Always drawn to color and design, Lynne, a decades-long professional writer, finally decided to pursue art studies. She enrolled in weekly lessons at Beech Tree Studio in Geneva, IL with the award-winning colored pencil artist, Andie Burchett. As the weeks turned into years, Lynne experienced the joy of learning to draw with an eye that began seeing the subtleties of light, color and subject definition. One delightful and unexpected outcome of taking classes, she soon discovered, was the camaraderie and friendships she developed with the other students. With her like-minded friends, they pursued art-related activities in the area which gave Lynne an idea. Because artists often work alone or in a studio with a handful of students, it is usually only through word-of-mouth they learn about workshops, contests, gallery openings, and related opportunities. Lynne decided to start capturing the art news in one convenient conduit for artists and enthusiasts alike, and Art Beat was born!