I need to make a confession at the outset here. Many years ago, I did something that no one approved of. I was doomed for failure in everyone’s eyes. I went to art school.

I had started at Memphis State University, studying all the academics, along with some elective art classes. Then it happened. I discovered one of the nation’s best art schools was located in Memphis. Without a word to my parents, I walked out of the university, got on a city bus, and enrolled myself in the Memphis Academy of Arts. I loved it, and as it turned out, won some awards. But where did it get me?

For starters, I met a young man from Arkansas, Tyrone Lewis, who was to become my husband. Tyrone was a talented landscape painter who went on to become quite well-known for his work. We had two daughters together, Whitney and Fielding.

I was fortunate to be able to always get jobs using my talents as an artist. That included work as an advertising artist, display director in a high-end specialty store chain, a mannequin designer, and the list goes on. I even designed an entirely new look for the main floor of the specialty store. Unbeknownst to me, it was duplicated at the New York retail market, where it was not only well received but coined the name “boutique.” Who knew! The store owners got the credit.

In time, my husband, Tyrone, was pressured by his father to join the family lumber business the small, very rural Arkansas town ofMena. There, we were able to continue our art as painters. Tyrone took advantage of the beautiful scenery of Arkansas as subjects for his landscape paintings. He did very well, selling his work in galleries, to private collections and winning awards in national shows. Little did I know that here, life for me would also dramatically change. Art can open doors that the nay-sayers never dreamed could be so.

We became friends with a couple, Donald and Judith Forbis, who had bought a large Arabian horse ranch just outside of town. Judi was an art lover and encouraged me to try my luck at painting horses. Being a huge horse lover, this was a dream come true. With the help and encouragement of Judi, I became immersed in the Arabian horse world, both as an artist and eventually a breeder. I traveled the world, making friends and clients in both Europe, Egypt and the Middle East. My portraits of horses and some of their owners were in demand all over the world.

Then I made another big mistake. Life and some health issues got in the way, and I stopped it all, the art, the travel, everything except breeding my beloved Arabian horses. Before I realized it, years had gone by. Tyrone grew very ill, eventually giving way to cancer and leaving me alone. It was time for the next chapter in my life.

For eight years after his death, I became deeply involved in the running of the local art gallery. Then I picked up my brushes again. New paintings and commissions had me back on my feet again as an artist. So that’s where I am now. Not a failure at all. Art has given me an enviable life, full of the things I love, and the most interesting friends, ranging from stable hands to members of royal families. It’s a great life, and I’m enjoying every minute.

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