Barbara and Kurt Siegert were the celebrated violinists who entertained diners in Louisville, Kentucky’s Executive Inn Empire room for many years.
I first met Barbara when she purchased one of my snow scenes titled, “The Road To Essie’s”.
Barbara later joined one of my painting classes where she told me Kurt had been a prisoner in a German concentration camp during World War Two and had saved his life by playing his violin for the prison guards.
Barbara became quite skilled with her painting but one afternoon she ran into a problem with her canvas. She pushed her brush into my hand as I sat beside her giving advice as to how she should rework a troublesome area.
With a twinkle in her eye, she whispered, “Here. You fix it. I won’t tell anybody.”
She knew my rules. During the first night of a new student’s class, I make it a point to explain that I do not touch their painting. I will point and they will paint it all by themselves so it will be their full, true statement when telling relatives or friends. “I painted that.”
I smiled and handed the brush back to Barbara. It took her the rest of the class period to rectify her canvas dilemma, but as she walked out the door her elbow jabbed me in my ribs and she tossed me another twinkle look and said. “Thanks, Teach!”
Later, several students joined me in the Empire Room one memorable evening to hear the “Singing Strings”. I again saw Barbara’s twinkle as she passed near our table. Being a visual person, I have never forgotten that twinkle.