Their talents go on display Sunday at the Macon County Welcome Center at a 2-4 p.m. reception featuring artwork from the Overstreet family.
The reception had been scheduled for earlier in the month but was postponed due to the flood of May 1-2.
The family’s artwork will remain on display at the Welcome Center, located on the Highway 52 Bypass, for three months. The display is titled “Art Work, A Family Affair Four Generations” and will include:
• Needle work by Mattie “Kate” Overstreet, an 87-year-old resident at Knollwood Manor
• Watercolor art by her daughters Shirley Anderson and Dimple Wilburn, both of Macon County.
• Shirley’s daughter and granddaughter Gina Dillon and Mallory Dillon of Carthage.
Here is some more information about the artists:
Mattie is a native of Smith County and now resides at Knollwood to be closer to her daughters.
Mattie is from a large family of eight children until her mother, father, three brothers, a sister, a niece, a brother-in-law and an uncle were killed in a train accident in 1947 in Smith County.
Growing up in a large family in those days meant learning to cook and using the needle to make clothing, quilts and various things. When her three children were growing up, she would make dresses for her girls. Over the years, she has made some beautiful things for her children and grandchildren that they will cherish forever.
There are embroidered pillow cases, doilies, knitted afghans, cross stitch afghans, table cloths, pictures, Brazilian embroidered pillows and beautiful quilts, some that she did the piercing or appliqué, some with embroidered birds or fliers.
Mattie quilted several years for the Wishing Well Quilt Shop in Lebanon. The ladies at the shop would apologize for giving her quilts that the young ladies had pieced that were not pieced together just right but told her she always made them look like a “Masterpiece.”
Mattie is excited about MCAC showing her work.
Ms. Mattie’s daughter, Shirley (Phillip) Anderson always had a love for art and watched Ross and Jenkins on Saturday television in her younger years and would paint with oils on her own. After moving to Macon County, Shirley saw Nancy Doss’ booth at the Macon County Fair with envy wishing she could paint like that.
With Nancy’s encouragement, she signed up for Nancy’s watercolor category at the “Arts in Bloom” show held each April at Macon Bank and Trust and placed second in a show in Bowling Green. Art to her is relaxing and so much fun.
Like her sister, Dimple (Jimmy) Wilburn saw Nancy’s work and at Nancy’s insistence, Dimple started art classes and it is something that she really enjoys. Dimple received honorable mention on a painting at “Arts in Bloom.” Their late father always Dimple was good at drawing.
Gina (Mark) Dillon, of Carthage, took art a couple of years in grade school. She always had a natural talent for drawing. A couple of years ago, she started art classes with Bill Reece of Carthage. She placed second at the Smith County Fair last year. Gina is a perfectionist and it shows in her neat work.
Eight-year-old Mallory Dillon, a student at Carthage Elementary and art student of Bill Reece, completes the four generations. Mallory is very excited about illustrating a children’s book of poetry.
Mallory's great uncle, Ed Francisco, a respected and popular professor at Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, has published several books. Francisco has recently written a book of children’s poetry. Getting inspiration from the alphabet and after seeing some of Mallory’s work, invited her to illustrate his book. The book will be published this year.
Mallory lacks about four drawings being done with her illustrations. Reece helped her find subject material and Mallory did the illustrations. As the book has not been published, these poems and illustrations will be on display in an album Sunday.
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