By a show of hands, members of the Colley Senior Complex Art Guild accepted the challenge issued to them by Frances Davis to write a book.

Davis used Ann Voskamp’s book, “One Thousand Gifts” as the devotional for the Art Guild’s quarterly meeting at the Colley Senior Complex Thursday.

Davis actually proposed two challenges to the Art Guild members.

“First, praise God every day, and be thankful all day long,” she said. “Then write a book.”

Davis said writing a book is easy when you have so much for which to be thankful. All you need to do is write down one thousand gifts you have received. The gifts might be something as simple as the hummingbird outside your window, the warm soapsuds in you dishwater or a song.”

Davis encouraged the Art Guild members to get a journal or a legal pad, clip a pen on it and place it in a place of comfort.

“Then, as you think of the gifts you have received, write them down and you’ll soon have a list of one thousand gifts or more,” she said. “And, you will also have a legacy of love to leave to someone who loves you.”

She cited the late Sarah Faulk of Troy, who kept a journal of quotes that were meaningful to her.

“When Sarah died, everyone wanted her journal, not her lake house or the farm,” Davis said. “They wanted her journal.”

Sallie Fenn, Art Guild member and accomplished artist, was the guest speaker for the meeting.

After living in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania for most of her young life and Washington D.C. for much of her adult life, Fenn said she came back home in 2005 to where her roots are.

Fenn said Pittsburg had a good educational system and good art schools. She was doing well in school. She had good teachers who made the students work hard. But, she contracted tuberculosis and was confined to a sanitarium for three years and was unable to finish high school.

When she was released from the sanitarium, she earned a high school equivalency diploma and attended Carnegie Institute of Technology. She then worked for a while at the sanitarium where she had been a patient.

She later went to Washington D.C. where she worked at the Library of Congress for 26 years and absorbed every art book that came across her desk. Fenn took advantage of every opportunity to travel abroad. Her travels have greatly influenced her artwork.

She had several pieces of her artwork in different mediums on display but said working in pastels is what she enjoys most.

“I love pastels because they involve drawing as well as painting and I love painting,” Fenn said.

Fenn’s artwork has been shown in galleries around the country.

She has had been featured in a show at the Johnson Center and her work is often displayed at the Colley Senior Complex.