By Clyde Noel

Town Crier Correspondent

Seniors find art class provides therapeutic experience, social outlet

A group of senior citizens meet every Thursday in the Los Altos Senior Center to paint with watercolors, oils and acrylics. Why? Because they love it.

All levels of experience are welcome and most students lack any prior art instruction.

“This class is for fun. I try to teach them to see objects, see light and dark and just observe anything in general,” said Marilyn Boland, an accomplished fine arts teacher and writer teaching the painting class.

Boland has been teaching for 32 years, 14 in the Los Altos School District and has co-authored an art guide for the district.

“We worked on landscapes last week, and this week we are discussing seascapes,” Boland said. “We have 20 people in the class but many are traveling this time of year.”

Dianne Earle, a Palo Alto resident, is doing a quick sketch to test the paint. “I’m trying to get the same light effect that you can see in that nice watercolor,” Earle said. “I’m here to learn. I have no intention of hanging my paintings or even selling them.”

Earle has taken the class for three years. She says coming to class makes you practice and talk with other people who are also taking painting. Everyone is helpful and you meet nice people in this class.

Millie Gallo, of Los Altos Hills, has taken art classes with different instructors and enjoys this class.

“I really get a lot from Marilyn,” Gallo said. “She has formal classes where she uses a still life to help us either draw the still life or do our own thing.”

Rita Ricardo-Campbell, of Los Altos, is trying to make a sketch from a calendar. She is making a pencil outline and will paint the design in a larger size.

“It’s a relaxing class, I stay here for the full three hours,” Ricardo-Campbell said. “I like the sociability because there are people in the class from all strata of society.”

Helga Fischer-Colbrie, of Los Altos finds the class very relaxing. She is doing a short water color sketch and is using color to bring out the definition. A former teacher at West Valley Community College, she enjoys a release by coming to class.

“What’s nice about this class is if your work turns out nice you take it home. If it’s a dog you just heave it,” she said.

Boland talks about seascapes.

“When you do seascapes, the skies are usually the darkest. As you go further away they become lighter,” Boland said. “Crashing waves in water color are not the easiest thing to do.”

The class meets 12:30-3:30 p.m., every Wednesday, in Room 13, in the Los Altos Senior Center. Price is $10. However, anyone under 55 must pay $79.

For more information, call the senior center at 948-7483.