposed, bars constructed, and edgy art began to fill the expansive walls. Sleek, black tables were added to be left uncovered for lunch and dressed up in crisp, white tablecloths for dinner. The result is an elegant interior that is chic, open, and flowing – perfect for a business lunch or ladies’ day out, birthday, anniversary, romantic rendezvous, or candlelit marriage proposal. The Ebey brothers did not stumble upon their dream by accident, but built it from focused and well-executed planning. They grew up in Longview and graduated from Pine Tree High School, but their adult journey took them far away and brought them full-circle back to East Texas. Wes went to Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Minneapolis

while Brad attended business school. Soon Brad decided to join his brother at Le Cordon Bleu. After graduating in 2001, they returned to Dallas where Brad worked at the Adolphus Hotel and Wes worked at the Four Seasons. The wealth of experience and knowledge they received working alongside world class chefs was priceless. When Brad’s son, Jack Ryan, was born the brothers decided that their heart’s desire was to not only open their own restaurant but to also return to their East Texas home. Their story is one of love of family and beautiful food. My friend, Tammy Pruitt, and I enjoyed our dining experience there on an autumn afternoon. Our hostess greeted and seated us promptly and then Michael, our server, began to tell us about the meal we were to have. He had a wealth of information about how each dish was prepared, giving us detailed explanations of the methods used. Attentive without being overbearing, Michael was almost like a mind reader, appearing at precisely the right moment to refill glasses, bring the next course, or remove used dinnerware. I noticed the wait staff standing at relaxed

attention along the back wall watching guests and anticipating their needs. Highly professional and well-trained, they were there for the customer, and it showed. I’m nearly at a loss at how to describe the food. I arrived with having heard that guests were driving miles and miles to Jack Ryan’s because the food was perfection. That seemed almost too good to be true, and I always dine with a mild degree of skepticism. One bite in, and I knew the truth … and it set me free! We started with an appetizer of the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake served with a Lemongrass infused Lobster Sauce and sweet and spicy Tomato Jam – not prepared with bread-style fillers, but folded gently into a delicate sauce that highlighted the crabmeat. Tammy grew up in Maryland and before taking a bite she said, “Okay, I’m going to see if they know how to make a proper crab cake.” One bite, and as we both rolled our eyes, she proclaimed, “That is THE best crab cake I’ve had since living in Maryland 30 years ago!” Although I’m from Texas, I knew she was right, and it set the tone for our entire meal. Next was the Tempura Calamari served on a bed of spring greens salad. PineyWoodsLive.com

If you know calamari, you know that it must be prepared carefully and never overcooked. Again, perfection! For our two main courses we first had the eight ounce Beef Tenderloin on Smoked Whipped Potatoes and served with Smoked Asparagus and a Cabernet Demi. The tenderloin was prepared sous vide, a method developed and perfected in France and America that involves controlled temperatures of meat preventing the loss of moisture and overcooking, and then a final high-temp sear that gives the finishing touch. As we each took that first bite, we looked at each other and started laughing, almost giggling! “What in the world are we eating?” I asked. “I’ve NEVER had a steak like this! It melts in my mouth and the flavor is heavenly.” Well, I’m here to tell you we talked about that steak all afternoon. I’ve had good steak in the past that does not begin to compare. It was served medium rare, which is optimum for the most flavor and tenderness. We finished our meal with Halibut served with Creamy Spinach Risotto with a Roasted Tomato Butter Sauce. Again … another stunning main course. Online you can see the complete Jack Ryan’s lunch and dinner menus as well as prices. In addition to what we enjoyed, the menu has a wonderful selection of other appetizers like Flat Iron Steak Skewers, Steak Pizza, and BBQ Oysters. There are more salads and main courses of Cowboy Ribeye, Bone-In Pork Chop, Shrimp Etouffee, Airline Chicken, and Seared King Salmon. Check with your server when visiting to see if something extra special is being prepared like Kobe or Porterhouse Steak, which make surprise guest appearances. Tammy and I were quite satisfied that our culinary experience had been elevated beyond our level of anticipation, and then there was dessert. We shared a Banana Pudding with fresh bananas served in a Martini glass. This was not my mother’s banana pudding made from a mix. There’s something special about comfort food in tall stemware that rounds out a meal leaving you feeling happy inside. Brad and Wes Ebey have worked hard for over a decade refining their craft, and I expect they will always be students of stunning cuisine. They shared the fact that for years they’d worked every holiday preparing food for hotel brunches, lunches, and dinners while everyone else got to spend time with their families and friends. Their unified decision

The opinions expressed here were on the writer’s personal experience. Please be sure to visit and form your own opinion.

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to return to East Texas and open their own place has a new perk that made it all worthwhile. For the first time in a long time they will stay home with family on Christmas and the day after and let someone else do the cooking. However, they will reopen on Friday, Dec. 27. Also, they are gearing up for their first New Year’s Celebration with two seatings for dinner with a fixed menu, champagne and favors. Please make reservations early because it will fill quickly. As I look back over my words, I ask myself, did I do Jack Ryan’s Steak and Chophouse justice? Did I give you, the reader, something that helps you see that sometimes we need to experience something from another atmosphere? Maybe diamonds aren’t your thing, but then again … maybe diamonds are forever. Jack Ryan’s Steak and Chophouse is located at 119 N. Longview Street, Kilgore, TX. Phone: 903-218-5670. Hours: Tue.-Thur. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Fri. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sat. 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. You may find them online at www.jack ryans.com and on Facebook at www. facebook.com/pages/Jack-Ryans-Steakand-Chophouse/355489597895132.

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IF I TELL YOU A HEN DIPS SNUFF...

BY BOB BOWMAN

f I Tell You a Hen Dips Snuff by Bob Bowman is not a new book. It was published by the Lufkin Printing Company in 1981, so it may be difficult to locate, but it is well worth the trouble to find. The book is the result of Bob’s nearly ten years of carefully listening and paying close attention to the way East Texans talk to each other. East Texans are a varied group of people and that variety shows itself in the many ways we have of expressing ourselves. Those of us who survive and thrive, living our lives behind the “Pine Cur-

December 2013 - Page 16

A Book Review by Jan Statman

tain,” are African American, caucasian, Hispanic – both citified and country cousins. We are stockbrokers and farmers, poets and preachers, ranch hands and storekeepers. We are doctors, lawyers, investment bankers, hairdressers and rodeo clowns. And Bowman realized the special expressions East Texans use are as varied as the people who live in this eastern corner of the state. The first of a series, the book includes more than seven hundred old time expressions from the area. All of them are rich with memory and ripe with meaning. Glancing through the pages brings back the voices of parents and grandparents who used these special sayings as a sort of shorthand to say what they meant when they were dispensing advice, making comments or describing people, places and events. East Texans may describe a country boy or farmer by saying, “He saucers and blows his coffee,” meaning that he is a fellow who cools his coffee by pouring it into a saucer and blows on it. We may describe determination by saying, “I’ll do it if it hairlips every mule in Texas.” We may offer such good advice as, “Don’t fish in troubled waters.” Is there any question about the meaning of an expression that says, “If that had been a snake, it would’ve bit you?” Is there anything better than, “When you’re up to your tail in alligators, you forget that you started out to drain the swamp,” or “Quick stitches save the britches?” Have you ever

met a man who would have “a hundred dollar saddle and a twenty dollar horse?” Of course such a man would be “all hat and no cattle.” He might even be “as crooked as a dog’s hind leg.” Many of these comments date back to the era of the Great Depression. Others go as far back as the days of the Republic of Texas.

The saying used in the book title, If I Tell You A Hen Dips Snuff, continues with, “you can look under her wing and you’ll find a full can.” It is a colorful way of saying, “I’m telling the truth and you can check up on it.” Nobody knows exactly where this expression began, but it has a long history.

In 1929,

Blind Willie McTell’s song “Kind Mama” in-

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cluded the words, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The rooster chew tobacco

Bowmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s books brought him awards

and the hen dip snuff.â&#x20AC;? Jazz genius Louis

and honors, including a 1976 award by

Armstrong even used the full phrase in some the Texas Historical Commission for his of his music.

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book Land of the Little Angel as the best

This book became so popular that East history book published in Texas that year. Texans kept offering Bowman new additions

His books also won two Book of the Year

and suggestions. Readers kept writing to the

awards by the East Texas Historical Asso-

author with such complaints as, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve left ciation. out my grandpaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite saying.â&#x20AC;? The popu-

He wrote â&#x20AC;&#x153;All Things Historical,â&#x20AC;? a

larity of the book and the many comments the syndicated weekly column, which apauthor received left him no choice but to write peared in eighty East Texas newspapers. a second book on the topic. I Ainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Sure I Un- As a newspaperman, he worked for the derstand Everything I Know About This was

Diboll Free Press, the Tyler Morning Tele-

even more popular than the first book, leading

graph, the Lufkin Daily News, and the

to his third book of East Texas expressions,

Houston Chronicle before becoming the

Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wetting on My Leg, But Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Warm and

first public relations manager for South-

It Feels Good. All three traveled beyond state

land Paper Mills. He also worked for the

boundaries to win widespread recognition and St. Regis Paper Company. He was public to be distributed across the nation.

relations manager for Delta Drilling Com-

Texas lost its philosopher, observer, sage, pany in Tyler. He and his wife returned to

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a fitting East Texas description, his friends

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ny in the area. He served on historical boards and mu-

liked to talk about him by saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;He had seum boards. He served as a member of the more energy than a depot stove in winter.â&#x20AC;? Texas Historical Commission, was presiHe probably did have that much energy and

dent of the East Texas Historical Associa-

more. He and his wife Doris wrote more than tion, was a member of the Texas Sesquicenfifty books about East Texas while keeping up tennial Commission and was a member of with their interests in history and art.

the Texas Capital Centennial Commission.

Bowmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s books about East Texas were Bowman and his wife Doris were also the

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personality. He wrote about community and the Texas Council for the Humanities. He

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He wrote about small city restaurants and in Shreveport, the Chamber of Commerce country cafes.

He also wrote about East

He and Doris

known hangings and lynchings, the rivers

lived on a farm near Lufkin.

of East Texas and the Alamo. The Towns

for the history of Texas came naturally to

His love

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famous and not so famous Texans, business Crockett and William B. Travis. East Texas. He was the author of a popu-

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Artist’s Interview

Ellen Soffer

by Jan Statman

Ellen Soffer describes her work as contemporary abstract painting. Her bright, dramatic and color filled paintings have won the artist both regional and national honors. Now living in Shreveport with her husband and two children, she grew up in Philadelphia where art was enjoyed and encouraged by her family. She was highly influenced by the fact that her father’s interest in art led him to create. Some of her earliest memories were of watching him at work. She was fascinated by the collage images he would fashion from colorful fabric samples. Family outings would often include visits to the Philadelphia Art Museum, and her early interest in drawing was enthusiastically supported. Soffer became captivated by photography and the ways to capture and manipulate photographic images. She worked with photography as a student at Antioch College at Yellow Springs, Ohio. After completing two semesters at Antioch, she transferred to the Philadelphia College of Art where she was a photography major. “I was doing mixed media in the fiber and painting departments. I started painting on my photographs, and that’s when I started concentrating on painting on canvas and paper,” she said. She earned a bachelor of fine arts degree with honors from the Philadelphia College of Art and went on to earn a master of fine arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she completed her graduate work in painting. She has been a resident artist at Ragdale (the summer retreat of Chicago architect December 2013 - Page 18

Howard Van Doren Shaw) and Skowhegan (a nine-week residency program for emerging visual artists in Maine). She returned to Philadelphia where she worked for Utrecht, a manufacturer of painting materials, and for the medical graphics firm, Media Makers. She joined the co-op gallery Nexus/ Foundation for Today’s Art, where she had three one-artist shows and participated in a number of group exhibits both in the gallery and in other Philadelphia locations. After moving to Shreveport, she was awarded

the Shreveport Regional Arts Council’s Visual Arts Fellowship. Her work has been included in major exhibits from Pennsylvania to California. The change from Pennsylvania to Shreveport marked a change in her work as well as in her life. “Everything that happens in my work is part of an organic process,” she explained. “Art doesn’t happen in isolation; it is in constant movement. I don’t think you can see the change so much in my work, but what interests me visually is affected by the environment. Living in Louisiana has an influ-

ence because I think that where you live has to affect your painting. I notice the quality of light in Louisiana is different from the light quality in Pennsylvania.” She believes that living away from the major art centers has a certain benefit in that there is less interaction with other artists and with ideas and imagery. That isolation allows an artist to be free to do what they want to do. On the other hand, the isolation makes it harder for an artist to get the work out of the studio and into the world. PineyWoodsLive.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everything that happens in my work is part of an organic process,â&#x20AC;? she explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Art doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen in isolation; it is in constant movement.

ing, she believes it helps keep her in perspective. She works on canvas or panel with oils and acrylic. She works on paper in gouache, acrylic, ink, pencil, watercolor and oil pastels. Since she frequently works with oil paints, she is careful to explain that they take weeks to dry. While an oil painting is drying in the studio, she has the opportunity to look at it, to study it, to consider its strengths and to plan changes when she thinks they are needed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If I feel the need to explore something more carefully or in greater depth, or if there is something that I need to wipe out of a current painting, I may make a drawing of it on a fresh canvas so I feel I can work on that idea later,â&#x20AC;? she explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have to let something set while Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;m working on the one in progress.â&#x20AC;? It is sometimes difficult for artists to know exactly when a work is completed. Working on more than one painting at a time helps Soffer to decide when the work is complete. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like to let a piece set for a month or two to be sure it is finished. If I can let it sit around quietly for two months and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel like I could work on it more, then I know it is finished. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when I put a title on it and sign it.â&#x20AC;?

Ç˛ Â&#x160;Â&#x2021;Â&#x203A; Â&#x160;Â&#x192;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x192;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2026;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2021;Â&#x2020;Â&#x2030;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2018;Â&#x2C6; Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2039;Â&#x201D; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2021;Â&#x192;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2022; Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2020; Â&#x17D;Â&#x2021;Â&#x192;Â?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2030; Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2018;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2122;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2020; Â&#x2122;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2013;Â&#x160; Â&#x2021;Â&#x161;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2013;Ç¨Çł ÇŚ Â&#x2018;Â?Â&#x192;Â? Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2018;Â&#x201D;Â?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2030; Â&#x201D;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201D;Ă&#x203A;

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of work to get out and see whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on in the arts,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of work to push yourself to go to other places and be nourished by other art. It demands time and travel. The energy of going someplace far away to see what is going on in museums and galleries takes time and energy away from the studio. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to be an artist in the mainstream and harder to be an artist when you are away from the mainstream. Shreveport is 350 miles from New Orleans, 250 miles from Houston, and 190 miles from Dallas. That means I have to drive a lot to see art and to have the chance to show my work. It is a challenge when you live in an area isolated from a large art community.â&#x20AC;? Sofferâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paintings are intentionally ambiguous. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My work is about a personal vision, my personal emotions, and my memories that get processed on a subconscious level and then find a life in the paintings through the forms and colors that I use,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I first started painting, I felt a connection to classical modernism, but now I feel like Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m putting that aside. I had a narrative aspect to my work when PineyWoodsLive.com

I was younger. I keep moving away from a sense of narrative.â&#x20AC;? Her paintings are not literal. They use elements of circles, rectangles and colors. These are recognizable shapes that represent universal forms. The idea of space is fractured by forms and shapes that overlap each other, forcing the viewer to wonder whether what is seen is inside or outside, on top or somehow underneath. The space may seem to be exposed or hidden, in much the same way that objects might appear in a dream. Sofferâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest series, Shimmer, takes her art in a new and interesting direction. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I did one a year ago that was an experiment. I found I was interested in all the little marks that build up on the surface of the painting. I have been working with these little marks recently so that it seems to be turning into a series. When you work in a series, it grows because all the paintings are related and seem more focused.â&#x20AC;? The artist chooses to work on several paintings at the same time. It is not unusual for her to be working on as many as ten paintings. While this might seem distract-

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Art in the Home A Northern Home Design

by Jan Statman The temperature is cold and growing colder so that each warm breath sends icy snow frost out into the air. The way is all but hidden from view, and the road that leads to the compound where the main house is located is considerably longer than expected. The pathway is narrow and curved, making its way through the deep forest where tall trees reach up to touch the cold, blue sky. It is not entirely like any other forest because every tree is special and unique. Each tree is carefully decorated with crystal icicles, and each tree shimmers with silver snowflake stars, all of them glowing in the frosted light. The road begins to widen slightly as an open space among the trees allows the approach to the compound to come into view. The main house is set high up on the white mountain, above the forest line, above the trees, under the wisps of snowy, white clouds that drift and dance, dazzling the eye as they fade into the light of a softly breaking sun. From this distance it is difficult to understand how large the house really is. Smoke curls drift from every one of the high, wide chimneys with the promised warmth to come from the blazing fireplaces that wait inside. Golden light shines out through every window. As the narrow road widens to a broad avenue, the wide driveway seems to be paved in tile, or is it stone? It resembles nothing more than blocks of glistening ice. Drawing nearer, it becomes clear that the cheerful colors of the tiles that line the high-pitched roof look for the entire world like row upon row of giant gumdrops. Tall Corinthian columns lead the eye upward. These appear to have been crafted of spun sugar. The warm, brown sides of the house resemble home-baked gingerbread. Lacy white Victorian style “gingerbread” trim lends an air of whimsy to the frosted win-

dows and embraces the deep-set porches. A festive fluttering of outdoor lights twinkle with a reflected glow against the eaves, lighting the columns as well as the windows. A seemingly endless array of unusual cane-shaped fence posts outlines the property itself. They surround not only the main house but also the carriage house, barns, stables, outbuildings and nearby fields. The fence posts are graced with diagonals of red and white stripes. It is impossible to ignore the commanding centerpiece that serves as a striking yard ornament in the middle of the broadly outlined circular driveway. Echoing the fence posts not only in color but also in design and style, it is an extremely tall, bright red and white striped pole. It stands high up on a gleaming white pedestal and is guarded at all times by uniformed attendants. The large golden sphere that sits like a crown at the top of the pole is engraved with one word, “North.” Wide marble steps lead past the ornate columns to the broad porch and finally to the brilliantly enameled, wide and welcoming front doors. The double doors are candy apple red, as bright as a red door can be. Twin lighted wreaths of freshly cut holly berry branches lend their many shades of green to shine against the brilliance of these red doors. Closer inspection reveals that the doors themselves are outlined in miniature red lights to enhance the sparkle and the hospitable glow. The doors open to a lavish entry hall. In this day and age when a minimalist interior design style is most popular, the entry hall might be considered to be a bit old fashioned. It is certainly “overdone” to suit contemporary tastes. But even though it is a cavernous space, it manages to be at the same time as friendly and as cordial as our host and hostess. They welcome us with wide smiles and cheerful cups of hot chocolate to begin our visit.

The whole of the entry boasts something of a High Victorian air. The red and white theme is again evident here. The floor is pristine white marble tile. The heavy floor to ceiling crimson velvet draperies at each window are accented with layer upon layer of gold tassel, trim and fringe, all of them enhanced with the addition of gold braid. An enormous pier mirror at each side of the wide room is framed with a sculptural gilded frame that is carved with the smiling faces of happy children and is topped by sculptures of three-fourths life-size angels bearing trumpets. Similar images frame large paintings of deer, which are situated above each doorway. We are escorted into the formal parlor, which echoes the High Victorian sensibility of the entry hall, although shades of green add depth to the crimson and white theme. Furnishings are finely and richly decorated. Upholstery fabrics are either red velvet or a combination of red and green striped damask. The tapestry pattern, which covers a settee, echoes the dominant colors in designs of flowers and ferns. One particularly dramatic chair centers the room. It is tall and throne like in its appearance with ornately carved woodwork of animals and smiling faces on its gilded arms and legs. Carefully rendered family portraits in golden frames hang on the walls. They appear to have been painted in the style of Rembrandt. “The style of Rembrandt, indeed,” our host roars with laughter. “Look carefully. These are the real thing! Look at those brushstrokes! Sense the imagery! These were painted by the old master, Rembrandt himself! A grumpy man at times, but talented.” An enormous woodland tapestry takes up the full wall behind the chair. Bronze sculptures of forest animals: deer, rabbits, fish and fowl are seen on mahogany stands

or on the room’s highly polished tables. The dining room is huge and colorful. The dining table is so long and wide it might seat a multitude of guests. A huge floral table arrangement that combines evergreen leaves and scarlet poinsettias is reflected by the gleaming mahogany tabletop. A crisp portrait of a young woman with a diamond earring can be nothing but a Vermeer. Across the room, a painting in brilliant colors takes on the cubist shapes of a city of rooftops and chimneys as they were interpreted by Picasso. In a daring change, two huge, colorful abstract pieces enhance the charm of the Victorian furnishings. The larger painting boasts the exciting movement including the drips and swirls of a Jackson Pollock. Although the palette is limited to a color scheme of crimsons, green and white, long skeins of black are thrown in for balance. “Nice boy, that Pollock,” our host remarks. “But a bit on the wild side.” The companion piece is equally brilliant but far more restrained in technique and the use of color, glowing with the subtle floating tones that define the work of Mark Rothko. “Have to keep his paintings away from the light,” our hostess tells us. “They have a tendency to fade. He sometimes had to use student grade paints. You know how unreliable they can be,” she added. Clearly, our hosts have been careful art collectors because each succeeding room is dominated by a masterwork. A tall John Singer Sargent portrait of our host hangs beside the grand piano in the music room. A small Cezanne is neither the expected apples nor

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oranges, but a collection of vintage Christmas ornaments set out in a crystal bowl. An Alexander Calder mobile twitters from the ceiling. A Rodin sculpture stands guard near the door. A Hokusai print is in the alcove. The most exciting room in the house may well be what is called “The Sunshine Salon.” “We like to travel to the Caribbean or the Mediterranean in our off-season. There’s nothing like sunshine to make you feel cheerful.” Our host’s laughter fills the room. “Since we live in such a far northerly location where sunny days are few and far between, it seemed a good idea for us to have a space that reminds us of the sunlight.” The reflection of warmth and sunlight in the art does have the effect of creating a sense of warmth and sunlight that fills the room. There is no help for it. The question must be asked. Why did they choose to live in this frozen wasteland so far from cities or towns, away from everyone and everything? “Paparazzi,” they both answer at once. “It was the paparazzi. We have to stay away from them. We have serious work to do up here, what with keeping lists of naughty and nice, ordering materials and supplies, designing projects and manufacturing them. You can’t just buy everything out of China, you know. Our helpers cannot be distracted from their work, nor can we. Can you imagine what our lives would be like if we had built our home or any of our workshops in some big city? Can you imagine what life would be like if we had to deal with all those TV cameras and reporters? With all those illbred paparazzi following us with their long distance lenses, poking in the windows, banging at the doors? CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, all of them? We are not the Kardashians. We are simple folk with work to do. Living up here, we are out of sight and we are out of mind for the better part of the year. When they don’t see us they forget about us. Our art collection has allowed us make our own reflection of sunshine.” Three sides of the room they call the “Sunshine Salon” are covered by large Monet paintings of the artist’s exquisite water lily garden. On the fourth wall a brilliant Renoir is dripping with lush summer roses. A Gauguin breathes the very air of the South Sea Islands. It hangs beside a Van Gogh field of sunflowers forever turning their golden heads toward the sun. “If poor Vincent had a decent dose of antidepressant he would have lived long enough to see his work become popular,” our host grumbles.

As we leave the “Sunshine Salon,” we are ushered into the busy kitchen where the delicious aroma of ginger cookies, butter cookies and spiced cookies mixes with that of fruitcakes and strudel, all baking at the same time in many busy ovens. Warm mugs of hot chocolate and crisp cookies fill us full of a special comfort, preparing us for the long trip home. “Of course we have saved the best for last,” our host says as he smiles his irrepressible smile. “Do we want to show the Children’s Room, Miss Mary?” “Indeed we do.” His wife, Mary Christmas, leads us to a small study. It is a typical study with an ornate Persian carpet on the polished oak floor. The walls are covered with candy apple red dupioni silk fabric. “This is our Children’s Room,” she says softly. The room is lined from floor to ceiling with photographs of young children, all of them taken with our smiling host, and of course they are all framed in the richness of gold. There are children of all colors and all shapes and all sizes – European children of every nation, Asian children, Indian children, African children, Hispanic children, each of them smiling for the camera. Some photographs appear to have been recently taken with the latest in digital technology. Others are taken with colorful chromoscope film. Still others are simply taken with dramatic black and white film. Way at the top, near the ceiling, are the browning images of daguerreotypes. “Since we have no children of our own, these are the photographs of all our children,” Mary Christmas smiles. “We remember them all, every one of them, and we love them all.” Her husband smoothes away the last cookie crumbs that have fallen onto the white ermine trim of his red velvet suit. Beside the door of the Children’s Room, a faded and yellowed newspaper article has recently been reframed with archival matting. The unsigned editorial by Francis Pharcellus Church is dated Sept. 21,1897 and it says, “Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished…”

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Nine Flags CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL

by Tony McCullough

It’s the beginning of December. As the spirit of Christmas whispers to the children, “Be good. Santa is watching,” and Father Christmas pulls on his boots and dons his cowboy hat for the holidays in the Lone Star State, the oldest town in Texas has already been celebrating the season for an entire month with the Nine Flags Christmas Festival, a festival with so many activities it lasts two full months. The Nine Flags Christmas Festival began in 1997 and has become one of the most popular holiday celebrations in Texas. In the mid 1990s, the Nacogdoches Chamber of Commerce began planning a Christmas festival that would increase holiday tourism. Nacogdoches has a rich and spirited historical heritage, so they looked to that heritage for a theme. The idea was brought to the table to play upon the nine flags that have flown over Nacogdoches and to pay homage to the Christmas cultures of each of the states, territories, and countries those flags represented. Texas has had six flags fly over the state, but Nacogdoches has seen an additional three flags over the small town. The nine flags that have flown over Nacogdoches have belonged to Spain - 1519 to 1821, France - 1685 to 1689, Mexico - 1821 to 1836, the Gutiérrez-Magee Expedition (Republic of Texas) - 1812 to 1813, the Fredonia Rebellion (a private individual land grant from Mex-

ico to Haden Edwards, revoked after 37 days) - 1826 to 1827, the Dr. James Long Expedition (once again proclaimed Republic of Texas) - 1819 and 1821, the Republic of Texas (after the battle of the Alamo and San Jacinto) 1836 to 1846, the Confederate States of America (during the Civil War) 1861 to 1865, and the United States of America – 1846 to present. The Nine Flags Christmas Festival was kicked off this year Nov. 1 with a canned food drive and the opening of the Warren Collection of Christmas Santas display, possibly the largest private collection of Santa Claus figures in the state. The collection will be on display through Dec. 30 at the Old University Building, 515 N. Mound Street. There is no charge to view the collection. Some of the festivities highlighted this year are the Down Home Christmas Cooking Show on Dec. 5, the 3 million light Lighting Ceremony and free Christmas movie shown on a 25 foot screen downtown on Dec. 6, Santa’s Workshop for the kids on Dec. 7 with the lighted parade that evening, the Historic Tour of Homes on Dec. 14, and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at the Lamp-Light Theater Dec. 20 22. Other activities for the month of December include a 5K Jingle Bell Run on the Dec. 7, a Texas Declaration of Independence exhibit, and lighting contests.

The citizens of Nacogdoches have a reputation for uniting to make great things happen for their town, and the Nine Flags Christmas Festival has to be one of their greatest feats, drawing visitors from across the state of Texas and neighboring states as well. It’s safe to say any weekend you

would like to gather the family and make the short drive to Nacogdoches, you will find Christmas fun and entertainment for all ages. For the complete schedule and location guide for the Nine Flags Christmas Festival, please visit their website at www.visitnacogdoches.org.

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Longview In 1947, Reserve Marine Major Bill Hendricks shared his belief that all children, despite income or social level, deserved to share in the joy of opening presents and receiving gifts for Christmas. It was only just a little more than a decade after the great depression and only two short years since the end of World War II, and many families were still struggling to get back on their feet. Bill started gathering donations for children in need. He called his program “Toys for Tots.” Today, the nonprofit foundation, Toys for Tots, is still under the leadership of the United States Marine Corps Reserve. Millions of children who would have faced a meager Christmas have seen the thrill of Santa on Christmas morning thanks to the efforts of these men who serve our country and set up donation centers collecting and distributing toys each year. This year, musicians from the Piney Woods have decided to join forces with the United States Marines and the Reo Palm Isle to help the Toys for Tots program with a free concert. The concert admission is free as long as a toy is donated at the entrance to the event. The concert will be held Saturday, Dec. 21 at the Reo, which is located at the intersection of Highway 31 and FM 1845. The seven act concert will start at 4:30 p.m. and go well into the evening. December 2013 - Page 24

Headlining the concert will be East Texas’ own Ricky Lynn Greg. Ricky was well-known as an incredible musician and singer at a very early age while growing up in Longview. In the 1990s, Nashville discovered his talent, and Ricky was signed to a recording contract. His songs were played throughout the 1990s across the nation and worldwide. Ricky Lynn Greg has been on the road touring ever since. Those who know Ricky will always attest to two things: first that he is a great musician and second that he has a big heart and is always helping someone in need. Also appearing at the Toys for Tots Music Festival will be Ally Venable, the 15-year-old musician/ singer/songwriter who has already taken steps toward a professional music career by entertaining music lovers in East Texas, Dallas and other locations. Also on the card for the evening are two local talents who will share the stage for an acoustic set: Adam Brown and Mike Miller of the Miller Row Band. Adam is a Hawkins native who recently moved to Nashville to further his career. Mike, originally from Winnsboro, has received incredible critiques from his new CD released last year. There will also be great country, rock and party music from two other great East Texas bands: Brad Smallwood

Music Festival by Tony McCullough

and the Southern Fever Band and Blacktop, who is sure to fill the dance floor. The entire lineup is very proud to be able to make this a special Christ-

mas for East Texas kids. The concert is planned to be an annual event. Make plans now for a night of amazing music to help the Toys for Tots Foundation.

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Paintings, sculpture, original prints and photographs are unbelieveably varied in quality and in price, and there is something for everybody’s pocketbook. There is so much art available that everybody can own some. Some of the most beautiful pieces come from the most unexpected places. There is no right way or wrong way to collect art. If you see something that catches your eye and interests you, if you see something that makes you happy, buy it, own it, take it home and enjoy it or give it as a spectacular gift. If you think you know nothing about the subject, spend a little time in museums. You can get an idea about what is good and what you like to look at. Go to galleries. Go to art walks. Go to art fairs and art shows. There are plenty of these events at this time of year. Look at the art that is everywhere around you. You can even decide you want to choose something that is local to support the local economy. At first, most people will find themselves falling in love with pictures of familiar things they can recognize. It shouldn’t surprise anybody to learn that most first-time art collectors will buy paintings or sculptures of people, flowers, fruit baskets, or cowboys on horses. That’s okay. You will want some of those. As you see more and more art and become more comfortable with what you are seeing, your tastes may change. Maybe they won’t. The important thing is to make sure that the art you are buying is a oneof-a-kind, original work – not a copy or a mass-produced product in a pretty frame. You can always buy another frame. Longview’s late, great art connoisseur, Dick Bourdon used to say, “The first work of art you will buy is the most expensive thing you will ever own. You can’t sit on it. You can’t eat with it. You can’t do anything with it but enjoy it and love it and make yourself feel wonderful every time you look at it. You may own many more works of art, but you will never part with that first one, and it will always make you happy.” No matter how much or how little you choose to spend for that work of art, remember, it really will be with you forever. It may change locations in

AArtirtist's World by JANSTATMAN

If you can’t think of that perfect gift you want to give to a special someone on your list, here’s an idea for you. How about giving a gift of art? The size will always fit. The gift will keep on giving years of pleasure. The special someone will think you have given them one of the finer things in life. You won’t need to get mauled by the crowds at the busy mall. You won’t even need to flip through the glossy pages of a catalog, although most of us will always have a soft spot in our hearts for catalogs. A generation ago, folks couldn’t wait until the Sears Roebuck Christmas Wish Book appeared in the mailbox. It was the best of all wish books. It came to everybody no matter who you were. It didn’t care if you lived in a high rise city apartment or a back country farm. Kids would spend hours dreaming over the pretty baby dolls, the little red wagons, shiny two-wheeler bicycles and Red Ryder rifles. Grownups would admire the beautiful new clothes and the heavyduty woodworking tools, to say nothing of the lacy tablecloths and sets of china dishes. The Sears Roebuck Wish Book is no more than a memory these days, but I am told that for the truly fortunate among us the holiday season starts with the arrival of the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog. This year the Neiman Marcus catalog features a spiffy 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante for a cool $344,500. Geared to jewelry lovers, the $1.85 million Forevermark Ultimate Diamond Experience gets you a first class trip to London and to Namibia complete with a 25-carat rough diamond. The Sleek Ciclotte, an updated version of a simple old exercise bike, is $11,000. The traditional “His & Hers” gift this year is a $1.5 million entertainment system that has a 201inch TV with speakers developed for use on your yacht. December 2013 - Page 26

Since I don’t happen to have a yacht or even a bass boat, I figure I can pass on that big TV. I’d wind up stacking my clothes on the exercise bike, and aside from the pleasant hope of hanging out with James Bond, there’s no way I could drag these big paintings around in that spiffy little Aston Martin. All the hassle of dealing with a rough cut diamond, having it expertly cut, polished and set, would turn out to be such an annoying chore I’d probably toss the thing in the kitchen “junque” drawer and forget about it. Okay, so some of the most extravagant things really are reserved for the super ritzy. Fine works of art, on the other hand, don’t happen to be one of them. A lot of people think that collecting and owning beautiful original works of art, hanging them on their own walls, and enjoying them in their own homes is something limited and out of reach. It’s not. That’s right. You heard me. Everybody can collect and own art, which is one of the finer things in life. I actually have had an otherwise wonderful person stand right in front of my face to tell me, “We love art, but we’re not the kind of people who buy art.” No? Really? Why not? What kind of people are you talking about? Art can be enjoyed by everybody, and it can be enjoyed on everybody’s budget. Everybody can become a “museum curator” when the museum is the space in your own home! No, I am not kidding. Owning beautiful works of art will not only transform your living room, they will transform your life. Collecting art can begin at any age, whether you are just starting out in your first new home or you are thinking about retiring. All you need to do is open your eyes and see what is around you.

your home, but it will always be there. A local collector showed me a fine art print she bought when she and her husband were a very young, first married couple. It is a black and white semi-abstract western print. It was purchased directly from the artist who created it. It was inexpensive when she first bought it, and she says she enjoys it as much now as she did the first day she fell in love with it. If you are drawn to an artist’s work, you will probably enjoy meeting the artist. Nobody can tell you more about an artist’s work than the artist who made it. If you find an artist whose work you enjoy, be sure to go to gallery exhibits where a number of works can be seen. Better still, why not call and arrange a studio tour? I have had collectors call and say, “I want one of your paintings. I can only spend X amount of dollars. Do you have anything to fit my budget?” Of course I am always delighted to show my work. I can’t think of any artist I know who wouldn’t be delighted. A word of warning here is that you must be careful not to be insulting. If you know what an artist’s work is worth, don’t offer less than what you know to be a fair value. Ask whether the artist is working to create a continued body of work, or is the piece you want the only thing he or she has ever produced? Remember, the work of art itself is the real value. Its financial value is only secondary. The saddest people I can think of are those who have filled their homes with art they never really liked, but they were talked into buying the pieces as investments. Can you imagine looking at something you don’t like and having to look at it every day, year in and year out, just because it is worth a few bucks more than it was when you first bought it? Here is a word to encourage you during the wonderful, fabulous Christmas gift-giving season. Think about giving those special people on your list a special work of art they can own and enjoy forever. They will never forget you, and your gift will never go out of style.

Jan Statman’s paintings are owned by museums in Europe and by public and private collections across the USA. She is author of several books and is listed in Who’s Who in American Art, Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who of American Women, and various other professional publications. PineyWoodsLive.com

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Let us remember that the Christmas heart is a giving heart, a wide open heart that thinks of others first. The birth of the baby Jesus stands as the most significant event in all history, because it has meant the pouring into a sick world the healing medicine of love which has transformed all manner of hearts for almost two thousand years... Underneath all the bulging bundles is this beating Christmas heart.

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Jefferson by Crystal Davis

Jefferson, Texas, is well-known as one of the most historical communities in our corner of the state. There is a rich element of time and tradition embedded in the city that is especially evident around the holidays. The Christmas 2013 lineup in Jefferson is promising to carry on the area’s proud tradition of southern hospitality and unique cultural experience. One of the most attractive features in this unique community is the Historic Jefferson Railway, which hosts a variety of specialty tours depending on the season. At Christmastime, one can ride the Rail of Lights around Big Cypress Bayou. It is approximately a 40 minute ride with first class tickets costing $18 and coach tickets priced at $15 (lap children under four are free). It

opened Nov. 28 and will run through December on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online at www.jefferson railway.com or at the depot. The first class experience boasts a luxurious enclosed car for comfort, while coach accommodations are in the canopied cars with an open view. The Historic Railway is pet friendly to all well-behaved passengers. According to sources in Jefferson, the Rail of Lights will take you by a lifesize nativity scene, the German Markets, Jerusalem and the Angel Tree, as well as scenes representing Alaska, Russia, China and Australia, with many Christmas trees decorated in the Appalachian style to be enjoyed along the way. You will delight in an authentic life-size 90-year old Christmas card as well as a post card sent

by soldiers during World War II and other favorites: the aluminum tree reminiscent of the 1960s, a whimsical Teddy Bear tree, and Charlie Brown’s forlorn little Christmas tree. The Railway is home to two antique locomotives, the Robert E. Lee and the Critter and brings over 20,000 visitors through Jefferson along its rails each year. Another festive activity in Jefferson that has been held for over 30 years is the Candlelight Tour of Homes. The tours take place the first two weekends in December. Tickets are $20 for individuals and $15 for individuals in groups of 15 or more. Tours dates are Thursday, Dec. 5 and Dec. 12, 3-7 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., Dec. 6-7 and Dec.13-14, 5-9 p.m. The Candlelight Tour of Homes is a select group of antebellum resi-

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dences covered in pine, candlelight and traditional Victorian Christmas décor to reflect the grandeur of the rich history of the city. There will be people dressed in period costume throughout the area to make the experience as authentic as possible. Churches and businesses will also be decorated to reflect the holiday splendor. This year, First United Methodist Church will be having Christmas music performances, free to the public, during the tour. To top it off, the town boasts the Enchanted Forest, which exhibits more than a hundred trees decked out for the season. Amongst Jefferson’s many festive attractions, a new favorite is the Knightlight Theater, a bistro and wine tavern, locally owned and operated by Richard and Karen Penner. The theater is home to a wonderfully dramatic medieval setting covered in oak, with a stage and movie-like projection screening room where movies are shown every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. Movies aren’t the only theatrics to adorn the stage. One can also join Santa and Elvis for some rocking around the Christmas tree! Visit www.knightlighttheater. com for a detailed calendar of events. Christmas proves to be the busiest time of year for much of East Texas, but in Jefferson there is always an abundance of holiday cheer. From shopping the antique malls, to sights, smells and tastes, to taking the little ones for a train ride— there is no doubt that Christmas in Jefferson has much to offer everyone looking for a little holiday cheer. December 2013 - Page 29

“B si ”

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by Randy Brown

Who Are You? Who are you? Who, who, who, who? Who are you? Who, who, who, who? Who are you? Who, who, who, who? Who are you? Who, who, who, who? Written by Pete Townshend (from 1978 Who album of the same name) This month’s lyric is the title cut from the Who’s 1978 album. Pete Townshend says that he was attempting to bridge the gap between the two competing genres of rock and roll at the time: punk and progressive. “Who Are You,” was one of the Who’s biggest successes on the radio, reaching number 14 in the American charts and 7 in Canada, and it continues to be played even today as the theme song from the television drama, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. The song, according to Townshend, is about his battle with alcohol addiction and the ensuing identity conflicts it triggered. I love the fact that three words can so effectively state the existential angst most everyone faces at some time. It is also a fine segue to this month’s column, which discusses artist identity.

December 2013 - Page 30

ofmusic effort is to be unique and different. You have different experiences and different ways of looking at the world. If you desire to be a real artist rather than a paint-by-numbers or stayinside-the-lines artist, then you need to square your shoulders and dig into that place where you keep all the stuff that you are afraid others will find out. That is where the real you lives, and that is where songwriting greatness lives. Real honesty in art is like the color blaze orange. It can’t be denied or accused of being something else, and we know it when we see it. The same is true with great writing. It simply feels different from everything else posing as great writing. There is no software plugin, technique or algorithm for writing well. The only way to do it is to dig in, kick out all the cobwebs and quit thinking too much. No amount of thinking will make your writing great. The only source of great writing is your heart and your ability to communicate what your heart feels in a way that is unique to your deepest fears, longings and joy. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? I can tell you that it is the hardest thing

Who are you? In this case, I don’t mean you as a person, although that is also a very powerful question. No, in this case, I mean you as an artist. Does the person you are inside, in your artistic heart of hearts, coincide with your work and the vision of your work? I dare to say for many of us, including myself at times, the answer is no. Many times the artistic decisions I make are more related to how my work will be received rather than being accurate to my vision. I do this for many reasons: to protect myself, to protect others, to not offend and to please my perceived audience. On the surface, that may seem all right, but I contend that when I shy away from the conAlways remember two things. First, troversial, the unpopureal artists don’t copy, they create. lar and and the outright weird ideas that I often Second, never be afraid to say what have, I am limiting my creativity and corralling you really think and feel in your art. the one outlet that should be open to anything. I you will ever do. But it is ultimately work hard to get out of my own way, but worthwhile from the standpoint of artisjust as often as I succeed I fail. tic output and personal satisfaction. As a songwriter and musician, I So how do you learn to be a great spend a lot of time in the company of writer? My suggestion is to consume others of the same persuasion. Often in a great art: books, films, poetry, paintings, situation where we are sharing our work, photography, sculpture and songs – the I have noticed that many young and/ good stuff that has hung around long or new to the craft artists simply write enough to prove itself. Experience great what has already been written. Lyrically art – put that inside your eyes, ears, heart they use all the same lame, brain dead, and brain, and there is a much greater mean nothing cliches that have come to chance that you can create something inhabit song lyrics. Phrases such as “brothat is truly worthwhile and that you will ken heart” or “fall in love” have been so be proud of for years to come. Who you overused that their meaning is basically are will come though without a problem the equivalent of sonic filler. The truth is, if you allow it. My problem has always the most important part of any creative

been that I worry about what others will think about this lyric or that lyric. Once you turn on your internal editor, any real chance at creating art has died. I know it sounds like a zen koan, but the only way to the find the real you is to lose yourself. By definition, you can’t find what isn’t lost. Knowing who you are is the first step in becoming a real artist, and in many ways I believe it to be the most difficult step. Knowing who you are doesn’t mean you are absolutely sure of yourself or have no doubts. Who you are is every part of you: the happy, sad, mean, funny, loving and yes, even creepy you. If you can accept all those parts of yourself and “face the face” as Pete Townshend once said, you can then let all those facets of your self out. Once you have accomplished that, then you are on your way to being a real artist. Always remember two things. First, real artists don’t copy, they create. Second, never be afraid to say what you really think and feel in your art. If you can assimilate those two things into your art, then you are on your way. As lame as it may sound, you are unique like a snowflake. Similar to everyone but still totally the one and only you. Accept this truth, and your work will blossom into a body of work that you can be proud of and that others will respect. Who are you? You are nothing that has been before nor will be again. Revel in that. Don’t get wrapped up in the idea that you are nothing special because, my friend, you are. You are the result of billions of years of geology, biology and chemistry. You are the only one like you since the Big Bang and till the end of time – and that is a lot to live up to. Comments and complaints to randy@brownrandy.com See you next month.

Randy Brown is an award-winning East Texasbased singer-songwriter and self- proclaimed “performing philosopher” bent on deciphering the intersection of spirit, faith and science with a sense of wonder and whimsy in smartly clever folk-Americana-style songs and stories. He writes this column and flip flops constantly between knowing who he is and not having a freaking clue.

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FINE ART EXHIBITIONS Renaissance Man ó Men in the Arts, Winnsboro Center for the Arts, through - January 4.

East Texas Oilman in Downto ’s Chili Cook Off wn Kilgor e

Rail of Lights Christmas Train, Downtown Jefferson, Friday and Saturday through December.

TX-13 East Texas Artists Don Brown and Max Cole, Michelson Museum Of Art, Marshall, through December 20.

Lighted Christmas Parade, Downtown Marshall, December 7.

Julia Watkins - Energy Paintings, Longview Museum of Fine Arts, through December 21.

Lonestar Cowboy Christmas Festival, Belcher Performance Center, Longview, December 7.

Celebration of Life and Death: Selections from the Boeckman Collection of Mexican Folk Art, Tyler Museum of Art, through January 19.

FILM Elf (2003) at Liberty Hall, Tyler, December 5.

Downtown Tyler ArtWalk, December 7, 5:00 p.m. LIVE THEATRE Calliopeís Christmas, Winnsboro Center for the Arts, December 6, 7, 8.

Movie Matinees for Teens, Tyler Public Library, December 7.

White Christmas (1954), Liberty Hall, Tyler, December 12.

Rent, Liberty Hall, Tyler, December 6, 7.

Drinking Buddies, The Old Firehouse, Edom, December 14

The Nutcracker at Cowan Center Longview, December 7.

The 12 Dogs of Christmas, Bergfeld Park Ampitheater, Tyler, December 14.

KC Rangerettes present “Christmas in K-Town,” Dodson Auditorium, Kilgore, December 8.

COMEDY Junie B. Jones: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells,

A Dickens of a Christmas, ArtsView Children’s Theatre, Longview, December 13, 14.

S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center, Longview, December 9.

A Christmas Carol: A Radio Play, Van Cliburn Auditorium, Kilgore, December 12-15.

MUSIC The Blackwood Quartet, Nacogdoches County Exposition and Civic Center, December 3.

Holiday Pops, Wise Auditorium, Tyler Junior College, December 7.

The Gothard Sisters Christmas Show, Marshall Convention Center, December 6.

FESTIVALS Wonderland of Lights, Marshall, through December 31.

Stefan Cotter and the Rastabillys, Lago del Pino, Bullard, December 6.

AMBUCS Christmas Parade, Longview, December 5.

Brandon Rhyder, Moores Store, Ben Wheeler, December 7.

Robert Earl Keen with Doug Moreland, Music City Texas Theater, Linden, December 7. Wes Jeans, Charlie’s BackYard Bar, Marshall, December 7. Tyler Youth Orchestra Christmas Concert, First Presbyterian Church, Tyler, December 8. Triptych: Music on The Square, Grace Hall, First Presbyterian Church, Longview, December 10. Melissa Greener, ArtWorks at Longview Museum of Fine Arts, December 13. Folk Family Revival, Stanley’s Famous Pit BarB-Q, Tyler, December 13. Cody “Little Hawk” Swimmer, Native American flutist, The McClendon House, Tyler, December 14. Big Sandy Bluegrass Show, December 14 The Irish Tenors, Belcher Center, Longview, December 14. An Evening with Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis, Liberty Hall, Tyler, December 15. Longview Symphony Christmas at Home with Neal McCoy, Belcher Center, Longview, December 19, Emily Elbert Concert, The Old Firehouse, Edom, December 28. MISCELLANEOUS Encore Players Show Choir Auditions, ArtsView Children’s Theatre, Longview, December 9.

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December 2013 - Page 31

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Unforgettable December 2013