Artist teaching weekly art classes
Local artist Pat Johnson holds weekly art classes every Friday at Fishers of Men Lutheran Church.
“We usually get here for coffee about noon, spend some time together and then paint,” Johnson said.
“I’ve been painting for more than 30 years,” Johnson said. “I had a back injury in 1979 and surgery in 1980 and I was looking for something to take my mind off of the pain. I just needed something different to think about. So, I started painting as a healing thing and in many ways that’s what these classes are all about.”
While it started as a healing thing for her, the classes have also helped others.
“In all the 10 years I’ve been doing these classes there’s always someone having a similar experience to my own with a health issue or just something that weighs on their mind,” Johnson said. “Painting, and any other art, can take you to another place away from your problems.”
Johnson is originally from South Dakota and had a friend that lived on Pine Island.
“She just loved the art world down here and I came to visit a couple of years,” she said. “I came for short stays that extended to six months and then we moved here permanently.”
Her medium of choice when she moved here was watercolors.
“I started with watercolors because the lady that got me started had everything necessary to paint watercolors,” Johnson said. “But I love to experiment and explore other types of art. I have a short attention span and always have numerous projects in various stages of development. I have a very understanding husband.”
Classes generally get together mostly to paint.
“We are really an experimental class,” she said. “I like experimenting with mixed media. We’ve done maze paper, a few weeks ago we did charcoal pour, and I love watercolor because you never know what you’re going to get. It all intuitive.
“But today we’re going to do pen and ink,” Johnson said. “Pen and ink describes a process where ink is applied in varying shades. This allows the artist to create strong areas of contrast by layering. Later I will demonstrate painting in watercolors.
Because Southwest Florida is still in its “off-season,” Johnson had six students in attendance.
“Once season kicks off classes will have close to 20 or so,” Johnson said. “We get together and have a good time every Friday,” Johnson said. “This is just like a party. We all get together and have a good time. We say we ‘Party every Friday.'”
For additional information about the classes, contact Johnson at 863-258-7372 or email pjohnsonart@yahoo.com
Fishers of Men Lutheran Church is at 10360 Stringfellow Road. For more information about the church, call 239-283-1170.