Shirley "Zeni" Cole
Born and raised in Texas, I retired after spending 40 years in law enforcement and criminal justice. I married my husband Tom in 2015 and my life has been a whirlwind of travel, adventure, fun, some not so fun, and a whole lot of laughter.
My hobby growing up began with my first "Paint By Number" given to me by my dad before my teen years. At age 13, he bought me my first set of oil paints, brushes, and canvas. Painting remained my hobby until 2015 when my husband encouraged me to sell my paintings. I guess that's when I became a professional artist by definition.
My late husband, Dr. Guy Greenfield, was a published author, but his writing skills did not rub off on me. Plus, my highest grade in English in high school and college was at best a C, and I'll have to admit I didn't know the difference between a verb, adverb, and a proverb. So having any kind of book published is way beyond my wildest imagination, but what a fun journey it's been.
Beginning in 2011, I began writing short blurbs about my thoughts or events of the day and posting them on social media, and readers encouraged me to put my stories in a book. One of the stories I wrote was this poem about Winston and Sophie.
I can be reached at zenicoleart@gmail.com.
Chris Johnson
I was born in West Texas in the '50s. I attended local public schools, Texas Tech University, and then went into the Air Force for four years. I raised a family of 4 and retired from drafting at Zachary Engineering. I have studied under master artists and have my work in national and international locations.
Art is an amazing act of man. It soothes, inspires, and touches the very soul of man. Paint on a canvas, a mark on paper, a form out of stone, and many more, touches our spirit. It is a lifeline to the spirit of man, that shares a common emotion and yet it is a teacher about others and ourselves. To be able to define it is as difficult as describing love, yet we can all identify the emotion it strikes within our being.
My work is primarily figurative. I strive to show the human experience through common experiences and reactions we all have felt with ties that bind our shared experiences. I hope that through gestures, facial expressions, or body language, my work makes the connection. If the connection is made from artist to the viewer, I hope our shared views can reinforce our strength to help each attain a peace knowing we are not in this alone.
I can be reached at 806-282-5984.
