In my line of work I meet and talk to artists every day. I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to most art. If I go to an art fair, and you're the world's greatest painter, I might not see your work, because I'm looking for printmakers.
I don't care if you are a screen printer, an etcher, lithographer or a relief printer. Mixed media - as long as part of it is a print technique - is great!
But the other day I was thinking about the many other areas in life that we encounter artists. Performing artists abound in the theater and concert halls. Art is everywhere in our lives, and thank God for it. On a recent trip to Lithuania, we were entertained by the opera performers doing Aida in Vilnius. We visited studios and galleries in Vilnius and Kaunas, but I have to admit that my favorite artist is pictured above - my wife's couisin by marrriage - Solis.
The last time Solis drew a picture was probably in grade school, and the last time he sang was likely in the shower, but when it comes to making beer, the man is a virtuoso! In the small town of Vabalinka off of the paved roads, Solis and his wife Alma and their two daughters farm a plot of ground on what was formerly a collective farm. It's not large by corporate farms standards, but it's large enough to support them and hopefully make a profit.
Alma's cousin Sigita was my wife Susan's pen pal during the '50's and '60's. They met for the first time about four years ago. Neither family has a lot of money, but they are rich in many ways....love of family, pride of country and lots of hard work have shaped them into some of the richest people I know
