A Patrick County youth stepped in to help an artist with an unfinished painting for the Roanoke Co+op Grandin Village Art Walk.
Christel Wilcox said family friend Sarah Reyburn, a Meadows of Dan artist, applied to the program earlier this year, and received the canvas several weeks ago.
“Shortly thereafter, it was maybe two weeks, she (Reyburn) had” health issues “and could not paint,” she said.
After Reyburn told her family, Wilcox said her husband showed Dana, their 14-year-old daughter the original painting. “She looked at it and went ‘I can paint that,’ so we contacted Sarah and she said to go ahead” and let her paint it.
Wilcox said Dana started working on the 5 ft x 10 ft sheet metal canvas after getting approval from the Co+op officials.
“Sarah did not start anything on the canvas. She only submitted the original painting that was entered into the contest. In fact, the canvas still had its protective plastic coating on it,” she said.
The painting, titled “Gratitude,” depicts a sunrise along the Blue Ridge Mountains with a family of four standing in front of it in silhouette.
Wilcox said her daughter started working on the painting during the second week of August.
“In the beginning, she had a couple of days where she was able to work about five hours a day, but lately she’s only been able to work like an hour-and-a-half in the afternoons because she has school,” Wilcox said.
The Art Walk is a multi-mural installation comprised of less than a dozen separate murals. The painting will be displayed for 10 years on the south facing wall of the Roanoke Co+op in the main alley way of Grandin Village.
Dana Wilcox and Rayburn will have their name co-billed on the artwork. After the cost of supplies, Wilcox said her daughter and Reyburn will split the $850 payment evenly.