Theron Caldwell Ris

Tennessee

Our farm is next to Theron's land in Tennessee. We visited each time she came to camp and paint. We solved many of the world's problems from our front porch or around her campfire :-) She will be greatly missed by Emily & I. Peace & Love to all of her family. Love, Val & Emily Whitcomb

We always, every year and every time she came home to Tenn. ,we took a hike through the place we called and still do, Theron's, the beauty and the smell of it is a comfort to my soul to this day, I am so grateful to her for this place of solitude I know I can go and remember that feeling of home. She taught me to just sit and enjoy the sounds and the light flickering through the leaves on the trees a much needed peaceful place in my world , I can't say enough about how she hlelped me also teach my children that same lesson which I know they greatly appreciate, we often walk there still and so grateful to be able to, love and light will always surround my thoughts of her, our Theron

Hans and Theron came to tenn with the plan to use blue line paint to keep hunters out we hiked the entire property marking a tree or fence post on regular intervals it was a beautiful sunny day and Theron looked quite please when the job was finished she knew it would keep the hunters out !!!!

It is with great sadness that I become aware of Theron's death. I met Theron at the University of Wisconsin Madison where both of us were working on our Master of Fine Arts. Later on I also met Hans, Annette and Sam. Theron was always so positive and lively. When I told her that I was moving to Knoxville Tennessee, she told me all the stories about her piece of land near Nashville, where she use to go camp and relax. She told me that I had to give Tennessee around 5 years and after that I would never leave. She was right, I stayed there for 21 years. We exchange artworks and I have two of her animal small paintings and also a lithograph. I remembered her iron series, she worked furiously on them. I saw Theron and Hans again when I visited their beautiful home with my husband and son in the early 90's. I have a picture of my husband, son and I that Theron took at her house. During these many years since I last saw her, I always remember her. As a matter of fact I was thinking of her this weekend. I didn't know that Hans also passed away. I am glad that she was able to preserve her land in Tennessee and that you her children and grandchildren can enjoy as much as she did. My condolence to all of you.