For an artist who started painting at age 10, Maxine Paca was long overdue for an exhibit of her art work.
At age 89, it happened. Her lovely paintings were featured recently in an exhibit at Willow Brook Christian Village, where she resides with her husband, Ned.
Paca attended college at Miami University from 1947-1951 and focused on oil painting. Among her favorite subjects was a Native American man who used to sit in front of a bookstore for hours. Another subject was Charlie, a professional model, whom she painted in her sophomore year. Both portraits were in her show.
After marrying Ned when they were both seniors in college, Paca graduated with a degree in Fine Arts. She and Ned had two children, which kept Maxine busy. She started painting again when the family moved to Savannah, Georgia, where she fell in love with the area and wanted to capture it with her paintbrush.
“It is so gorgeous there,” Maxine said. “I was inspired to paint the ocean, marshes and sand dunes. The trees were so beautiful, especially those dangling with Spanish moss.”
A marsh on Skidaway Island became a favorite subject. “Marshes are eery, and I wanted to convey that in my work.” Her husband Ned added, “That’s my favorite painting. There is so much intricacy and depth.”
When she and Ned moved to Willow Brook about 18 months ago, Paca began taking watercolor classes at The Village with artist Ellie Heingartner. While she has been losing some of her eyesight, Paca was able to paint scenes from memory. She recently completed a water scene with sailboats.
“I encourage anyone to start painting,” she says. “Find a good, understanding teacher like Ellie and soon you will be on your way.”
