Walking or driving around Clinton allows motorists to see an array of beautiful doors shapes and sizes, doors on houses, businesses even barns and gardens. Starting Thursday, Dec. 6, some of those doors will be featured in “The Doors of Clinton” art show at the Victor R. Small House Gallery. The show will run through Jan. 4. The watercolor art produced by students of Paula Fitzpatrick, both adults and home-schooled young people, will be displayed. The event is free and open to the pubic.
On Thursday evening, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., there will be an artist reception held at the Small House Gallery. This event is also free and open to the public.
“The Doors Of Clinton” is an art show that has been created, painted and exhibited by the Small House Painters, who are adults and home-schooled young people who Fitzpatrick has taught to paint in watercolors. The theme of “The Doors of Clinton” was selected for their fall art project.
Adult students include: Micki McPhail, Joan Carr, Amelia Surratt, Til Herring, Susan Rouse, Becky Jackson, Jean McLeod and Julie Stefanovich.
The student artists are made up of students that are home-schooled and include: Joseph Johnson, Adam Johnson, Elizabeth Johnson, Eli Bradley, Kasey Malone, Lee Faison and Allyssa Lee, who all meet at the Sampson Arts Council. The adults meet on Tuesdays and the young adults meet on Thursdays.
“The idea of using doors from many different areas of Clinton was to involve as many people as possible in trying to figure out where the doors are located. The only requirement was that the door be located in Clinton. The term ‘door’ was used loosely — house doors, garage doors, barn doors, garden doors, historical doors, municipal doors and religious doors were all game,” noted Fitzpatrick.
The class made several tours around town with their cameras in hand looking for the different, the old, the exciting, the interesting and the special door.
“Sometimes it was the play of sunlight on the door that caught their eye, sometimes the elaborate detail, sometimes the wave of a flag hung at the doorway, and sometimes the colors around the door. The ladies ventured into side streets, alleys and rural road ways, jumping out and back into vehicles to photograph doors, laughing the entire time,” explained the art instructor.
Each artist chose the door they wanted to paint in the style they liked. Some chose to paint brick by brick and others chose loose and fanciful. “Artistic license” is part of the project — paint what and how you want.
The young artists used some of the same references that the adult class used.
“The young people’s initial assignment was to draw a door on their own property and then work on it in class. Each student depicted their door with their choice of style and color. Their own style and sense of ‘less is more’ is evident in how they see color and details. Nevertheless, their spirit shines through,” remarked Fitzpatrick.
Several of the student artist expressed their views on taking art and participating in the show by producing their “door” art.
Joseph Johnson stated that he enjoyed the art classes; he has been taking for three years.
“It is a lot of fun. Mrs. Paula makes the class very enjoyable and I am excited to see all the paintings at the show,” said Johnson.
“We have a great teacher. Mrs. Paula gives us great tips and secrets on how we should paint. We truly have a great time each week,” cited Lee Faison.
Eli Bradley noted,, “All of our projects are fun and even though we don’t think they look any good at first, when we finish them they always turn our well.”
The young people range in age from 13 to 17 and meet from 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. with a break for lunch each week.
“These students have really come a long way in a short time. They get to experience a lot of different things and paint a variety of subjects,” explained Fitzpatrick.
The art instructor also shared that the adult ladies have all developed skills in painting and continue to come for the classes. They too enjoy the time together working on their individual pieces for the show.
The young people expressed that they all hoped to be able to continue the classes next year as well. Fitzpatrick stated that as long as they continued to enjoy and have fun painting, she would continue to offer the classes.
Please call Fitzpatrict at (h) 910-596-0000 or (c) 910-596-8507 for more information.
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