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Lilburn resident becomes part of Artaissance
online program
By
Vivian Heard
Special to GwinnettForum.com
NORCROSS, Ga., March 30, 2007 -- Gwinnett resident Kim English
Marks is one of the newest talents to be welcomed to the Artaissance
family of artists, who provide giclee reproduction works via an
online retail art gallery, which launched in Atlanta in September
2006. Artaissance is an extension of Larson-Juhl, a century-old
custom framing manufacturer, headquartered in Norcross.
Marks |
Artaissance was born from Larson-Juhl CEO Steve McKenzie's desire
to bring his love of art into the business as the complement to
the many collections of frames and framing products already being
offered through his company.
Marks grew up in Doraville, and graduated from Sequoyah High School
prior to attending Brenau Women's College, majoring in commercial
art, while minors in fine art and advertising. She resides in Lilburn
with her husband and two daughters.
Her introduction into the Artaissance family was almost by accident,
as she was very focused on her career in marketing communications
and raising her family. While an artist, it wasn't until she became
one of the "fallout victims" of Sept. 11, 2001 that she
considered turning to her talent as a source of income.
"I hadn't painted since my kids were babies, but I pulled
out my paints and started dabbling again," explained Marks.
"It was small stuff at first, and then I gradually starting
producing more." She began selling art at home parties for
a couple of years. That was six years ago.
Now, Marks' works can be found online via Artaissance and at a
handful of select galleries that include Matilda's in Alpharetta,
Blue Rooster Cafe in Lilburn, Stone Soup in Key West, Fla. and Peak
Experience in Highlands, N.C.
While Marks is still in marketing by day, she eventually wants
art to be her full focus. She laughs, "I have a split personality.
During the day, I'm a marketing businesswoman, and on weekends and
at night, I'm the artist."
Marks has painted all her life. "Both my grandmothers were
artists. My dad's mother quit her job in her 40s and started painting,
and then she opened her own shop in Louisville, Ga.," explains
Marks. "We all painted for entertainment when visiting her."
While all of her cousins participated in the fun art sessions at
their grandmother's house, Marks is the only one who transformed
her artistic abilities into a career. "Grandmother English
was a very learned lady. She resigned from being principal of a
school to draw and paint," recalls Marks.
"I do predominantly watercolor. But I also paint in other
media, including oil and acrylic," says Marks. And even though
canvas isn't a typical medium for watercolor, Marks explains that
certain types of canvas accept watercolor beautifully. "My
technique is secret. The reproduction of watercolors on canvas brings
color up that's very vibrant and that you don't get with other media.
I developed a way to paint to achieve the transparency of watercolor,
along with vibrant colors, too," she shares.
Marks' discovery by Steve McKenzie at Artaissance was a combination
of "who you know" and being a talented artist. "My
brother is a long-time sales associate for Larson-Juhl and introduced
me to the Artaissance concept and I was intrigued," says Marks.
"I was so appreciative that Artaissance was willing to take
on a local artist who was not yet necessarily established. To have
them champion me is such an honor, and I'm excited to be included
in their repertoire of talented artists from all over the world.
Artaissance is huge."
Marks' collections can be seen by visiting her web site, www.KimMarksArt.com.
How about what took place in those good old
days?
By
Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
MARCH 30, 2007 -- Most, we suspect, miss the good times of old.
We'll admit that some of those old times weren't as good as we might
remember. But consider for yourself.
Brack |
The Atlanta Braves: though we're pleased to see baseball season
about to begin, we are not as excited as we have been in the past.
The Braves don't seem the same without that solid cadre of pitchers
that was the nucleus of many a season. We've barely heard of some
of these pitchers, who seem to come and go with regularity. We hope
for the best, but not with the zeal we once had.
Communications: not commercial, mind you, but the type we had years
ago when people sat on front porches in the cool of the evening
and talked. Granted, we sometimes batted mosquitoes, too, but what
we remember were those stories that rolled off the tongue. And do
you remember some of those characters in the stories having those
wonderful names? "Crummy," and "Spider," and
some with Bible names, like Zachariah. Ah, those times!
Automobiles: we'll know that today's cars are far better, last
longer, and are safer. And they have air conditioning. Yet some
of the more memorable trips were in those old flivvers. We remember
one guy telling us years ago of driving his aunt when he was young
to Florida. "We had to stop about every hour and patch a flat
tire," he said of the trip in the 1920s. That's a memory!
Needle work: mothers used to teach their daughters embroidery.
We suspect they don't, and one person contributes that today mothers
teach their sons to sew on buttons and iron. Some of us men might
not think that an improvement.
Entertainment: sure, TV is always in front of us now, but what
does it do for our imagination? Those old radio days, ears glued
to the speaker, allowed our mind to conjure up what we were hearing,
energizing the mind far more than the always-present special effects
with orange-flame explosions, or relentless car chases, ever produced.
Old movies: they had great dialogue, even to the point of having
silent periods, which sometimes built excitement. You seldom see
this today.
Through all of this, one element still lives on: soap operas. Though
the subjects continue to change, and some of the activity is scandalously
modern, and now on TV instead of radio, they march on. We suspect
some of the characters on TV were once on radio. We catch a glance
at them from time to time….and we seemed to only have missed
a tiny part of the story. They may be with us forever.
Home chores: we doubt many homes have real work for kids any more.
They're too busy taking even tiny tots to either sports games or
a play date. What happened with teaching kids to have a garden,
and them looking forward to the 4-H Club? How many of today's high
school graduates know how to plant a rose bush, or have a garden?
That lack of physical work has led us to the exercises we require
today, and workouts in fitness centers. Better off?
Ah yes, the good old days. One guy put it this way: "Things
are not the same," then added: "But then…they never
were."
 The
public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
to you at no cost to readers. Today sponsor is Walton EMC Natural
Gas, headquartered in Monroe. Walton EMC Natural Gas brings
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that its parent, Walton EMC, has delivered to its Gwinnett electric
consumers for 70 years. And month after month, Walton EMC Natural
Gas has been Georgia's low price leader for your natural gas needs,
according to information from the Georgia Public Service Commission.
Call 770/267-2505 or visit www.waltonemcgas.com
to become the next satisfied Walton EMC natural gas customer.
Doggy dining
Another great cartoon from Bill McLemore:
Chamber
Success Breakfast to hear Charlie Brown April 13
Charlie Brown, president and CEO of CRB Realty Associates, shares
his secrets to success at the April 13 Success Lives Here breakfast
of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. For 19 years Brown was president
of Technology Park/Atlanta.
Brown, who lives in Duluth, is a graduate of the Georgia Institute
of Technology, where he received a B.S. degree in Building Construction
from the College of Architecture. He practiced architecture for
a short time before entering the commercial real estate field in
Atlanta. Since that time, he has been in real estate brokerage,
consulting and marketing.
The meeting will be at the 1818 Club, 6500 Sugarloaf Parkway, beginning
at 7:45 a.m. The cost is $45 for Chamber members; $55 for non-Chamber
members.. Registration deadline is April 10.
Snellville plans beautification
day at Briscoe Park April 14
The fourth annual Park Beautification Day at T.W. Briscoe Park
in Snellville is set for Saturday, April 14 beginning at 8:30 a.m.
The day will begin with a complimentary breakfast in the Betty B.
McMichael Room at Briscoe Park for all volunteers. This event is
sponsored by Home Depot Landscape Supply in Snellville.
Project assignments will be given out to participants and work
will begin at 9 a.m. Lunch will be served at noon for the volunteers.
Educational materials and donated items will be available for children.
The Snellville Recycling Center will also be offering tours of
the facility during the day. Stop by the Briscoe Park office or
visit our website at www.snellville.org for a registration form,
prior to April 6. For more information, call (770) 985-3535.
Great Gwinnett Clean-Up
set for April 28 this year
The 2007 Great Gwinnett Neighborhood Cleanup will be Saturday,
April 28, says Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful, sponsor of the event.
The focus of the Clean-Up will be two key road segments in the
Norcross and Lawrenceville areas, where graffiti, litter, and illegal
dumping have scarred the landscape and become a chronic challenge.
Hundreds of volunteers will show their pride in Gwinnett by removing
graffiti, picking up litter, mending fences and landscaping along
these roads.
The two areas identified specific blighted areas are along Mitchell
Street in Norcross and Oakland Road near Lawrenceville. Immediate
action is needed in these areas.
Connie Wiggins, C&B executive director, says: "It's a
proven fact that when neighbors are ambivalent to visible decay
in their communities, they will soon be faced with even more serious
challenges of vandalism, environmental destruction, and increased
criminal activity. By participating in The Great Gwinnett Neighborhood
Cleanup and showing their pride in Gwinnett, volunteers will reverse
the trend in these areas, set a positive example of community improvement
and inspire others in the community to do so at every opportunity."
She adds: "The vision for Cleanup is modeled after Keep America
Beautiful's national Great American Cleanup program. The goal is
to engage more citizen volunteers and offer strategic support to
neighborhoods throughout our community that need focused attention.
We will work to build a model program that educates and inspires
citizens in Gwinnett to care for their neighborhoods year-round."
Registration continues until April 20. Registration forms are available
online at www.gwinnettcb.org
or call 770-822-5187 for additional information.
Any volunteer age 12 and over can participate. Individuals or groups
of volunteers are welcome.
Suwanee
city manager leaves for return to home state
Watkins |
After being the City of Suwanee's first city manager, a tenure
of nine years, Hardin Watkins will become Town Manager for Garner,
N.C. on April 30. Watkins is returning to his home state. He is
a graduate of the University of North Carolina. The City of Suwanee
has grown from approximately 5,000 residents to 15,700 while he
has served. The town also now employs 88 people. Garner has about
25,000 residents, is eight miles south of Raleigh, and counts 155
on its staff.
Gwinnett Federal Credit
Union wins national recognition
Gwinnett Federal Credit Union has received the Credit Union National
Association's Louise A. Herring Philosophy in Action Award. The
award recognized credit union programs that demonstrate a commitment
to the practical application of the industry-wide philosophy of
"People Helping People."
When Marshall Boutwell, CEO and president of Gwinnett Federal Credit
Union, learned that a Bosnian couple intended to use a credit union
signature loan as a down payment to finance a vehicle, he denied
the signature loan but approved a low-interest vehicle loan for
the couple.
Rarely does a loan denial launch a positive word-of-mouth campaign,
but news regarding the vehicle loan soon spread among the Bosnian
immigrant population in the community. This resulted in loans to
Bosnian members growing to 10 to 15 percent of the credit union's
loan portfolio. The credit union now has at least one Bosnian-speaking
employee at each branch, translates materials into Bosnian, and
has prepared a promotional DVD in the Bosnian tongue. Gwinnett Federal
now serves approximately 60 to 70 percent of the Bosnian households
in the community.
Boutwell adds: "The credit union understands that most immigrants
have a legitimate reason for not having a credit history, so Gwinnett
Federal assumes they are creditworthy. Our efforts are aimed at
helping integrate immigrants fully into the American economy. By
serving the underserved members, we illustrate the credit union
philosophy and demonstrate the human side of what we do.
Loganville bank gives
defibrillator to City of Snellville
The Community Bank has given a ZOLL Automated External Defibrillator
(AED) to the City of Snellville. Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer and Kathi
Clotfelter, recreation program supervisor, acceped the unit. The
bank is headquartered in Loganville and has a branch in Snellville.
Three years ago, the daughter of an employee from The Community
Bank died unexpectedly while playing at a birthday party. The incident
raised question if having a defibrillator would have helped.
From that point, The Community Bank was on a mission to get AEDs
into the local schools. They started in Walton County and continued
in Newton County, donating a defibrillator to every school and two
for each high school. The gift of the device will bring the total
AEDs for the department to three, said Parks and Recreation Director,
Cyndee Bonacci.
Favorite Wildflower Walks in Georgia
 Carol
and Hugh Nourse have penned a handsome, 213-pictured full-color
trail book on wildflower walks in four regions of Georgia. Altogether,
there are 20 walks on public land, telling how to get to each walk
in detail (with maps), and telling you what to look for. It's destined
to be a favorite with wildflower lovers and hikers for years. The
authors draw upon their years of experience seeking wildflowers,
and give you both their common and scientific names. There's also
a page showing peak flowering periods for the various walks. The
book is a proud one out of the University of Georgia Press. It's
190 pages, with index, and cost $19.95, available at most bookstores.
--eeb
- An invitation: What
Web sites, books or restaurants have you enjoyed? Send us your
best recent visit to a restaurant or most recent book you have
read along with a short paragraph as to why you liked it, plus
what book you plan to read next. --eeb
Research
in Georgia determines cause of pellagra
Pellagra,
a disease caused by a dietary deficiency in vitamin B (niacin),
was seen in the southern United States after the Civil War (1861-65).
Goldberger |
In the early 1900s it was thought to be an infectious disease,
but studies conducted by public health physician Joseph Goldberger
at the Milledgeville State Hospital in Georgia showed that it was
related to diet. Death statistics indicate that pellagra may have
been one of the most severe nutritional deficiency diseases ever
recorded in the United States. Symptoms include dermatitis, diarrhea,
inflammation of the mucous membranes, and even dementia. Pellagra
can flare in strong sunlight. Left untreated, the condition results
in death.
The incidence of pellagra increased greatly in the early 20th century.
In 1909 more than 1,000 estimated cases were reported from 13 states.
By 1911 pellagra was reported in all but nine states, and the number
of cases increased ninefold. From 1906 to 1940 approximately three
million cases and 100,000 deaths were attributed to this disease.
It was most prevalent in the southern states, where income level
was low and most of the available land was used for such cash crops
as cotton and tobacco rather than food crops. By 1920 pellagra had
became a serious illness in Georgia, where 432 deaths were attributed
to the disease. During 1928-29, at its peak incidence, pellagra
was the eighth or ninth leading cause of death besides accidents
in the South.
Economic recovery and the enrichment of flour with niacin improved
diet and health in areas where pellagra had been common. This made
possible the elimination of pellagra by the end of the 1940s.
Here's why huffing
and puffing to top of hill is wonderful
"It is easier to go down a hill than up, but the view is from
the top."
-- English Novelist, Playwright, Essayist Enoch Arnold Bennett
(1867-1931), via Cindy Evans. Duluth.
Send your thoughts, 55-word short stories, pet peeves
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Forum for future publication.
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