Loss of a Friend

It seems that life isn't always fair. Someone that I have great respect for passed away last week. Susan Kell has been a teacher and mentor of mine for around 10 years. When I first got back into painting again I took my first class from her and boy did I hit paydirt! She had a vast knowledge of art to draw from and she shared it with her class. I didn't know what to expect taking a class at a local art center after taking classes in college. I learned more from Susan than any college course I took. I started entering art competitions not long after I started taking classes with her and I would get accepted. Not every time but a surprising number of times I would get in! She would challenge us and push us much further than we wanted to be pushed! While I was taking classes from her, she lost her son, her mother (who had Alzheimers) and also Susan herself had several health problems to deal with. She always seemed to bounce back and she had her art students to keep her going. Her cancer diagnosis came shortly after the birth of her grandson. She only lived a few weeks after that.