The Art of P. Buckley Moss

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Dear Friends,

Malcolm and I met this girl on our way to visit the P Buckley Moss Society's English Program in the elementary school on Isla Carenero. Soon this little friend will be starting school and benefiting from the opportunity we provide for the Indian children to learn our language.

Pat on a visit to the Society's English program. On Pat's left is Virginia Vasquez who, together with Malcolm, started the program four years ago.

When Malcolm and Virginia started this program four years ago with the encouragement of the Board of the Society, the Indian children did not have ambitions beyond growing up to be fishermen or have babies. With the fish fast disappearing and the Indian population growing much too rapidly, neither ambition was ideal. At the least we wanted to give them the chance to learn English and from there get a job in the fast growing tourist industry.

In our recent graduation class the revised ambitions included being a teacher (the most popular because they so admire Virginia), a girl who wants to be a veterinarian, a boy with sights set on being a pilot for our local commuter airline, some nurses, and a lawyer. We tell them that their ambitions are possible but will take a great deal of discipline and commitment.

Our program has attracted the interest of the Government and has been incorporated into the official program for our school and for a shool on a nearby island. Virginia has been asked to plan the expansion of the program to more distant islands and to help her, the government is providing two English teachers. All in all, you who are members of the Society, have contributed to a brighter future for some very precious children.

The first half of my three week stay has been very productive. I love my air-conditioned studio with its balcony overlooking the main street. As I paint, I listen to books on tape and when I need to stretch my back, I walk onto the balcony and watch the Bocas world go by. Malcolm is in the room next door keeping in touch with our staff back home via the Internet and sending back photos of my work in progress. I recently completed a painting of the Pentagon and I am working on another of VMI and one of Roanoke College (both in Virginia). One of my favorites is a scene of a log cabin by a river. Well, you will have to be patient and wait and see them when they come out in print.

For those of you in the weight challenge: There is not much more than a month to go to the deadline. I have five pounds more to go and so I am stepping up my efforts but also banking on loosing pounds when I walk the Roman road in the mountains of Tuscany next month. I will be leaving for Italy immediately after the Iowa Collectors' Convention.

Until next week then,

Love Pat

The Pentagon
$180
Available on Tearsheet #5 in early June.

The Moss Portfolio
HC 69 Box 17118 Poplar Grove Lane
Mathews, VA 23109
(800) 430-1320
©P. Buckley Moss 2002