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(CARL DUNCAN | CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS) Local artist Jill Paschal whose are is featured on the Facebook page 3 Dots & 1 Dash which features many art mediums. At left is a A lion painting created by Paschal for her granddaughter.
Webster says a neighbor is a person who lives close by or in your neighborhood. What Mr. Webster did not clarify is a size requirement for neighborhoods. I like to think that the 9,000 people in town are all part of my neighborhood.
I guess you could say Jill Paschal and I became friends because of butterflies. I needed someone, an artist, to draw a 4 foot by 4 foot butterfly for a community project I plan to do a little later in the year. I can’t draw, so I went to visit my neighbor Anita at the Quilt Box on Fourth Street, she provided just the resource I needed.
Anita told me to walk across the street into the Coca Cola Building and there I would find an artist named Jill Paschal in the FedEx shipping office. I found Jill there and told her about my project and what I needed. Jill agreed to draw a stencil and cut it out from a large sheet of cardboard to make it easy for me to use; she created the stencil at no charge for the community project I will be donating.
A few days later, I dropped in to check on the stencil’s progress and met JW, Jill’s husband, and he handed me a perfect butterfly stencil. I returned to the FedEx shop later in the week to personally thank Jill for the stencil, to find out more about her art, and to ask if I may write story about her talent. She graciously consented and shared that she liked to help others explore their creative side.
Jill sets up group sessions that have a “fun with friends” atmosphere for an easy and enjoyable creative learning experience.
When I convinced her to show me some of her artwork, she shared a picture of the lion painting featured in this story and I was blown away by her talent. Jill created this amazing piece of art for her granddaughter.
To see more of Jill’s amazing art, check out her Facebook page 3 Dots & 1 Dash, or join in some creative fun by signing up for a crafting event at The Red Brick Rose.
Shortly after meeting and getting to know about Jill and her artwork, I was visiting with Wendy at the bank and asked if she knew Jill and what a great artist she is? Wendy said she was acquainted with her, through the bank, but she had no idea she was such a talented artist.
This is why I write stories about a bull rider from Brazil, or a lady who is a rockstar to every preschooler at the Library, and a wonderful artist at the FedEx store; you just never know who you’re talking to and of the talent they hold, until you get to know the people in your neighborhood.
Duncan's previous two articles focused on locals Brandi Duncan and Alex Cardozo.
