Sunday, June 16, 2019 NEWS FORT Bend HeRaLd 3

The book, written by poet Daniel Klawitter, is illustrated by Crowell who graduated with Klawitter from B.F. Terry High School in 1989.

“He lives in Colorado now, but we remained friends. He followed my art and I followed his poetry,” Crowell said. “And about a year ago he asked me if I wanted to col-laborate with him on children’s books.”

Crowell jumped in with both feet, providing illustrations for each of the poems in the book. She describes the experience as incredibly rewarding, primarily because Klawitter gave her free reign on the look of the art.

“I love it when people say ‘Use your artistic freedom,’” Crowell said with a laugh. “It allows for the art to be more … organic. I wanted the artwork to give life to the poems, maybe even provide a different perspective.”

The book was released on June 4 and can be found on amazon.com or at Barnes and Noble.

“It’s 32 poems — super sil-ly poems — that are witty and thought-provoking,” said Crowell. “ I was so honored that he asked me to illustrate the book, to be a part of this.”

Crowell, who said she is deeply inspired by Spanish cubist artists like Pablo Picasso and Juan Gris — “I am a huge Picasso fan,” she stressed — created cubism-styled illustrations for The Trickster.

“Defining beauty is so sim-ple,” she said. “It’s in line, color, texture,” elements that are abun-dantly evident in cubism art.

It took her nine months to cre-ate all of her illustrations, and during that time Crowell said she experienced growth in“disci-pline, planning and wisdom.”

“This has been just a fun, great and exciting experience,” said Crowell, likening Klawitter’s po-etry to that of Shel Silverstein’s works.

“Danny’s beautiful poetry is an example of how art can bridge the gap between differences. Art goes beyond beliefs, opinions and even illnesses. Art has the ability to bring people together, to remind them that we are more the same than we are different.”

Healing & Connecting Through Art

Just because she’s an artist, Crowell doesn’t consider herself more special than anyone else. What she does believe, however, is that she was meant to inspire or energize people through her art.

Crowell said she understands there will be times a person is in a rut or feels utterly discouraged. She’s experienced much of that in her life.

“We all experience stress in different ways,”she said. “And we have different ways of coping — food, shopping, sex, substances — and all of it is meant to fill some sort of void.”

But Crowell suggests channel-ing the “dark and hard parts of life” to something more bright, more positive, more meaningful.

At the very least, that is what worked for her.

“One day I told myself: ‘I’m going to make [art] my thing, my legend to leave to my kids, to somehow put my name on the map,” she said. “I started creating and told myself to jump into this with an open mind and to have fun.”

“Art helped me heal.”Crowell started with a series of

cubism styled art and “some door opened up and all the creativity, all the talent, came rushing out.”

“Oh, it was fun,” she added with a laugh.

While riding this wave of inno-vation, Crowell submitted work to Hardy and Nance Studios, an art studio in Downtown Houston.

“[The studio] was having an open call for artists for “The Ab-stract Art Show,” so I submitted three pieces of art and one was ac-cepted,” she said. “It was the first piece to sell at that show. Since then I have been selected for eight more shows there.”

Being accepted was a confir-mation for Crowell that she was definitely following her calling. It gave her the courage to continue to “push [herself] in different di-rections.”

And it was during the period of new artistic avenues, when she was asked by Klawitter to illus-trate The Trickster.

“As human beings we need three things: to be loved, to feel valued and to feel useful,” she said, explaining that her God-giv-en artistic talent is what provides those elements in her life.

Art, she said, makes her feel connected to the world and people around her.

She takes a moment to consider how best demonstrate her point.

“It’s like still life art,” she said, as she finds one of her paintings. “So many people think still life is cliché.”

She points to still life painting of hers and smiles.

“This entire painting is one continuous line,” she said tracing her finger along the page. “This reminds me we are all connected, is some way or the other. Art it-self can connect people and I hope that is what my work does.”

Having completed her work on The Trickster, Crowell is now working on getting her own col-lection of haiku that she’s written and illustrated published.

“These haiku are for women in real life,” she said with a grin. “You know, all those little things we understand and laugh about together, like the empty toilet pa-per roll that no one seems to want to replace. Some of haiku are inspirational and others are just silly. I’m excited about this hap-pening for myself.”

Crowell is also selling her art in 2x2 stackable and collectible lucite blocks.

“I’m 48 years old and it has tak-en me this long to have the cour-age to do what I want to do and need to do. I had to be brave to be this happy and fulfilled,” she said. “So whatever dream you have in your heart, do not let anyone, or anything, deter you.”

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Stuffed TomatoesSummer is upon us with hot temps, but summer also brings us fresh garden tomatoes. Try coring a fresh tomato and slicing ¾ through from top, ¼ inch slices leaving connected at the bottom. Make a stuffing mix using grated gruyere 8-9 ounces(half goes in stuffing and half as a topper on tomatoes), 1 cup of fresh basil, 1 garlic clove (2 tsp minced), 6 tablespoons of olive oil, and ¼ cup of panko bread crumbs.

Pulse ingredients in food processor. This will make stuffing for 6-8 tomatoes depending on size. Salt and pepper tomatoes then stuff cheese mixture between slices. Sprinkle remaining

cheese on top of stuffed tomatoes. Broil on wire rack in oven for 5 minutes or until cheese melted and browned. Serve!

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Charles Henry “Hank” Merrill

Funeral Services for Charles Henry “Hank” Merrill, 71, of Spring, Texas will be held Monday June 17, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at Her-nandez Funeral Home 800 Fourth Street in Rosenberg. Burial will follow at Greenlawn Cemetery in Rosenberg.

Visitation will be held Saturday June 15, 2019 from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Hernandez Funeral Home 800 Fourth Street in Rosen-berg.

Mr. Merrill was born January 26, 1948 in Fort Worth, Texas and he passed June 12, 2019 in Hous-ton, Texas. He is preceded in death

by his father Pat Merrill; his moth-er Mary Ellen Ransom and step fa-ther Curtis; his wife Elisa Torres Merrill.

He is survived by his son Charles Merrill, Jr. of Spring, TX; his daughter Brooke Lyons of Waller, TX; his brother Curtis Ran-som of New Ulm, TX; his sister Patricia Gustely of Stevensville, Mt.; his grandchildren Melanie, Madelyn, Holly, Grayson and Ja-cob; his great grandchild Beckett along with a host of nephews and nieces as well as other loving fam-ily members and friends.

Eddie Gayle ThomasFuneral Services for Eddie Gay-

le Thomas, 85, of Needville will be held Saturday June 15, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. at Cross Trails Cowboy Church 4761 FM 1563 in Wolfe City, Texas. Burial will follow at Sonora Cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 12:00 noon until 2:00 p.m. at Cross Trails Cowboy Church.

Mr. Thomas was born May 6, 1934 in Roby, Texas and he passed away June 7, 2019 in Richmond, Texas. He is preceded in death by his parents Alfred William and Verna Mae Thomas; his wife Joyce Ann Thomas; his sons Ed-die Gayle Thomas and John Alfred Thomas; his grandchildren Chris-topher D. Thomas and Maralana Thomas; his brothers John Kirby Thomas and Roy Thomas.

He is survived by his son Joe Bill Thomas and wife JoAnn; his daughters Dr. Cynthia Paris and husband Dale, Lisa Morphis and husband Mikel; his sisters Janet Dean and husband Wayne, Byrde Sparks; along with 21 grandchil-dren and 11 great grandchildren as well as other loving family members and friends.

ObituariesCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1COUNTY:

New this summer, Lamar Consolidated ISD will provide fresh meals daily to our stu-dents and community ages 18 months to 18 years through the Summer Meal Program.

The following locations will be serving breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday. Times and menu subject to change:

■ Terry High School: 6/10 – 8/2 | 8:30-9 a.m., 12:15-12:45 p.m.

■ George Jr. High: 6/10 – 8/2 | 8:30-9:30 a.m., 12:30-1:30 p.m.

■ Pink Elementary: 6/10 – 6/26 | 7:45- 8:15 a.m., 12:45-1:15

p.m. ■ Smith Elementary: 6/10 –

7/3 | 7:45-8:15 a.m., 12:15-12:45 p.m.

■ Lamar Junior High: 6/10 – 6/26 and 7/15 – 7/26 | 9-9:30 a.m., 1-1:30 p.m.

■ Lamar Jr. High will serve breakfast and lunch Mon-day-Thursday.

Those eligible for the Sum-mer Meal Program can enter through the cafeteria doors or assigned entrance at each cam-pus. For questions, call 832-223-0180.

Lamar CISD to offer free summer meals Join other teens and young

adults, ages 12-19 trying to gain con-fidence and independence through socialization, communication and advocacy from 6-7:30 p.m. each Wednesday night at River Pointe Church, Hut 1, 5000 Ransom Road in Richmond.

Monica De La Haya hosts four-weeks of interactive, engaging and informative social skills for this in-formal group.

Cell phone and electronics not allowed.

Parents and caregivers welcome. Space is limited, please RSVP 281-755-3437.

For information resources, visit hopeforthree.org or call 281-245-0640.

Support the Boy Scouts by displaying an American Flag on Peace Lutheran Church’s lawn in honor or in memory of a veteran. Your flag will fly on the 4th of July, Labor Day, Veteran’s Day, Pres-ident’s Day, Memorial Day and Flag Day.

Contact Peace Lutheran Church at 281-342-8800 or come by 1026 Radio Lane in Rosenberg for more information.

Confidence-building class for teens held each Wednesday

Boy Scout flag fundraiser

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1CROWELL: Returning to the art world

The cover art, as well as every illustration in The Trickster: Poems for Very Clever Children & Silly Adults was created by Robyn Crowell.

Lee Lindeman celebrated her 90th birthday this week. Along with working out regularly at Physical Therapy Care & Aquatic Rehab of Fort Bend, she lives alone on her four acres and still mows her lawn (riding of course) She also quilts, bakes, participates in quilting club, church, and is a regular domino player at various churches, and more.

Celebrating nine decades

Visit us on the web at fbherald.com

Greatwood residents who enjoy crafts are invited to join the new “Craft Squad” at Fort Bend County Libraries’ University Branch Li-brary. Crafters can make new crafty friends, learn a new craft or two, and share tips, tricks, and resources with fellow crafters at this quarterly event, which will take place in June, September, and December.

The first meeting of the Craft Squad will take place on Wednes-day, June 26, beginning at 7 p.m., in Meeting Room 2 of the library, locat-ed at 14010 University Blvd in Sugar Land, on the UH campus.

Each meeting will have a differ-ent craft theme, and badges can be earned for each new craft that is learned.

In June, earn the “Homemade Stationary” badge by making mar-bled paper and fancy homemade envelopes, and practice faux callig-raphy skills. Feel free to share past experiences with this fun craft and bring examples – the good, the bad, and the not-so-pretty!

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), or call 281-633-5100 or 281-633-4734.

Library starts ‘Craft Squad’

discovered human remains during early construction of the Reese Cen-ter.

In April of 2018, FBISD and the Texas Historical Commission an-nounce the discovery of a historic cemetery, discovering the graves of 95 individuals who were part of the state’s convict-leasing program from the late 1800s to the early 1900s.

Last October, Fort Bend ISD asked permission to a district court to ex-hume the remains and move them to a nearby cemetery, but community activists petitioned the court and were granted a stay, pending both sides can negotiate a resolution.

Last February, Fort Bend County Commissioners Court authorized the county attorney to negotiate an interlocal agreement with FBISD to allow the county to build and main-tain a park and cemetery next to the Reese Center.