Jerry Wyman lost his purpose in life after his wife's death less than two years ago.

Then he picked up his paintbrush, and the world came alive again.

"It feels great," the 78-year-old Hanover County resident said. "I feel wonderful. I knew I had to get back to my art, but I needed someone to give me a hand."

He found that help at Windemere Art Gallery in Mechanicsville. Located inside a restored Civil War-era home, the gallery opened in 2002 but has gone relatively unnoticed in the community. Wyman, who lives within walking distance, didn't discover it until two months ago, when a friend referred him there. He immediately signed up for painting classes.

"I feel blessed to have this so close," said Wyman, who dabbled in painting until his late 30s, then drifted away from the hobby.

. . .

Members of the Lee Artist Association founded Windemere Art Gallery while looking for a place to display their work. Bob Duggan, a longtime association member, volunteered his 19th-century house. Other artists can rent space in the two-story farmhouse-style structure to showcase their talent. There is also space for studios and a classroom.

The group plans to hold judged shows there, with the next scheduled for July 18.

"This is a perfect fit for the house," Duggan said. "This is the perfect setting to encourage art."

The home stood during the Civil War, Duggan said, and was originally part of a 100-acre farm. His grandparents purchased the home in 1910 and put on an addition 10 years later. Duggan's parents renovated the building next door, and Duggan purchased it and moved in during the 1960s.

He bought Windemere in the late 1980s and rented out office space. He renovated the home in 1991.

The two homes sit on 5 manicured acres just off busy Mechanicsville Turnpike. Civil War trenches are obvious along the property line.

"There's just something special about the atmosphere here," said Duggan, who still lives next door. "It's so different."

Artists say the environment brings out their best.

"I think this forces me to work harder," said Jean Much, another Lee Artist member. "It really gets the creativity going."

Hundreds of paintings, from watercolors to acrylics, sit alongside photographs and sketches. Most are for sale, with a portion of the proceeds going toward scholarships for high school students.

"It's so eclectic -- that's the nicest part about it," said Teressa Pearson, vice president of the Lee Artist Association. "There are so many different styles."

. . .

Some of the artists double as teachers at Windemere, including Pearson and Louise Wickham, who instructs Wyman twice a week.

"We encourage people to get back into art," Wickham said. "So many people have trained all their lives and then get away from it. It's a shame."

Wickham began painting as a child and studied art in college. But after getting married, she put aside her easel and devoted her time to raising a family. After about a 20-year hiatus, she picked up the brush again in 1985.

"Art is so stimulating," she said. "I love everything about it."

For Pearson, it's the element of surprise that keeps her passion for painting alive.

"You never know what it's going to look like when you start," she said. "It comes from the heart."
Contact Janet Caggiano at (804) 649-6157 or jcaggiano@timesdispatch.com.