“My goal as an artist is to serve mankind at the deepest level of my spiritual development through the expression of painting, writing and public speaking.”

My maternal grandmother, Izah Clark, was attuned to my artistic ability when I was a baby. While I was sitting on her lap, I would trace the intricate designs on her dress with my right index finger. She advised my mother to be sure to get art lessons for me at a young age. Since there were artists in my family, both heredity and environment played a natural part in fostering my interest in art. My cousins, Don and Ruth Clark were artists. They attended the Massachusetts College of Art (circa 1920.)

I am the third of four children born in the George and Kathleen Clark Bishop family. I was born in 1951. My mother saved some of my drawings from age 4 or 5 because they showed exceptional ability. Soon after my grandmother passed away in 1958, I received art lessons from a professional artist Bessie Higgins (1897-1995) in Presque Isle, Maine. Higgins studied at the Massachusetts College of Art and taught there until she moved to Presque Isle in 1928.

Drawing and painting have always given me great joy. The process gives me such elation that I do it on a regular basis. If I don’t create for awhile, I feel an urging in my spirit to get back to it. I give God the credit for both my talent and for the desire to study fine art; also, improve my work and share that knowledge with others. God has given us all the ability to create. Some can develop it faster than others.

My passion for sharing and teaching began when I was six years old. I would demonstrate how to draw Donald Duck on a blackboard in our farmhouse kitchen to a number of neighborhood children. My mother documented my progress with photographs.

Teaching is natural for me. I began teaching art privately as a profession in Saugerties, New York in 1977 after studying at the Art Students League. New adult student, Mary Rell wrote in an email to me on 7-16- 2013, “What fun!! I was thrilled to be a part of your talented group. I do not have anyone to compare you to but I can honestly say I found you to be wonderful and easy to learn from. That in itself is quite a skill. Some people have the knowledge but cannot convey the information to others well. My husband was so impressed that he wanted to frame my work…I am still shocked that I was able to accomplish the painting.” (This was her first art class.)

For me, teaching a variety of techniques is the easiest part of being an instructor. However, a real mentor needs to be capable of instilling confidence in the student. I am so passionate concerning my mission as a teacher that many my students set up their own studios at home and continue to practice between classes. Reportedly, my enthusiasm is contagious! My spiritual quest to know God and seek His Will has influenced my passion for art. I am so grateful for this. There is so much beauty that God has created in this world. It exists in every landscape and still life….even in abstraction. More over, beauty can be found in every individual as long as he or she is reacted to with forgiveness and love. I listen as well as look. I have devoted all these years to developing the gift that God has given me.

I love it!” Teaching art, at this studio has been one of my main purposes in life since 1977. More than 800 beginning students have participated in painting and drawing classes, ages 6 through 85. Many friends have been made over the years as a result of this mission in Saugerties, NY.

Kristy Bishop, aged 16. Fort Fairfield, Maine won Runner -Up in a national dress design contest in the magazine “New Ideas for Teens”  1968 along with five others artists across the United States. The Grand Prize winner was Michael McCowan, 15, Jackson, Mississippi with a pale yellow silk dress and coat with black herringbone stripes.

This design was published in the magazine (pictured above.) Black and gold homespun dress belted in soft black leather with matching collar and cuffs.

My mother, Kathleen C. Bishop made sure that I had every opportunity to dress well in our rural Fort Fairfield, Maine. (I received the honor of  being voted “Best Dressed” my senior year of High School.) Mom  sent checks to Vogue magazine advertisers for any clothing that I desired to have back in the late 1960’s. I studied all the magazines and listened to stories about my distant cousin, dress designer: Jessica McClintock. Jessica’s mother, Verna Hendrick invited me to show a painting in the inaugural art show at the Presque Isle,  University of Maine Art Gallery in 1969. I have no record of that exhibited painting of a nude woman riding a Harley Davidson chopped motorcycle. It was lost in California at a later date.

A few of my paintings have not been found over the years. One, a pastel  of Charles Bronson in a saddle 12″ x 9″ was stolen from Howard Johnson Motel Lobby Solo Art Show- Saugerties, NY  in 1973.  It was copied in pastel chalk from a photograph of the actor. The other pastels in the show were of nude models that I painted at the Woodstock summer school, the Art Students League, of which I sold one for $25. The price on Bronson was $100. It was my best portrait to date.

I have been sharing some things with the kids in my teenage art class about my early years in Fort Fairfield, Maine. I suppose it is different for  them to think of me as I was at their age. I find it humorous that they seem to have no clue as to my age now. That is as it should be, I suppose.

Kayleen Kennels, my mom’s business was very successful while we lived in northern Maine.  She researched bloodlines and subscribed to Dog World magazine. As a result of magazine ads and dog show championships, she was able to sell and ship poodles all over the country. Loring Air Force Base was located in Limestone, only a few miles from her place of business. Many customers came from there everyday, including weekends to purchase dogs of many different breeds beside the poodles which made her locally well-known. Because of her business acumen and her magnetic personality – she was busy all the time making money. The picture above shows her advertising her business in the Annual Maine Potato Blossom Festival Parade in 1964 in Fort Fairfield. My girlfriend, Anne Ashby helped us by holding a poodle. There were several in the car that day.

By age 13, I had been driving vehicles on the farm for one year. I was 5′ 7″ tall and the fastest female runner in my class. I had great strength in my legs and arms from throwing bales of straw and hay around the barn and managing horses. It was about this time that I started arm wrestling (with boys) too.

The desire to compete was encouraged by my mother and my father. They made sure that my sister Vicki and I were in every horse show possible and had professional training at Teela-Wooket School of Equitation in Vermont. It was here that I became proficient at archery, too. Hand/eye coordination was developed to help with my artwork as well.

My maternal grandmother proclaimed that I was going to be an artist as young as I am in this photo. As she held me on her lap, she watched me use my right index finger to trace the designs on her dress. The only grandparent that I ever knew was aware of how creative people observe details. My cousins, Don and Ruth Clark were artists in the nineteen- twenties. My mother grew up watching these artists paint in a home next to the Clark residence on Conant Road, Fort Fairfield, Maine. It was natural to look for more artists in the family.

My grammy continued to insist that I was an artist after seeing these drawings. She made my mom promise to get art lessons for me as soon as it would be possible.

I drew everything that I could find in the newspaper – including Donald Duck (pictured here). My mom documented as much as possible with her camera and at age 7, I was off to study with a professional artist, Bessie Higgins in Presque Isle, Maine.

My grandfather passed away in 1944. Grammy Clark left a small inheritance from potato farming for my mother in 1958. It was used well. I benefited from the art lessons and my mother was able to start her own business of raising poodles and other breeds. Kathleen Clark  wanted to be a hair dresser when she was young but the 1929 stock market crash wiped out all bank accounts. The money that was set aside for mom’s education was gone. The farmers rallied. By 1934, Richard and Izah Clark were financially able to buy Kathleen a brand new car – a Lafayette for her high school graduation present. She and George Bishop got married in 1936 and had a son Jerry in 1942 and Hollis in 1944. I came along in 1951 and my sister, Vicki in 1953.

All of us were encouraged to be competitive – whether it was speed boat racing for Jerry or dog shows, horse shows and art shows for me and my sister.  It was a way of improving our skills by being passionate about the gifts that we were given by God.

Talent for anything comes for our Lord and we have the duty to develop it, use it and share it with others. When I see parents bringing young children to me for art lessons, it reminds me of my own experience and how my parents encouraged me by agreeing with me that I was an artist at a young age. All of this brings tremendous joy to everyone involved.