Carol Hart was an art major in college -- with an emphasis in painting.
That might surprise the thousands of people who know her as the founder of Life Styles, a Fayetteville-based nonprofit offering services to adults with disabilities.
FAQ
Meet the Painters
WHEN — 5-7 p.m. Saturday
WHERE — Heartwood Gallery in Fayetteville
COST — Free
INFO — 444-0888
BONUS — In addition to Carol Hart, artists Jan Ironside, Yvonne Daily, Carol Hart, Judy Chatterton, Kathy Siegfried, Suzie Sanford & Richard Stauffacher will also be on hand for the event.
Hart didn't paint much over the 36 years she led the organization, but she always hoped to return to it. So in 2012, when she retired, she did exactly that.
The results have surprised and delighted her. Her work -- now in acrylic instead of the oils of four decades ago -- is shown at Two25 Gallery and Wine Bar in Bentonville, and she is a member of the artists' collective that makes up Heartwood Gallery in Fayetteville. On Saturday, she'll be one of seven artists showing their creations at a wine-and-cheese reception from 5 to 7 p.m.
"The biggest surprise is how much I'm enjoying painting and how time stands still when I'm doing it," Hart says. "I never even thought I would necessarily show my work. I just wanted to make it. There have been a whole lot of happy surprises!"
Hart says she has not lacked for inspiration.
"I am inspired on a daily basis by things I see," she explains. Many of her paintings start from sketches, "but by the time it's finished, interspersed with the background and shapes and colors, it's pretty different. I do a lot of drawing on the front end, but once I start painting, the process takes over. I'm getting better at being open to that. I want to paint fearlessly."
Hart says the best part about being an artist of her age is "I have nothing really to prove now. My paintings are even more colorful than when I was younger. It's just kind of fun."
-- Becca Martin-Brown
NAN What's Up on 04/29/2016