14 Jan Art – and the Art of Living – at Park Springs
Park Springs, Atlanta’s award-winning CCRC, has a significant collection of original art throughout its common areas – art that was curated by some of Atlanta’s best–known art galleries, including TEW Gallery and Mason Murer Fine Art.
As Andy Isakson, developer of Park Springs, states in the catalog about the Park Springs art collection: “Like each of the members, every piece of artwork at Park Springs is unique and contributes to our community in a distinct way. The collective impression is one of diversity, energy…and even a hint of surprise.”
Art, both visual and performing, is a vital part of life at Park Springs, where many artists blossom.
To learn more about how important creating art is to some of the members at Park Springs, meet Mrs. Jean Shadomy, who started painting only four years ago after she moved here. She is currently is one of the featured artists in the artist display room at Park Springs.
How long have you been painting?
I began painting about a year after coming to Park Springs when I discovered that there is a wonderful art group here and I had the time to give to it. That means about four years.
What made you start?
I finally had the time and place to begin a new part of my life. There were help, facilities, facilitators, i.e. many of our artists are very accomplished even to being professional. After being in the scientific world for my whole life, it was and is refreshing to find individuals who are happy to help without EVER criticizing or thinking of using my ideas…..they have plenty of their own!
We have a wonderful teacher who comes to us to give classes which makes it less costly by far, and more comfortable than having to go to a teacher with all of our materials.
What medium do you prefer? What artist style impresses you? How would you describe your art?
My preferred medium is watercolor, although it is perhaps the most difficult. Once something is on paper that is pretty much the whole story, errors cannot be painted over as in acrylic and oil painting.
To look at my portfolio you would see various styles from abstract to anything else. I look for ideas that are often what I feel are beyond my capabilities, but want to see whether I can paint them. I am still trying to find a special niche that is me. I tend to work in earth tones and love landscapes, animals, and anything else that strikes my fancy when I’m looking for ideas.
Being a scientist I find it difficult to paint “loose” but am working on that, as I am working on painting water. Water can be very difficult to paint, and I never do it justice. Most of my painting is rather exacting.
Do you work every day or in spurts?
Depending on many factors, including time and whether I have a deadline on a particular painting [e.g. class work] I may spend time daily or only several times a week. I find it important to me to be in the art room working on, or looking for, a project. It surely has become a passion to me!
One thing I need to add is that there are a number of people in our wonderful group that began work, some with experience in other art, only after coming to Park Springs. We have a gentleman who came here before me and began painting in acrylic at the age of 92! He doesn’t paint often but I think that is a wonder.
In my write-up along with my gallery showing I mention that I believe every-one has some hidden art in their soul. We hope they will come and find out what it is.
We have had classes held by those of us in our close-knit art group and quite a few folks have taken the opportunity to try their hand at painting. It has been amazing to see the results!