THE PAINTING PRITCHETTS: A journey of learning and relearning how to be an artist

By GraciAnn Goodin | Living 50 Plus

Margy Pritchett has been an artist for pretty much her entire life. She has always loved painting, especially. She considered it just a hobby, though, and like many hobbies, other things in her life often took precedence.

Her husband, Dan, has not always been an artist. Even now he uses the word with air quotes surrounding it: “artist.”

But about 10 years ago, he started attending classes at Studio 60 Senior Center. He had been a woodcarver for years, but as he became more involved with the arts programming, he started to realize that he was also a painter.

A couple years into stepping outside of his comfort zone and exploring new art styles, Margy had a stroke.

For a period of time, both of their art journeys were halted. Their focus shifted to Margy’s health and recovery. As anyone who has experienced or had a loved one experience a stroke knows, adjusting to life afterwards is a long, difficult, and emotional process.

Margy participated in physical and speech therapy for several weeks following her stroke. With a great support system and a good deal of determination, she made remarkable progress.

“It was a big stroke,” Dan said. “Neurologists were amazed at her recovery in general, how she’s come along.”

After some time, Dan wanted to return to Studio 60, to the classes he took and the friendships he had started to form. He didn’t want to leave Margy alone, so he brought her along with him.

It took Margy some time to feel comfortable being around others. Even with her progress, she has very limited mobility of her right hand. She had to start over from scratch and learn how to do everything with her left hand.

“You had it once, and you lost it for some reason,” Margy said. “And now, it’s really starting over and getting used to this being your [dominant] hand. It’s just like walking. You need to walk. Every time I look at myself, from when I first started, to when I last took the steps, I have really done a fantastic job. I mean, I couldn’t even draw.”

Her return to making art started small. A niece had gifted Margy a coloring book to cheer her up. It had different animal designs, but woven throughout each page was a different swear word. Margy first colored a lizard drawing that had an expletive embedded into the design.

Her and Dan broke out into laughter as they remembered it.

Margy used crayons. She recalls how it felt like it took forever to complete.

Although it makes them smile to reflect on that lizard she colored, revisiting that period of time still conjures a slew of emotions.

When asked how she feels looking back on where she was right after the stroke to now, her face crinkled and delicate tears formed at the corner of her eyes. Dan, with the foresight and tenderness that 56 years of marriage provide, reached for a packet of tissues. He handed them to his wife.

With his arm around her wheelchair, he stepped in to answer the question.

“I think, for lack of a better word, she’s proud of what she does. She enjoys it,” he said.

Margy nodded in agreement, still overcome by emotion.

Slowly, she adjusted to using her left hand to draw and paint. She became more confident in her abilities and is now involved in several different art classes at Studio 60.

Now, seven years later, the couple has their own home art studio of sorts. Stacks of sketches and paintings pile high in their office. Their breakfast nook has been converted to a space to paint. Their dining room table often acts as a pottery table rather than a place for meals. They even have their own kiln and slab roller.

Dan also teaches three watercolor classes per week now, which are always full of students. Altogether, they are at the senior center making art and engaging with others four days a week.

Watercolor painting remains a favorite of the couple, but Margy also frequently attends china painting and pottery programming. Studio 60 has activities for all kinds of areas of interest from exercise classes to board games and educational classes.

Approximately 400 people visit the center each day. Like the Pritchetts, many of them look forward to coming. It helps to give their day a purpose and allows them to develop connections to other people in the area who are in a similar stage of life.

“When I think about what the senior center has meant for us, it’s new friends and social activities,” Dan said. “Not only the activities that we wouldn’t have been involved in otherwise, but at our age, it’s important just to get out of the house and do something. It’s an excuse to get up, brush your teeth, make the bed and shave.”

Dan excitedly shares not just his and Margy’s artwork, but also paintings from others that take his classes on the HSVMC Senior Center Art Facebook. It was on this page that Patsy Trigg, who is a board member of Studio 60, stumbled upon Margy’s work. She loved it so much that she asked Margy to illustrate one of her children’s books.

Margy’s art style works incredibly well for the genre, as it’s filled with bright colors and charming, playful animals. She often also makes intentional use of white space.

“Whimsy I think would be the word that I would apply to most of her pieces,” Dan said. “Very whimsical stuff.”

Margy’s works are full of smiles, and she hopes that’s exactly what people do as they look at them.

Coincidentally, Studio 60 also provided Dan with the opportunity to illustrate the covers of three books in a paranormal mystery series by Shirley B. Garrett, another member of the senior center.

Dan’s style differs from Margy’s. He often uses a combination of watercolors and a black ink pen to create serene landscapes, boats and buildings.

Dan reflected on the idea that Shirley’s books are exposing a larger audience to his artwork.

“You’re proud. It’s interesting,” he said. “It’s always fascinating that other people might have an interest in something that you’ve done like that.”

Margy echoed the sentiment that she’s proud and feels good to have been thought of for Patsy’s book.

The two also sell their art in Studio 60’s gift shop. Margy’s charismatic cards and matching envelopes are an especially popular purchase.

Even on days they aren’t at Studio 60, the Pritchetts usually produce pieces from home. Dan admitted that with as much as they create, a lot of it ends up stacked in piles. But when they’re able to, they love sharing their art with others.

On every special occasion, Margy mails relatives and friends a hand-painted card. When people receive them, Dan said the response is always “Margy’s card is beautiful.”

As the two enjoy their retired years, they are undeniably both artists through and through. Although they retain a humility about it. They’re proud of what they have accomplished and are happy to share it with others, but mostly, they’re content being able to create something each day.

“It’s really a reason to get out of bed in the morning,” Dan said. “It’s a reason to get up and do something. I don’t want either one of us to be sedentary. As a result of the studio here and the art that we’re involved in, we aren’t.”