Feature Artist Tillie Farmer

Ben and I moved to Sun City 2 ½ years ago from Garland and Lone Star, TX. We had not sold Ben’s house when we married in 1998. We were still moving from Lone Star two weeks ago.

I joined the Visual Arts Club when we arrived at Sun City to pursue my drawing: I draw portraits in graphite. Ben joined the Photography Club. I had bought him a digital camera for Christmas. Neither of us knew much about digital cameras but they were popular and we had heard they were great. I went with Ben to the first meeting he attended at the Photography Club. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The Photography Club was practicing instant art. It took me hours to create a portrait; they did it in minutes.

Have you guessed what happened next? Ben lost his digital camera. I felt bad about taking it though and bought him a new one later. That was my first exposure to real photography.

My adventure with drawing began in 2001 when I decided that I wanted to draw portraits. I had never exhibited artistic talent but I figured that if I could learn to drive a bulldozer, I could learn to draw portraits. I cleared the Lone Star property after the timber had been cut to prepare it for future planting.

I started by drawing a portrait every day and if I missed a day, I drew two the next day. After about a year people began asking me to do drawings for them. My next challenge was to learn to play the piano. No one has ever asked me to play the piano for them. I still cannot carry a tune in a bucket. But I still play.