First Thing
©1986 Craig Ashby
Mixed Media

First Thing is the first thing I ever did in art class in high school. I have lost any record of the finished tempera piece. All that is left is this gridded magazine photo of Madonna.

Why post it then? Because it shows the beginning of my academic understanding of art. A simple gridded magazine photo ready to copy. Which I did poorly.

The main reason to post this is to share how my teacher Wanda Padgett was so amazing. I rarely cry and just thinking about her right now brings tears to my eyes. I love you so much Mrs. Padgett.

See, I was outcast from the academic elite. The bullying I was experiencing from classmates was mirrored by many faculty staff. To the point that the railroaded me and never even looked at any of the problems I was dealing with.

Wanda Padgett gave me a haven. Art wasn’t my first calling, I always wanted to be a musician. But she gave me a home and really sculpted how my mind worked. She shared so much.

She got me into Governor’s School and college. She gave me a district wide award and scholarship. I will restate again. I love you so much. Even in my advanced years.

I tried to keep in touch with her even in NYC. But like so many things, I lost contact. The possibility of her not being on this planet terrifies me. I have to find out.