Gord was given a set of watercolour paints by an elderly American missionary woman while working in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Central Africa) in the 1980s.  He met with her weekly to show her his work, and she offered him tips on how to improve.  The most important advice was to “lighten up and not to paint like an old lady" (whatever that means).  He has been working diligently ever since to heed her wise words.  Gord recently retired from teaching at a French-Immersion school and now paints whenever he can.