Many of our readers will remember Betty Engle from her days as the owner of Lil Bit Country here in Enon. Betty retired from her days of teaching the latest in painting techniques, stamping fun and paper crafting a few years ago, but she continues to reconnect with former students who became friends by organizing a couple of painting opportunities each year.

On February 13^th the weather cooperated to allow Engle to host a visit from Kathie George a long time friend of Engle. George, a resident of Kettering, Ohio has spent more than 25 years as a workshop instructor working primarily with watermedia or collage. George had never taken formal art training until her husband signed her up for a college level course. In the mid 1980’s she resigned her position and began to develop a new career as an artist and instructor.

George held a number of workshops at Lil Bit Country and is always able to fill a class when she returns to Enon. During this visit she instructed a class on her popular original watercolor batik on rice paper technique. Participants traveled from as far away as Toledo to join the group who painted at St. Andrew Lutheran Church during the day long class that featured a summer hollyhock design.

In recent years George has taken her show on the road so to speak by taking her students along to France and Italy for “journey workshops”. Kathie recently went on a painting cruise sponsored by the Decorative Artists of Jacksonville, Florida.   Her workshops fill quickly and she has a hectic schedule planned into 2015 around the U. S. and around the world.

A typical batik workshop finds Kathie bringing along wax pots, brushes, newspaper, irons and of course her traveling water color palate. She inspires her students to achieve what they did not think was possible. Encouraging and teaching come naturally to Kathie and no one leaves a workshop without a piece they can proudly display in their home. Many of the students at the workshop have returned many times and eagerly request that Betty find the time in her busy schedule to arrange for another workshop with her friend Kathie.

If you would like to learn more about Kathie George, her patterns and planned workshops, visit her web site at kathiegeorge.com.

Special thanks to Betty Engle for continuing to share her time and talents with her former students. She manages to balance a busy retirement life and still keeps in touch with her Lil Bit Country friends arranging workshops and art groups each year.