Peggy Got a Scholarship and I Am So Proud

I just got news that one of my students, Peggy Just Peterson, a student at Sierra College was awarded a Hallberg Merit scholarship for her excellence and dedication to her chosen art medium. I am quite proud of Peggy and feel so fortunate that I was able to watch her passion and skill for art develop. Peggy quite spontaneously, decided to come along on a workshop I taught in Durfort, France, 2 weeks before the workshop was scheduled to begin. What I noticed about Peggy from the very beginning was that she had the ability to find joy in her early first adult attempts are painting and drawing. I remember very well, that she would laugh at her mistakes and did not worry about them. As the workshop week continued, Peggy's skills grew and she was a delight to teach.
When Peggy returned home she continued to study at Sierra College and discovered a passion for printmaking. I am so proud of her. She gave me the best compliment a teacher can get, she said I opened the door for her to art.  I like being a door opener to art, it is a good mission to have. Here is what  Peggy says about her artistic journey:
 

Peggy Just Peterson

I learned in 4th grade that I had no artistic ability and completely gave up art—right up until a serious illness made me reconsider my life. I realized I needed a way to express myself creatively. Through a series of amazing coincidences, I ended up at a watercolor class in the south of France, and shortly after that, a private lesson with a local print-maker. I was hooked! There is a lack of control in printmaking that is engaging and fascinating to me; there is an element of surprise in every print. This medium also allows me to express myself using things that mean the most to me – found and natural objects, and images from my travels. I've learned an incredible life lesson: art can be fun!