'The desire will never be gone': Self-taught Fellsmere artist displays paintings around city

2021-12-29 14:46:18 By : Mr. Kevin Yang

FELLSMERE — When Jan Wilson was a child growing up in West Virginia, she was always getting into trouble with her mother, drawing on walls, tables and whatever else she could find.

That love for the creative arts was something Wilson would continue to foster throughout her life, and now at the age of 78, she is still creating beautiful paintings to share with  the Fellsmere community.

“My mother always said she would find little circles drawn on the walls,” said Wilson, whose studio was built into her garage on 87th Street in Fellsmere by her husband Ernie.  “My twin sister also paints and between the two of us, my mother never knew what she would find.”

Paintings by Wilson, mostly created in oil, can be found in various places throughout Indian River County including the Fellsmere Boys & Girls Club, Marsh Landing Restaurant, Fellsmere City Hall, Fellsmere Community Bible Church and the CPA offices of Offutt, Barton, Schlitt in Vero Beach. 

She has had no professional art training, simply learning artistic techniques by trial and error throughout her life.

“Working in oil is definitely my favorite,” said Wilson. “I also have tried working with water colors and while I like it, I’m not that good.”

Fellsmere Mayor Joel Tyson is one of the lucky people in the community who have had a portrait painted by Wilson. He had asked Wilson to draw a portrait of the city’s founder Nelson Fell, and later, she asked if she could do a portrait of Tyson as well.

“It’s very flattering,” said Tyson, about his portrait. “Jan took my picture that appears on the city’s website and created the painting. I joked with her that most people don’t get their portrait done until after they’re dead.”

Fellsmere historian Rich Votapka said Wilson has a special talent for painting people, particularly faces.

“I used to paint when I was a teen,” said Votapka. “But my faces always came out like distorted Picasso creations and were not very pretty to look at. Jan’s portraits are just remarkable, especially for an artist who is self-taught. She is a hidden talent in Fellsmere.”

Jan’s husband Ernie Wilson is also well-known throughout Fellsmere, donating his time to the Frog Leg Festival for many years.

He said his wife has a special talent for all types of painting, even decorating the nursery walls at the Fellsmere Community Bible Church and creating Christmas decorations for the downtown area.

She doesn’t charge for her paintings, preferring instead to give them away to people who can appreciate them.

“If she has a paintbrush in her hand, she’s happy,” said Ernie Wilson. “It doesn’t matter what she’s working on as long as she has a project to keep her busy.”

The couple, who have been married for 24 years and moved to Fellsmere in 2006, share four daughters, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.  They enjoy spending time with family and friends from church and the Fellsmere community.

Wilson said she can’t imagine a time when she isn’t working on some painting in her studio because it brings her great joy.

“I’m going to just keeping doing this until I die,” said Wilson. “The desire will never be gone.”

Janet Begley is a local freelance writer. If you like articles like this and other TCPalm coverage of Treasure Coast news, please support our journalism and subscribe.