J' shui ~artist bio
~At the age of five I was told that I could be anything that I wanted to be. That didn't quite work out for me because after days of pensive deliberation I chose to be a painted pony! I had it all planned out right down to colors and the markings. So grudgingly my second choice was to be a famous artist. Okay, that sounds real hoakey, but in the artistic family that I was born into all the famous artists were the deal. So I thought that I would like to be the deal too.
In the 1950's my mother did a great thing when for my seventh or eighth birthday she gave me tube watercolors and real hair brushes. She shared with me her 'good' paper. At a very young age I had already attended art classes at Washburn in Topeka, our house was full of original art works from relatives and friends and my father told me weekly NOT to grow up and be a poor artist. But that is exactly what I did.
At the age of sixteen I was awarded a scholarship to the University of Kansas to attend a summer session of drawing and painting. This is also when my mother trucked home a loom intended for herself that she had found at a garage sale. I immediatly began weaving. It was as if I already knew how to weave. Later we were to learn that the family name of Webster, when translated means 'female weaver' and in the family history there were indeed many weavers. I attended KU working on a double major under a VA Bill from my father's war service to study textile design, drawing and painting. The funds ran out and I never graduated. And though becoming well known in Lawrence during my 30 years of textile skills I can tell you that I was actually always painting in my head.
A life of the arts developed, including candle making, textiles, spinning, the dying of yarns, creating original designs of leather vests for local rock stars, basketry, batik, sewing and photography. But oddly no painting. After my two sons Aaron and Hagen were born I did a stint for my eldest brother Alan at his Heartland Art Bronze foundry doing moulding, wax chasing and spru-up. I also worked for Reuter Pipe Organ as the pattern and slide maker. All this adding to my many years of local retail and gallery positions. At this time I began to develop symptoms of a serious illness. With in the next year I began a less physically taxing job postion at Allen Press, Inc as the operator of a large flat bed scanner for art images. But, faced with a diagnosis of SLE Lupus, shortly after my divorce I moved to the isle of O'ahu, Hawai'i in 2003 for better health. In doing so I left my family and my most beloved Dalmatian dogs Rocket and Lucky behind, but secretly was living a life long dream.
Living in the islands my health began to thrive again and I began to do ink sketches and watercolors during beach times. Hawai'i is so inspiring in it's beauty and the ocean became my best friend as I learned to surf, did outrigger canoe paddling and snorkling. When in salt water there is no pain for me. I loved it! My Tuffie jeep faithfully took me all over the island to experience all that I could see and do.
During a visit to O'ahu my mother noticed me tearing up my painting after a session on the North Shore. I explained that I didn't keep my work, but was just practicing. She made me promise not to destroy any more paintings and I began to send them to family in Kansas and giving them away to my friends in Hawai'i.
Weekly beach excursions of painting and photography, even learning to make wine became the norm. I studied at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, worked for Aloha United Way as 'Lulu' a 211 referral operator, was the volunteer coordinator in the funding office for the USS Arizona Memorial and the shipping manager for the Island Art Galleries of Honolulu. But a year of bad luck and surgery for bone disease began to take its toll. During the economic crash of 2008 I returned unemployed to the mainland. Frustrated by my health, I took up oil painting for the first time. That led to the painting of larger watercolors and I found that painting 'da mangoes to be great therapy! Like so many others with serious health and constant pain issues I have found my art work to be my life saver.
Now once again in Kansas and living with my now ex husband Paul, I enjoyed so much to be able to care for our two dogs again. Saddly they passed in the winter of 2011 after living long doggie lives of fourteen years. Then in the summer of 2011 for my 60th birthday a Dalmatian puppy named Anticipation Bodacious Gracie Green Eyes was the best present ever!
Paul has given my colorful art work the name of J'shui~ as in Joie's feng shui because I practice feng shui and try to blend those positive energy principles into my work. And I do so hope that you enjoy it as much as I enjoy creating it.
miss Gracie may 2011
Rocket may 1997- april 2011
Lucky august 1997- february 2011
Gracie
spring 2013
~ being disabled my dog gives me companionship and she keeps me moving. After the loss of our two 'blacks' I became very sedentary working alone on paintings. Luckily for me her breeder Donna Truitt of Anticipation Dalmatians chose to place Gracie with us and I have been busy ever since! The camera loves her and she is famous on my FB page in her own short photo stories. Gracie is a liver 'patch' Dalmatian bred for agility. She loves frisbee and stealing slipphas and kitchen towels to trade back for cookies!
spring 2013
~ being disabled my dog gives me companionship and she keeps me moving. After the loss of our two 'blacks' I became very sedentary working alone on paintings. Luckily for me her breeder Donna Truitt of Anticipation Dalmatians chose to place Gracie with us and I have been busy ever since! The camera loves her and she is famous on my FB page in her own short photo stories. Gracie is a liver 'patch' Dalmatian bred for agility. She loves frisbee and stealing slipphas and kitchen towels to trade back for cookies!