Artist Lilia Holcomb captures elegance in her unique shadowboxes available for purchase today in the 2020 Virtual Festival of Trees here. Courtesy/LARSO

By BERNADETTE LAURITZEN
Executive Director
LARSO

The ties are strong when you become a member of the senior centers in Los Alamos and White Rock.

Lilia Holcomb is one senior who is “nifty in her nineties” and as creative as ever. She was born in 1927 and grew up on a farm. Her family was poor and so little money allowed creativity to bloom as Holcomb found unique ways to entertain herself.

The little girl with the artistic nature discovered the art of crafting, which set her on a path that inspires the creator and the viewer in equal amounts. Her craft started out with designing in a variety of different mediums along the way. The journey included ceramics, jewelry, quilting and sewing. One such design found its way back to the Betty Ehart Senior Center through a friend here on the hill for the 2019 Festival of Trees event.

This year, Holcomb arrives at the first ever virtual event as a vendor. The festival will see a jaunt to yesteryear as the artist captures time in shadowboxes. Holcomb has collected items throughout her time in New Mexico and created keepsakes that look as though they have been passed down through the generations. Many items can be seen on the Facebook pages for the Betty Ehart Senior Center and the White Rock Senior Center.

The shadow boxes are in Los Alamos and available by calling Barb Cates at 505.716.3336. Currently Lilly, as many friends call her, is crafting jewelry in Texas. The styles and prices vary, but all are lovely pieces created to enthuse the buyer and stimulate the receiver.

View a variety of items for sale in the 2020 Festival of Trees today on the LARSO webpage: www.losalamosseniorcenter.com.

Jewelry and other items for sale today in the 2020 Virtual Festival of Trees here. Courtesy/LARSO