New York City at the end of the W W2, Norma was the so called "gifted" child of two immigrant parents living in the Bronx. Her 10 year old sister and she, 5 years risked drunks and sexual predators on the subway, for children's art lessons in Manhattan . Fast Forward to Washington Square in the early 50's, Cooper Union Art and Engineering School in the East Village, odd smells, sexism and racism. Upon graduation at age 19, a big Bronx wedding led to a life not about art but about, diapers, smoking, yo yo dieting, shopping, and local politics in the Suburbs. Her son's Schizophrenia led her back to college to study Child Psychology and after hitting the "glass ceiling" she let down her long hair and met, Audrey. Her consciousness was raised, and bisexuality, group sex and bigger bolder paintings happened. A major risky change Then suburban swinging, led to her escape from the "burbs" to the "big apple" to risk a new life of art and "free" love with her new model and new partner, Stash, who had already lived a risky life as paratrooper and world traveler. But, group sex and "love circles " turned ugly, unhealthy... too risky, so they stopped. In the mid '70s with New York and the whole world it seemed going Disco crazy. Stash and Norma became Disco Van 2000 The Traveling Discotheque at private parties in hotels, yachts, the Towers at the World Trade Center...for record producers, rock stars, politicians, Broadway casts, sweet sixteen's, bar Mitzvahs and the doomed Studio 54. In order to survive the unhealthy lifestyle, in the '80s she made another risky change. They sold literally everything and at first as city slickers they camped in a 35ft motor coach, but traveling awakened their interest in American history. They learned Black powder shooting, slept in teepees and covered wagons, learned how the early pioneers took risks .She produced hundreds of charcoal portraits of "mountain Men" "tradesmen" "squaws" and "wenches" as "Soulcatcher" while they traveled and hiked the back roads the width and breadth of Middle America as costumed Muzzleloaders. When they discovered the hellishly hot and cleansing southwest it was love at first sight. They took the risk to buy primitive land in the San tan mountains wilderness, They called it our Rock Peak Retreat; they hauled their water and put up solar panels for electricity. Norma started painting feverishly in oils and acrylics, out doors under a canvas awning with humming birds and bees buzzing her colored brush water. They walked the hills, experimented with exercise, made their own vitamin pills, followed fads, read books, joined gyms with some positive changes but it all felt a little risky. The "experts' seemed to contradict each other. One incredibly hot 110degree summer they both enrolled at Arizona State University to major in Physical Education Exercise Physiology with a specialty in Adult Fitness. Which became their lives for the next 20 years. During the those years in the 80's and 90's they lived in the motor coach in the desert, off the grid, depending on solar panels, hauling water, painting, showing and selling her art locally, going to school, and teaching exercise, she finally quit smoking and age 60 she was in the best shape of her life. though still intrigued with the idea that we could always pack up quickly and make another risky change. But everything changed again at the dawn of 2000 when Stash was diagnosed with bladder cancer. The VA declared him 100% disabled. They built a permanent studio/home on Rock peak. In the next years they struggled through illness, surgery, blunders, VA forms, questionable remedies, fasting, meditation, trial and error, academic research, exercise, static stretching, Walkaerobics, life experience and healing. For sure there is a capacity for improvement and change for the better in us all, at any age and in any condition. And its never too late to start ... again and again and again!
About the Author: Norma was born in the Bronx, NY in 1935 and now lives in an Off-The-Grid solar-powered home in the Arizona desert wilderness.. A child of East European immigrants she lived over her father's kosher butcher store on a busy city street. Her uncle Irving Resnikoff, a renowned portrait painter, recognized her artistic talent at an early age. Riding the subway to Manhattan from age 5 with her 10 year old sister as chaperone, she attended art classes for gifted children at the MOMA and New York University. She graduated from the High School of Music & Art at the age of 16 and then attended the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art and graduated 1955. The same weekend as graduation, she married and moved to Long Island where she gave birth to a daughter, Elana, and a prematurely born problematic son, David. While raising her family, she volunteered for politics, women's rights and experimented with alternate life styles. In 1970 with her children, she moved to Manhattan and started a mobile disco business, Disco Van 2000. With her new partner Stásh Furman, she produced disco events for politicians and celebrities and was a featured speaker at the Disco Convention. In 1980 because of deteriorating health and after her son was committed, she left New York to travel the country in a Motorcoach with Stásh. Together, they discovered and participated in Historical reenactments - Mountain Man Rendezvous. They won national awards in black powder target shooting. She was named the "Soulcatcher" when she produced and sold hundreds of commissioned, authentic charcoal portraits of costumed participants. In 1984, in order to build up her health, she (along with Stásh) enrolled in the ASU Department of Exercise Science and Physical Education. She graduated Cum Laude and they became exercise designers of Walkaerobics and personal trainers for adults and produced programs, Videos, DVDs, CDs and books which won the prestigious International Racket Sports Association IRSA/Keiser International Award and President's Council of Physical fitness Award After a temporary but major set-back in 2000, in their Rock Peak studio, They now do personal training. Norma gives private art lessons, has helped found the San Tan Artisans league and has held local art shows. Her painting, "Hopi Basket Weaver", was a winner for the back cover of the AARP 2009 Calendar. Norma, with Stásh by her side, looks forward to more "Risky Changes" and challenges in the future.