Mud & Magnolias April 2020

Mud&Magnolias October. November April/May 2020 2013

Fashion & The Arts Spring Fashion Catalogue Earl Dismuke Petals & Pearls Jewelry Little Wing Pottery

CONTENTS

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50 23 18

RECIPES

We’re bringing in all the comfort foods – Italian style. With a few twists on some staple dishes, this issue offers plenty of stop-you-in-your tracks, wow-that’s-good options to bring to your table.

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THE HEART GIRL

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PETALS & PEARLS

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EARL DISMUKE

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TRACING THE LINEAGE

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SPRING FASHION

At just 23 years old, Mary Kathryn Decker is a full-time artist, registered dietician, and she and her husband just renovated their first home.

Entrepreneur Savannah Cumber took $75 and turned it into $40,000. How? By making affordable jewelry out of Batesville.

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This abstract expressionist sat down with us to talk about his sculptures, process and where he finds inspiration.

Award-winning artists Dot Courson and Susan Patton are a mother-daughter duo out of Mississippi. These painters may have found themselves in the same career, but they took different paths to get there.

This year, Northeast Mississippi’s retailers are showing off their fresh spring looks for 2020.

April/ May 2020 ON THE COVER

MK Decker Design’s signature hearts.

Check out this month’s DIY at mudandmag.com.

ALSO:

KAMAU BOSTIC

THEMED FASHION

SHAPING MISSISSIPPI

MOONBEAMS & FAIRY TALES & WIND CHIMES

DIY

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65

68

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A

pril is one of my favorite months of the year. I count down to baseball games, birthdays and Double Decker.

But this year looks a little different for us all. Instead of the normal celebrations, I wake up each morning thankful my family is healthy and we get to spend a little extra time together.

During our social distancing, I am trying new things to stay busy. While my husband and I have set up our offices on each side of the house, my daughter has been trying to have a little fun. My family is trying new meals, like the Italian recipes included in this edition (page 18).

We are taking walks and having scavenger hunts. We are getting creative with colorful craft projects, and gaining inspiration from M.K. Decker Designs (page 23) and Batina Elliott (page 68). We are slowing down from our normal schedules, and reading a little more.

Since we all should be at home more in the coming weeks, we have made changes to our normal Mud & Magnolias publication schedule. This is a combined issue for April and May. Look for us to have a new magazine on stands in June, and again in July. In the meantime, sign up for our weekly newsletters at mudandmagnolias.com. Every Monday, we will feature links to stories, unique recipes not found in the magazine and DIY projects. We are also adding some fun crafting to help keep kids entertained while we are home.

Stay safe.

1242 S Green St. Tupelo, MS 38804 662.842.2611

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sarah Brooke Bishop

ASSOCIATE EDITORS Lindsay Pace Kristina Domitrovich Robyn Jackson

FEATURED SALES CONSULTANTS Leigh Knox June Phillips Nick Boone Angie Quarles Tyler Vuncannon Teresa McDonald Shelley Ozbirn

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Danny McArthur

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Kamau Bostic Jacob Moore Erica Gaudet

subscriptions@mudandmag.com advertising@mudandmag.com info@mudandmag.com mudandmag.com This magazine is a monthly publication of Journal, Inc.

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RECIPES

l a i n a t Co I

n

ig

ok

Few things are more comforting than a big bowl of pasta – and we wanted to bring that comfort to your kitchen. We took some creative liberties on classic flavors to make a special twist: like Tiramisu Crepes, Pesto Chicken Salad and One-Pan Italian Sausage Stir Fry. But some things, like the Bruschetta, should never be changed. Mangiamo – let’s eat!

Creamy Tomato Vodka Pasta with Shrimp recipe on pg. 18

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RECIPES

Bruschetta recipe on pg. 18

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RECIPES

Italian Greyhound recipe on pg. 18

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RECIPES

Pesto Chicken Salad recipe on pg. 18

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RECIPES

One-Pan Italian Sausage Stir Fry recipe on pg. 18

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RECIPES

Tiramisu Crepes recipe on pg. 18

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RECIPES CREAMY TOMATO VODKA PASTA WITH SHRIMP Ingredients: 4 cloves garlic 1/4 cup olive oil 1 1/2 medium onions 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes 1 cup vodka 1/2 pint heavy cream 12 ounces shrimp, deveined with shells off 1/4 cup basil + more for garnishing 1 pound penne pasta Parmesan cheese for garnishing Directions: Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and garlic, and cook for 1-2 minutes, until aromatic. Add onion and seasoning, and cook until softened and slightly translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes and vodka, and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil, and cook the pasta al dente according to packaging. To the sauce, add heavy cream and allow to thicken. Add shrimp and basil to the sauce, and simmer for about 3 minutes. Add the pasta and 1 cup pasta water to the pan, and stir until evenly coated and the shrimp is fully cooked. Serve with fresh basil and parmesan cheese.

BRUSCHETTA Ingredients: 1 baguette 1 ball fresh mozzarella 3 large tomatoes 1 medium yellow onion 3 large garlic cloves 1/8 cup fresh basil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 3 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar Directions: Wash and core tomatoes, and remove all the seeds. Finely dice tomatoes, onions and garlic, and chiffonade the basil.

Combine in a large bowl. Add balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, stir and taste. Add more salt and pepper as desired. Add olive oil, and stir. Set aside. Slice baguette, and use a broiler to toast pieces evenly. Top toasts with fresh mozzarella slices, add bruschetta on top of the cheese, and serve immediately.

ITALIAN GREYHOUND Ingredients: 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, finely chopped 1/4 cup sugar 2 ounces gin

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4 ounces fresh grapefruit juice 1 ounce Aperol Ice Directions: On a plate, combine rosemary and sugar. Use a wedge of grapefruit to rub a glass’s rim, then dip in the rosemary sugar.

In a shaker, combine gin, juice, aperol and ice, and shake for one minute or until chilled.

Pour over ice, and serve.

olive oil and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until aromatic. Add diced tomatoes and paste, followed by the marsala and all the seasonings, except for the fresh basil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add onions and peppers, and cook for 5-8 minutes, until slightly softened. Add sausage medallions and basil, and continue to simmer for another 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat, and serve immediately.

PESTO CHICKEN SALAD Ingredients: 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves 4 garlic cloves 1 cup spinach 1/2 cup pine nuts, divided 4 ounces parmesan cheese 1 lemon, juiced & zested 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 cup olive oil 2 chicken breasts 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 medium red onion, finely diced Directions: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add chicken breasts. Reduce heat to low, and cover; cook for 10-15 minutes, or until fully cooked. In a blender, combine basil, garlic, spinach, 1/4 cup pine nuts, lemon juice and zest, salt, pepper, olive oil and parmesan cheese. Pulse until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Drain the chicken, and move to a large bowl or stand mixer; using a whisk attachment or hand mixer, shred the chicken. Add in the pesto, mayonnaise, onion and remaining pine nuts, and mix until evenly distributed.

Refrigerate until serving on crackers, bread or on a bed of salad.

TIRAMISU CREPES Ingredients: For the crepes: 2 large eggs 1/2 cup heavy cream 3/4 cup strong coffee, room temperature 3 tablespoons melted butter 1 cup AP flour For the filling: 1 pound mascarpone cheese, room temperature 6 egg yolks 3/4 sugar 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons powdered sugar Cocoa powder for garnishing Directions: For the crepes: In a medium bowl, combine all the crepe ingredients with a whisk or emulsion blender until completely smooth. Place in the refrigerator for an hour (this will remove any air bubbles). For the filling: Over a double broiler, whisk together egg yolks and sugar for 6-8 minutes, or until the mixture reaches 140 degrees, then remove from heat. Continue whisking for another 3 minutes, or until cool enough to touch. Use a spatula to mix in the mascarpone until no clumps are present; set aside.

In a chilled bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla and heavy cream, and beat on high for 3-4 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. In three additions, fold the whipped cream into the custard mixture until combined. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Assembly: Preheat a large non-stick skillet to medium heat, and pour roughly 1/4 cup crepe batter into the center of the pan. Tilt the pan to spread the batter into a larger circle, and replace on heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes, flip and cook for an additional 2 minutes. If the batter is sticking to the pan, use a very small amount of butter to loosen the crepes. Repeat with remaining batter. When the crepes are made, retrieve the filling from the refrigerator.

Assemble the crepes by spooning or piping the filling down the center of the crepe shell, and fold the edges over like a taco. Sift cocoa powder on top. For storage: place the filling in an air-tight container for up to a week, and use paper towels to separate the crepe shells before placing in a gallon-sized bag. M

ONE-PAN ITALIAN SAUSAGE STIR FRY Ingredients: 1 pound sweet Italian sausage 3 tablespoons olive oil 5 garlic cloves 6 ounces tomato paste 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes 1/2 cup marsala wine 1/4 teaspoon oregano 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 2 bell peppers 1 large yellow onion 1/8 cup fresh basil Directions: Preheat a large skillet to medium heat, then add in the sausages. Cook for 5-8 minutes, browning on both sides. Remove from heat to slice into medallions. Return to heat, and brown the medallions on both sides, then set aside. To the same pan, add

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kamau bostic

by KRISTINA DOMITROVICH photos by KAMAU BOSTIC

K

amau Bostic, 25, grew up in a family of artists. He is now a full-time photographer at a Tupelo marketing agency, in addition to his personal photography business.

His interest in photography really began around 2010.

His family used to live in Richmond, Virginia, but moved to Starkville when his father received a teaching position at Mississippi State University. During the move, Bostic used his father’s camera to document the trip.

In high school, he took some photography classes, but he was an athlete, a runner, and thought that would be his career — at least in college.

“All I did was run,” he said.

But that particular career never came to fruition. He found himself attending MSU, trying to find who he was and what he wanted to do. He was undeclared for three years, until declaring photography as his major during his junior year. Off the bat, he won a scholarship for his portfolio. From there, his work has taken off. His first commercial commission was with C Spire. While he still does product shoots, he mostly prefers to work with portraits.

“It’s just something about talking with different people and interacting, I think it’s more interesting,” he said.

“The Eiffel Tower (or) a landscape — it’s probably been done, somebody probably even did it better than you, but there’s always a new take on taking somebody’s portrait.”

He describes his style as more muted tones when using color in images (think: “Victorian painting”); whereas with black and white, he can achieve a higher contrasted image.

“I feel like they’re more interesting, like the focus is more on the person,” he said. “I just think they look nice and cleaner.” M

photo courtesy of Jacob Moore

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T he

HEART GIRL: Behind MK Decker Designs

by KRISTINA DOMITROVICH photos by LINDSAY PACE

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t 23, Mary Kathryn Decker has gained quite the following. Known as “the heart girl,” she sells her pieces all across the U.S., not just in the South. Her pieces are available in local retailers, but can also be seen in homes in New York, Texas and California.

Her success? Social media.

“I think that really puts me at an advantage because I’m able to make this full time,” she said. “I think that is what is really liberating. So many people today in our generation, they can work from home and they can create jobs for themselves and don’t have to go to work traditional jobs because of social media. So I’m trying to take advantage of that, because I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit and enjoy being my own boss.”

Decker grew up around artists, and her mom was a painter. She remembers

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going to elementary school and seeing her mother there working on a commissioned mural.

“That was really cool to see her in the hallways every day painting those murals,” she said. “Her uncle taught her how to paint, and their whole family paints.”

Now Decker has a mural of her own in Pizza Vs. Tacos, and will soon have one in downtown Tupelo. It was on a trip to New York with her mother that she was hit with the inspiration that would greatly impact her artistic style.

“I visited SoHo New York City a few summers ago with my mom, and was really inspired by a lot of the street art that I saw there,” she said. “It just came to me about a year after visiting there, ‘Why don’t I put this on canvas?’ And so I did, and then it just kind of progressed into being known as the heart girl.”

But she never started out with the hearts in mind. Originally, it started with a painting she completed for her dorm room freshman year at the University of Mississippi. She said everyone loved the piece; so much so, that when she came back to school for her sophomore year, her car was so full of commissioned pieces that her mom had to bring her clothes in a different trip. Back then, the craze was neutrals—which is completely different from Decker’s style now.

“I think (the hearts) are happy. I think they’re colorful,” she said. “I think for so long, everybody wanted all-white houses with no color, and I did start off doing gold leaf paintings, which are extremely neutral. So I’ve gone from one end of the spectrum to the other with all the color.

But I still kept things that were me: I did the gold leaf, which is kind of my signature,

“It just came to me about a year after visiting [SoHo], ‘Why don’t I put this on canvas?’ And so I did, and then it just kind of progressed into being known as the heart girl.”

Opening page: Decker paints in her studio; Previous page: Near her desks hangs a small canvas of her signature hearts; a large canvas sports an inspirational quote; This page: Her studio offers plenty of natural light.

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and the glossy top coat that kind of gives it that extra pop, and it’s just been really fun to see the joy that it brings people seeing the hearts.”

In addition to the hearts, Decker also dabbles in butterfly paintings, along with abstract pieces using oil paint. For the oil paintings, she will make reproductions using a giclée printer. She said this is the best option for her oil paintings; not only are oil paints more finicky to work with and dry, but it also reduces production costs, so these pieces are more affordable to her clientele. For Decker, who writes thank you notes and a Bible verse on the back of each canvas, her clients are important.

“I communicate with them and I meet up with them and I develop relationships with them,” she said. “(It) just really sends out a message, and I want it to be more than just painting; I want to have a message.”

In addition to her painting, after graduating with a degree in nutrition and dietetics, she completed an eight-month program and is now a registered dietitian.

Though she is still unsure how that will play a part in her life, one thing she has learned is how helpful being an artist is with another side project: she and her husband, John Decker, remodeled their home.

“Doing this house and renovating this house come so much more naturally to me,”

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she said, thanks to her background as an artist.

The couple met her sophomore year of college, and was married June 1, 2019.

Throughout her senior year of school and during their engagement, they were

remodeling their house. The day after their wedding, they returned to Tupelo for their “homeymoon” to finish renovations.

Her husband is a part of Decker & Sons,

a Tupelo-based contracting company.

For their home, the couple did all the renovations themselves, from painting, redoing the floors to plumbing.

She said through all the blood, sweat and tears that went into their home, they both worked well together.

“Both of us work really well together because we’re both what we call Type A, and like things done a certain way,” she said. “We have the same style and I think that’s helped our process here … We make a good team.”

As far as style, the couple opted for antique pieces or redoing existing furniture pieces. Mixing styles where they saw fit — like the living room’s integration of reupholstered wing-backed chairs and an acrylic-metallic side table; having milk glass next to gold Annieglass from their wedding registry — helped them “design on a dime,” as she likes to put it.

“We did it all, but we learned so much about what we want in a house and what we don’t want,” she said. “And we learned — even him, being in construction, he still learned about home building and remodels through this project.” M This page, from top: A glimpse into the Decker’s sunroom highlights the couple’s style; she laughs in her sunroom. To see before and after photos of their home, visit mudandmagnolias.com.

Petals & Pearls What started out with a $75 investment turned a profit of $40,000 in the first year.

by KRISTINA DOMITROVICH photos by LINDSAY PACE

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Opening page: Cumber readjusts her handmade jewelry; This page, from top: Most of her brand’s jewelry is made at this desk; her wrists are adorned with Petals & Pearls bracelets.

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n 2015, Savannah Cumber found herself in a boutique looking at jewelry. She liked what she saw until she saw the price tag. That’s when she got the idea: “I can make this.”

So, she went to a craft store, bought some supplies for $75 and got to work; by the end of the first week, she doubled her investment. By the end of the first year, working at her kitchen table, she turned a profit of $40,000.

Realizing its potential, she really delved into her business, then called Savannah Marie. Having grown up in a family of entrepreneur’s — her father a business owner and mother in sales — she put what she knew into action.

“I thought, ‘Well, ‘I’m going to make a business out of this,’” she said. “And so I got on the phone.”

She started cold calling businesses; anything it took to get the sale. For a while, she would call all day and get a lot of no’s; but no’s started turning into yeses. She found a sample box would be her greatest key to initial success: Sell a box with 20 pieces to a boutique for $50, then they could repurchase if they moved her product.

More often than not, they would call her back.

When she and her husband purchased their home, she upgraded her workspace from a kitchen table to a utility closet. And in January 2018, the opportunity for Petals & Pearls — and thus a storefront — came in.

She said she never in her wildest dreams imagined she would own a florist shop, but the stars just aligned.

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more jewelry makers, but said all of her pieces will always be made by hand. What’s more?

She’ll always remember why she started in the first place.

“I wanted a line of jewelry that everybody could afford,” she said. “I wanted something that no matter if you made

minimum wage or if you made a $150,000 a year, you could afford it. So that’s what we did. We have something for everybody. and we wanted the average person to be able to put a pair of earrings on and feel pretty.” M

This page, clockwise from top: Cumber laughs in her studio; her desktop is a home to rogue jewels; she twists a bracelet to face the camera; new earrings are ready for shipment.

She was looking for a storefront in downtown Belmont, and a florist was selling her store. Cumber bought the location the day she saw it. She said at first, she knew three flower types: roses, tulips, and Gerbera daisies. The first year, she figured she would try her hand at Valentine’s Day arrangements, and then decide whether to keep the floral storefront. Turns out, it worked pretty well. She would graduate to tackle events like funerals and weddings. But at the beginning, she still had a lot to learn.

“Google was my best friend,” she joked.

Since then, her empire has grown. The flower shop serves as a storefront for the jewelry side, too, in addition to wholesaling to stores. They have supplied jewelry to over 250 boutiques, all across the country. Cumber said she has seen the boutiques in Texas really push her product; along with neighboring

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southern states, plus Utah and Washington. She classifies Petals & Pearls’ style as little bit of “classy gaudiness.” Petals & Pearls makes earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings, and works with a largely metallic fall line, and incorporates more colors in the spring line.

Cumber now has two employees: someone to run the floral shop’s day to day and a sales representative for the jewelry side of things. In 2019, after paying out salaries and covering expenses, Petals & Pearls made a profit over $82,000. To this day, she is still hands-on. She said she still does the arrangements for events like weddings, funerals or beauty pageants.

She designs all the jewelry herself, which she usually sketches in a notebook at night after work.

All the jewelry is made by hand, and though her business has grown rapidly since its founding, she said that’s one aspect that will never change. Soon she wants to hire

THE ONLINE VOICE OF BUSINESSS

THRIVE.MS

Earl Dismuke

by KRISTINA DOMITROVICH photos by LINDSAY PACE

This page clockwise, starting at top left: Dismuke welding a large-scale sculpture; “Corporate Lattice and the Side Hustle”; While Dismuke decides to paint some pieces, sometimes he will leave them unfinished (save for a protective coating); A part of Dismuke’s workspace.

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E

arl Dismuke grew up on his parents’ farm in Winona, Mississippi. He always knew what he wanted to be when he grew up, but didn’t know if it could become a reality.

“As a kid, I always knew that I wanted to do something creative and be an artist,” he said. “But I didn’t really know how that looked like; (had) never seen any examples of that.”

Now, this husband, father of four, and business analyst for a software company found a way to make his childhood dream a reality. Dismuke has paved his way to be a sculptor.

“It’s welding and cutting and torching and grinding and scratching your head — all of that,” he said, chuckling.

Shortly after graduating from the University of Mississippi in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and sculpture, he and his wife decided to settle down in Oxford. That’s when Dismuke decided to take a hiatus from art to start his family. When came back to the art world, he did it with a bang by co-founding the Yokna Sculpture Trail in Pat Lamar Park in 2015. The Trail features 18 large-scale sculptures that are rotated out to display other artists’ work. For Dismuke, it’s all about bringing art to everyone.

“I know there are people out there that don’t feel comfortable maybe going into a museum or going into a gallery,” he said. “Both entities are great — galleries and museums, I’m not knocking those — I just think that there are some people out there who don’t feel comfortable going into those places, and they can still be moved by the artwork that’s been placed in the public.”

For Dismuke, being an artist who can reach those people through his exhibits makes the honor of placing a sculpture that much more meaningful. He has three pieces in New Orleans, a show and gallery in Waveland, Mississippi, a showing at the Oxford Treehouse Gallery, and has participated in shows from Portland, Oregon, Madison, Wisconsin, Lima, Peru, to Basel, Switzerland.

As an abstract expressionist — from large-scale pieces to smaller, bronze or cast iron pieces incorporating Buddy Lee bobble heads — he knows his work won’t always translate the exact way he had thought of his creations; but he said this is where the fun starts.

“You might get something totally different out of what I was thinking for that, and that’s OK because whatever you brought into that and whatever you’re thinking about, that is something dealing with you,” he said. “That’s you putting a little bit of yourself into that. You don’t have to like it. But at some point, that’s where you and I made that connection, right?... And that’s where all the magic happens as an artist.” M

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photo courtesy of Erica Gaudet

Previous page top: Dismuke grinding a piece to smooth the metal; Previous page bottom right: Behind the figurine is a framed drawing from one of his children, who asked him to recreate the image. “They’re some of the best artists,” he said. “I think all children (are).” Top left: Dismuke’s wife and four children with him after installing “Hammer of Neart” at The Hibernian Park in New Orleans. He said he tries to bring his children with him when installing new pieces, and that his wife is his number-one supporter. Left: Dismuke finds himself drawing images throughout the day, and at the end of the month he will review his notebook to see if he can piece together new works. In the notebook on the left is the beginning sketches for “Hammer of Neart.” He said inspiration can come from anywhere. “I think it’s just life in general,” he said. “Whatever you’re dealing with in that time in life, whether that’s a positive thing or a negative thing. I really feel like that’s what inspiration is made of.” Above: Many of his pieces utilize multiple mediums, sometimes pieces of mannequins.

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tracing the

lineage

by KRISTINA DOMITROVICH photos by LINDSAY PACE

T

he first similarity I noticed between Dot Courson and Susan Patton was their eyes: big, bright and mostly blue with tinges of green, depending on the lighting (though I would soon realize I knew nothing about color). I told Courson about my observation, and she smiled really big and quickly pointed out a 20x16inch portrait of her hanging on the wall. She said Patton painted the piece and titled it “My Mother’s Eyes.” That was the next similarity I would notice about this mother-daughter pair: They both spoke of each other with what can only be described as proud admiration.

The three of us chatted in the seating area of Courson’s studio – which she calls her art studio, art gallery and art school. Out of the corner of my eye, I’d see Courson chewing on a piece of gum, a gesture which made me feel like I didn’t have to hide mine under my tongue like I typically do when I’m covering a story. There, divvied up between two armchairs and a sofa, they told me their stories.

Dot Courson

Courson, 67, was basically an artist from the start, but not without its challenges. She remembers her father teaching her how to draw on a brown paper bag. She found herself

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growing up in foster homes, and left school at the age of 16 with an 8th-grade education. She landed a job working at a hospital as a nurse’s aid. This job was far from glamorous, but as she looked back on that part of her life, she smiled and remembered how happy she was for the opportunity.

“I can’t believe how grateful I was for that job to be a nurse’s aide,” she said. “I cared about people, and I love people.”

In no time at all, the hospital recognized her hard work. Her superiors told her the hospital would pay her way through school to become a registered nurse. They were shocked when she confessed she had never finished high school, but encouraged her that with a GED and hard work, she could still succeed.

“They said, ‘You can work hard and you can stand on your head, and you’re smart,’” she said.

“I didn’t mind standing on my head—I’d do anything.”

She started classes when she was 18, with about 120 classmates. By the end, 33 students graduated with her, and she was one of roughly 20 who passed the certification boards; she was 20 years old.

“You were head nurse at what age?” Patton nudged.

“About that (same) age,” Courson said.

By the end of it, she had a double Masters in Nursing Administration with a certificate in healthcare administration and alternative delivery systems.

“Because of my background, I didn’t have a safety net. When you don’t have a safety net, you stay on the wire,” she said. “After a while, that’s just who you are, it’s what you do — you work hard.”

Through her nursing career, she could afford to pursue her passion for art. She said she never dreamt of being able to afford art supplies, let alone dream of what her career would become.

“It’s a blessing. It’s like, how could this happen in my wildest dream?” Courson said. “I trust that things are going to turn out because God’s always taken care of me. So when I just trusted things are going to turn out OK, it’s the truth. And so it’s kind of like, when you go swimming, you don’t worry about where the bottom is. You just swim.”

Eventually, Courson and her family moved to Starkville, where her husband took a job with Mississippi State University Extension Services.

At that time, she was able to focus on her art full time. That was about the same time her daughter got married.

Previous page: A close-up of Courson’s “Pathway Home”; This spread clockwise, starting top: Above the mantle in Courson’s gallery, “Genesis I: Light Beauty Rhythm”; Courson and Patton in Courson’s studio; A close-up of Patton’s “It’’s All Good”; While Patton’s studio is underway, several pieces hang in her mother’s studio, including a portrait of Courson titled “My Mother’s Eyes” and “Acorn Soup,” a nod to her childhood when she would “make” various soups when playing outside.

“I used to take a pot like that and go out and find whatever I could find, and I would stir up whatever I could stir up,” Patton said.

“So when I paint something, there’s usually a truthfulness behind it somewhere.”

Susan Patton

Patton, 44, never thought of herself as an artist. In fact, though she has been attending and teaching workshops for over a decade, she just started calling herself an artist three years ago. Until that time, her career was physical therapy. Even still, she likes to tell people that she felt “led to leave physical therapy for a season.” How long that season is, she says isn’t up to her.

For her, painting all started with her church.

When her church hosted an auction, she decided to offer a painting.

“I’ll just get some Walmart stuff and see what I can do,” she remembered saying to herself.

Aside from an art contest she won in the 8th grade, she really had never considered herself artistically inclined. When she finished her painting, she sent a photo of it to her mother to see if she thought it would sell. When Courson opened the image, she thought it was a photo that Patton wanted to paint—the inspiration, not a completed piece. “‘Well, I don’t know, but send it back when you get it done and let me look at it,’” Courson responded. “It looked like a photo. She just started out that good.”

After her painting sold at the auction, Patton

was commissioned for a portrait through someone at her church. From there, it all snowballed. Over the next several years, she would take various workshops. These would usually be intensive deep dives, lasting about a week. She’s studied under artists like Roger Dale Brown, who she considers her first instructor “besides mom, of course.”

Artists Together

Neither of them went to art school, but they both trained through atelier learning. As Patton explains it, atelier is French for “workshop,” and is a style of learning that is often preferred in the world of art over tradition-style classroom instruction. Through attending workshops with well respected artists –– those who have won art shows, produce beautiful work and are willing to share what they’ve learned –– in various art mediums, students gain key learning from their instructors’ years of experience. It’s a highly respected program that pays particular attention to the lineage of each artist’s training — Courson and Patton both trace back to John Singer Sargent through master artists they have studied under. There is no official certification with the artists, as it is based off works being esteemed in the art community –– letting the work speak for itself.

While they share similarities, they also have their differences. Courson prefers marketing herself through her social media platforms, whereas Patton sticks to word of mouth for now. Courson’s niche is landscapes; Patton’s is portraits and still-life paintings. Courson said she rarely starts a piece before going out and studying nature as her first step in the process.

Next, she needs complete silence when she starts a piece, quietly navigating the layout, thinking ahead to where shadows will eventually fall. Later on when she’s filling it in and fleshing out the details, she’ll turn on some upbeat music or maybe a podcast because she said she likes to continually learn.

Patton said her mother’s paintings are usually from the viewpoint of a child, which is particularly noticeable when her pieces include cotton in the foreground.

“That cotton looks like it’s already starting pretty high, like you’re on the ground,” Patton said to her mother. “You’ve been observing very strictly since you were little, and that land meant a lot to you and people know (that and) see your stories in your art.”

Patton, whose oldest child is now in college and the youngest in high school, had to learn to paint under any setting. She’s currently in the process of building her own studio — much like

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her mother’s, but slightly smaller — but has been painting en plein air (outside) or in her dining room for the entirety of her career as an artist. She does, however, always wear a ball cap when painting. Aside from helping her focus, it blocks out excessive light and shows truer colors.

“She can see color better than I can,” her mother said.

That was another difference between the two: colors. Courson affirmed that her daughter sees colors far better than she can, pointing out the greens Patton added into “My Mother’s Eyes.” She said even something like mixing their paints on their pallets is different; Patton keeps her transparent and opaque paints separate, whereas Courson joked she can’t keep up with the differences once it’s on a pallet.

I’ve heard of some people dreaming in foreign languages after living in a different country for a while, I’ve even heard of some people dreaming in cartoons; so I was curious if either of them dream in paintings. Courson said she wishes she could, but she never has; sometimes she’ll get a tiny image of a painting she might be working on, but it’s never fully clear to her. Patton said she dreams of colors. I started to wonder just how many more colors she sees than what I can.

They seemed to know a lot about the other’s artistic process, so I asked if they ever paint together. They both said rarely. Patton said they don’t do it nearly enough, and she could probably count how many times they had painted together on one hand. Courson joked that she learned as a mother it’s best not to tell her daughter what she should do next when painting.

“You don’t try to tell her how to paint because she knows what she’s doing; what she does is totally different (than me), and now it would be a joke anyway,” Courson said. “Because I don’t have a clue what she does, she even mixes her paint differently from what I do.”

Courson was sure to talk about her daughter’s strengths, arguably the greatest is her ability to teach. From colors to the physicality of the subjects, Patton said she prepares for months before teaching a workshop. She told me how the placement of the ears on a subject’s head serves as the “axis,” dictating where the head is positioned. Instead of the eyes, she said the ears are the strongest indicator for where the subject is facing.

While Patton will travel around the region to teach workshops, she will also teach out of her mother’s studio, as hers is still being built. Courson said she likes to sneak in and watch, even though she is not taking part in the class.

“Susan is as motivating to me as I am to her because you see the talent,” Courson said. “She puts a lot into preparing for her classes and things, and when

Top Left: Patton working on a portrait titled “Natural Beauty”; Top: A close-up of Courson’s piece, “Ripples”; Above: Patton’s “Natural Beauty” on one of her mother’s easels.

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she’s teaching out here (in the studio), although I’m not taking her class, I would just sneak in just to listen to her lecture because it’s inspiring to me. It makes me work harder.”

“We’re both champions for each other,” Patton said.

Patton added that the most rewarding part of instructing is when a student can beat her own art in a competition.

“If we’re going to be in a competition together, if they beat me, that’s a compliment,” Patton said. “Because, you know, if you’re their teacher and they beat you, good!”

“Yeah and you beat me,” Courson added with a giggle.

In their first competition together, Patton beat her mother. Shortly after, they both received the honor of being showcased through the eastern exhibit for the Oil Painters of America, OPA. Only two artists are chosen for each region, though thousands of artists apply. They both marveled at how special it was that the two artists chosen were from a single state, let alone a mother-daughter pair.

They said OPA had no idea they were related until after the selection had been made.

Courson has been a full-time artist for the past 18 years, and is now selfrepresenting out of her own gallery. She is the only living female artist featured in the “Legends of the Visual Arts” exhibit in the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience in Meridian. She and Patton both have back-to-back three-month gallery showings this year in Taylor, Mississippi’s, GRIT. Because Courson has been an established artist longer than Patton, I asked if it was ever intimidating to enter the world of art due to her mother’s success.

“I’ve always felt very proud,” she said. “Thankful is the word, because it’s kind of like you not only get to paint, but your mother also has the same passion and love for it. So you get to look, you get to learn together; you get to learn under her, with her, you get to travel with her, (do) competitions with her.” M

Top Left: A close-up of Courson’s “Pieces of the Sun”; Right: Patton’s signature; Left: Courson working on a commission piece that features cotton, along with a hunting dog and its master. She sometimes finds herself going back to painting her roots in the Delta; one of her favorite pieces was a landscape of her grandparents’ home from memory titled “Shaded Cotton.” She said she hadn’t returned to their property since being a girl. “For something to turn out better than your wildest dream is amazing,” Courson said on her career. “I couldn’t have dreamed up this life and the opportunities that I’ve had.”

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mod & minimal

This year we’re seeing the old adage ringing true: less is more. A more simple look is taking the spotlight. Think: Simple, clean linens, more natural tones and – dare we say – a little retro. photos by LINDSAY PACE Kinsey Designs mismatched honeybee earrings available at Anna Elizabeth in Tupelo.

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Saltillo

Darten District Boutique

1. JohnJohn necklace & earrings 2. XoXo Mustard-seed romper 3. Bamboo wedges prices available upon request

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prices available upon request

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Tupelo

L.A. Green ensemble and accessories

L.A. Green

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Anna Elizabeth

1. Kinsey Designs jewelry 2. Molly Bracken dress 3. Extreme by Eddie Maria shoes 4. Most Wanted purse

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prices available upon request

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Welcome to

Spring A Fresh Start

Northeast Mississippi retailers show off spring looks – from traditional pastels to mixing bold patterns – for everyone in the family.

photos by LINDSAY PACE

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Little Magnolia Gifts & Apparel Tupelo

1. Wee Ones bow 2. The Oaks bubble 3. Jefferies socks 4. Angel shoes 5. Sadie & Sage top 6. Joe’s Jeans white jeans with fringed hem 7. Sam Edelman glittered sandal 8. Southbound dry-fit polo

9. Southbound khakis 10. Elephantito shoes 11. Wee Ones bow 12. Remember Nguyen two-piece set 13. Angel shoes prices available upon request

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SnowyLove Boutique Corinth 1. HP Los Angeles cream floral duster, $36 2. Handmade necklace, $16 3. Teal lace slip $98 4. Vanita boots, $42

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Black Sheep Boutique Tupelo 1. Entro top, $27 2. Designer-inspired belt, $15 3. Cello jeans, $45 4. Soda platform sandal, $32

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Publish your engagement or wedding announcement in The Daily Journal Submityourengagementorwedding announcementonlineatdjournal.com.

Click on “all sections�.

Then, click the drop down arrow on announcements. Finally, click submit bridal announcements.

Submissions include a photograph.

Multiple sizes available with prices starting at $110.

For questions or more details, email jessica.hunter@journalinc.com

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City Mercantile Pontotoc 3.

1. Properly Tide Boston Sportshirt 2. Properly Tide brown belt 3. Buckle jeans prices available upon request

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Reed’s

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Tupelo 2.

1. Sheila Fajl earrings, $64 2. Sadie Jewelry Y necklace, $54; moon necklace, $42 3. Free People bralette, $38 4. BuDhaGirl bracelets, $40 5. Free People dress, $108 6. Marc Fisher LTD shoes, $160

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MLM Clothiers Tupelo 1. Jack Victor sport coat 2. Hagen shirt 3. Robert Jensen tie and pocket square 4. Jack Victor pants

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The Carousel Pontotoc 1. Sophie & Lucas mint & blue sun set prices available upon request

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BUYER ’S GUIDE

Shaping Mississippi

by DANNY McARTHUR photos by LINDSAY PACE

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Opening page: Fisher displays a framed thank-you note from a former client in her guest house; This page: Many of Fisher’s awards are displayed atop a dresser in her guest house; Next page, from left: Fisher’s heart for Mississippi is evident not only in her life’s work, but in her bookcase.

Here, several shelves are dedicated to books with Mississippi authors. She inherited the books from her mother, who deeply valued Mississippi literature; Fisher sits on her front porch.

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aking the move from lawyer to state director of the Mississippi chapter of the Nature Conservancy to filmmaker was not the career move Robbie Fisher planned for. Even though Fisher never went to film school, she said she always knew she wanted to do film.

“I remember over in high school thinking I’d love to be involved in filmmaking,” Fisher said.

At the time, Fisher didn’t know film school could be an option. Instead, she went for the more traditional course of college and law school but said “that seed was always there.”

Throughout her film career, Fisher has been part of over 20 film, television and commercial projects.

Fisher also stays involved in the arts outside her career as a filmmaker, serving as a board member of the Oxford Film Festival. As part of her overall work, she encourages the growth of Mississippi’s film incentive program. She calls upon state leaders to support the Mississippi film industry in order to keep film students in Mississippi, rather than have them move elsewhere for work.

Fisher gained early hands-on film experience working on a low-budget crew and through multiple film projects with Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB). When she decided to leave the Nature Conservatory in 2008, she decided to pursue filmmaking full time, with

“Gulf Islands” in 2009 being the first film she made after the decision. The film won a Southeastern Regional Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Photography among others.

“That really just sort of opened my eyes to all the opportunities there were for telling stories about Mississippi people and places,” Fisher said.

With her law background, she realized she was good at production and since then has mostly produced, though she has also directed and held other film roles. She now owns the independent film production company Fisher Productions, LLC. She has a passion for documentary films and has made several short ones on Mississippi, including “A Mississippi Love Story” in 2014.

The short film followed her neighbors Eddie and Justin, a same-sex couple who were trying to get married during the time the Supreme Court ruled on marriage equality.

Fisher came up with the idea after receiving a law magazine in the mail about the Supreme Court ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and another related case. She sensed it was going to be a big story in the United States and wanted to tell that local story to be symbolic of what was happening on a national scale. She hired a cinematographer and small

film crew to follow the couple over the course of approximately a year and a half.

“If you’re a filmmaker in Mississippi, you can see a great story in someone that you know just living right near you or just in your sphere in the world, and if you think there’s a story there, you can pretty much make a film about it,” she said.

The film was well-received by film critics and earned awards. She also worked on feature films such as “As I Lay Dying,” a 2013 film based on William Faulkner’s novel, as the key production assistant. She appreciates the film teaching her about the amount of effort that went into creating a feature film.

Fisher now calls Water Valley home and the last film she produced, “Delta Blind Spot,’’ featured a diner there. John W. Bateman directed and wrote the short narrative film, which is now showing at film festivals around the Southeast.

She said being a native Mississippian and having lived here most of her life, she feels a need to represent the wonderful people and places in Mississippi.

“As a Mississippi filmmaker and a Mississippi artist, essentially, I am in a great position to help tell those stories on film and show those places,” Fisher said. M

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&

Moonbeams fairy tales wind chimes

by KRISTINA DOMITROVICH photos by LINDSAY PACE

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rowing up in a family of artists, Batina Elliott remembers music always playing in the background. Eventually, she’d root her business in that memory. Little Wing Pottery’s name is a nod to her parents; and of course, Jimi Hendrix’s popular song (though her father prefers Stevie Ray Vaughan’s cover).

“They were the people that gave me that facet of my creativity,” she said. “So it’s just kind of a nod to them and who they are as people.”

Having been raised in an environment that fostered her creativity, she tries to mimic that now that she’s a mother of two boys. She got her first pottery wheel as a Christmas gift the year her oldest was born, so for her, pottery and being a mother has always intersected. In her pottery studio behind her house, there is a shelf devoted to her children’s projects, along with a drawer filled with their crafting supplies.

“They’ve got their cookie cutters and their rolling pins, coloring books and stuff,” she said.

“There are a handful of neighborhood kids, and they know exactly where their stuff is … They can have this space and just run wild and explore their own creativity.”

She graduated from the University of Mississippi with a degree in art history and plans to be an art teacher. Now, she can carry out that passion with her own children, while being a nearly full-time potter. In her studio, she said history has shown one idea tumbling into the next.

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Previous page: Elliott strings together a new wind chime on an almost-pulley-like device in her studio; Strings of stars and discs on a heavy-duty threaded fishing line; Some of her work features flowers, and of course, bright colors; During the slow season, Elliott will make several pieces ahead of time, so she can assemble the wind chimes as the busy season nears.

She said she likes to study using the same glazes on different clays to see how the colors will differ.

“The more I’m out here,” she said gesturing, “the more it just snowballs into something new.”

Over time, she stumbled into her signature pieces: wind and rain chimes. She said there are plenty of Mississippi potters to make dinnerware and such, but she wanted to create her own totally unique look. Originally, these pieces only used all-white elements, but a commissioned piece led her to try glazing.

“I think glaze just might be my kryptonite. I would go without eating,” she joked, “I’ll talk myself out of, ‘I don’t need a shirt’ or whatever, but I’ll spend money on glazes because the possibilities are endless.”

Her signature colors are bright and fun.

“I like bright colors,” she said. “All of the fun colors are kid friendly and whimsical.”

Little Wing Pottery started wholesaling last year, and Elliott said the busy months are around Mother’s Day and the summer, and again nearing Christmas. During her slower seasons, she said she’ll prepare by stocking her studio with various pieces to be assembled later on. Tuesdays through Fridays while her boys are at school, she is in her studio; reserving the weekend for family time with her husband, 14- and 10-year-old boys. She isn’t sure what the future holds for her business, and she “just roll(s) with the flow” each year, trying to soak up as much time with her kids as possible.

“These boys are going to be in my house five more minutes,” she said. M

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Mud & Mag Video DIY

Painted Pockets

by LINDSAY PACE

Obsessed with fun details? We are, too. Embroidery is always lovely, but not everyone has the time or skill to do it well. These pockets prove painting can be easy – and just as stylish — as other methods of embellishment. Head to mudandmagnolias.com for the video.

PAINTBRUSHES Thin and thick paintbrushes are especially useful when crafting your designs.

WHITE PAINT

FABRIC MEDIUM

ACRYLIC PAINT

White paint provides a clean background, allowing your art to take center stage.

It also minimizes any jean from showing through.

Fabric medium forces paint to bond to fabric fibers. It also prevents cracking and encourages flexibility.

Choose favorite colors as acrylic paints to maximize the life of your garments.

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