Seymour tames the brush instead of the Wild West
By Bill Rodgers


Cars lined the driveway to the Butler Art Museum on Saturday evening as well dressed people walked inside, where a suited doorman took people's invitations. Inside, tables were immaculately set with more silverware than many of us are inclined to use at one meal. Individually boxed chocolates sat beside ornate
plates. Waiters weaved between the tables carrying huge trays of hors d'oeuvres that had everything from meats to skewered fruits. In another room, a massively stocked bar stretched out across the room.
I was glad I decided to dress in something a little more formal than my usual ripped-up jeans and Led Zeppelin T-shirt.

The cause for the festivities: Painter Jane Seymour, of "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" fame, had chosen the Butler to be the first museum in the United States to exhibit her paintings. What's more, Seymour showed up for the event.  Joe Lando did not make an appearance. Sorry girls.

Colleen Ferguson was one of those in attendance for the event."This dinner was my birthday present," Ferguson said. "Jane Seymour is my favorite actress and I never thought that I'd get to meet her in person."
Jeff Draime, one of the directors for the Butler Art Museum, was also attending.

"This is a win-win situation," Draime said. "This is Jane Seymore's first show so it creates both interest in her artwork and in the Butler."

Her paintings seemed idyllic and cheerful, bearing names like "Katie: A Splash of Life" and "Country Cabin." Seymour's paintings included self-portraits and scenes of her children enjoying themselves. Seymour's work has been described as "impressionist," meaning she tries to capture the beauty of everyday life in a moment of spontaneity. Impressionist artwork gets its punch from the overall effect the painting has on the onlooker
rather than the details within it.

Standing close to her work was Seymour, hemm I managed to sidetrack Seymour away from the endless parade of people trying to get her attention to talk with her for a few minutes inside the museum's gift shop where she was signing stack after stack of her various children's books. I asked my questions of Seymour
while the dinner attendees around me asked theirs. It was a small press conference of sorts.

"When did you start painting?" I asked.

"Oh! What's this book about? It looks adorable," asked a woman who stood inches
away from me.

Seymour answered both of the questions at once:

"I've been painting my whole life, but I just started to seriously do it about 13 years ago. That's a little children's book I wrote to explain pregnancy to kids. It answers the questions they ask like 'Why is mummy getting fat?'"

"How would you describe your artwork?" I asked.

"Ooh, this book looks cute!" said someone else.

"My artwork is joyful. I take my everyday experiences like the places I go, the people I meet or my family and I paint them. My artwork is very eclectic with what influences me," Seymour said.

Seymour pointed out that the "cute book" in question was intended to help children learn to read. Each page of the small book had a single word with a picture that illustrated it.

She addressed me again: "I've been described as an American Impressionist, which is funny because I'm English. Though, I should become a citizen here any day now."

"I heard that you were giving a dinner speech tonight. Any idea on what you'll
talk about?" I asked.

Seymour stopped signing books for a moment. "Hmm," she said. "No one told me
that I was going to have to speak tonight."

Crap. It was time to go.

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