Artist's passion has roots in childhood

I have known Lucille Bradburn of Clovis for 30 or 40 years, give or take a few years. She was born Jan. 27, 1929, two years older than this columnist.

She has always been busy writing to people, emailing to people across the country, and I have helped her get into the Pintores. She is a member and past president of Clovis-Portales Art Council, and for several years Co-Chairman with retired Eastern New Mexico University Art Professor Dale Hamlett of the Council’s International Art Shows.

At Grand Junction High School, Lucille was one of four picked to paint a mural for the teen center. While studying under Alvie Redden (Mesa State College at Grand Junction, Colo.) she illustrated the stories for the English Publication of 1948.

Alter coming to Clovis in 1948, she studied under Dr. Dean Merritt (Artist Laureate of France, but now deceased), Leona Head, Ridgley Whiteman, Marie Tidwell and Bruce DeFoor of Clovis and James Hall of Ruidoso.

Mrs. Bradburn exhibited paintings at the Curry County Fair (Blue Ribbons), Pintores Fall Show at Clovis Carver Library, Clovis Community and the New Mexico State’s Vibrant Elders Show.

Also the Federal Building in Santa Fe, N.M. with the New Mexico Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe requesting and receiving a painting for their permanent collection.

Her “Indian Potter” watercolor was published in the “Curry County Heritage Bicentennial Booklet in 1975. (Lucille painted better pictures than this so called artist, Don McAlavy).

Lucille has always been interested in art from early childhood and received encouragement and supplies from here two aunts, Mattie and Cora Fulton. In return Lucille encouraged her children, the neighborhood children and experiment with art forms and they appreciate art. Lucille is continuing with art work and many other projects. And I get emails from her about every other week telling me about the political goings-on in Washington, D.C.

She is a dyed-in-the-wool Republican, but so am I mostly, but I kind of think our present President Obama, is doing pretty good so far. I think he’s making a go of it. Let’s watch another year or so and see what happens.

Let’s all pray to God that we still have the best country in the world. Keep at your work, Lucille! I think our country is doing what it should be doing. It’s getting better!