ALLIE SCOTT & THE MAUDE SHOCKLEY ART SHOW

 

Across the Fence

 

By Arvord Abernethy

 

While down town the other day, I had the pleasure of going by and seeing the art show which was sponsored by the Maude Shockley Art Club. Hope you get to see it also.

 

The first section was the children’s and young peoples’ art work, and you would be surprised at the great number of entries and the quality of their work. It may be a long time, but some of them will be Grandmother Moses some day.

 

After looking over the other paintings and displays, I noticed a table covered with cards and on each one was a beautiful flower. I thought at first they were painted, as the colors were so vivid, but on examination found that they were native flowers that had been pressed and placed on the cards.

 

Mrs. R. D. Todd was the hostess at the show at that time, so she told me that they were Mrs. Allie Scott’s and also a little about the work. I called Mrs. Scott and we arranged to meet at the show so she could tell me more about flower pressing.

 

One of the first things I wanted to learn is how she got in to that kind of a hobby, so she told me this story. As most of us know, her daughter, Mary, and her husband Bob Gould, have been doing missionary work for the Presbyterian Church in Zaire , Africa , for a number of years. Bob is an architect, so most of his work is planning schools, churches and other buildings for the denomination. Mrs. Scott and Bob’s mother made a trip to Africa in 1968. The Goulds were expecting their first baby, and since they would be getting a furlough to come home in about a year, they persuaded Mrs. Scot to stay over that time. She wanted to have something to do during the time, so she got a job teaching crafts in a school for missionaries’ children, and one of their projects was pressing wild flowers.

 

Mrs. Scott likes to press the flowers as quickly as possible as that keeps the color brighter, so she has a book along to put them right into. She seems to have a special talent in knowing how to arrange the flowers, leaves and stem in the shape for the best balance and natural beauty.

 

When she gets them home, the book is placed under a lot of weight where they are left for two or three weeks. After that they are glued to the card and then sprayed with Krylon. This puts a very thin, clear film over the flowers so it can be handled.

 

Mrs. Scott is busy now making a large number of small place cards to be used at the head table at the Chamber of Commerce banquet. Each one has a small flower placed on it. She often gives the large cards as gifts, and I’m sure everyone treasures this unique and beautiful gift very highly.

 

There are probably more wild flowers right in this section of the state than anywhere else. Many of them we call pests and wish they had never been created, but place in the hand of an artist, they become things of beauty.

 

Ralph and Cadie Lawrence have done much in the study of wild flowers in Hamilton County , and have made many, many close-up colored slides of them. If you have never seen a presentation of their slides, please don’t miss the next opportunity you have.

Shared by Roy Ables

ACROSS THE FENCE