June Living 2008

10603culliganfp

Water Water, Inc.

(432) 263-8781

1

E10772elrodsfp

Elrods

Best Brands !Best Prices !

“ Big Spring’s Oldest, Largest,Finest Furniture Store ”

2309 Scurry 432-267-8491

2 l www.bigspringliving.com l June 2008

T he Big Spring Vietnam Memorial, like many others like it throughout the country, was constructed as a labor

of love to ensure that those who made sacrifices during the Vietnam War — those who didn’t return from Southeast Asia, as well as those who survived yet still carry scars, both seen and unseen, will never be forgotten.

Nestled into the western base of the Big Spring State Park’s “Scenic Mountain,” with only a quiet neighborhood and the Southwest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf nearby, the memorial’s grounds are a green oasis of quiet peace and serenity.

Very much a work in progress, the grounds have changed a great deal since members of the community decided to permanently commemorate the site of a 1987 visit to Big Spring by the Moving Wall — a replica of the

Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The most recent additions to the memorial site — a six-sided granite “All Services and All Veterans” Monument and a multi-generational “Fallen Soldier” Monument — were unveiled during 2008 Memorial Day ceremonies on May 26.

The All Services Monument features bronze medallions from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine.

The Fallen Soldier Monument includes equipment used by soldiers in various wars — a helmet from World War I rests atop an M-16 rifle first used by soldiers in Vietnam and still in use today, while the webbed belt is from World War II, the canteen is from the Korean Conflict and the boots are from Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

“We’re not through yet I don’t imagine,” said Gene Wilson, who

LestWe

Forget

Photos by:John A. MoseleyThomas Jenkins

Vietnam Memorial Committee

ByJohn A Moseley

June 2008 l www.bigspringliving.com l 3

serves as president of the Vietnam Memorial Committee of Big Spring. “While we don’t have any plans for major additions to the grounds at this time, it’s pretty clear we’ve been interested in making additions whenever the opportunities have presented themselves.”

Indeed, from fairly humble plans at the outset, the memorial is now an absolute “must see” attraction for visitors to Big Spring.

And for some visitors, particularly Vietnam veterans, it’s something they find themselves visiting over and over again.

“This is the fourth or fifth time I’ve been here,” said Larry Rodgers, a Vietnam veteran from Burleson, who stopped by the memorial in early May while en route to California to take part in the Run for the Wall observance. He would return a little more than a week later along with more than 200 other bikers as they stopped at the memorial for a wreath laying ceremony before continuing their cross-country pilgrimage to Washington, D.C., and a Memorial Day meeting with President George W. Bush at the National Vietnam Memorial.

“I can’t begin to tell you what it means to us Vietnam vets that the people here in Big Spring have done this,” Rodgers said. “I appreciate it ... all of us do. Words really can’t explain how we feel when we see something like this.”

According to Wilson, Rodgers’ comments are not uncommon.

1209 Gregg - (432) 714-4555

Heart of the City RealtorsPastor & Mrs. R.T. Havener

4th & Lancaster 267-7971

First Assembly of God


“It’s still not easy for a lot of the men and women who served in Vietnam, to talk about their experiences there,” Wilson said. “And for some of them it’s every bit as difficult or not so to discuss what it was like returning home.”

Wilson speaks from experience. A Marine, who lost a brother in Vietnam, he has since had virtually no contact with a sister who told family members her brother had probably deserved to die for having fought in the war.

“My kids keep in touch with her kids ... they want to because they’re their cousins,” Wilson said. “But I really don’t want to have anything to do with her. I just can’t help feeling that way.”

What many don’t understand, Wilson says, is that the men and women serving in the military “go where they’re told to go and fight who they’re told to fight.”

“But once you’re over there and in the middle of things,” he added, “you’re not really fighting for your country. You’re fighting for your life and you’re fighting for your friends’ lives.”

The current Vietnam Memorial Committee traces its beginnings back to 1987 when the Big Spring Area Chamber of Commerce formed a group of local residents to plan and organize for the arrival of the Moving Wall. During the last week of September of that year, after months of planning and work, the Moving Wall arrived. One by one, the panels of the Wall were asembled on a piece of property located at the corner of what had once been Webb Air Force Base.

The Moving Wall’s appearance in Big Spring impacted the lives of many of the thousands of people who visited it during its brief stay. Day or night the Wall was never alone — someone was always there, finding the name of a lost friend, family member, a lost comrade. Or standing in the shadows remembering.

A group was formed, comprised of veterans and others from the committee that organized the Wall’s visit, and from those who’d spent days at the Moving Wall. That group


decided the land on which the Moving Wall had stood during its visit to Big Spring should be turned into a local memorial. And by February of the next year, the Vietnam Memorial Committee of Big Spring had been incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation with a chartered purpose to: Promote education and understanding of military conflicts, including the Vietnam War and the role of the American military in Vietnam; construct and dedicate a memorial to Howard County residents who were killed-in-action or missing-in-action in Vietnam; build and operate a museum/chapel and to promote education and understanding about prisoners of war in Vietnam.

In August of 1988 the Vietnam Memorial Committee obtained a lease from the Howard County Junior College District for the 2-1/2 acres of land on which the Moving Wall had stood. At the time members of the committee planted a tree on the site to represent their commitment to build the memorial.

The committee had the land, now all it needed was the money.

Since air power had played such a large role in the Vietnam War, committee members thought an air show highlighting Vietnam era aircraft seemed a natural way of raising the $100,000 needed for construction.

The first of three air shows was held on Oct. 22, 1988, and drew an estimated attendance of more than 5,000 people. Having learned several lessons from the process, committee members began planning a second air show before the first one had ended.

That second show was held on the last weekend of October in 1989 and again drew thousands to Big Spring. The show featured professional performers, the U.S. Army’s Golden Knights parachute team and a plethora of military aircraft demonstrations.

Between those two air shows, the Vietnam Memorial Committee conducted a number of other activities. Seminars on the Vietnam War were presented to high school students, a practice that continues today. On Sept. 10, 1989, POW/MIA Recognition

Day, the city of Big Spring, at the request of the memorial committee, renamed Eighth Avenue and the intersecting Avenue D to Rackley Street and Swords Avenue to honor Lt. Col. Inzar Rackley and Lt. Col. Smith Swords, two Howard County residents who are missing-in-action in Southeast Asia. Committee members planted three more trees — one each for Rackley and Swords, and a third for Maj. Edward Hudgens, another Howard County MIA. Maj. Hudgens is no long listed as missing-in-action.

MYERS & SMITHFUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL

Funeral Services, Memorial ServicesBurial In Any Cemetery

Cremation Services

Bill & Charlsa Myers - Owners

24th & Johnson 267-8288


His remains were discovered and returned in 1997.

Those first two shows gave members of the committee the expertise to produce a world class air show in October of 1990, a show that drew 30,000 visitors.

With profits from the air shows, coupled with proceeds from bake sales, T-shirt sales and many generous donations from members of the community, the memorial became a reality. Construction began in the late fall of 1990 and on May 27, 1991, the dream born three years earlier was fully realized when the community dedicated the Big Spring Vietnam Memorial.

Five years later, in 1996, a UH-1 “Huey” helicopter was acquired from the Army and committee members and volunteers spent hundreds of hours cosmetically restoring the chopper and painting it like Vietnam era medi-evac helicpoters. The Huey was dedicated on Memorial Day 1997.

An F-4# Phantom II jet was

acquired from the U.S. Air Force in December 1997 and transported from “Wichita Falls to Big Spring. Five months later, it was completely restored and mounted next to the Huey, its dedication ceremonies held on Memorial Day 1998. Later an M-60 tank would be added to the military

hardware permanently displayed on the memorial grounds and the final addition came a few years later when an AH-1 “Cobra” helicpoter was acquired, refurbished and mounted.

The memorial also continued to expand with addition of the Gold Star Mothers Chapel, honoring fallen soldiers from all wars.

“This memorial ... what people see out here today ... wasn’t done in a day. It took a lot of time and effort by a lot of different people,” Wilson noted. “It’s been accomplished in phases, and every time we’ve added another feature, the community has always responded by meeting our needs.

“We want everyone to understand that we really appreciate all the support we’ve been given over the years by the people and businesses in this community. This has definitely been a labor of love, but we want the community to know how much we love them for making it possible for us to do this.”

“This memorial ... what people see out here

today ... wasn’t done in a day. It took a lot of time

and effort by a lot of different people. It’s been accomplished in phases,

and every time we’ve added another feature,

the community has always responded by meeting our

needs.”

Court Appointed Special AdvacatesFOR CHILDREN

CASA OF WEST TEXASwww.casawtx.org

Become A CASA Volunteerand be rewarded with some of the most

powerful and fulfilling experiencesFor more information, please contact

300 S. MainBig Spring, TX 79720

(877) 316-8346

Silver SpurGunshows

PresentsGun Show in Midland, TX

Horse Shoe Arena2002 Cotton Flat Rd.

July 26 & 27 and Oct. 25 & 26Sat. 9-5 / Sun 10-5

Admission - $5/adults, Under 12/FREE

FMI - KIM (806) 253-1322


Ridin’High

By SteveReagan

C indy Lugo is serious about riding — and she’s looking for a few good kids who share her

passion.For the past several years, Lugo

has taught area young people the finer points of rodeo horse riding, showing her charges how to barrel race, pole bend and goat tie with the best of them.

And she’s been quite good at it, too, thank you very much.

Riders under her tutelage — including daughters Valerie and Anne-Marie — consistently place high in the rankings of state youth rodeo circuits.

And the reason for their success is simple — Lugo demands nothing but their best.

“I want kids who are just as serious as I am about riding,” Lugo said. “I’m not going to waste my time with kids who are not serious ... I tell them riding is about 90 percent work and 10 percent fun.”

For about as long as she can remember, Lugo has been around horses.

“It’s something I’ve always done,” she said. “An uncle of mine raised race horses. I was his favorite niece, so he always kept me in horses. He gave me something to do, something look forward to and something to look back on — and that’s what I want to do for kids.”

It was her love for horses that convinced her, at the tender age of 17, to start her own business.

“While the family was living in Virginia, I conducted trail rides, gave riding lessons and boarded horses,” she said. “I kept that up for about six years, then I got a little burned out.”

She concentrated, instead, on herself, participating as a barrel racer on the rodeo circuit for several years before family demands led her back to teaching.

“As my kids became older, my personal goals became less important,” Lugo said. “I decided I needed to devote more time to my girls. If they were going to ride, it was up to me to teach them.”

To say Valerie and Anne-Marie started riding at an early age would be an understatement — Valerie first saddled up when she was 3 and Anne-Marie “was practically born in the saddle,” Lugo said.

“Anne-Marie was just a different story,” Lugo said. “One of Valerie’s chores every day was to give Anne-Marie a riding lesson. She absolutely got Anne-Marie started on the basics.”

Lugo counts just a handful of young riders among her students, but what her students lack in quantity, they more than make up for in quality. Her charges consistently rank in the upper echelon of the various youth rodeo circuits in Texas.

Although Lugo is a demanding taskmaster, her students are not one-dimensional. Both Valerie and

Anne-Marie, for example, are honor students and have interests outside of riding.

And neither is there any immediate worry about the youngsters developing a case of burn-out anytime soon.

“I just love hanging around horses,” Anne-Marie said. “Sometimes, I’ll just be standing there looking at them and that’s when I think I’m very lucky to have a horse.”

While applying moisturizer to the hooves of her horse, Jasper, Valerie agrees.

“I think I was about 6 weeks old when Mom took me on one of her trail rides,” she said. “Basically, I’ve been riding as long as I remember. It’s a whole different set of passion when you’re riding. There’s a beautiful relationship between the horse and rider. It’s hard to describe the bond. Jasper’s like my best friend.”

Another student, Lacy McMurtrey, appreciates Lugo’s no-nonsense approach to teaching.

“She makes it fun, but she definitely requires a lot from you,” Lacy said. “She wants you to be a good rider, but she wants you to be a good person, too.”

All three girls say horses will play a big part in their future.

Valerie hopes to earn a scholarship to continue riding in college.

Lacy wants to work in the field of horse genetics.

And Anne-Marie plans on being a champion barrel racer — and a veterinarian, to boot.

Their teacher, for one, doesn’t doubt they will reach their goals.

“They’re all great kids,” Lugo said. “It’s definitely not all me. The girls have put in the hard work.”

And Lugo will keep teaching the trade for the foreseeable future — as long as her students are willing to hold up their end of the deal.

“When I tell them it’s 90 percent work and 10 percent fun, they don’t believe me,” she said. “Then, they start dropping like flies when they discover how much work is involved.”

Valerie Lugo treats her horse’s hooves


Roses are among some of the most important flower-ing shrubs because of their variety of shapes, sizes,

colors, scents and habits. A rose can be found for almost every garden bed from alpine to desert. Few flowering plants have such adaptability to harsh conditions such as ours.

Earth Kind roses especially fit our needs, but there are many roses growing in backyards and fence rows that have never been commercially propagated. The Earthkind roses all started as cuttings taken from churchyards and abondoned farms throughout the Midwest and South-west. After propagating the cuttings to make enough rose bushes for field trials, the researchers planted them in rows, watered them for the first year and then cut off any support. Those that survived after the second year were used to provide the stock for subsequent tests. The Earthkind roses offered now have been selected for their do-or-die attitude and generally bloom from spring through fall. Most are evergreen or semi-evergreen in Howard County. After the first year, care is minimal, requiring little or no

dead-heading, pruning or other care. These are tough plants that do very well without any care and will do even better by following a few easy tips.

Roses are big feeders and won’t produce well without an ample supply of nutrients. Applying a one-inch layer of compost around the plant out to the diameter of the plant every year is the easiest way to feed the rose. Keeping a three- to four-inch thick layer of mulch will help conserve moisture and is bio-degradable. It also helps keep the soil cool around the roots and provides a healthy breeding site for earthworms. Earthworms are a welcome addi-tion to any garden for their ability to aerate the soil and transport minerals from lower soil layers to the surface. Since most feeder roots are within six inches of the surface, this is a good thing.

Proper planting is also important. The old method was to dig a deep, wide hole and add lots of soil amend-ments prior to planting. Research has shown that this does little good and can actually retard the growth of the plant. Experimentation has

shown that the planting hole need be no deeper than the roots on the plant. For bare-root plants this may be as little as four or five inches deep. For container plants the hole should be about the depth of the container.

In all cases, the hole should be at least twice as wide as the plant roots at the time of planting. Wider is better. It is not necessary to add any soil amendments to the backfill soil. Simply use what you had dug out to fill in around the plant. Water suf-ficiently to completely puddle all the loose soil. This eliminates air pockets and settles the soil firmly around the roots without compacting the soil.

Top off the planting with one inch of compost and three inches of mulch and thats it.

Keep watered for the first year, provide an annual feeding of one inch of compost and keep the mulch top dressed to maintain the depth and your rose will give you many years of fragrance and color in your garden.

Locally, both compost and mulch are available in bulk or in bags from the Big Spring Compost Facility located at 3201 Perimeter Road.

Roses

ByWalter Word


T here’s just something about traveling an eighth of a mile in three seconds that appeals to some people. Most of us would like to experience it, but few of us can actually handle it.

Big Spring’s Gene Hector is one of the elite drag rac-ers who has run a sub-four eighth of a mile and he and his team is considered one of the best in the country in its division.

Hector’s Small Block Mafia is currently ranked eighth in America Drag Racing League’s Pro Extreme division. The division runs the fastest and most danger-ous cars in racing and is often referred to as outlaw rac-ing.

The difference between outlaw drag racing and tra-ditional dragsters is there are no restrictions on the size of engines or the amount of speed boosters like nitrous that can be used. Teams can even use two engines if so desired. However, Hector runs one of the smaller en-gines on the circuit.

“What makes our racing unique is we run a small-block Chevrolet motor,” Hector said. “We’re typically

& theSmallBlockMafia

Gene HectorByJonathan Hull


outclassed most of the time. All these guys run with big 700-cubic-inch mo-tors. They don’t give us a snowball’s chance in hell to even qualify for these things. We went down to Hous-ton with the best of the best and quali-fied No. 6 and advanced all the way to the semifinals.”

The event Hector is referring to was the Drag Illustrated Dragpalooza IV held in Houston March 7-8. Hector took his 1963 small-block Chevy Cor-vette and advanced it to the semifinals before being eliminated by eventual runner-up Steve Wiley of Liberty Hill. However, he ran the fifth-fastest indi-vidual time at the meet with a 3.978 in the first round.

Hector’s entire team hails from Big Spring — a fact the Mafia is very proud of.

“There’s a lot of racing talent here in Big Spring,” Hector said. “I know a lot of guys in this industry think they’ve got the best people, but in my mind, we do. We go in there and com-pete against big corporate teams with a lot of bucks behind them. Not many independent teams make it, but we’ve done it. We’ve got a long way to go, but teams know they better have their stuff together or else they’re going to be beat.”

Two members of Hector’s squad once served on a NHRA champion-ship team with legendary racer Eddie Hill.

“Don Reed and Gary Prater are two of the best at what they do,” raved Hector. “We also get a lot of help from Nate Campbell and Blaine Red-din. We wouldn’t be a successful team without any of these guys.”

Hector’s love for drag racing started

at an early age and has only increased over the years. His love for cars was instilled in him by his family.

“I lived in the Oasis edition grow-ing up and the old county airport off of Snyder highway used to have a bunch of local people go drag racing back there,” Hector said. “I still re-member those guys. I’ll run into them now and I’ll blame them for the ad-diction I have. I was just fascinated by it. That’s where the seed was planted.

“My dad never got to race because he couldn’t afford to, but he was an old hot rodder,” he continued. “He always worked on cars and never got into one that was too fast.”

Hector’s older brother Jimmy shares his younger sibling’s obsession with speed and races on a different circuit. However, the two broke into the business together.

“My brother and I bought a drag boat, but I didn’t really care for it so we bought a drag car together and went from there,” Hector said. “He still races, but we’re doing different things now. I started going to all these local tracks around the area in San Angelo, Midland and Abilene. We had some real good success and won some races.

“Then we went into the Outlaw cir-cuit and this is a whole other level,” Hector said. “This is a dangerous thing. Any drag racer will tell you that these cars are the toughest to handle because they’re really overhorse-powered. It’s a big deal, though. You get about 60,000 to 70,000 people at these races. It’s kind of like bull rid-ing, though. You got to be a little nuts to do it.”

However, Hector feels he is still

Ellen PhillipsRealtors

406 E Marcy DriveBig Spring, Tx 79720

(432) 267-3061 (432) 393-5231“We’re The Best In The Business”

Over 100 Years of Combined Experience

PUMP RENTAL AND SALES, FAST LINE AND GENERATORS

Up to 1000’ Water Well DrillingPumping 50 Years of Excellence 1957 - 2008

Environmental Drilling and SoilSampling Mud Pump Down Hole Camera


holding onto his sanity while in the driver’s seat at least.

“I don’t think I’m crazy. It doesn’t feel crazy when you’re driving them,” Hector said. “Watching them is a lot worse. You see that and you think those guys are crazy. It takes a dif-ferent type of person to do it. I’m an adrenaline junky. It’s better than any ride at Six Flags you could ever get on. And if you’re lucky enough then you get to get on the ride again.”

Apparently, Hector hasn’t had enough speed. He recently bought a car from Pro Extreme’s No. 2-ranked racer Jason Scruggs that has traveled faster than any other small block has in an eighth of a mile.

“The car I just bought from Mis-sissippi is the fastest small block in the world,” Hector said. “It’s the only small block to run a three-second eighth of a mile. You can still to this day count how many small-block cars have run a three-second eighth and we’ve run two of them.”

Hector, 39, has been married to his wife Vicki for 17 years and they have two children, Kaitlyn, who is 14 and 9-year-old McKinna. As is common within racing families, riding fast on the track is an experience the entire Hector crew enjoys.

“They’re very supportive. They un-derstand I’m going to be gone some,” Hector said. “Kaitlyn has been drag racing since she was 9 and McKinna gets to start this year. We’ve started them early. They’ve been going to the race track since they were in baby strollers.

“They were pretty mixed about me going into the outlaw racing because they’re pretty dangerous,” he contin-ued. “You sign a waiver going into a race saying you aren’t going to sue them if you’re hurt or killed. My wife didn’t care for it at all at first. She’s all right with it now, but these cars can be spooky. I couldn’t do this without her. She’s a big help on the financial end of it. It’s a business and we’re trying to make it grow and make a name for it. She’s a vital part of this team.”

Hector was most recently in the local news for a hyped-up rivalry race with his brother Jimmy. The two squared off at Desert Thunder Speed-

way in Midland. It wasn’t the first time the siblings

have raced against each other, but Gene has consistently come out on top no matter what track they com-pete on.

“People like to come out and see us run against each other. There wasn’t any real friction between us, but they certainly hyped it up to be,” Hector said. “They played the big brother vs. little brother angle pretty big. We were fortunate enough to come out on top. I’ve pretty much beaten him ev-ery time we’ve raced.

“There’s a high level of competi-tion between the two of us,” he con-tinued. “We’re both very competitive and neither one of us is going to give the other anything. We’re going to race again once we get to the finish line to see who can get out of the car first to congratulate the other. There’s not any real animosity between us, though.”

According to Hector, the future is

bright both for his team and his sport.“We really feel like we’re on the

verge of something big here,” he said. “Outlaw racing is the fastest grow-ing of all brands of racing. We’ll get 60,000 to 70,000 people out to the races. People love the speed. There’s a lot of risk to it, but it’s worth it.

“I guess you can say I’m just ad-dicted to the adrenaline and I’m pretty determined to have the best team out there.”


Magazine

Is Onlineat

www.bigspringliving.com

There are many causes for pro-ducing pain in the elbow, but the one condition I will be talking about today is “tennis elbow.”

Tennis elbow, also called lateral epicondylitis, is basically a tendon-itis of the extensor muscles of the wrist. A person who extends his or her wrist repetitively will usually develop this condition at some point in their life.

People that commonly develop this condition are musicians, throw-ing athletes, golfers, tennis players and laborers. These people are usu-ally in the age group of 35 to 55.

This injury is considered an over-sue injury or a repetitive microtrau-ma injury. The microtears result in the formation of fibrotic tissue (scar tissue/adhesions) in the tendons and the fascia around the muscles.

The fibrotic tissue/adhesions restrict the movement and proper function of the muscles and tendons. If left untreated for weeks, the radial head usually becomes fixiated and dysfunctional due to the antalgic movements in the elbow joint created by the extensor carpi radialis brevis tendon which overlays the radial head.

When the wrist extensor muscles and tendons become inflamed, the elbow will become tender and pain-ful on the lateral or outside portion of the elbow along with the wrist exten-sor muscles in the forearm around the elbow. Flexing the wrist will usually produce pain in the outside portion of the elbow as the wrist entensor muscles and tendons are stretched. The stretching produces pain as the muscles are in a shortened state and inflamed. Resisted wrist extension will produce even more pain as the muscles are now asked to work on contract in an injured state.

If you have elbow pain, you should see your chiropractor as soon

as possible so he or she can prop-erly diagnose your condition and begin treatment. Your chiropractor will be able to provide the manual techniques such as the manipulation of the elbow and myofascial release of the wrist extensor muscles to break up the fibrotic adhesions in the muscles, tendons and joint. Once the joint is in proper alignment and the adhesions are reduced, the pain will begin to alleviate as the elbow begins to heal.

Therapeutic modalities such as ul-trasound and or electrical stimulation can also supplement the manual tech-niques as necessary. These modalities will help reduce inflammation and adhesions. They will also provide short term pain relief.

At home and possibly at work you will need to restrict your activities and use ice for 20 minutes at the end of your working day. Your doctor of chiropractic will be able to person-alize your restrictions according to your case, as every case has different circumstances.

You can and should also purchase a tennis elbow strap to wear just below the elbow during all activities. This strap is vital to providing com-pression and support to the injured muscles and tendons so the healing process can continue between treat-ments. This strap is inexpensive and can be found in many retail stores.

In more difficult cases, a reha-bilitation program may need to be

utilized to get the muscles to respond and begin healing. The program would utilize isometric exercises first, and then move on to isotonic exercises. If after a year of conser-vative treatment your condition is no better, then your condition may require surgery.

You should discuss all options thoroughly with your doctor before having surgery, as surgery should be your last option.

If the patient seeks treatment within days to two or three months after the symptoms and pain begin in the elbow, the condition is typi-cally easily treatable with complete alleviation of the pain and full return of elbow and wrist range of motion and function.

If the patient waits six months or longer, the condition is considered chronic and becomes more difficult to treat. This does not mean the ten-nis elbow condition will not respond, but response is typically much slower.

Remember, the key to your health and healthcare is the sooner you begin treatment after you notice the elbow pain, the faster you will recover and with fewer treatments. The longer you wait to take care of yourself, the more down time you will have in your life and the more extensive the care.

Dr. James C. Riley operates Riley Chiropractic Health Center, located at 1318 E. Fourth St. in Big Spring.

Dr. Riley says:Take elbowpain seriously


TWO NEWLY CONSTRUCTED TOWN HOMES -Located at Village at the Spring. Beautiful and spacious 2bedroom, 2 1/2 bath featuring gorgeous custom kitchencabinets with granite countertops, upstairs balcony-loft /family room, WB fireplace, central vacuum system, goodstorage and closet space. Approx. 2,384 sq. ft., total electric,oversized 2 car garage.

NEWWONDERFUL TRI-LEVEL HOME in excellentlocation. 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, big game room, sun room,formal living area, central heat/air, fireplace, covered patio,spa/hot tub, lovely landscaped yard.

COUNTRY LIVING AT ITS BEST! - Pretty 2 story home featuring 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, balcony/loft, charmingkitchen, central heat/ref. air, 2 car garage, lovely scenic view. Coahoma ISD.

GOOD TASTE RADIATES throughout this immaculate3 bedroom, 2 bath on corner lot. 2 living areas, 2 diningareas, WB fireplace, sun room, sprinkler sys., workshop, 2car garage. A must see !

ENJOY OWNERSHIP in choice location. Lovely 3bedroom, 2 bath with 2 living areas, fireplace, formal livingarea could be a 4th bedroom, formal dining and breakfast area,covered patio, sprinkler system and 2 car garage. Great buyon this Highland South Home.

NEW

QUALITY AND COMFORTABLE LIVING is reflected throughout this spacious 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath HighlandSouth home. Large living and dining area with breakfast bar,beautiful built-in china cabinet, WB fireplace, landscapedyard with circle drive, sprinkler system, cinder block fenceand double garage.

Home Realtors 432.263.1284 - 800.295.8938 - www.home-realtors.net

NEW


ROOM FOR EVERYONE - Lovely country home on 1.5ac., approx. 2,774 living sq. ft. 5 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, 2living areas, balcony/loft, game room, nice kitchen withlarge breakfast bar, lots of closets and storage. Covered deck,storage shed, barn and oversized 2 car garage.

NEW

LOOK AT THE POSSIBILITIES !! - Could be niceresidential home or used for commercial business. Approx.2,075 sq. ft., 3 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths, formal dining area,WB fireplace, central heat/ref. air, 2 car garage, 2.07 ac.

YOUR OWN RETREAT - 3 bedroom, 2 bath on approx.1.27 acs., central heat/ref. air, 2 living areas, WB fireplace,1,776 living sq. ft.

NEED SOME SPACE - Enjoy the comfort of this custombuilt 5 bedroom, 3 bath home with 2 living areas, separateformal dining, garden/sun room, beautiful hardwood floors,WB fireplace, lots of built-ins and many extras. Wonderfulyard with inground pool, covered patio, workshop, 2 cargarage.

DETAILS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE in this lovely 3bedroom, 2 bath home with open floor plan, pretty kitchen,high ceilings and lots of storage. Central heat/ref. air, formalliving area, den, sprinkler system, storage shed and 2 cargarage.

NEWBEAUTIFULLY UPDATED HOME with many extras.3 bedroom, 2 bath brick with central heat/ref. air, separateformal dining, garden/sun room, fenced yard, patio, storageshed and 2 car garage.

www.coronadohills.net - www.highlandsouth.com - www.kentwoodneighbors.comJune 2008 l www.bigspringliving.com l 17

CHARMING HISTORICAL HOME - Lovely 3 bedroom,1 1/2 bath with separate formal dining, wonderful wrap-around porch, wood deck, storage shed and extra largecovered carport.

NEWMOVE-IN READY ! Clean, attractive 3 bedroom, 2 bathlocated in very pleasant neighborhood. Central heat/ref. air,2 living areas, recent updates, nice well-kept yard, coveredpatio, storage shed, carport.

SPACIOUS HOME plus in-law apartment. 3 bedroom, 2bath with central heat/ref. air, WB fireplace, covered patio,double garage, corner lot. Approx. 2,693 sq. ft.

WOW ! Great curb appeal and pretty landscaped yardwith nice trees. Well maintained and move-in ready 3bedroom, 1 1/2 bath with central heat/ref. air, RV storage,workshop, fenced yard, attached carport. Take a look !

MOVE-IN READY ! - Charming and well maintained 3bedroom brick home priced to sell ! Central heat/ref. air,beautiful hardwood floors, nice kitchen with pretty kitchencabinets, storage shed, workshop, 2 car garage plus 3 carcarport. $70’s

NEWCOAHOMA ISD - Well maintained 3 bedroom, 2 bath located on12.3 acres. Beautiful back yard with fruit trees, above ground pool, hot tub, wood deck, double carport, storage shed, workshop.


NEW

NEW


COAHOMA ISD - Spacious 4 bedroom, 2 bath with 2living areas, central heat/ref. air, WB fireplace, doublegarage, workshop. Located on approx. 1 acre.

NEWDON’T MISS OUT on this nice 3 bedroom, 2 bath brickhome with 2 living areas, central heat/ref. air, custom kitchencabinets, covered patio, steel siding, storm windows, garage,extra parking area in back.

BEEN WAITING ON THAT GREAT BUY ? - You’ll geta lot for your money in this attractive 3 bedroom, 2 bath withcentral heat/ref. air, separate formal dining area, gorgeouskitchen with tile countertops, covered patio, storage shed,wood deck and 2 car garage. $68,500.

SPECIAL HOME - with all the comforts ! Updated,possible 3 bedroom or 2 bedroom with den, WB fireplace,central heat/ref. air, carports and large workshop/garage.Affordably Priced !

OFFERS CHARM, CURB APPEAL AND LOCATION -Well kept older home in Parkhill Addition, 2 bedrooms, 1 1/2baths, den, fireplace, formal living area, hardwood floors, 1car garage. $50’s,

NEWAFFORDABLY PRICED and so spacious! 2 largebedrooms, 2 baths, large kitchen plus formal dining room,central heat/air, fenced back yard, double carport.Take a Look !


NEWA SMART BUY ! Attractive andspacious 3 bedroom, 2 bath brickwith 2 living areas, centralheat/ref. air, carport and storageshed. North Parkhill Addition.$70’s.

RECENTLY REMODELED -Darling 3 bedroom, 1 bath oncorner lot. Hardwood floors,formal dining, mock fireplace,central heat / ref. air, stormwindows, garage. $40’s.

COAHOMA ISD - Really neat2 bedroom home with prettykitchen, central heat/ref. air, 2car garage. Has free water on .50 acres. $40’s.

NEWCALL TO SEE this 3 bedroomhome on quiet street nearcollege and elementary school.Central heat/ref. air, extra lot, fenced. $40’s.

JUST MOVE IN - Owner hasdone a great job of combiningbeauty and comfort in this 2bedroom home near college andelementary school. Many nicefeatures including pretty carpetand central heat/air $40’s.

MAKES GOOD $$CENTS totake a look at this 4 bedroom,1 bath with central heat/ref. air.Priced to sell at $41,500.

PRICED TO SELL ! Don’t missthis cute 2 bedroom brick with 2living areas, central heat/ref. air,large utility room and 2 car garage. ( Den could be used for3rd Bedroom). $40,000.

LOTS OF TLC - will make thisquaint 3 bedroom a beautifulhistorical home. Approx. 1,400living sq. ft., hardwood floors,1 car garage, 2 lots. $20’s.


All of the propertiesadvertised in thismagazine were activelyfor sale at the time ofpublication. If theproperty has sold, orwithdrawn from themarket, this is not ano�ering of that propertyfor sale, and is only arepresentation of theproperties that HomeRealtors lists and sales.


507 E. 4th - NICE COMMERCIALBUILDING with approx. 7,953 sq ft.Display and customer service area,storage area, two offices and rest room,warehouse with skylights and overheaddoor. Good location.

115 & 117 E. 18th - GREATINVESTMENT PROPERTY !!Attractive brick duplex. Each unitincludes 2 bedrooms, 1 bath with laundry room, spacious living and kitchen areas, attached garage.

307 W. 4th - Property has 3 lots,concrete building, the two houses onproperty will be moved.

1901 W. 16th - NICE PROPERTYwith approx. 9,900 sq ft. plus additionalmetal building with approx. 2,000 sq.ft.,paved parking, 5 acres included.

502 E. FM 700 - PRIME LOCATIONfor any commercial business, for saleor lease. Approx. 11,242 sq.ft., fenced,2.52 acres.

710 S. GREGG - Nice brick officebuilding, recent updating andlandscaping, large parking area, hightraffic location.

1701 & 1703 GREGG - Spaciousproperty with approx. 5,480 sq. ft.Could be used for variety of businesses.Also includes 2 bdrm., 1 bath housebehind property at 207 W. 17th.

900 & 902 SCURRY - 4 plex at 900Scurry, built in 2000. Total of eightapartments, each featuring 3 bdrms.,2 baths, W/D connections, carport.Total electric.

1613 E. HWY 350 E - Nice officebuilding with reception area, 5 offices,break room, 2 restrooms, insulated andheated workshop, completely fenced,parking yard with small storage building.

308 SCURRY - OFFICE OR RETAILGood downtown location, central heatand air, approx. 3,164 sq. ft.

Specializing in Residential,Commercial, Farm and Ranch,

HUD or VA acquired properties.

105 SPRING CREEK - Brick churchbuilding with pews, 9 class rooms,large front lot, fellowship hall, approx.2 acres. Sand Springs.

Commercial Properties


COMMERCIAL LOTS AND ACREAGE916 Lamesa Hwy. - 6 lots, great commercial site.Marcy & Runnels - Good commercial location, $65,000.Thorpe/Wasson - Commercial lots-frontage, $80,000.Wasson/Avondale - 3.40 acs., zoned neighborhood services.FM 700 - 3.9 acres, good commercial location.500 Gregg - 2 lots, 100’ frontage, 140’ depth.S. Service Rd & FM 700 - Good building site, 1.08 acre.N. Hwy. 87 - 49.143 acs. I-20 frontage, will sell 10 ac. tracts or all.500 E. FM 700 - 1.8 acre, corner lot.1208 E 4th - 50 x 140 on corner lot, $12,000.1210 E. 4th - Corner lot, $12,000. 1900 Wasson - 150 x 150 corner lot, $20,000.1901 Wasson - 150 x 150 corner lot, $20,000.1210 E. 5th - Corner lot, $6,000.1611 E. 4th - Corner lot, $65,000.S. Inter. 20 - 29.8 acres, S. I-20 & Snyder Hwy.1101 Scurry - Nice retail property, $75,000.1201 Scurry - Good retail location, $20,000.1202 Scurry - Nice retail lots, $7,000.907 E. I-20 - 127.32 acres, great commercial location.2800 Lamesa Hwy - 3.9 acre, $55,000.

RESIDENTIAL ACREAGEKentwood -5.08 acres, South of Merrily St.Kentwood - 89.10 acres, East of Kentwood.Stanton - 7.10 acres, beautiful building site. $35,000.Driver Rd. - 10 acs., new home building site. $30,000.Hearn - 3.86 ac., undeveloped land, $11,500.Baylor Blvd. - Morgan Ranch Estates, 5 and 10 acre tracts.Driver Rd. - Country Club Estates, fantastic building sites.S. Goliad - 9.681 ac., prime acreage, beautiful building site.Campestre Estates - 5ac. tracts - $12,500. (32 tracts available).1106 Todd Rd. - 38.48 acres, 2 wells, windmill, storage barn.Driver Rd. - 2.307 ac., great building site, $29,500.South Mt. - 140 acs., entrance from Highland South or 25th & Virginia.

RESIDENTIAL or COMMERCIALN. Birdwell Lane - 2 lots, residential or commercial, $12,500.

RESIDENTIAL LOTSDuke St. - 20 lots, excellent new home locations, $4,500 ea.Fordham Ave. - 4 lots, great new home locations, $5,000 ea.Baylor St. - 18 residential lots, $6,500 each.Parkland Estates - Thorpe / Wasson, $35,000 each.Fenn Ave. - Residential lots available, $7,500 ea.Kentwood - 17 lots west of Rebecca. Forsan - Warren St., nice building lot, $4,500.Connally - 7 lots, $11,500.Parkway Rd. - 70 lots, great building opportunity, $250,000.Coronado Hills - 6 residential lots. $80,000.3204 Fenn - $10,000.Scott Drive - $18,000.804 Highland - $12,000.601 Bucknell - $5,000.3708/3710 Dixon - $5,000.712 Craigmont - $17,000.720 Craigmont - $17,500.3802 Dixon - $8,000.3800 Dixon - $8,000.3802 Parkway - $4,000.3800 Parkway - $4,000.4031 Vicky - $15,000.4000 Vicky - $8,000.2513 E. 25th - $10,000.600 Goliad - $3,000.605 Goliad - $5,000.1308 E. 6th - $8,000.2507 E. 25th - $3,500.712 Colgate - $7,250.

Lots and Acreage

Home Realtors 432.263.1284 - 800.295.8938 - www.home-realtors.net22 l www.bigspringliving.com l June 2008

The Home TeamExperienced,

dedicatedprofessionalswho will give

you the superiorservice youdeserve.

(432) 263-1284432.270.7706 mobile

Pat Rutledge432.263.3436

Clovie Shannon432.263.2108

432.935.2135 mobile

Linda Barnes432.268.1588

432.270.0062 mobile

Charles Smith432.263.1713

432.466.1613 mobile

Kay MooreCRS, GRI - Broker/Owner

432.263.8893432.816.9424 mobile

Leslie Elrod432.517.0038 mobile

432.270.8920 mobile432.263.6525

Doris Huibregtse

432.213.5454 mobile432.267.4147Janet Higgins

432.263.7500Linda Leonard

432.897.0318 mobile

432.935.2088 mobile432.263.8729

Shirley Burgess

Joe Hughes432.353.4751

432.270.7877 mobile

www.home-realtors.net - 110 West Marcy - Big Spring, TX 79720 - 432.263.1284 - [email protected] 2008 l www.bigspringliving.com l 23

T he gem of West Texas. That’s exactly what Jack Birdwell, club pro for the Comanche Trail Golf Course in Big Spring, says

the municipal course will be in the not too distant future.

“In two years, this golf course will be — in my opinion — the gem of West Texas,” said Birdwell, sitting in the makeshift pro shop at the golf course. Like many things at the facility, the pro shop — a portable building a contrac-tor has donated the use of — is part of a massive renovation totaling more than $2 million.

“We did everything here. New cart

paths, new tees, new greens and green surrounds, new irrigation system — this is certainly the largest and most difficult renovation I’ve been involved in,” said Birdwell. “I marvel at it even today. Even after all of the other courses I’ve done and been involved with, I still marvel at what we’ve been able to accomplish here.

“This is such a great transformation because of the terrain. Our terrain is definitely different from any other West Texas golf course. We have 55 feet of ele-vation differences in two directions, with about eight holes that involve blind shots, either because of elevation or because of a turn. It’s just a wonderful place to build

a golf course.”The course, which has been a fixture of

Comanche Trail Park as far back as most local residents can remember, has gotten quite a facelift, according to Birdwell.

“We lengthened the course by 281 yards from the back tees,” said Birdwell. “We added two brand new holes and took out two holes, and changed a Par 4 to a Par 5, which is our new No. 18. It was 399 yards, and now it’s 502 yards. That also changed our par from a 71 to a 72.

“I really feel like the normal golfer — the annual golfer we’ve had here for years — will find this course not neces-sarily a lot more challenging, but they

A real gem

in the making

By Thomas Jenkins


will find it’s a lot more fun. The greens are all larger and have more undulation than the old ones had, so I feel like they will be easier to hit, but you’re going to have longer putts. I think you’ll see a three- to four-stroke difference between this course and the old one.”

And while the renovations are nearly completed, according to city officials, it’s been anything but an easy task.

“We’ve been fighting Mother Nature since day-one,” said Birdwell with a laugh. “The biggest problem we’ve run into was in the planting. When we got ready to start planting, it rained, and it just wouldn’t quit. We got 14 inches of rain last May, and that was our planting time. We had four different greens get washed out on four separate occasions. Our schedule was to be finished (plant-ing) and gone June 1 of last year, and we didn’t plant the last green until July 21.

“We also didn’t have any really warm weather days last year. The highest it ever got was 92 degrees, and that’s not condu-cive to growing bermuda grass. The soil temperatures are just too cool, so we re-ally faced some difficult challenges. And when we open the course, golfers are go-ing to see that. The surfaces of the greens are good, very puttable, but our green surrounds and some of the tee boxes are going to be thin. As time — and heat — goes on, however, it will all fill in.”

The grand opening of the course be-gan with special invitation-only rounds May 3 and opened to the public May 4, and according to Big Spring Assistant City Manager Todd Darden, it has put a smile on the faces of many local golf en-thusiasts.

“The feedback I’m getting from the public — the people that have come out here and appreciate what’s been done to our city course — is good,” said Darden. “It’s something they can be proud of. This is their course and they had a hand in this. It really is something for the people of Big Spring to be proud of.”

Darden said the project was approved by the Big Spring City Council in 2006 and funded through a guaranteed energy plan the city signed with technology-gi-ant Siemens.

“The city’s public works crews really deserve a lot of thanks for making this happen, as well. Everyone — 110 em-ployees in 15 departments — gave 100

percent, and without them, the things that got done on this course would not oth-erwise have been completed. We really have a talented crew within public works. We took care of all the earth moving and site clearing, so all the contractor had to do was come in and do the shaping.”

Darden said he’s been known to play a round or two of golf himself, and expects play on the newly designed course to be challenging.

“I really think it will bring a whole new challenge to the golfers. Jack (Birdwell) said it’s going to be fun for a guy like me who isn’t an avid golfer,” said Darden. “It’s going to be challenging. Adding the length to the course was the biggest change golfers will see when they play out here.

“We also added some hazards out on the course, including a lot of new sand traps. It forces the golfer to really think about his shot when there’s a bunker set at a strategic location, and you have to consider the probability of the ball land-ing in that trap. There are 27 new sand bunkers added to the course.

“There have been some pretty big changes to the arrangement of the course. Before, you started on a Par 3 on the frontnine and started with a Par 3 on the back nine, which made it hard to time and stage your tee-offs. Now, we’re basically starting the old No. 2 hole and changed the Par 3 on the back nine to hole No. 11, which will allow for better tee manage-ment for our golfers.”

Darden said the project, which was de-signed by renown course designers Wil-liams Architects, went through several different phases — from reconstructing holes one-at-a-time to its eventual year-long closure — before settling in for the long haul.

“George Williams with Williams Architects, along with Robert Rose, his partner, designed this course,” said Darden. “They are the ones that gave the city the conceptual design of how the course could look with the new features like sand traps and water, and came up with the probable cost for the project. We looked at doing the course in phases, then we looked at doing half the course one year and the other half the next year and just playing nine holes at a time. We even tried the one-hole approach, doing one at a time, and we had four completed when we finally decided after talking to some of our annual members that it was best to just close it down for a year, reconstruct it and open up a brand new course.

“It really is a unique talent these ar-chitects have in designing a course. They take aerial photographs of the course and tell you where to put everything. They hand picked which trees would stay and which ones would go. Then they sent us renderings of what each hole would look like. It really is amazing, as you go through the process, to see how you best lay out your course and use the space available to you.”

Authentic MexicanFood

Casa BlancaRestaurant1005 Lamesa Hwy (432) 263 - 1162


Picture PerfectAfter having taken photographs for

more than 40 years, the last 20 or so pro-fessionally, I’m excited to have this op-portunity to share some of the photogra-phy techniques and lessons I’ve learned during that time.

As I pondered what to share with you in my first article, it came to me. Why not start at the beginning, with the basics. The first thing to consider is the type of camera you are going to use. Are you go-ing to shoot film or are you going digi-tal. I recently attended “Texas School”, which is a week long seminar on the Texas A&M campus. It is presented by the Texas Professional Photographers Association. There were almost a thou-sand photographers from forty states and four foreign countries in attendance. The reason I mention this is that every pho-tographer in my class of thirty-three used digital cameras. Every photographer I talked to including the instructors, who are respected professionals, were shoot-ing digital. I have been shooting digital for over six years and in my opinion the quality of digital surpasses film. So what is my point? If your shooting film, its time to “go digital”. If your about to buy a new camera, buy a digital camera.

There are other reasons to buy a digi-tal camera other than image quality. The initial investment is more, but you save money by not buying film or having the film processed. Another benefit is the ability to review your images immedi-ately after you have captured the image. This is so important, especially if this is a once in a lifetime event such as a wed-ding. You can also practice your tech-niques without having to worry about the expense. Once you buy the camera and the memory cards,

ByBruceSchooler

you can take as many photos as you want and it doesn’t cost you a thing. Well maybe some time when you have to edit and archive your files. Which reminds me, don’t forget to edit your photos. With most cam-eras having at least an 8 megapixel sensor, your files will be large. If you don’t delete the poor images, you’ll soon find yourself running out of hard drive space. The good news is that external hard drives are getting cheaper. While we’re on the subject of computers, if you don’t have one you can still go digital. All you have to do is take your memory card to Wal-Mart or another store that has one hour photo services and they will print your files from the card. It’s that simple.

The next decision is whether to go with a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) or a point and shoot camera. Most DSLR cameras have a remov-able lens and are usually more expen-sive than the point and shoot models. If your budget allows, I always recommend the DSLR. The major

manufacturers have entry level cam-eras with a lens starting at less than $500. A good point and shoot camera with a 7x zoom lens is around $300. If you want a camera to shoot sports or wildlife, then a DSLR is almost mandatory. The reason is the shut-ter delay on the point and shoot will hinder your catching the action shots at just the right time. Shutter delay is the time between the pressing of the shutter release button and the taking of the picture. If you have ever used a point and shoot at a football or bas-ketball game, then you know the true meaning of the word frustration.

The most important accessory that is included with your camera is the instruction manual. When people come up to me and ask me a question about the operation of their camera, I usually ask if they have their manual handy. There are so many brands and models of cameras available and each one operates a little differently than the others. Each camera also has so many different features and options, that it is hard to set it up correctly

1600 Gregg St.Big Spring, TX 79720

Christie Larson, Vanessa Ochoa,Jeannie Rutledge, Zac Hall, Leah Hughes

Jeannie RutledgeBroker/Owner

jrutledgerealty.comOffice: 432.714.4900Fax: 432.714.4903


without reading the manual. When you first get your new camera, I recommend that you put batteries in your camera, then get in your favorite chair and go over the manual page by page as you set up your camera and learn its many func-tions.

There are also other ways to educate yourself not only in the use of your camera, but also in the art of photogra-phy. My main resource for many years was photography magazines. I subscribed to every magazine that had the word “Photography” in the title. There are also many books written by photographers that will give you valu-able information to improve your photography. Today there is also the internet that can be used as a resource. There are many sites that will help you learn and improve your photography. A good place to start is the manufacturer of your camera. There is usually a tutorial on how to use their cameras on their website. You can also do a web search on Photography Tutorials and get many sites that will be useful in improving your photographic skills. Another resource is your fellow photographers. I always enjoy it when someone comes up to me and asks questions about their camera or the methods I use to capture my images.

I hope I have given you some information that will help you in making an informed decision when it comes to purchasing a digital camera or getting to know your present camera better. In future articles we’ll discuss more of the basics of good photography, such as the rules of composi-tion, action photography, exposing correctly, and much more.


W elcome to my stu-dio and to a unique glimpse into the mind of an artist. Spring

brings changing landscapes with its blooming colors, the perfect setting for drawing or painting outdoors.

Artists use materials such as paint, paper, canvas, and brushes to create statements of passion, peace, beauty, humor and love. Inspired by our mothers’ and grandmothers’ gardens, modern day artists frequently use photographs or use the Internet. Our photos or live botanical specimens are used as a point of departure, and then our vivid imaginations take over intuitively.

Emerging on the Big Spring art scene in the mid-1980s, I was introduced to the local art associa-tion’s members and methods. That organization began in 1954. Oils and watercolors were the predominant media with oil being the favorite and most lucrative. Today watercolors or

water-media are the most popular in the world. Oils still command higher prices.

Painting en plein air or on location was and still is a common prac-tice not only in the spring but year around.

Monthly meetings of the art as-sociation were packed and always featured a live demonstration. Art supplies were cheap and advice was free. Hobby shops flourished where one could visit, peruse books, talk art, join a class, or have your mas-terpiece framed. Just the smell of linseed oil was enough to bring the most timid painter inside.

The sustainability of traditional landscapes depicting trees, moun-tains, lakes and rivers goes back to the 15th century in Europe. French artists popularized the outdoor scene paintings in the 1800s, while Hud-son River School artists here in the U.S. brought a distinct style during the 19th century. Sales of landscapes

remain consistently strong on the art market and are now more sought after than ever. This versatile genre will work in homes or offices and is no stranger to even the newest col-lector. Floral art and still life follow closely behind in desirability.

Today’s artists must stand out from the crowd as the market for run-of-the-mill landscapes and other subjects are over-saturated. Potential clients want more than to see the work or watch the artist render it; they demand a connection, a feel-ing, and an enthusiasm. Our work must have our own stamp of genuine authenticity reflecting our personal style.

In a world of growing uncertainty, fine art, especially of our environ-ment and changing seasons has the power to help us escape to a more serene existence.

ThinkSpring!

WithKay Smith


June Living 2008

Documents

Transcript of June Living 2008