The Art of Solitude

There are many museums, historic homes, parks, libraries, cathedrals, and breathtaking theaters here, and instead of taking a day trip to Houston to get a little taste of culture, some friends and I took a tour of our town and rediscovered a lot of history and beauty that I never knew was here. All of these beautiful places had been right under my nose and I was humbled when I realized there were so many places that I was ignorant of, even though I have lived in Southeast Texas for 16+ years.

This picture was taken in what is now a museum called the Chambers House, which is said to be haunted, but I was disappointed to not even feel a chill in any of the rooms.

The youngest daughter of the family, Florence, lived there alone after her father, mother, and older sister died in the house. She passed away in 2004, leaving the house to the Beaumont Heritage Society to be restored and converted into a museum.

In the many years she lived there alone, she lived in the upstairs, rarely going out into the outside world.

I was quite surprised when the tour guide told us that, just like me, Florence was a painter. We had been through a majority of the house by the time we reached her upstairs bedroom, where we found her many canvases, brushes, watercolors, acrylics, and miscellaneous painting supplies. I was further astonished when our tour guide told us that all of the paintings that I had been gawking at that were hanging in the parlor, sun room, dining area, and hallways were all the creations of Florence's own hand.

Neither she nor her sister ever married. She rarely left the house and didn't have many friends. Though she was alone for many years, and doubtlessly in unimaginable grief after being the sole survivor of her family, she had created numerous beautiful portraits, still life paintings, and landscapes.

When I saw these paintbrushes, it was a testimony to the beauty of the human mind and, no matter what hideously stale circumstances we live in, our minds still have the capability to produce beautiful, soul-moving pieces of artwork.