JOAN WILKES ART: PLAYFUL PALETTE

Longtime Franklin resident Joan Wilkes is finding personal reward in her retirement through acrylic painting. An art minor in college, she built on her foundation in color theory and drawing with online instruction and in-person classes through Williamson County Parks and Recreation.

“I walked outdoors after those classes and saw everything around me in terms of color, form, and light,” she explained. “Can I capture the varying colors of those leaves? Can I recreate the play of light and shadow on that wooden bridge?”

Since then, Wilkes has begun teaching her own classes at the Franklin Rec Center featuring portraits of pets, people, and homes. With her fun and talented painting partner Jann Stephens, she also offers WCPR kids art camps, private in-home events, and patio paint parties at CoreLife Eatery, Cool Springs.

Sharing painting tips and techniques with students has been a way for Wilkes to give back to the community and encourage others to pursue their own passions. That “a-ha” moment when someone is pleased with their own work, or just the relaxed smile of a person enjoying a little “me time” with paints is why she continues to seek out teaching opportunities. “There is great value to putting paint on canvas, however you find time. When you are ready to take your skills to the next level, you’ll be familiar with the materials,” explained Wilkes.

For those ready to devote time to the finer points of painting, she says, classes offer a guiding hand that take skills to a level that is difficult to reach without direction. “People think a person has to be born with artistic talent,” Wilkes said. “If their first marks on paper aren’t what they consider a masterpiece, they believe they can never be an artist.” She explained how many of her students feel this way until she reminds them that nobody expects to be an expert when they pick up a musical instrument or a basketball for the first time. Why is it different for art?

Having devoted her adult life to career and family, it wasn’t until the pandemic and eventual retirement that Wilkes had the opportunity to focus on developing her creative passion. “Everything slowed down, and many people felt called to take a deep dive into their own interests.”

For her, that meant painting. To practice, she turned to treasured family photos. “I felt that if I was going devote hours and days to recreating an image, it should be something I love and care about deeply.” She started with beloved pets, then got brave enough to try painting her two daughters. “I thought I would give it a try, and if it didn’t work out, I just wouldn’t show anybody!”

As it turned out, people were thrilled with her paintings, and now she accepts commissions by request. She was featured painting live on “Spring Street,” the new interactive area of the Franklin Main Street Festival and exhibited at Landmark Booksellers as part of Franklin’s First Friday Art Crawl in May. Before that, she was an invited participant in Paint the Town — Dickson, an outdoor painting event that will be coming to Franklin in July.

The artist’s life is just beginning for this recent retiree, and she couldn’t be happier with its opportunities for growth and enrichment. “When I can capture the spirit of a beloved pet, person, or place, it is such a joy. There’s something very special a hand-painted portrait brings to treasured images that makes them keepsakes for generations.”

Wilkes is a former WCS teacher with 15 years’ experience at Page Middle School, where she taught Social Studies and Language Arts. She coordinated art programs for Williamson County Parks and Recreation, where she currently offers painting classes. She and husband Randy have been married 36 years and have two adult children, Katie and Robin.

CONTACT JOAN WILKES FOR COMMISSIONS, EVENTS, OR CLASSES

JoanWilkesArt@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/joanwilkesart

www.instagram.com/joan.wilkes

https://linktr.ee/Joan.Wilkes