Paint Drops’ artists color their world with joy

EDGEWATER — Take one step into the craft room at Creekside Lodge, and you’ll feel like singing “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!” That’s because the artistic folks of Paint Drops are busy creating festive masterpieces that are sure to brighten anyone’s holiday season.

Beneath their skilled paintbrushes, merry Santa Clauses and jolly snowman figurines come to colorful life. Decorative metal chargers bloom with bold crimson poinsettias set against backgrounds of antique gold or verdant green. And these holiday projects are just a few of the many decorative items the Paint Drops’ artists work on throughout the year under the direction of artist Pat Spooner, who started the group about five years ago.

The painters, who meet on the first and third Monday afternoons of the month, are quick to point out that special artistic talent is not required for interested folks to come in and wield a brush at Paint Drops. Basically it’s a group of people getting in touch with their creative side while enjoying fun and friendship as they work and learn.

Barb Rubino, who says she never took art classes before, described a feeling of accomplishment from her work.

“My family can’t believe I’ve made such beautiful things here,” she said.

Judy DiMonte said many of the Paint Drops’ creations make excellent gifts, such as decorative boxes, trays and plates, sculptural figures, and art on canvas.

The crafts that the Paint Drops work on throughout the year are decided upon by the group as a whole. While the items chosen often come with a pattern to follow, along with suggested colors and techniques, artists can use those suggestions as a springboard and go on to add their own unique flair.

“I’m amazed that even though we paint the same thing, each person’s work looks different,” Beverly Dumais said.

Sharon Sacksteader was attracted to the group after reading about it in Edgewater’s Lifestyles newsletter and wanted to join in. Alberta Winka, who once painted fine-porcelain dolls as a hobby, has found the group to be an outlet for her skills and is currently bringing a snowman figurine to jolly life. Beverly Szymanski, a new Edgewater resident, says Paint Drops has been a good way to meet people. She added that working on the projects is a relaxing escape.

“It really takes you away… You forget about everything except what you’re doing,” she said.

The painters agree that the fun, fellowship, and support experienced in the group are why they keep coming back.

“We have such a good time… Sometimes we get a little hysterical,” Joan Cavin, a member of Paint Drops almost since the beginning, said.

Paint Drops’ artists are delighted with their leader, Pat Spooner, whom they fondly call “The Fixer” because of the ways she helps them improve their artwork. During the Monday afternoon session, several group members bring the piece they’re working on to her chair — where she’s busily painting her own works — to seek her advice.

Pat sets aside her project to suggest a different approach or wields her own brush to help improve a problem area. Suddenly the poinsettia on the decorative plate in question looks more realistic, has greater depth, and “pops” more vividly against its background.

Lee Coombs, who’s completed around 35 different projects with Paint Drops over the years, said, “Pat is very encouraging to all of us.”

“Pat generously gives her skills to us without a charge — there’s no instructor’s fee for our group,” DiMonte added.

Attendees purchase the craft items they work on and provide their own brushes and paints, but often share their materials with one another.

Spooner began drawing as a child and has practiced her art all her life. As the catalyst for developing her talent, she credits four years of art classes under the instruction of a nun who had studied painting in Italy. For a number of years when Pat lived in Arkansas, she generously shared her love for drawing and painting by serving as a volunteer art teacher for first through sixth-graders in a school system that couldn’t afford an art program.

At Edgewater and elsewhere, she has also taught “Learn to See” classes that instruct would-be artists on how to truly observe what they have decided to draw or paint.

In addition to her work with Paint Drops, Spooner also participates in another Edgewater artists’ group that meets Thursday mornings at the Lodge — AIR-E, which stands for Artists in Residence-Edgewater.

These are artists who enjoy gathering together as they work in the medium of their choice. AIR-E artists’ work is typically displayed on the walls by the Lodge’s meeting rooms and is sometimes showcased on the glass shelves fronting the Craft Room.

Whether they are amateurs, professionals, or somewhere in between, the artists of Edgewater beautify their surroundings with the products of their own hands and enjoy fun and friendship in the process. Spooner welcomes anyone interested to grab a brush and join in — newcomers are always welcome.

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