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Seniors taking art lessons at senior center
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Nancy Beilik (standing) looked over the shoulder of her friend Nancy Walz (seated) to see how the tracing process helped her fellow student begin her artwork.
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Louise Kilar has attended many classes taught by Jacobs. During her visit to the Austintown Senior Center, Kilar planned how she was going to use her canvas with her next painting.
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .Art teacher Sue Jacobs has taught art in elementary schools to nursing homes. She was welcomed to the Austintown Senior Center on Jan. 31 to teach painting skills to interested seniors.
By SARAH FOOR
The seniors at the Austintown Senior Center may have the next Michelangelo or Monet in their midst, as they explored painting techniques and tips from teacher Sue Jacobs on Jan. 31.
Jacobs, who has taught painting to crowds from preschools to nursing homes, aims to make art a simpler process.
“It might sound counterintuitive, but we’re breaking down our art into a paint-by-numbers like activity,” she explained. “You have to divorce yourself from the beautiful thing and focus on the shapes and general colors, and translate those to the canvas.”
After the base colors were added to canvases, Jacobs explained that light spots and details should be the last part of a painting. In her streamlined process, she offered her students photos that she stripped down to base colors, and the choice to use an overhead projector to trace a basic sketch onto their canvases.
Frequent guest of Jacobs’ class, Louise Kilar, attended the Senior Center event on Jan. 31.
“I really like painting. It’s a great hobby where I can relax, focus on my work, and forget about everything else,” Kilar explained of the appeal. “I think Sue is helpful and works closely with all her students, and teaches painting in a way that anyone can learn.”
New student Nancy Beilik had personal reasons to learn some new skills.
“I’m not very artistic, but I found a beautiful photo of my mother I’m hoping to make into a portrait,” Beilik shared. “The approach we’re using here makes a lot of sense, and I think it will all work out really well.”