Archived Arts & Entertainment

Instructor instills lifelong appreciation for art

Many people might say Lilian Parks is a staple to the regional art community. “Lil” as she is known to her students and fellow artists, is originally from San Francisco and has lived in Haywood County for more than 20 years. She came to the mountains by way of New York, Atlanta, Miami, and Hawaii, all the while painting and cultivating a following.

With more than 30 years of experience teaching both private lessons and classes, she is well-suited to teach at Haywood Community College.

“She not only instructs, she inspires,” said Laura Simmons of Community Education at HCC.

Parks says she tries to pass on an appreciation for creating art even if students aren’t pursuing it as a profession.

“This is why I am more thorough in teaching and encouraging the student to develop their own style as an artist,” said Parks. “If a person enjoys creating art, he or she will never be bored. It is a lifetime of learning, and I am still learning.”

Lil is a member of the Blue Ridge Watermedia Society and numerous other organizations. Her work can be found in private and corporate collections and has been recognized locally and throughout the United States.. Lil will soon teach “Journaling for the Artist.”

Related Items

“You can create a storybook illustrating your travels. It’s a way to capture your memory of what you’ve seen,” said student Wendy Cordwell.

Learn from Lil

Lilian Parks will teach “Journaling for the Artist” from 1 to 4 p.m. June 17 to July 29. Parks will teach Pen and Ink from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. June 15 to July 20; Finishing Your Masterpiece, a new class in which Parks will give students individual instruction in completing and finishing a work currently in progress or help tackling a new challenge, from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. June 17 to July 29. All classes are six weeks long and $60 per class.

For more info, call Laura Simmons at 828.565.4244. To register, 828.627.4505 or www.haywood.edu/continuing_education.

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.