Wantagh residents paint the town

With brushes in hand, Wantagh residents from the Forest City community have been painting the town for the last two months — watercolor painting to be precise.

About 40 members in the close-knit area gather on Wednesdays for a two-hour class to learn various strokes and techniques of watercolor painting.

“This has been ongoing,” said teacher and Wantagh resident Louise Fucci. “They are learning a skill and a craft, and it’s social. They have been together as a unit for a long, long time.”

Fucci has been the watercolor instructor for the Town Hempstead since 2002 and has taught the class at the Forest City clubhouse for nearly 14 years.
“I was teaching elsewhere,” Fucci said. “Another artist was teaching here at the time and because he was moving, he recommended I teach here.”

Overall, Fucci has been teaching art for 17 years and says she enjoys watching her students improve in their skills of creating landscapes and still-life designs.
“It brings people together to do something everyone is interested in,” Fucci added. “It’s rewarding when I see the process start to develop, and I can see how much better they are getting over time.”

The program consists of two 12-week sessions and is open to beginners and advanced painters. The classes start at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and the program ends on Dec. 16. Due to the small workspace, only 20 people can participate at a time.

“We’ve learned many techniques in watercolor,” Wantagh resident Ellyn Dorfman said. “We begin the class with a critique of our work and then we advance to a new project every week.”

Although the program is held in Wantagh, residents from all over the Town of Hempstead are welcome to join. The program requires that members bring their own watercolor paints and materials, as well as an $81 entry fee. The fee for seniors, veterans, volunteer firefighters and the physically disabled is reduced to $40.

“It’s been most enjoyable working with Louise,” Dorfman said. “We have all bonded together working as a group. We enjoy working together and formed a lovely group of friends.”

Advanced, intermediate and beginner watercolor painting classes are also held in other town locations including Harold Walker Memorial in Lakeview and Smith Street Park in Uniondale.

“I think this is crucial,” Forest City participant Pedroza Andrada said, “especially for middle-aged people and the elderly. It’s a way to socialize and it’s a way to learn.
“I like when I see that everything is done,” Andrada added. “It looks beautiful and then I frame it!”

For more information on Town of Hempstead watercolor programs and other cultural arts classes visit www.toh.li/activities.