Ya d k i n • Va l l e y
PEOPLE Jerry Blankenship
antidotes for the winter blahs WRITER/PHOTOS J. Dwaine Phifer
Ron Neary 62
/ yadk invalleym agazine.com
Shorter January/February daylight hours and colder temperatures keep people inside. Less exposure to sunlight tends to trigger “winter blues.” Throw in the bother of snow/ice storms and lots of depressing gray days, people get antsy and bored. Creative handiwork or expressive art activities can become surefire energizing antidotes for the winter blahs. The Yadkin Valley region fortunately has an abundance of gifted artists and imaginative minds among us. Perhaps the following thumbnail sketches of a few creative Yadkin Valley folks will serve to motivate and inspire all Yadkin Valley Magazine readers to scratch the itch of creative expression. Jerry Blankenship works in metal. By trade, Jerry has spent 40 years as a blacksmith shoeing horses serving as a talented, dependable mainstay for the “Horse Community.” He became a blacksmith because he couldn't find a reliable person to shoe his own horses. He feels his craft has provided lots of fun and created strong relationships with both the two-footed and four-footed variety. His main artistic frustration arises when cankerous metal does not bend cooperatively. Jerry finds expressive satisfaction in the enjoyment others experience with his handcrafted knives, metal art pieces, and handmade tools. Horses have certainly benefited from his individually fitted shoes. His creative ironwork is impressive. Breathtakingly realistic iron flowers are amazing! Jerry takes pride in being self-motivated, selftaught and self-assured while being totally honest when describing himself. He is known as a supportive, albeit unconventional, teacher and artistic craftsman throughout the Yadkin Valley. Jerry is also a life-long musician. He's played with several bands using the guitar, base guitar, or piano. The joy of music guided him down a second radically different career path. Because of music, he felt a call to reach others through the church. He completed his lay ministry training about five years ago and now serves as the pastor for Third Creek Presbyterian Church. His quirky wit and ability to paint mesmerizing word pictures keep folks awake and tuned-in each Sunday. Craftsman, farrier, storyteller, B-B-Q chef, and dedicated minister make “Jerry-moments” anything but dull! Contact: jerrylblank@yahoo.com. Thanks to archaeological finds, manmade glass apparently has been a part of human existence since sometime between 2750 and 2625 BC. Glass jewelry beads, made by early Egyptian artisans, serve as a reminder that a seemingly fragile substance certainly has staying power. The Romanesque style of architecture during the 10th and 11th centuries firmly established stained-glass as both a utilitarian architectural mainstay and a thing of inspirational beauty in cathedrals all across Europe. Ron Neary has been working with stained-glass for 48 years. The inspiration for his artistic journey lies in his love for old Tiffany lamps. Ron feels his stained-glass work serves to energize a feeling of well-being for others. Ironically, choosing colors for each new project
