4-Hers Attend Painting Workshops

It was a busy, but very fun week in the 4-H world and there is much more to come as the “season” really gets warmed up…no pun intended!

Last week we had the Patriotic t-shirt workshop presented by Jan Cline-Zimmerman at her Creative Connections Studio in Oakland. We had a short crowd for this workshop, but several others have made arrangements to attend one of her other t-shirt sessions on July 3 and 4. If you missed out and want to create a patriotic t-shirt please give Jan a call at her studio 402-685-5885 or on her cell: 402-443-7078. 4-H members may bring these shirts as a Decorate Your Duds exhibit and model them too if they wish…everyone else can just have fun making a wearing a shirt patriotic shirt!

Our annual Acrylic Painting Workshop was held in the 4-H Building in Oakland. We had a great time painting a beautiful robin in a woodland setting during the morning session in the 4-H Kitchen on Burt County Fairgrounds.

In the afternoon I accompanied our painting workshop presenter, Connie Buskohl-Barney to Oakland Heights. She demonstrated the “Art Without Boundries” Mneme Therapy to the Oakland Heights activity director, Nancy Silvey and I with the help of Oakland Heights resident, Marcella Hennig.  Connie recently completed this training and is really excited about sharing it with others. From what I saw, I believe Marcella enjoyed the opportunity to paint a pretty picture, even though she said she was no artist!

This type of therapy uses everyday pleasures including singing, movement, painting and storytelling in a unique combination to stimulate dramatic changes in the brain. Beyond the rewarding experience it provides, documented testimonies show significant improvement in some client’s verbal skills, mobility, combativeness, spatial acuity understanding instructions and much more.

Connie is also trying to figure out a way 4-H members could do a painting in the morning for themselves and then help someone else in the afternoon as part of this Mneme therapy. This would provide an outstanding win/win situation for everyone.

While in Nebraska City recently I had dinner at the Lied Lodge. Since I just drove down after work, I still had on my UNL Extension shirt. We had barely sat down when a gentleman came over and asked if I worked with the 4-H program and extension. Of course I said yes, and he said he saw the 4-H Clover my shirt and just had to come over and tell me what an impact 4-H had on his life. He was from North Carolina and was part of a Lutheran Campus Ministry group having their national meeting at the Lied Lodge. He went on to tell me how he had won a trip to National 4-H Congress in Chicago and it had changed his life. His experiences with the 4-H program led him to this wonderful week of great speakers and activities. He made the comment to his Extension Agent that there could never be a better week than he had just experienced, to which the wise educator responded, “Yes, this has been a wonderful week, but now it’s up to you to create something even better…don’t let this be a stopping point…what are you going to do now? ”  What a wonderful and insightful challenge to place in front of a young person.

This gentleman became a minister, while his sister worked for many years in Extension in North Carolina. He shared several stories about how 4-H and the Extension program evolved through all the changes in North Carolina. Even in the 1970’s there continued to be racial desegregation as well as sexual desegregation so boys and girls of all races could compete in the same project areas.

What a fascinating chance meeting that was! He even said when they flew to Omaha a group of North Carolina 4-H members were on the plane and were flying on to Lincoln to compete in the National Shooting Sports Competition. Burt County also has a 4-H member competing in this national contest which was held in Grand Island. I’ll follow up on Thomas Hennig’s experiences at this contest next week.

You just never know where life…and 4-H will take you!

Mary Loftis,

Extension Assistant
UNL Extension – Burt County
111 North 13th Street, Suite 6
Tekamah, NE 68061
Phone: (402) 374-2929

Fax: (402) 374-2930

Internet: mloftis2@unl.edu

Elise Anderson of Lyons carefully letters her patriotic t-shirt at the 4-H workshop held at Creative Connections in Oakland. Photo Courtesy of Mary Loftis.

Painter, Connie Buskohl-Barney shares step by step instructions on using a pattern to create the robin in the woods picture while the 4-H members look at examples of the finished product. Taking part in the acrylic painting workshop were: Jayden Fleischman, Mary Tomes, Connor Davis, Riley Davis, Miranda Bracht, Josie Richards, Alex Davis, and Anna Wakehouse.
Photo Courtesy of Mary Loftis.

Patriotic and proud are these three 4-H members as they show off the patriotic t-shirts they created at the 4-H workshop last week. Pictured are: Lacey Petersen, Ashley Bohannon and Emma Wakehouse. Photo Courtesy of Mary Loftis.

Connie Buskohl-Barney assists Marcella Hennig with her painting stroke as part of the Mneme Therapy demonstration at Oakland Heights last week.
Photo Courtesy of Mary Loftis.