8 minute read
Guadalupe Watercolor Group
Kerr County’s Premier Watercolor Society
delights the Hill Country again with its annual show and sale
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by Tammy Midkiff
Juan Leal-Cedar Waxwing
Local folk and visitors enjoy the Kerrville area this time of year for good reasons—in particular, our gorgeous early spring with its rolling hills of bluebonnets and magnificent sparkling river. Add to that the Guadalupe Watercolor Group’s annual exhibition and sale, and you have the perfect setting for a great time.
The GWG is expecting nearly one hundred original pieces from its members—among the Texas Hill Country’s best artists. Several GWG artists hold the high achievement of signature status with national art societies. They can be found in national publications, instructional books, videos, and galleries. Many members are art instructors themselves and teach throughout Texas and the United States.
The painters’ styles cover a wide range— traditional, contemporary, abstract, illustration, and realism. Their works for the show include water-soluble media on watercolor paper, watercolor canvas, clay board, and Yupo film. The art show is free and open to the public. Both framed and unframed art are for sale at the exhibit.
Grundy Cherly-South Jetty Action
Virgil Carter-All My Friends Are in the Barn
Lindley Lynn -Azaleas
Bring the entire family to enjoy this outstanding exhibition!
What: The Guadalupe Watercolor Group Annual Judged Art Show & Sale
When: February 25- March 27
The judge for this year’s art show, Ric Dentinger, is considered one of the top-ranking watercolor artists in Texas. Ric is a San Antonio artist, whose work appears in many art galleries and publications, including their covers. Dentinger teaches at the Southwest School of Art, The Coppini Academy of Fine Art—both of San Antonio—and at numerous Texas and national workshops. At the end of February Ric offered a workshop for area artists. The workshop is one of the perks of GWG membership, who get the first opportunity to sign up for classes. Unfilled class seats then open to the public.
The Guadalupe Watercolor Group’s 2020 Show is held in Kerrville’s Avery Gallery of the Kerr Arts and Cultural Center. This beautiful venue attracts an annual average of 15,000 guests from all over Texas, forty-five states, and an impressive international presence. Visitors to the GWG exhibition will be greeted by award-winning art. National art companies and local sponsors generously provided cash, merchandise, and gift cards to honor the chosen artists. Individual donors also made available special and memorial awards.
The Guadalupe Watercolor Group was founded in 1983, and dedicated to providing artistic growth and creative experiences to its members and visitors. Programs are educational, thought provoking, and inspiring. Guest speakers are among the top artists and instructors in the country, coming from all parts of the United States. Many guest speakers are international instructors, as well. The willingness of the visiting instructors to share their international classroom experiences adds an additional flair and knowledge to the groups’ workshops taught by those artists. The artists meet at the Kerr Arts & Cultural Center, 228 Earl Garrett, Kerrville, at 1:00 p.m. the second Tuesday of September, November, January, March and May. Visitors are always welcome. You can find more information on the GWG website, GuadalupeWatercolorGroup.com.
Hijacked Minds
by Dana Cardwell, LPC, LCDC
It’s a blistering hot, humid Tuesday That is how my stairway-to-hell nightmare started a year and a half ago, looking at hundreds of pictures of me as in August when I awake to find my a fake porn star along with my teenage daughter. There were several websites involved. Some pictures of me were husband wide-eyed with a horrid altered while the ones that weren’t were labeled with my look on his face, gasping at extremely name and a disgusting description. Some included pictures startling photos on the computer. of my daughter and in a number of them she wore her local cheer uniform showing the name of the school she I hesitate, my coffee fix in hand, and attended. All photos were “hijacked” from our Facebook then make my way over to see myself posts and then altered. in photos with two men servicing me at Before that horrifying summer I was finally at a place in the same time in a very compromising life where my private practice was full and I was helping position. I blurt out a rough equivalent those with trauma move forward to lead productive and self-fulfilling lives. Ironically, that’s when I discovered of OMG. again I had become a victim. At age 50. 32 | MAR-APR 2020 | KERR COUNTY PEOPLE MAGAZINE
What lurks behind your Facebook account?
I was angry. I never thought I would be reliving this type of victim scene again, especially at middle age. Furthermore, I felt as if I was facing Mt. Everest when I filed our complaint and statement at the local police department. The young male officer told us, “Well, I don’t even know if an actual crime has been committed.” If I were younger, I probably would have fallen through the cracks. But I don’t take injustice lying down. I took our complaint and photos to the local top-notch detective who happened to be female at the sheriff’s department. I learned that the perpetrator was already on probation. Captain Carol Twiss made sure her department took the time to lock up this dangerous stalker. Research shows that every rape starts with a fantasy and porn addiction is related to fantasy. A person looking at underage girls and attracted to “facial abuse” is a person not likely to change. One statistic cites that sixty percent of the pedophiles studied will reoffend regardless of the medication or therapy they receive.
All my photos were “hijacked” from our Facebook posts and then altered.
Most American women have been exposed to violence by age twenty-four. We are at the point when we can’t close our eyes anymore—whether it’s sexual harassment, cyberstalking, deepfakes, or bullying. Violence against women is a public health concern. Numerous studies substantiate the correlation between an increase in violence against women and the imagery of women being sexually victimized in advertisements, films, videos, and pornography. According to Rainn.Org, every seventy-three seconds another American is sexually assaulted. While wrapping up the cyberstalking trial, I met with Detective Carol Twiss. I asked her to what she attributed most of the local crimes. She cited drugs and fraud and that the majority of female victims reported sexual assault and family violence. When I asked Captain Carol what we can do to change crime locally, she reported the priority should be on drug enforcement as all other crimes tend to go down if we address the drug issue. She noted we particularly need to protect the elderly and children as they often become easy prey and victims to perpetrators. When I first saw the repulsive pictures of my daughter being victimized, my goal was to protect her. I told the judge in federal court that I can take care of myself, but my baby, that was another story. The following is my daughter’s letter to the perpetrator, read into the court record during his sentencing: Mr. Z. I don’t want to speak to you. I don’t want to see you. But I am learning that my voice is important. It wasn’t the way I wanted to learn, but you gave me no choice. I was taught to forgive others’ wrongdoings and that God loves all. I am not sure how to do that. Since you posted pictures of me, I found myself afraid of public places for fear of seeing you or someone who saw the pictures. Imagine that, a young adult years after you did what you did, afraid to go to the grocery store. It’s affected my relationships, interactions, and my selfesteem. So much so, that I have sought therapy. I don’t know why God made you the way you are and, frankly, I don’t want to know. I do think you should find out. I pray the courts will put you behind bars for the rest of your life. Why? Because I am learning in therapy, that surely I will be affected by what you did for the rest of mine. Signed, Camille Cardwell
So, what did the cyberstalking perpetrator get? Thirty-eight years and four months. Since all federal criminals must serve eighty percent of their time sentenced, he will serve thirty years before he is eligible for parole. I want to thank the FBI in San Antonio for all of their hard work on this case, along with Detective Carol. Please get help if you feel pornography has become a problem for you, your family member, or your friend. As for me? I believe resetting my mind means refraining from negative thoughts. I refuse to allow unhappy people to steal my joy. Namaste and blessings. Look for Dana’s book on this topic, Cyberstalked and Deepfaked, Me Too! Protecting Yourself in a Modern Sodom and Gomorrah. Contact Dana Cardwell, LPC, LCDC at HijackedMinds.org or email her at IronChickDana@gmail.com.
