I've always loved old buildings.
There was a Civil War-era building in the field behind my house in Delaware when I was young. My Aunt Sara Gilliam knew the owner (John Hunn Brown) and asked permission for us to visit it so that I could write a paper for school. I must have been in the fifth grade. It was so unusual that I remember it to this day. John unlocked the door and we stepped into the dark building with our flashlights. It was so old! There were chains on the wall where slaves had been kept and old saddles hanging on the walls. We carefully climbed upstairs. The floor of the second story didn't go all the way to the walls. It was creepy and sad.
I took class in high school on historical preservation of old buildings. It definitely kept my interest in old buildings alive!
When I moved to eastern Oregon in 1988, there were "ghost houses" everywhere. When my kids were young, we would investigate every old barn and building. Now, most have been burned down. There is too much liability for farmers to have people traipsing around their old buildings (trespassing) and cooking meth.
https://pacificnorthwestadventures.weebly.com/blog/house-on-the-hill
I loved an art book by Claudia Nice called: Painting Weathered Buildings in Pen, Ink and Watercolor 2003. One photo in the book (Red Window) haunted me. I dreamed about it. The next morning I woke up and wrote it down. I was surprised by how fast the words came to me, and the story seemed good enough to publish. I sent it to Cricket, a magazine for kids.
I called Claudia and asked her if I could send a copy of her photo with my story for publication. Of course she said yes. Cricket decided to use their own artist for the illustrations, but I will be forever thankful to Claudia for giving me permission to send it.
Every time I took a class from Claudia, my photographs improved dramatically. She had the ability to compose a painting and teach her students to "see" color, light, and perspective. We were inspired by her imagination, inquisitiveness, skill, and knowledge. Claudia passed away this year (2021) from a fast-growing brain tumor. She is missed by so many of us who took art classes, and I'm sure she is in heaven painting with God. Her books are still available on Amazon.
Claudia Jo Nice
March 22, 1948 - November 8, 2021
Claudia Jo Salzar was born March 22, 1948, in Shelton, Washington, to Rodney and Charlotte Salzar. Claudia was a very accomplished artist and author, having written over 25 books dealing with art instruction, several being interpreted in foreign languages. She taught classes throughout the US and Canada and internationally. Claudia was very active in her church and her love of nature earned her the nickname “Grandma Nature”. She loved to work with the young women at their church camp and teach them about nature and the Savior. Claudia is survived by her husband Jim, daughters Laura and Chandra, 8 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren.
http://brightwoodstudio.com/about/AboutBrightwood%20Studio.html