One teacher plus one student equals two Art is Ageless® winners
When Wanda Webb entered her painting, “Teacher’s Apple,” in the Art is Ageless® competition at Farmington Presbyterian Manor, she had a specific teacher in mind. Wanda has been taking classes with local artist Vada Galvan for about 10 years.
Wanda dedicated her entry with the sentence, “The best apple goes to Vada.” Now, both Wanda and Vada are celebrating. Both women will have pieces in the 2017 Art is Ageless calendar. After winning at the local level, both artists went on to win at the masterpiece level, where they competed with works entered at 16 other Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America communities.
Vada and Wanda missed each other at the exhibit in Farmington, but Vada saw what her student had written on her entry.
“It almost made me cry when I got over there that day and saw it. She’s the most giving person,” Vada said.
Vada began painting in her 30s, when she attended a decorative arts class for painting on objects. She grew to enjoy making her own creations on canvas more. Her winning piece, “Odd Man In,” was inspired by a contest for small paintings that she saw in an art magazine with the theme “Lucky 13.” The 5×7 painting depicts a rotund fellow collecting his 13th gambling chip while holding a rabbit’s foot and four-leaf clover.
“I love painting little fat men; don’t ask me why,” Vada said.
Wanda started taking classes with Vada when she was dissatisfied with her own decorative painting on woodwork. One of her favorite things about Vada’s work is how lifelike it is – as though you could reach out and pick up the objects she paints.
“No matter what your age, or what ability you have, she is able to take you and turn you into an artist,” Wanda said.
Vada says art is her gift from God – and it might be yours, too. That’s one reason she opens every class with prayer.
“I tell my students, if you have the desire in your heart, it didn’t crawl in there on its own,” Vada said. “God put it there, and He will help you.”