Opinion

Artist Tatiana Lee lets the universe guide her paintings

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Tatiana Lee’s home is wallpapered in her paintings.

The Snyder Mountain resident has been painting so much that the walls of her home — living room, kitchen, bedrooms, hallways and even the bathrooms — are fi lled with her framed paintings large and small.

Painting, she says, is like opening a letter: The universe sends a message, and all she has to do is read it on the canvas. Sometimes she starts with, as she puts it, “an empty canvas and an empty head,” not knowing where the paint and her brush will take her.

She calls it an artistic pareidolia, which is like seeing shapes in clouds or faces in rocks.

“Why fi ght it?” she asked. “If a face or birds or an elephant want to be on the canvas, then they need to be there.”

For instance, she decided to paint the rings of Saturn, but as she was painting, a face appeared out of nowhere. Rather than painting over it, she left the face in the painting.

“I don’t think to paint,” she said. “I start painting something realistic, and then the painting takes over.”

Artist Tatiana Lee stands in front of some of her paintings on the walls of her

home. PHOTOS BY DEB HURLEY BROBST

She believes her paintings are part God and part nature fi ltered through her.

“Nature shows you its soul,” she said. “The beauty is in front of you, and it has the capacity to heal people’s souls and bring them closer to God. Only humans can understand God’s genius and really see his message.”

Some of Lee’s paintings take a few hours while others can take a few weeks.

“Some are so magical,” she said, “they fl y out of you with no hesitation or breaks.”

She employs every technique imaginable, which is why each painting is unique from fantasy to Picasso-like to realistic.

Rob Lee, Tatiana’s husband of 17 years, is a musician, and he works downstairs in his studio while she paints upstairs in her studio with lots of light and beautiful views to

Artist Tatiana Lee paints in her home studio on Snyder Mountain.

the west.

He said their home was like a museum with Tatiana’s paintings on the walls, and the two are opposites, so they complement each other like ying and yang.

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Opinion

Commentary by a columnist or letter writer is the opinion of the author and does not re ect the view of Evergreen Newspapers. Opinion-page items o er one point of view; stories on the news pages strive to incorporate all sides of an issue.

Some legislative help is given, but more is needed

In a quick-and-effi cient three-day special session last week, the General Assembly put approximately $300 million back into Colorado’s economy with funds targeted for those who’ve been most impacted economically by the COVID-19 crisis.

When the legislature passed the budget for the 2020-21 fi scal year in June, economic forecasts were at their worst. As state revenues are better in the fi rst half of the year than had been predicted, resources became available to help those who had been impacted most by the pandemic. The 10-bill, bipartisan specifi cally targeted package will put additional funds into the economy with hopes that it will save businesses on the brink of failure and help people until Congress acts or the economy can get back to normal.

Restaurants and bars will receive the most benefi ts as they will be In a typical year, the holidays are a fun, but often stressful time with lots to plan and do. With this year’s COVID-19 pandemic in full swing, this holiday season could be uniquely challenging as many families face having to modify or miss out on cherished holiday traditions.

Many have already managed big changes in their daily routines. Those changes will impact how we celebrate. Even more, many holiday events may just not happen at a time when we are already missing family and friends, which can feel like a bit of a “perfect storm.”

Missing out on connecting in-person with the people we care about at the holidays can cause sadness and disappointment, in addition to the stress and anxiety many are already feeling. This stress and anxiety can negatively impact mental and physical health. But there are things we can do to cope and boost our mental and emotional well-being during the holidays, including; able to keep state sales tax revenues they collect from November through February and are eligible for grants that will be administered through counties with the most GREG severe pandemicROMBERG related restricCOLUMNIST tions. Other small businesses are also eligible for grants. Additionally, there are specifi c opportunities for arts organizations and minorityowned businesses.

Funds are also available for childcare providers and food banks and to provide assistance with utility bills, broadband funding for schools and housing. To allow funds to be accessed more quickly and to save • Talking with others and making time to connect virtually. It can be helpful to share your worries and feelings with others. • Schedule time for activities you enjoy and take time to relax. • Take breaks from listening to the news, watchDR. TODD ing TV or checkWISSER COLUMNIST ing social media to keep your mind clear of potentially upsetting news. • Try stretching and other mindful activities, such as meditation or deep breathing. • Continue to stay healthy by eating balanced meals and getting plenty of good rest.

If stress and worry continue and you are experiencing changes in appetite, diffi culty sleeping, diffi culty administrative costs, most of the programs will piggyback on previous distribution efforts.

Some lawmakers expressed consternation that the package was picking winners and losers as it targeted specifi c entities for state aid instead of distributing funds to all Coloradans. While it’s a reasonable concern, the fact is that winners and losers (as least to the degree that the virus has affected all of us) have already been chosen by how different people and industries have been harmed differently. Given the relatively small amount of money that was available, it was imperative that the most dramatic needs be prioritized.

Bills to limit powers of the governor during states of emergencies and to shift public education funds away from schools and to parents were introduced by Republican legislators but were quickly disconcentrating or increased use of substances, such as alcohol, tobacco or other drugs, you may want to reach out to your doctor to talk about fi nding appropriate support.

It may be especially challenging for older adults who are struggling with loneliness and isolation because they have been avoiding crowded places for months for fear of getting severely sick from COVID-19.

Check in on older adults by: • Being creative about social distancing during visits, such as sitting on the porch or in the yard and visiting from across the lawn or driveway. • Sending regular postcards or letters and rediscover the joy of good old snail mail. • Asking about their health and wellness routines such as regular exercise, a healthy diet, quality sleep and receiving recommended health screenings and management of health conditions. patched. While the fi nal result of the special session was bipartisan and cooperative, there was a partisan undercurrent in the House of Representatives that included a call for businesses to violate health orders as form of social disobedience and several legislators refusing to were masks.

Colorado state government should be commended for doing what it could in the special session to provide assistance to its most needy people and businesses. But the people of our state’s needs are much greater than what was able to be accomplished. Unless and until broader resources are made available by the federal government, there will continue to be signifi cant needs by many Coloradans.

Greg Romberg is president of Romberg and Associates. He lives in

Managing what could be a perfect holiday storm

Evergreen with his wife, Laurie.

• Trying senior-friendly tech products such as smart devices designed to address the needs of seniors. There are simplifi ed phone and tablet options with large text and buttons, as well as added security features to keep scammers and spammers at bay. • Consider setting up a plan with the person’s other family members and friends so there is a schedule to help safely stay in regular touch using technology to bridge the distance.

If you or someone you know have thoughts about suicide, seek help right away. To talk with a trained counselor, you may call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline any time at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-2738255).

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911 — or go to the closest emergency room.

Dr. Todd Wisser is an internal medicine physician with New West Physicians in Evergreen.

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December 9, 2020 Downtown Morrison businesses to get an early gift

Town to waive water, wastewater fees in December

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Santa is coming early to 21 downtown Morrison businesses after Town Board members said they plan to waive those December water and wastewater bill payments.

Board members said at their Dec. 1 meeting they really wanted to help downtown businesses that are suffering both because of COVID-19 restrictions and the closure of Highway 74 between Morrison and Idledale.

The move, which will be formalized at the Dec. 15 meeting, is expected to cost the town between $6,000 and $7,000. Town offi cials are still working out a plan to make up that money in the town budget, according to Town Manager Kara Winters.

The board also relaxed the temporary-use permit rules for businesses wanting to erect tents. The new ordinance adopted on Dec. 1 allows them to erect tents or similar structures, extends the permits from 90 to 180 days and lowers the waiting period for comments from 15 days to fi ve days before the permit is issued.

In addition, the board adopted an ordinance that requires that fooddelivery services cannot add more than a 15 percent surcharge to bills, similar to requirements in other cities such as Commerce City and Colorado Springs. Violators will be subject to a $500 fi ne, though restaurants have the option to allow the delivery services to charge a higher percentage.

Town attorney Gerald Dahl said the ordinance was a good start, adding: “We’ll get some feedback, and we may have to come back with some adjustments to fi ne-tune it for the Morrison experience.”

Regarding the one-month utility bill forgiveness, board members said the town couldn’t afford much because its revenues were down, too, but the waiver would show businesses that town offi cials were doing what they could.

“We understand there is not much fi nancially the town can do for you,” Mayor Sean Forey said, “… but we know you have problems, and we’d

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Gray wolves in Colorado?

I believe that the voters who voted yes on Proposition 114 deserve to receive the initial shipments of crates of “cuddly critters” from Canada delivered to their own doorsteps! But seriously now, why do we have like to help.”

The board is waiting to adopt a resolution in support of the bill forgiveness on Dec. 15 because of a provision in the Colorado Constitution that doesn’t allow government entities to help private businesses unless there’s a public benefi t.

“There’s a clear public benefi t for the town to be doing this because your intention is to keep retail businesses viable,” Dahl explained, “and that’s a public purpose because you collect sales tax. It’s important to articulate that in a resolution.”

OFFICIALS WANT ROAD CONSTRUCTION SIGNS TO BE MORE ACCURATE

Morrison o cials are looking into the signage notifying drivers of the closure of Highway 74 between Morrison and Idledale, especially because the tra c decline is hurting downtown businesses.

They are concerned that the temporary signs say the road is closed for rockfall mitigation work when, in fact, it is open on poor-weather days and on holidays. They hope the Colorado Department of Transportation can get the contractor doing the work to change or turn o the signs when the road is open.

Garry Briggs, owner of Morrison Liquor, told the town board on Dec. 1 that the decrease in tra c is causing him to lose $200 a day in revenues. He wondered why it was taking fi ve months to complete the work, noting that he was losing business because Idledale, Kittredge and east Evergreen folks were driving into Evergreen instead.

CDOT spokeswoman Presley Fowler said the project was on schedule, and she would bring up the sign question with the contractor, Midwest Rockfall.

She said people who sign up for notifi cations about the project get messages when the road is open. Notices about road closures and openings are also available at www.codot.gov/projects/co-74-rockmitigation-je co.

Workers are conducting rock-scaling operations, installing anchored wire mesh and other rock reinforcement, and using a polyurethane resin to fi ll the void between loose rocks to secure them. The $2.9 million project is forcing the closure of Highway 74 in case some rockfall spills onto the highway. The project is expected to be completed in mid-February.

a CPW staff of professional wildlife biologists, as well as the Colorado Wildlife Commission, be overruled by a vote of the mostly clueless general public?

Tom Nelson,

Evergreen

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