Senior citizens discover talent, pastime in art
By ROWENA PLETT
Reporter / photographer
People are told that it is important to have a hobby to pursue in retirement years. For some, that hobby has turned out to be painting pictures.
Every Monday afternoon, a group of senior citizens can be found at Butler of Marion. They are participating in an art class taught by Pat Wick of Ramona.
Students range in age from 62 to 83. Some have discovered their talent in retirement while others have previously enjoyed creating art and now have more time to pursue it.
Using photographs or pictures found in newspapers or magazines, they sketch the pictures unto art paper, then proceed to use oil, water colors, or acrylics to paint them.
When each painting is is critiqued and completed to Wick's satisfaction, it is matted and framed.
Marquetta Eilerts, 71, joined the class in 1998. She retired from her position as Marion County Clerk in 1997 and needed something to help her get out around people again, she said.
She first learned to do pencil drawings, then began doing oil paintings, advanced to water colors, and now is doing acrylics.
She displayed many of her creations two weeks ago at Marion Senior Center.
Betty Fettrow, 80, Cedar Point, is a retired school teacher who taught at Florence for 18 years. She said she has had an interest in art since she was a little girl. She has been in the class since 1997.
Marjorie Van Sickle, 62, Cedar Point, is a retired chemist. She joined the class in 1996.
Agnes Bernhardt, 83, Tampa, a retired school teacher, is the oldest member of the class. She started art classes 12 years ago when Jan Davis was instructor.
Lenore Mitchell, 64, Agnes Bernhardt's first grade pupil, taught classroom music at Junction City. She has been living in Marion the past five years. She said her brother, D.W. Wheeler, encouraged her to get into art.
Frances Turner, 71, rural Marion, said she always loved to draw. She did oil painting on her own and joined the class to learn to do water color. Turner was a lab technician at AMPI in Hillsboro for many years.
Mary Alice Jolley, 76, formerly owned a business in Salina as a certified optician and now lives at Marion County Lake.
"I lost my soul when I moved here until I found this class," she said. "It is very rewarding."
Jolley has a daughter who teaches art in Salina and a mother in her 90s who also is an artist. Jolley likes free expression, abstract painting. She said her husband is her biggest fan. He mats pictures for her and a friend.
Judy Reno, 64, moved to Marion County Lake from Wichita. She retired from nursing in 1996, having spent five years as director of the Harvey County Public Health Department.
Reno took classes in fabric painting while in Wichita and joined the class at BCCC to learn to do water-color and drawing. She likes to paint portraits and currently is working on a picture of two grandchildren.
"My kids are amazed at what I can do," she said.
Several students are members of the Chase County Art Guild.
Marie Holtsclaw, 66, rural Cedar Point, began drawing and painting in the late 1930s as a farm wife. She has been a member of the class at Butler of Marion since 1994.
Bennie Holtsclaw, 66, Marie's husband, was persuaded to join her in the class about three years ago.
"I wasn't able to draw a stick figure," the farmer/ singer/entertainer said.
Audrey Murrell of Cottonwood Falls was his first teacher. He especially enjoys doing paintings of animals and people.
Gene Gertstner, 73, Emporia, has painted on his own for many years. This is the first year he is in the class.
Doris Gerstner, 74, Gene's wife, has been painting since 1984.
The couple has a gallery in their home. Some of their pictures are displayed for sale at Olpe at the Olpe Chicken House.
According to Gene, the restaurant is the fourth best chicken eatery in the country and draws customers from a wide area, so their paintings go many places.
Keith, 64, and Norine Holtsclaw, 66, joined the class three years ago. Keith is a brother of Bennie and was a Caterpillar mechanic. He said he liked to "piddle" in art but only recently began taking it seriously.
The group displays its work at various art shows, and many submit their creations for judging at the county fair. Several weeks ago, their paintings were on display at St. Luke Living Center.
They all agreed that the class is like family to them.
"We help each other," Eilerts said.
"It's neat because you learn to know people from so many different backgrounds," Jolley added.
