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22 | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | MARCH 2021 | Art League As I'm writing this and the month of March is approaching, it's hard to believe that it has been a year since our Sun Lakes lives changed so suddenly with this pandemic. But we continue to remain hopeful, even optimistic, that our lives will soon return to normal, and we can resume our regular activities and social gatherings. We are continuing with the current series of articles and getting to know better some of our Art League members. This month we're featuring a couple who is very active in our community - Bette Jo Ford and John Wells. They love to dance, travel, and golf, and they especially love to paint together. Bette Jo, who is a very accomplished artist, has lived in Sun Lakes for 30 years and has won many awards for her paintings; now John has also become very proficient and is finding success too. Look for their beautiful works in the Art League's glass cases at the Main Clubhouse. This is their story as written by Bette Jo: Sun Lakes Art League means so much to me. I have made many good friends and have had the good fortune to paint with many fine instructors. It is exciting to learn the many new ways to view art, and I enjoy painting in many mediums. I find that there is still a lot to learn. Sun Lakes has many great clubs and I have belonged to several over the years. I certainly didn't know that I would someday meet a guy at the Singles Club that would change my life, but not the joy of art. We had both lived here for many years without having met beforehand. We found we had many similar interests... but not art. We were together all the time. When was I going to paint? But clever me.... I set him up with watercolors, gave him some instructions, which he took very well, and he enjoyed it. He has become a real artist, and now we paint together too. We look forward to the Art Show, which is produced by the Art League each year. It's a place to show our works. I am so pleased that John enjoys the shows, meetings, classes, and the adventure of art that I enjoy so much. We will be ready for the next Art Show (hopefully this year) and look forward to learning from the great teachers who come here to give us incentive, and to give us their time. Let's get back to painting! ~ Bette Jo Ford and John Wells Top photo: John Wells & Bette Jo Ford Center photo: Bette Jo's award-winning watercolor painting, "Penny" Bottom photo: A beautiful watercolor done by John