Suzanne Robertson
03-02-2011, 07:21 PM
All my life I have heard the story about my mother pickling eggs and my dad selling those eggs in the local bars. What I didn?t know was why. Apparently our family decided to move from El Paso, Texas and buy a farm in Payson, Utah. (That is where I was born.) The money from the sale was kept in a wooden jug and it was all in silver dollars. Don thinks that?s how my dad was paid but I?m sure my dad went to the bank and had the money changed. As long as I can remember my dad carried silver dollars in his pocket. Every so often the jug would be emptied and the family would count the money. I have no idea how long it took but at last there was enough? something like $3,000.00
I was probably in the sixth grade when we moved to the farm in Payson. Every time we counted the money in our jar my mom would talk about how wonderful farm life would be with cows, and chickens and horses, even a garden. She always lamented the fact that lilacs didn?t grow in Texas. Buying a farm seemed almost romantic at that point.
After the move I quickly became aware that farm life meant chores, and there were plenty of them. We had to haul hay, weed the garden, pick the apples and care for the animals. We fed cows, we washed cows and we milked cows by hand. Cows don?t take a day off so neither did we.
There was a reprieve when I discovered a small theatre, The Star, that periodically showed a Disney movie. I would ride my horse Flash the three miles into town, tie him to a tree and go to the movies. There I could escape the farm. Over the next few years I watched Melody Time, Make Mine Music, So Dear to My Heart, Pinocchio and Alice in Wonderland. It was Alice in Wonderland that held me spellbound. The colors were so harmonious, so vivid. Others were eating popcorn, I was mesmerized.
Then I would ride Flash back home whistling the songs that were in the movie, reliving what I had just seen. I would buy all the comic books I could afford and I would draw. Escaping into the attic of our little wood framed farm house where I had a tiny desk, I drew and drew.
I had an experience there that I didn?t understand until much later. I would draw a picture and be quite pleased with myself only to return to it in the next day or two to find I was dissatisfied. Years later someone explained to me that when you are creating you are growing, your talent is enlarged. When you return to your artwork it is obsolete, it no longer fits the vision in your head.
With that experience in play I soon quit copying and began to make things of my own. I wanted to get better? that became my theme? get better, get better.
To be continued?
One thing you might not know about Don is that he is an animal lover. Stray cats are always welcome. His dogs feast on an amazing and very healthy homemade concoction. They are even allowed to take a dip in his pool. Although he didn?t love the chores on the farm he loved the animals both domestic and wild. His experiences there have had a trickle down affect in his movies. He is truly a gentle man.
Suzanne
I was probably in the sixth grade when we moved to the farm in Payson. Every time we counted the money in our jar my mom would talk about how wonderful farm life would be with cows, and chickens and horses, even a garden. She always lamented the fact that lilacs didn?t grow in Texas. Buying a farm seemed almost romantic at that point.
After the move I quickly became aware that farm life meant chores, and there were plenty of them. We had to haul hay, weed the garden, pick the apples and care for the animals. We fed cows, we washed cows and we milked cows by hand. Cows don?t take a day off so neither did we.
There was a reprieve when I discovered a small theatre, The Star, that periodically showed a Disney movie. I would ride my horse Flash the three miles into town, tie him to a tree and go to the movies. There I could escape the farm. Over the next few years I watched Melody Time, Make Mine Music, So Dear to My Heart, Pinocchio and Alice in Wonderland. It was Alice in Wonderland that held me spellbound. The colors were so harmonious, so vivid. Others were eating popcorn, I was mesmerized.
Then I would ride Flash back home whistling the songs that were in the movie, reliving what I had just seen. I would buy all the comic books I could afford and I would draw. Escaping into the attic of our little wood framed farm house where I had a tiny desk, I drew and drew.
I had an experience there that I didn?t understand until much later. I would draw a picture and be quite pleased with myself only to return to it in the next day or two to find I was dissatisfied. Years later someone explained to me that when you are creating you are growing, your talent is enlarged. When you return to your artwork it is obsolete, it no longer fits the vision in your head.
With that experience in play I soon quit copying and began to make things of my own. I wanted to get better? that became my theme? get better, get better.
To be continued?
One thing you might not know about Don is that he is an animal lover. Stray cats are always welcome. His dogs feast on an amazing and very healthy homemade concoction. They are even allowed to take a dip in his pool. Although he didn?t love the chores on the farm he loved the animals both domestic and wild. His experiences there have had a trickle down affect in his movies. He is truly a gentle man.
Suzanne